THE CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS

Part II

Hypnosis and telepathy

On page 107 the young Lobsang Rampas teacher is describing the nature of hypnosis.

…."Come in!" said my Guide as I approached his door. "I thought you had gone back to sleep." "Sir!" I said, "I have come to you for instruction. I am anxious to know the nature of hypnotism." "Lobsang," said my Guide, "you have to learn much more than that. You have to learn the basis for hypnotism first. otherwise you do not know exactly what you do. Sit down." I sat, cross legged of course, upon the floor. My Guide sat opposite me. For a time he seemed lost in thought, and then said: "By now you should have realised that everything is vibration, electricity. The body has many different chemicals in its composition. Certain of those chemicals are conveyed to the brain by the blood stream. The brain, you know, has the best supply of blood and its contained chemicals. Those ingredients, potassium, manganese, carbon, and many others, form the brain tissue. Interaction between them makes a peculiar oscillation of molecules which we term an 'electric current'. When one thinks one sets in motion a chain of circumstances which results in the formation of this electric current and, hence, 'brain waves.

I pondered the whole matter; I could not see all this. If there were 'electric currents' in my brain, why did I not feel the shock? That boy who was flying a kite, I recalled, had been doing so in a thunderstorm. I remembered the vivid blue flash as lightning travelled along his wet kite line; I remembered, with a shudder, how he had fallen to the ground as a dried-up, fried crisp of flesh. And once I too had had a shock from the same source, a mere tingle compared to the other, but "tingle" enough to throw me a dozen feet.

"Honourable Lama!" I expostulated, "how can there be electricity in the brain? It would drive a man mad with the pain!" My Guide sat and laughed at me. "Lobsang!" he chuckled, "the shock you once had has given you a wholly incorrect idea of electricity. The amount of electricity in the brain is of a very, small order indeed. Delicate instruments can measure it and can actually chart the variations as one thinks or undertakes some physical action." The thought of one man measuring another man's voltage was almost too much for me, I started to laugh. My Guide merely smiled and said: "Let us this afternoon walk over to the Potala. The Inmost One has there a device which will enable us to talk more easily on this electrical subject. Go now and entertain yourself - have a meal, put on your best robe and meet me here when the sun is at noon." I rose to my feet, bowed, and went out.



Some pages ahead the problem is more discussed:

….eventually, the fading light caused us to desist from our experiments and to return to the Lama's room. First there was the evening service again, our life in Tibet seemed to be completely circumscribed by the needs for religious observance. With the service behind us we returned once again to my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup's apartment, here we sat in our usual cross legged attitude upon the floor with the little table, perhaps fourteen inches high, between us.

"Now Lobsang," said my guide, "we have to get down to this matter of hypnotism, but first of all we have to decide upon the operation of the human brain. I have shown you - I hope! - That there can be the passage of an electric current without one experiencing pain or discomfort therefrom. Now, I want you to consider that when a person thinks he generates an electric current. We need not go into the matter of how an electric current stimulates muscle fibre and causes reaction, our whole interest for the moment is the electric current - the brain waves, which have been so clearly measured and charted by Western medical science. I confess that I found this to be of some interest to me because in my small and humble way it had already occurred to me that thought had force, because I remembered that parchment roughly perforated cylinder which I had used at times in the Lamasery, and which I had caused to rotate by thought power alone.

"Your attention is wandering, Lobsang!" said my Guide. "I am sorry, Honourable Master," I replied, "I was merely reflecting upon the undoubted nature of thought waves, and considering the amusement I derived from that cylinder to which you introduced me some months ago."

My Guide looked at me and said, "You are an entity, an individual, and you have your own thoughts. You may consider that you will do some course of action, such as lift that rosary. Even in considering an action your brain causes electricity to flow from its chemical constituents, and the wave from the electricity prepares our muscle for the impending action. If a greater electrical force should occur in your brain, then your original intention of lifting that rosary would be thwarted. It is easy to see that if I can persuade you that you cannot lift that rosary, then your brain - being beyond your immediate control - will generate and send out an opposing wave. You will then be unable to lift the rosary or do the contemplated action."

I looked at him, and thought of the affair, and it really did not make much sense to me, for how could he influence how much electricity my brain was generating? I thought about it, and looked at him, and wondered if I should voice my doubt. There was no necessity to, however, for he divined it and hastened to set my mind at rest. "I can assure you, Lobsang, that what I say is demonstrable fact, and in a Western country we should be able to prove all this under a piece of apparatus which would chart the three basic brain waves, here however, we have no such facilities and we can only debate the matter. The brain generates electricity, it generates waves, and if you decide to lift your arm then your brain generates waves on the intention of your decision. If I can - in rather technical words - feed a negative charge into your brain, then your original intention would be frustrated. In other words, you would be hypnotised!"

This really did begin to make sense; I had seen that Wimshurst Machine, and I had seen various demonstrations conducted (ledet..) with its assistance, and I had seen how it was possible to alter the polarity of a current and so cause it to flow in the opposite direction. "Honourable Lama," I exclaimed, "how is it possible for you to feed a current into my brain? You cannot take off' the top of my head and put some electricity inside, how then may it be done?" "My dear Lobsang," said my Guide, "it is not necessary to get into your head because I do not have to generate any electricity and put into you, I can make appropriate suggestions whereby you will be convinced of the accuracy of my statement or suggestions, and you will then - without any voluntary control on your part - generate that negative current yourself."

He looked at me and said, "I am most unwilling to hypnotise anyone against their will except in a case of medical or surgical necessity, but I think that with your co-operation it might be a good idea to demonstrate a simple little matter of hypnotism." I exclaimed hastily, "Oh yes, I should love to experience hypnotism!" He rather smiled at my impetuosity and asked, "Now, Lobsang, what would you be unwilling to do, normally? I ask you that because I want to hypnotise you into doing something that you would not willingly do so that you personally can be assured that in doing this thing you are acting under in-voluntary influence." I thought for a moment, and really I hardly knew what to say, there were so many things that I did not want to do! I was saved further thought on this matter by my Guide, who exclaimed, "I know! You were not at all anxious to read that rather involved passage in the fifth volume of the Kangyur. You were, I believe, rather afraid that some of the terms used would betray you, and betray the fact that on that particular subject you had not studied so assiduously as desired by your tutor!"

I felt rather gloomy about that; and I confess I also felt my cheeks redden with some embarrassment(forlegenhet). It was perfectly true, there was a particularly difficult passage in The Book which caused me extreme difficulty, however, in the interests of science I was quite prepared to be persuaded to read it. Actually I had almost a phobia against reading that particular passage! My Guide smiled and said, "The Book is over there just to the side of the window, bring it here, turn to that passage and read it aloud, and if you will try not to read it - if you will try to mess up the whole thing - then that will be a much better test." I reluctantly went across and fetched The Book, and unwillingly turned over the pages. Our Tibetan pages are much bigger - much heavier - than Western books. I fumbled and fumbled, and made the thing as long-drawn-out as possible. In the end, though I turned to the appropriate passage, and I confess (tilstår) that this particular passage, because of some earlier incident with a tutor, really did make me feel almost physically sick.

I stood there with The Book in front of me, and try as I might I could not articulate those words, it may seem strange but it is a fact that because I had been so ill-used by an un-understanding tutor I had developed a real hatred for those sacred sentences. My Guide looked at me - nothing more - just looked at me, and then something seemed to click inside my head, and I found to my very considerable surprise that I was reading, not just "reading" but reading fluently, easily - without a trace of hesitation. As I reached the end of the paragraph I had the most inexplicable sensation. I put down The Book and I went to the middle of the room and I stood on my head! "I'm going crazy!" I thought. "Whatever will my Guide think of me for behaving in this utterly foolish manner?" Then it occurred to me, that my Guide was making me influencing me - to behave thus. Quickly I jumped to my feet, and found that he was smiling most benevolently upon me. "It really is a most easy matter, Lobsang, to influence a person, there is no difficulty at all when one has mastered the basic matter. I merely thought of certain things and you picked up my thoughts telepathically, and that caused your brain to react in the manner I had anticipated. Thus certain fluctuations in your normal brain pattern were caused which produced this quite interesting result!"

"Honourable Lama!" I said, "then does it mean that if we can put an electric current into a person's brain we can make that person do anything we want?" "No, it does not mean that at all," said my Guide. "It means instead that if we can persuade a person to do a certain course of action, and the course of action which we desire to persuade is not contrary to that person's belief, then he will undoubtedly do it merely because his brain waves have been altered, and no matter what his original intention, he will react as suggested by the hypnotist. In most cases a person receives suggestions from a hypnotist, there is no real influence exerted by the hypnotist other than the influence of suggestion. The hypnotist, by certain little tricks, is able to induce a course of action in the victim contrary to that which was originally contemplated." He looked at me seriously for a moment and then added, "Of course you and I have other powers than that. You will be able to hypnotise a person instantly even against a person's wishes, that gift is being made unto you because of the peculiar nature of your life, because of the very great hardships, because of the exceptional work which you are going to have to achieve."

He sat back and gazed at me in order that he might determine if I had assimilated the information which he had given me, satisfied that I had, he continued, "Later - not yet - you will be taught much more about hypnotism and how to hypnotise quickly. I want to tell you that you will also have your telepathic powers increased, because when you journey from here far out into other countries you will need to keep in touch with us all the time, and the quickest and the most accurate way is by telepathy." I felt quite gloomy over all this. I seemed the whole time to be learning something fresh, and the more I learned the less time I had for myself, it seemed to me that more and more work was being added to me but none was being lifted off!

"But, Honourable Lama!" I said, "how does telepathy work? Nothing appears to happen between us, yet you know almost everything I think especially when I do not want you to!" My Guide looked at me and laughed, and said, "It really is quite a simple matter, telepathy, one merely has to control the brain waves. Look at it in this way; you think, your brain generates electric currents which fluctuate in accordance with the variations of your thought. Normally your thoughts go to activate a muscle so that a limb (lem) may be raised or lowered, or you may be thinking of a certain subject at a distance, whatever way it is, your mental energy is broadcast - that is, the energy-force from your brain is emitted indiscrimmately in all and every direction. If there was some method whereby you could focus your thought, then it would be of a very much greater intensity in the direction in which it was focused." I looked at him, and I remembered a little experiment which he had shown me some time before; we had been in much the same position as now, that is high up on The Peak (as we Tibetans call the Potala). The Lama, my Guide, had in the darkness of the night lighted a small candle and the light glimmered faintly around. But then he had put a magnifying glass in front of the candle, and by adjusting the distance of the magnifying glass from the flame he had been able to project upon the wall a much brighter image of the candle flame.

To increase the lesson, he had put a shiny surface behind the candle, and that, in turn, had concentrated the light more so that the image upon the wail was even greater. I mentioned this to him, and he said, "Yes! That is perfectly correct, by various tricks it is possible to focus the thought and to send it in a certain predetermined direction. Actually, every person has what we might term an individual wave-length, that is, the amount of energy on the basic wave emitted from the brain of any one person follows a precise order of oscillation, and if we could determine the rate of oscillation of the basic brain wave of another person and tune in to that basic oscillation, we should have no difficulty whatever in conveying our message by so-called telepathy, irrespective of the distance." He gazed firmly at me, and added, "You must get it quite clear in your mind, Lobsang, that distance means nothing whatever when it comes to telepathy, telepathy can span oceans, it can even span worlds!"

I confess that I was most anxious to do more in the realm of telepathy, I could visualise myself talking to those of my fellows who were at other lamaseries, such as Sera, or even in far-off districts. It seemed to me, though, that all my efforts had to be devoted to things which would help me in the future, a future - which, according to all prophecies, would be a gloomy affair indeed.

My Guide interrupted my thoughts again, "We will go into this matter of telepathy later. We will also go into the matter of clairvoyance, for you will have abnormal powers of clairvoyance, and it will ease things for you if you are aware of the mechanics of the process. It all revolves around brain waves and interrupting the Akashic Record, but night is upon us, we must cease our discussion for the moment and prepare for sleep that we may during the night hours be refreshed in time for the first service."

He rose to his feet, and I rose to mine. I bowed to him in the attitude of respect, and I wished that I could show more adequately the profound respect which I felt for this great man who had so befriended me.

Briefly, a fleeting smile crossed his lips, and he stepped forward and I felt his warm handclasp upon my shoulder. A gentle pat, and he said, "Goodnight, Lobsang, we must not delay any longer, or we shall be logheads again - unable to awaken when it is time for us to attend to our devotions(andakt)."

From page 128 he describes a incident where he again was forced out of his body - and the background was as he here describes:

In the morning I arose and had my breakfast and then was about to make my way to the Lamas' Quarters. As I was leaving the room a hulking monk in a tattered robe grabbed me. "Hey, you!" he said, "you work in the kitchen this morning - cleaning millstones too!" "But Sir!" I replied, "my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup wants me." I attempted to squeeze past. "No, you come with me. Doesn't matter who wants you, I say you are going to work in the kitchen.' He grabbed my arm and twisted it so that I could not escape. Reluctantly I went with him, there was no choice. In Tibet we all took our turn at manual, at menial tasks.

"Teaches humility!" said one. "Prevents a boy from getting above himself!" said another. "Knocks out class distinctions!" said a third. Boys - and monks - work at any task assigned purely as discipline. Of course, there was a domestic staff of lower-grade monks, but boys and monks of all grades had to take turns at the lowest and most unpleasant tasks as training. We all hated it as the "regulars" - inferior men all - treated us as slaves, well knowing that we could not possibly complain. Complain? It was meant to be hard!

Down the stone corridor we went. Down the steps made of two wooden uprights with bars fixed across. Into the great kitchens where I had been so badly burned on the leg. "There!" said the monk who was holding me, "get up and clean out the grooves in the stones." Picking up a sharp metal spike, I climbed on to one of the great barley-grinding wheels and industriously dug into the crushed debris lodged in the grooves. This stone had been neglected, and now, instead of grinding, it had just spoiled the barley. My task was to "dress" the surface so that it was again sharp and clean. The monk stood by, idly picking his teeth.

"Hey!" yelled a voice from the entrance, "Tuesday Lobsang Rampa. Is Tuesday Lobsang Rampa here? The Honourable Lama Mingyar Dondup wants him immediately." Instinctively I stood up and jumped off the stone. "Here I am!" I called. The monk brought his balled fist down hard on the top of my head, knocking me to the ground. "I say you will stay here and do your work," he growled. "If anyone wants you, let him come in person." Catching me by the neck, he lifted me and flung me on to the stone. My head struck a corner, and all the stars in the heavens flamed into my consciousness before fading and leaving the world blank and dark.

Strangely, I had a sensation of being lifted - lifted horizontally - and then stood on my feet. Somewhere a great, deep-toned gong seemed to be tolling out the seconds of life, it went "bong-bong-bong" and with a final stroke I felt that I had been struck by blue lightning. On the instant the world grew very bright, bright with a kind of yellowish light, a light in which I could see more clearly than normal. "Ooo," I said to myself, "so I am outside of my body! Oh! I do look strange!"

I had had considerable experience of astral travelling, I had travelled far beyond the confines (grenser) of this old earth of ours, and I had travelled also to many of the greatest cities upon this globe. Now, though, I had my first experience of being "jumped out of my body". I stood beside the great mill-stone looking down with considerable distaste at the scruffy little figure in the very tattered robe lying on the stone. I gazed down, and it was only a matter of passing interest to observe how my astral body was joined to that battered figure by a bluish white cord which undulated and pulsed, which glowed brightly and faded, and glowed and faded again. Then I gazed more closely at my body upon this stone slab, and was appalled at the great gash over the left temple from whence oozed dark red blood, blood which seeped down into the stone grooves and mixed inextricably with the debris which so far had not been dug out.

A sudden commotion attracted my attention, and as I turned I saw my Guide, the Lama Mingyar Dondup, entering the kitchen, his face white with anger. He strode forward and came to a halt right before the head monk of the kitchen - the monk who had treated me so badly. No word was spoken, no word at all, in fact there was a hushed and deathly silence. My Guide's piercing (gennemtrengende) eyes seemed to strike lightning into the kitchen monk, with a sigh like a punctured balloon he subsided into an inert mass on the stone floor. Without sparing a second glance at him my Guide turned away, turned to my earthly figure stretched out, breathing stertorously (snorkende) upon that stone circle.

I looked about me, I was really fascinated to think that I was now able to get out of my body for short distances. Going "far travels" in the astral was nothing, I always had been able to do that, but this sensation of getting out of myself and looking down upon my earthly suit of clay was a new, intriguing experience.

Ignoring the happenings about me for a moment, I let myself drift - drift up through the ceiling of the kitchen. "Ow!" I said involuntarily as I passed through the stone ceiling into the room above. Here were seated a group of lamas in deep contemplation. I saw with some interest that they had a sort of model of the world before them, it was a round ball upon which were indicated continents and lands and oceans and seas, and the round ball was fixed at an angle, the angle corresponding to the tilt of the earth itself in space. I did not tarry (oppholde) there, this seemed to me to be too much like lesson work, I journeyed upwards. Through another ceiling, through another, and yet another, and then I stood in the Room of the Tombs! About me were the great golden walls which supported the tombs (gravkammerne) of the Incarnations of the Dalai Lama for centuries past. I stood here in reverent contemplation for some moments, and then allowed myself to drift upwards, upwards, so that at last below me I saw that glorious Potala with all its gleaming gold, with all its scarlet and crimson and with the wondrous white walls which seemed to melt into the living rock of the mountain itself.

Turning my gaze slightly to the right I could see the Village of Sho and beyond that the City of Lhasa with the blue mountains in the background. As I rose, I could see the limitless spaces of our fair and pleasant land, a land which could be hard and cruel through the vagaries (luner) of unpredictable weather but which, to me, was home!

A remarkably severe tugging (brytende rykk) attracted my attention and I found myself being reeled in (innspolt) as I often reeled in a kite which was soaring in the sky. I sank down and down, down into the Potala, through floors which became ceilings, and through floors again, until at last I reached my destination and stood again beside my body in the kitchen.

The Lama Mingyar Dondup was gently bathing my left temple (tinning)- picking pieces from it. "Good gracious!" I said to myself in profound astonishment, "is my head so thick that it cracked or chipped the stone?" Then I saw that I had a small fracture, I saw also a lot of the material being pulled from my head was debris (rester)- rubbish - the chippings of stone and the remnants of ground barley. I watched with interest, and - I confess - some amusement, for here standing beside my body in my astral body I felt no pain, no discomfort, only peace.

At last the Lama Mingyar Dondup finished his ministrations(pleie), and he put a patch, a herbal compress, upon my head and bound it about with silken bonds. Then, motioning to two monks who stood by with a litter(båre), he instructed them to lift me so carefully.

The men - monks of my own Order, gently lifted me and placed me upon that litter, with the Lama Mingyar Dondup walking beside. I was carried off.

I looked about me in considerable astonishment, the light was fading, had I been so long that the day was dying? Before I had an answer to that I found that I too was fading, the yellow and the blue of the spiritual light was diminishing in intensity, and I felt an absolutely overwhelming, absolutely overpowering urge to rest - to sleep and not to bother about anything.

I knew no more for a time and then, through my head shot excruciating pains, pains which caused me to see reds and blues and greens and yellows, pains which made me think that I should go mad with the intense agony. A cool hand was placed upon me and a gentle voice said, "It is all right, Lobsang. It is all right, rest, rest, go to sleep!" The world seemed to become a dark fluffy pillow, the pillow was soft as swansdown into which I sank gratefully, peacefully, and the pillow seemed to envelop me so that I knew no more, and again my soul soared in space, while upon the earth my battered body remained at rest.

It must have been many hours later when I again regained consciousness, I awakened to find my Guide sitting beside me, holding my hands in his. As my eyelids fluttered upwards and the light of the evening streamed in, I smiled weakly, and he smiled

back at me then, disengaging his hands, he took from a little table beside him a cup with some sweet smelling brew. Gently pressing it to my lips he said, "Drink this up, it will do you good!" I drank, and life flooded through me once again, so much so that I tried to sit up. The effort was too much; I felt as if a great club had been bashed down once more upon my head, I saw vivid lights, constellations of lights, and I soon desisted in my efforts.

The evening shadows lengthened, from below me came the muted sound of the conches, and I knew that the Service was about to start. My Guide, the Lama Mingyar Dondup, said, "I have to go for half an hour, Lobsang, because the Inmost One wants me, but your friends Timon and Yulgye are here to look after you in my absence and to call me should the occasion arise." He squeezed my hands, rose to his feet, and left the room.

Two familiar faces appeared, half frightened and wholly excited. They squatted down beside me, and Timon said, "Oh, Lobsang! Did the Kitchen Master get a telling off (skrape) about all this!" "Yes," said the other, "and he is being turned out of the Lamasery for extreme, unnecessary brutality. He is being escorted out now!" They were bubbling with excitement, and then Timon said again, "I thought you were dead, Lobsang, you really did bleed like a 'stuffed yak!" I really/had to smile as I looked at them, their voices showed how thrilled they were at any excitement to relieve the drab (triste) monotony of life in a lamasery. I held no grudge (nag) against them for their excitement, knowing that I too would have been excited if the victim had been other than I.

I smiled upon them and was then overpowered by an oppressive tiredness. I closed my eyes, intending to rest them for a few moments, and once again I knew no more.

For several days, perhaps seven or eight in all, I rested upon my back and my Guide, the Lama Mingyar Dondup, acted as my nurse, but for him I should not have survived, for life in a lamasery is not necessarily gentle or kind, it is indeed survival of the fittest. The Lama was a kind man, a loving man, but even had he been otherwise there would have been the greatest reasons for keeping me alive. I, as I have said before, had a special task to do in life, and I supposed that the hardships which I was undergoing as a boy were meant in some way to toughen me, to make me become immured to hardship and suffering, for all the prophecies that I had heard - and I had heard quite a few!

- had indicated that my life would be a life of sorrow, a life of suffering.

But it was not all suffering, as my condition improved there were more opportunities for talk with my Guide. We talked of many things, we covered common subjects and we covered subjects which were most uncommon. We dealt at length with various occult subjects, I remember on one occasion saying, "It must be a wonderful thing, Honourable Lama, to be a librarian and so possess all the knowledge in the world. I would be a librarian were it not for all these terrible prophecies as to my future." My Guide smiled down upon me. "The Chinese have a saying, 'a picture is worth a thousand words,' Lobsang, but I say that no amount of reading nor looking at pictures will replace practical experience and knowledge." I looked at him to see if he were serious and then I thought of the Japanese monk, Kenji Tekeuchi, who for almost seventy years had studied the printed word and had failed to practice or to absorb anything that he had read.

My Guide read my thoughts, "Yes!" he said, "the old man is not mental. He gave himself mental indigestion by reading everything and anything and not absorbing any of it. He imagines that he is a great man, a man of surpassing spirituality. Instead he is a poor old blunderer who deceives no one so much as himself." The Lama sighed sadly and said, "He is spiritually bankrupt, knowing all but knowing nothing. The insensate, indiscriminate (ukritiske) and ill-advised reading of all that comes one's way is dangerous. This man followed all the great religions and, understanding none of them, he yet set himself up as the greatest spiritual man of all."

"Honourable Lama!" I said, "if it be so harmful to have books, why are there books?" My Guide looked blankly at me for a moment. "Ha!" I thought, "he does not know the answer to that one!"

Then he smiled again and said, "But my dear Lobsang, the answer is so obvious! Read, read, and read again, but never let any book overpower your discrimination (skjønn) nor your discernment. A book is meant to teach, to instruct or even to amuse. A book is not a master to be followed blindly and without reason. No person possessed of intelligence should ever be enslaved by a book or by the words of another." I sat back and nodded my head. Yes, that made sense. But then, why bother with books?

"Books, Lobsang?" said my Guide in answer to my query. "Of course there must be books! The libraries of the world contain most of the knowledge of the world, but no one but an idiot would say that mankind is the slave of books: Books exist merely to be a guide unto mankind, to be there for his reference, for his use. It is indeed a fact that books misused can be a curse (forbannelse), for they lead a man to feel that he is greater than he is and thus to lead him to devious (omveier) paths in life, paths which he has not the knowledge nor the wit (forstand/vett) to follow to the end." "Well, Honourable Lama," I asked again, "what are the uses of books?"

My Guide looked hard at me and said, "You cannot go to all the places in the world and study under the greatest Masters of the world, but the printed word - books - can bring their teachings to you. You do not have to believe everything you read, nor do the great masters of writing ever tell you that you should, you should use your own judgement and use their words of wisdom as a pointer to what should be your words of wisdom. I can assure you that a person who is not ready to study a subject can harm himself immeasurably by getting hold of a book and - as it were - trying to raise himself above his kharmic station by studying the words and the works of others. It may well be that the reader is a man of low evolutionary development, and in that case, in studying the things which at the present are not for him, he may stunt rather than enhance (øke) his spiritual development. I have known many such cases and our Japanese friend is just one."

My Guide rang for tea, a most necessary adjunct to all our discussions! When tea had been brought by the monk-servant we again resumed our discussion, My Guide said, "Lobsang! You are going to have a most unusual life, and to that end your development is being forced, your telepathic powers are being increased by any method at our disposal. I am going to tell you now that in just a few months you are going to study by telepathy allied to clairvoyance some of the greatest books of the world - some of the literary masterpieces of the world, and you are going to study them irrespective of lack of knowledge of the language in which they are written."

I am afraid that I gaped at him in real astonishment, how could I study a book written in a language which I did not know? That was a matter which puzzled me, but I soon received an answer. "When your powers of telepathy and clairvoyance are a little more acute - as they will be - you will be able to pick up the whole thoughts of a book from people who have just recently read the book or are at present engaged upon such reading. This is one of the lesser known uses of telepathy which, of course, must in such cases be allied to clairvoyance. People in other parts of the world cannot always get to a public library or to one of the leading library centres of a country, they may pass the door but unless they can prove that they are a genuine student in search of knowledge, they are not admitted. Such a bar will not be placed on you, you will be able to travel in the astral and study and that will help you all the days of your life, and to the time when you pass beyond this life."

He told me of the uses of occultism. Misuse of occult power or the domination of another person by occult means brought a truly terrible punishment. Esoteric powers, metaphysical powers, and extrasensory perceptions were to be used only for good, only in the service of others, only to increase the sum total of knowledge contained in the world.

"But, Honourable Lama!" I said, urgently, "how about people who get out of their bodies with excitement or with interest, how about when they fall out of their bodies and then nearly die of fright, can nothing be done to warn them?" My Guide smiled rather sadly at this as he said, "It is true, Lobsang, that many many people read books and try experiments without having a suitable Master at hand. Many people get out of themselves, either through drink or through over-excitement or through over-indulgence (ettergivenhet) in something which is not good for the spirit, and then they panic. There is one way in which you can help, throughout your life you should warn those who enquire that the only thing to fear in occult matters is fear. Fear allows undesirable thoughts, undesirable entities to enter and even to take control of one, to take possession of one, and you, Lobsang, should repeat again and again that there is naught ever to fear other than fear itself. In casting out fear, then you strengthen humanity and make humanity purer. It is fear which causes wars, fear which makes dissension (uenighet) in the world, fear which turns man's hand against man. Fear, and fear alone, is the enemy, and if we throw out fear once and for all then - believe me - there is nothing more that need be feared."

Fear, what was all this talk about fear? I looked up at my Guide, and I suppose he saw the unspoken question in my eyes. Perhaps instead he read my thoughts telepathic-ally, whatever it was he suddenly said, "So you are wondering about fear? Well, you are young and innocent(uskyldig)!"

I thought to myself,' "Oh! Not so innocent as he thinks!" The Lama smiled as if he enjoyed that private joke with me - although of course I had not uttered a word - and then he said, "Fear is a very real thing, a tangible (håndgriplig) thing, you will have heard tales of those who are addicted (henfallen)to spirits - who become intoxicated (beruset). They are men who see remarkable creatures. Some of these drunkards claim to see green elephants with pink stripes, or even more bizarre creatures. I tell you, Lobsang, that the creatures which they see - so-called figments of their imagination - are real creatures indeed."

I was still not clear about this matter of fear. Of course I knew what fear was in the physical sense, I thought of the time when I had had to stay motionless outside the Chakpori Lamasery so that I could undergo the test of endurance before being permitted to enter and be accepted as the humblest of humble chelas. I turned to my Guide and said, "Honourable Lama, what is all this fear? In conversation I have heard of the creatures of the lower astral, yet I myself in all my astral travels have never encountered aught which caused me even a moment's fear. What is all this fear?"

My Guide sat still for a moment, then, as if reaching a sudden decision, he rose swiftly to his feet and said, "Come!" I rose also and we went along a stone corridor and turned to the right and to the left and to the right again.

Continuing our journey we at last turned into a room where there was no light. It was like stepping into a pool of blackness, my Guide went first and lit a butter lamp which was standing ready beside the door, then, motioning to me to lie down, he said, "You are old enough to experience the entities of the lower astral. I am prepared to assist you to see these creatures and to make sure that you come to no harm, for they should not be encountered unless one is adequately prepared and protected. I will extinguish (slukke) this light, and do you rest in peace and let yourself drift away from your body - let yourself drift whither you will, regardless of destination, regardless of intention - just drift and wander as the breeze." So saying he extinguished the lamp and there was no glimmer of light in that place when he had shut the door. I could not even detect his breathing but I could feel his warm, comforting presence near me.

Astral travelling was no new experience to me, I was born with the ability to travel thus and to remember always, everything. Now, stretched upon the ground, with my head resting upon part of my rolled-up robe, I folded my hands and put my feet together and dwelt upon the process of leaving the body, the process which is so simple to those who know. Soon I felt the gentle jerk which indicates a separation of the astral vehicle from the physical, and with that jerk there came a flooding of light. I seemed to be floating at the end of my Silver Cord. Beneath me was utter blackness, the blackness of the room which I had just left, and in which there was no glimmer of light. I looked about me, but this was in no way different from the normal travels that I had undertaken before. I thought of elevating myself above the Iron Mountain, and with the thought I was no longer in that room but hovering above the Mountain, hovering two perhaps three hundred feet. Suddenly I was no longer aware of the Potala, no longer aware of the Iron Mountain, no longer aware of the land of Tibet nor of the Valley of Lhasa. I felt sick with apprehension (oppfattelsen), my Silver Cord trembled violently and I was appalled to see that some of the "silver-blue" haze which always emanated from the Cord had turned into a sickly yellow-green.

Without warning there was a terrible twitching, a terrible tugging(rykk og -trekkning), a sensation as if insane fiends (vanvittige djevler )were trying to reel me in (innspole). Instinctively I looked down and nearly fainted away at what I saw.

About me, rather, below me, were the strangest and most hideous (heslige)creatures such as were seen by drunks. The most horrible thing I had ever seen in my life came undulating (bølgende) toward me, it looked like an immense slug (enorm snegle) with an ugly human face but of such colours as no human ever wore. The face was red but the nose and ears were green, and the eyes seemed to revolve within their sockets. There were other creatures too, each seemed to be more horrible and more nauseating (kvalmende) than the one before. I saw creatures which no words could describe yet they all seemed to have a common human trait of cruelty about them. They reached, they tried to pluck at me - they tried to tear me away from my Cord. Others reached down and tried to separate the Cord by pulling at it. I looked, and shuddered, and then I thought, "Fear! So this is fear! Well, these things cannot hurt me, I am immune from their manifestations, I am immune from their attacks!" And as I thought thus, the entities disappeared and were no more. The ethereal Cord joining me to my physical body brightened and reverted to its normal colours; I felt exhilarated (opplivet), free, and I knew that in undergoing and surmounting this test I should not again be afraid of anything which could happen in the astral. It taught me conclusively that the things of what we are afraid cannot hurt us unless we permit them to hurt us through our fear.

A sudden tugging at my Silver Cord attracted my attention again and I looked down without the slightest hesitation, without the slightest sensation or feeling of fear. I saw a little glimmer of light, I saw that my Guide, the Lama Mingyar Dondup, had lighted that little flickering butter lamp, and my body was drawing down my astral body.

Gently I floated down through the roof of the Chakpori, floated down so that I was horizontal above my physical body, then, gently so very gently, I drifted down and the astral and the physical merged and were as one. The body which was now "I" twitched slightly, and I sat up. My Guide looked down at me with a loving smile upon his face. "Well done, Lobsang!" he said. "To let you in to a very very great secret, you did better on your first attempt than I did on mine. I am proud of you!"

I was still quite puzzled about this fear business, so I said, "Honourable Lama, what is there to be afraid of really?" My Guide looked quite serious - even sombre (dyster) - as he said, "You have led a good life, Lobsang, and have nothing to fear, therefore you do not fear. But there are those who have committed crimes, who have done wrongs against others, and when they are alone - their conscience troubles them sorely. The creatures of the lower astral feed on fear, they are nourished by those of troubled conscience. People make thought forms of evil. Perhaps at some time in the future you will be able to go into an old old cathedral or temple that has stood for countless years. From the walls of that building (such as our own Jo Kang) you will sense the good that has occurred within that building. But then if you can suddenly go to an old old prison where much suffering, much persecution has taken place, then you will have indeed the opposite effect. It follows from this that the inhabitants of buildings make thought forms which inhabit the walls of the buildings, wherefore it is apparent that a good building has good thought forms which give out good emanations, and places of evil have evil thoughts within them, wherefore it is again clear that only evil thoughts can come from an evil building, and those thoughts and thought forms can be seen and touched by those who are clairvoyant while in the astral state."

My Guide thought for a moment, and then said, "There are cases, as you will be aware, when monks and others imagine that they are greater than their own reality, they build a thought form, and in time the thought form colours their whole outlook. There is a case which I recall at this moment where an old Burmese monk - a remarkably ignorant man too, I have to say - he was a lowly monk, a monk of no understanding, yet because he was our brother, and of our Order, we had to make every allowance. This monk lived a solitary life as do so many of us, but instead of devoting his time to meditation and contemplation and other things of good, he imagined instead that he was a mighty man in the land of Burma. He imagined that he was not a lowly monk who had hardly set foot upon the Path of Enlightenment. Instead, in the solitude of his cell, he imagined that he was a great Prince, a Prince of mighty estates and great wealth.

At the start it was harmless, it was a harmless if useless diversion (fornøyelse). Certainly no one would have condemned (fordømt) him for a few idle imaginings and yearnings, for, as I say, he had neither the wit nor the learning to really devote (vie) himself to the spiritual tasks at hand. This man throughout the years, whenever he was alone, became the great, great Prince. It coloured his outlook, it affected his manner, and with the passage of time the humble monk seemed to disappear and the arrogant Prince came to the fore. At last the poor unfortunate man really believed most firmly that he was a Prince of the land of Burma. He spoke to an Abbot one day as if the Abbot was a serf(lavstatus) upon the princely estate. The Abbot was not such a peaceful Abbot as some of us, and I am sorry to say that the shock which the poor monk-turned-princeling sustained put him off balance, and reduced him to a state of mental instability.

But you, Lobsang, have no need to worry about such things; you are stable and well balanced and without fear. Remember only these words by way of warning: Fear corrodes (forvitrer) the soul. Vain and useless imaginings put one on the wrong path so that with the passage of years the imaginings become reality, and the realities fade from sight and do not come to light again for several incarnations. Keep your foot upon the Path, let no wild yearnings nor imaginings colour or distort your outlook. This is the World of Illusion, but to those of us who can face that knowledge, then the illusion can be turned into reality when we are off this world."

I thought of all that, and I must confess that I had already heard of that monk-turned-mental-prince, because I had read about it in some book in the Lamas' Library. "Honourable Guide!" I said, "what are the uses of occult power, then?" The Lama folded his hands and looked straight at me. "The uses of occult knowledge? Well, that is easy enough, Lobsang! We are entitled to help those who are worthy of help. We are not entitled to help those who do not want our help, and are not yet ready for help. We do not use occult power or ability for self-gain, nor for hire or reward. The whole purpose of occult power is to speed one's development upwards, to speed one's evolution and to help the world as a whole, not just the world of humans, but the world of nature, of animals everything."

We were again interrupted by the Service starting in the Temple building near us, and as it would have been disrespectful to the Gods to continue a discussion while they were being worshipped, we ended our talk and sat in silence by the flickering flame of the butter lamp, now burning low.

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was pleasant indeed lying in the cool, long grass at the base of the Pargo Kaling. Above me, at my back, the ancient stones soared heavenwards and, from my viewpoint flat on the ground, the point so high above seemed to scrape the clouds. Appropriately enough, the "Bud of the Lotus" - forming the point symbolised Spirit, while the "leaves" which supported the "Bud" represented Air. I, at the base, rested comfortably against the representation of "Life on Earth". Just beyond my reach - unless I stood - were the "Steps of Attainment". Well, I was trying to "attain" now!

It was pleasant lying here and watching the traders from India, China and Burma come trudging by. Some of them were afoot while leading long trains of animals carrying exotic goods from far far places. Others, more grand maybe, or possibly just plain tired, rode and gazed about. I speculated idly on what their pannier bags contained, then pulled myself together with a jerk; that was why I was here! I was here to watch the aura of as many different people as I could. I was here to "divine" from the aura and from telepathy what these men were doing, what they were thinking, and what were their intentions.

Just off to the opposite side of the road a poor blind beggar sat. He was covered with dirt. Ragged and commonplace he sat and whined at passing travellers. A surprising number threw coins to him, delighting in watching him, blind, scrabble for the falling coins and finally locating them by the sound they made as they struck the earth and perhaps chinked against a stone. Occasionally, very occasionally indeed, he would miss a small coin, and the traveller would lift it and drop it again. Thinking of him, I turned my lazy head in his direction and sat upright in sheer dazed astonishment.

His aura! I had never bothered to observe it before. Now, looking carefully, I saw that he was not blind, I saw that he was rich, had money and goods stored away and that he was pretending to be a poor blind beggar as it was the easiest way of making a living that he knew. No! It could not be, I was mistaken, I was overconfident or something. Perhaps my powers were failing. Troubled at such a thought, I stumbled to my reluctant feet and went in search of enlightenment from my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup who was at the Kundu Ling opposite.

Some weeks before I had undergone an operation in order that my "Third Eye" might be the more widely opened. From birth I had been possessed of unusual powers of clairvoyance, with the ability to see the "aura" around the bodies of humans, animals and plants. The painful operation had succeeded in increasing my powers far more than had been anticipated even by the Lama Mingyar Dondup. Now my development was being rushed; my training in all occult matters occupied my waking hours. I felt squeezed by mighty forces as this lama and that lama "pumped" knowledge into me by telepathy and by other strange forces whose workings I was now so intensively studying. Why do classwork when one can be taught by telepathy? Why wonder at a man's intentions when one can see from his aura? But I was wondering about that blind man!

"Ow! Honourable Lama! Where are you?" I cried, running across the road in search of my Guide. Into the little park I stumbled, almost tripping over my own eager feet. "So!" smiled my Guide, sitting peacefully on a fallen bole, "So! You are excited, you have just discovered that the 'blind' man sees as well as you." I stood panting, panting from lack of breath and from indignation. "Yes!" I exclaimed, "the man is a fraud, a robber, for he steals from those of good heart. He should be put in prison!" The Lama burst out laughing at my red, indignant face.

"But Lobsang," he said mildly, "why all the commotion? That man is selling service as much as the man who sells prayer-wheels. People give insignificant coins to him that they may be thought generous; it makes them feel good. For a time it increases their rate of molecular vibration -raises their spirituality - places them nearer the Gods. It does them good. The coins they give? Nothing! They do not miss them." "But he is not blind!" I said in exasperation, "he is a robber." "Lobsang," said my Guide, "he is harmless, he is selling service. Later, in the Western world, you will find that advertising people will make claims the falsity of which will injure one's health, will deform babies yet unborn, and will transform the passably sane (rimelig fornuftige) into raving maniacs (syklig oppstemt).

He patted the fallen tree and motioned for me to sit beside him. I sat and drummed my heels on the bark. "You must practice using the aura and telepathy together," said my Guide. "By using one and not the other - our conclusions may be warped (fordreid) - as in this case. It is essential to use all one's faculties, bring all one's powers to bear, on each and every problem. Now, this afternoon I have to go away, and the great Medical Lama, the Reverend Chinrobuobo, of the Menzekang Hospital, will talk to you. And you will talk to him."

"Ow!" I said, ruefully, "but he never speaks to me, never even notices me!" "All that will be changed - one way or another - this afternoon," said my Guide. "One way or another!" I thought. That looked very ominous.

Together my Guide and I walked back to the Iron Mountain, pausing momentarily to gaze anew at the old yet always fresh rock coloured carvings. Then we ascended the steep and stony path. "Like life, this path, Lobsang," said the Lama. "Life follows a hard and stony path, with many traps and pitfalls, yet if one perseveres (holder ut), the top is attained." As we reached the top of the path the call to Temple Service was made, and we each went our own way, he to his associates, and I to others of my class. As soon as the Service had ended, and I had partaken of food, a chela even smaller than I, came somewhat nervously to me. "Tuesday Lobsang," he said diffidently(forknyttet), "the Holy Medical Lama Chinrobnobo wants to see you immediately in the Medical School."

I straightened my robe, took a few deep breaths that my twanging nerves might be calmed, and walked with assurance that I did not feel over to the Medical School. "Ah!" boomed a great voice, a voice that reminded me of the sound of a deep Temple conch. I stood before him and paid my respects in the time-honoured way. The Lama was a big man, tall, bulky, broad-shouldered, and a wholly awe-inspiring figure for a small boy. I felt that a swipe from one of his mighty hands would knock my head straight off my shoulders and send it tumbling down the mountainside. However, he bade me be seated before him, bade me in such a genial manner that I almost fell into a sitting position!

"Now, boy!" said the great deep voice, like rolling thunder among the distant mountains. "I have heard much of you. Your illustrious Guide, the Lama Mingyar Dondup claims that you are a prodigy, that your para-normal abilities are immense. We shall see!" I sat and quaked. "You see me? What do you see?" he asked. I quaked even more as I said the first thing that entered my mind; "I see such a big man, Holy Medical Lama, that I thought it was a mountain when I came here first." His boisterous laugh caused such a gale of wind that I half feared that it would blow my robe off. "Look at me, boy, look at my aura and tell me what you see!" he commanded. Then, "Tell me what you see of the aura and what it means to you." I looked at him, not directly, not staring, for that often dims the aura of a clothed figure; I looked toward him, but not exactly "at" him.

"Sir!" I said, "I see first the physical outline of your body, dimly as it would be without a robe. Then, very close to you I see a faint bluish light the colour of fresh wood smoke. It tells me that you have been working too hard, that you have had sleepless nights of late and your etheric energy is low." He looked at me with eyes somewhat wider than normal, and nodded in satisfaction. "Go on!" he said.

"Sir!" I continued, "your aura extends from you a distance of about nine feet on either side. The colours are in layers both vertical and horizontal. You have the yellow of high spirituality. At present you are marvelling that one of my age can tell you so much and you are thinking that my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup knows something after all. You are thinking that you will have to apologize (be om unnskyldning) to him for your expressed doubts as to my capabilities." I was interrupted by a great shout of laughter. "You are right, boy, you are right!" he said delightedly, "Go on!"

"Sir!" (this was child's play to me!) "You recently had some mishap and sustained a blow over your liver. It hurts when you laugh too hard and you wonder if you should take some tatura herb and have deep massage while under its anaesthetic influence. You are thinking that it is Fate which decided that of more than six thousand herbs, tatura should be in short supply." He was not laughing now; he was looking at me with undisguised respect. I added, "It is further indicated in your aura, Sir, that in a short time you will be the most important Medical Abbot of Tibet."

He gazed at me with some apprehension. "My boy," he said, "you have great power - you will go far. Never, never abuse the power within you. It can be dangerou's. Now let us discuss the aura as equals. But let us discuss over tea." He raised the small silver bell and shook it so violently that I feared it would fly from his hand. Within seconds a young monk hastened in with tea and - oh, joy of joys! -some of the luxuries of Mother India! (sweet cakes). As we sat there I reflected that all these high lamas had comfortable quarters. Below us I could see the great parks of Lhasa, the Dodpal and the Khati were - so it appeared - within reach of my extended arm. More to the left the Chorten of our area, the Kesar Lhakhang, stood like a sentinel, while across the road, further north, my favourite spot, the Pargo Kaling (Western Gate) towered aloft.

"What causes the aura, Sir?" I asked. "As your respected Guide, the Lama Mingyar Dondup has told you," he commenced (startet), "the brain receives messages from the Overself. Electric currents are generated in the brain. The whole of Life is electric. The aura is a manifestation of electric power. About one's head, as you so well know, there is a halo or nimbus. Old paintings always show a Saint or God with such a 'Golden Bowl' around the back of the head." "Why do so few people see the aura and the halo, Sir?" I asked. "Some people disbelieve the existence of the aura because they can not see it. They forget that they can not see air either, and without air they would not manage very well! Some - a very very few - people see auras. Others do not. Some people can hear higher frequencies, or lower frequencies than others. It has nothing to do with the degree of spirituality of the observer, any more than the ability to walk on stilts (stylter) indicates a necessarily spiritual person." He smiled at me and added, "I used to walk on stilts almost as well as you. Now my figure is not suited for it." I smiled too, thinking that he would need a pair of tree trunks as stilts.

"When we operated upon you for the Opening of the Third Eye," said the Great Medical Lama, "we were able to observe that portions of your frontallobe developments were very different from the average and so we assume that physically you were born to be clairvoyant and telepathic. That is one of the reasons you have received and will receive such intensive and advanced training." He looked at me with immense satisfaction and continued, "You are going to have to remain here at the Medical School for a few days. We are going to investigate you thoroughly and see how we can even increase your abilities and teach you much." There was a discreet cough at the door, and my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup walked into the room. I jumped to my feet and bowed to him - as did the Great Chinrobnobo. My Guide was smiling. "I received your telepathic message," he said to the Great Medical Lama, "so I came to you as speedily as I was able so that perhaps you would give me the pleasure of hearing your confirmation of my findings in the case of my young friend." He stopped, and smiled at me and sat down.

The Great Lama Chinrobnobo also smiled and said, "Respected Colleague! I gladly bow to your superior knowledge in accepting this young man for investigation. Respected Colleague, your own talents are numerous - you are startlingly versatile, but never have you found such a boy as this." Then, of all things, they both laughed, and the Lama Chinrobnobo reached down somewhere behind him and took out - three jars of pickled walnuts! I must have looked stupid for they both turned toward me and started laughing. "Lobsang, you are not using your telepathic ability. If you were, you would be aware that the Reverend Lama and I were so sinful as to have a bet. It was agreed between us that if you came up to my statements, then the Reverend Medical Lama would give you three jars of pickled walnuts, whereas if you were not up to the standard claimed by me, I would do a long journey and undertake certain medical work for my friend."

My Guide smiled at me again and said, "Of course I'am going to do the journey for him in any case, and you will be going with me, but we had to get matters straight and now honour 'is satisfied." He pointed to the three jars and said, "Put them by you, Lobsang, when you leave here -when you leave this room - take them with you for they are the spoils of the victor, and in this case you are the victor." I really felt remarkably foolish, obviously I could not use telepathic powers on these two High Lamas. The very thought of such a thing, sent chill shivers along my spine. I loved my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup, and I greatly respected the knowledge and wisdom of the Great Lama Chinrobnobo. It would have been an insult, it would have been bad manners indeed to have eavesdropped (tyvlytte) - even telepathically. The Lama Chinrobnobo turned to me and said, "Yes, my boy, your sentiments (følelser) do you credit. I am pleased indeed to greet you and to have you here among us. We will help you with your development."

My Guide said, "Now Lobsang, you are going to have to stay in this particular building for, perhaps, a week, because you are going to be taught quite a lot about the aura. Oh yes!" he said, interpreting my glance, "I am aware that you think you know all about the aura. You can see the aura, and you can read the aura, but now you have to learn the whys and wherefores of it and you have to learn how much the other fellow does not see. I am going to leave you now, but 'I shall see you tomorrow." He rose to his feet and, of course, we rose as well. My Guide made his farewells and then withdrew from that quite comfortable chamber. The Lama Chinrobnobo turned to me and said, "Do not be so nervous, Lobsang, nothing is going to happen to you - we are merely going to try to help you and to expedite your own development. First of all, let us have a little discussion about the human aura.

You of course see the aura vividly and you can understand about the aura, but imagine that you were not so favoured - not so gifted, put yourself in the position of ninety nine and nine tenths, or even more, of the world's population." He violently rang that little silver bell again and once again the attendant came bustling in with tea and of course the necessary "other things" which most pleased me when I was having tea! It might be of interest here to say that we in Tibet sometimes drank in excess of sixty cups of tea in a day. Of course, Tibet is a cold country and the hot tea warmed us, we were not able to get out and buy drinks such as people of the Western world had, we were limited to tea and tsampa unless some really kind-hearted person brought from a land such as India those things which were not available in Tibet.

We settled down, and the Lama Chinrobnobo said, "We, have already discussed the origin of the aura. It is the life force of a human body. I am going to assume for the moment, Lobsang, that you cannot see the aura and that you know nothing about the aura, because only in assuming that, can I tell you what the average person, sees and does not see." I nodded my head to indicate that I understood. Of course I had been born with the ability to see the aura and things like that, and those abilities had been increased by the operation of "the Third Eye", and on many occasions in the past - I had been almost trapped into saying what I saw, without it dawning (demret for meg..) upon me, that others did not see the same as I. I remembered an occasion sometime previously when I had said that a person was still alive - a person that old Tzu and I had seen lying beside the road - and Tzu had said that I was quite wrong, the man was dead. I had said, "But Tzu, the man still has his lights on!" Fortunately, as I realised after, the gale of wind which was blowing past us had distorted my words so that Tzu had not comprehended the meaning. On some impulse, however, he had examined the man lying beside the road and found he was alive! But this is a digression.

"The average man and woman, Lobsang, cannot see the human aura. Some, indeed, hold to the belief that there is no such thing as a human aura. They might just as well say that there is no such thing as air because they cannot see it!" The Medical Lama looked at me to see if I was following him or if my thoughts were straying walnut-wise. Satisfied with my appearance of attention, he nodded sagely and continued, "So long as there is life in a body, then there is an aura which can be seen by those with the power or gift or ability - call it what you will. I must explain to you, Lobsang, that for the clearest perception of the aura - the subject who is being seen must be absolutely nude. We will discuss why later. It is sufficient for just ordinary readings to look at a person while they have some clothing on, but if you are going to look for anything whatever connected with a medical reason, then the person must be completely and absolutely nude.

Well, completely enveloping the body and extending from the body for a distance of an eighth of an inch to three or four inches - is the etheric sheath. This is a blue-grey mist, one can hardly call it a mist, for although it appears misty one can see clearly through it. This etheric covering is the purely animal emanation(utstrålning), it derives particularly from the animal vitality of the body so that a very healthy person will have a quite wide etheric, it may even be three or four inches (7-10cm) from the body. Only the most gifted, Lobsang, perceive the next layer, for between the etheric and the aura proper there is another band, perhaps three inches across, and one has to be gifted and talented indeed to see any colours in that band. I confess that I can see nothing but empty space there."

I felt really gleeful (frydefull) about that, because I could see all the colours in that space and I hastened to say so. "Yes, yes, Lobsang! I know you can see in that space, for you are one of our most talented in this direction, but I was pretending that you could not see the aura at all, because I have to explain all this to you." The Medical Lama looked at me reprovingly (bebreidende)- reprovingly, no doubt, for interrupting the trend of his thoughts. When he thought that I was sufficiently subdued (undrekuet) to refrain from further interruption he continued, "First, then, there is the etheric layer. Following the etheric layer there is that zone which so few of us can distinguish except as an empty space. Outside of that is the aura itself. The aura does not so much depend upon the animal vitality as upon the spiritual vitality. The aura is composed of swirling bands, and striations of all the colours of the visible spectrum, and that means more colours than can be seen with the physical eyes, for the aura is seen by other senses than by the physical sight. Every organ in the human body sends out its own shaft of light, its shaft of rays, which alter and fluctuate (varierer) as the thoughts of a person fluctuate. Many of these indications are present to a very marked degree in the etheric and in the space beyond, and when the nude body is seen the aura appears to magnify the indications of health or disease, from which it is clear that those of us who are sufficiently clairvoyant can tell of a person's health or otherwise."

I knew all about that, this was all child's play to me, and I had been practising things like this ever since the operation for "the Third Eye". I knew of the groups of Medical Lamas who sat beside suffering people and examined the nude body to see how they could be helped. I had thought perhaps that I was going to be trained for work such as that.

"Now!" said the Medical Lama, "you are being specially trained, highly trained, and when you go to that great Western world beyond our borders it is hoped and thought that you may be able to devise an instrument whereby even those with no occult power at all will be able to see the human aura. Doctors, seeing the human aura, and actually seeing what is wrong with a person, will be able to cure that person's illnesses. How, we shall discuss later. I know that all this is quite tiring, much of that which I have told you is very well known indeed to you, but it may be tiring from this aspect; you are a natural clairvoyant, you may possibly never have thought of the mechanics of the operation of your gift, and that is a matter which must be remedied because a man who knows only half a subject is only half trained and half useful. You, my friend, are going to be very useful indeed! But let us end this session now, Lobsang, we will repair to our own apartments - for one has been set aside for you - and then we can rest and think on those matters upon which we have so briefly touched. For this week you will not be required to attend any Service, that is by order of the Inmost One Him-self, all your energies, all your devotions, are to be directed solely to mastering the subjects which I and my colleagues are going to put before you."

He rose to his feet and I rose to mine. Once again that silver bell was seized in a mighty hand and shaken so vigorously that I really felt that the poor thing would fall to pieces. The attendant monk came running in and the Medical Lama Chinrobnobo said, "You will attend upon Tuesday Lobsang Rampa, for he is an honoured guest here as you are aware. Treat him as you would treat a visiting monk of high degree." He turned to me and bowed, and of course I hastily bowed back, and then the attendant beckoned for me to follow him. "Stop!" bawled the Lama Chinrobnobo. "You have forgotten your walnuts!" I rushed back and hastily grabbed up those precious jars smiling somewhat in embarrassment as I did so, then I hastened on to the waiting attendant.

We went along a short corridor and the attendant ushered (viste meg inn…) me into a very nice room which had a window overlooking the ferry across The Happy River. "I am to look after you, Master," said the attendant. "The bell is there for your convenience, use it as you will." He turned and went out. I turned to that window. The view across the Holy Valley entranced me, for the ferry of inflated yak hides was just putting out from the shore and the boatman was poling along across the swift river. On the other side, I saw, there were three or four men who, by their dress, must have been of some importance - an impression which was confirmed by the obsequious manner of the ferryman. I watched for some minutes, and then, suddenly, I felt more tired than I could imagine possible. I sat down upon the ground without even bothering about a seat cushion, and before I knew anything about it - I had toppled (veltet) over backwards, asleep.

The hours droned away to the accompaniment of clacking Prayer Wheels. Suddenly I sat up, bolt upright, quaking with fear. The Service! I was late for the Service. With my head on one side I listened carefully. Somewhere a voice was chanting a Litany. It was enough - I jumped to my feet and raced for the familiar door. It was not there! With a bone-jarring thud I collided with the stone wall and fell bouncily (sprettende) onto my back. For a moment, there was a blue-white flash inside my head as it too struck the stone, then I recovered and sprang to my feet once more. Panicked at my lateness, I raced around the room and there seemed to be no door. Worse - there was no window either!

"Lobsang!" said a voice from the darkness, "are you ill?" The voice of the attendant brought me back to my senses like a dash of iced water. "Oh!" I said sheepishly, "I forgot, I thought I was late for Service. I forgot I was excused!" There was a subdued chuckle, and the voice said, "I will light the lamp, for it is very dark this night." A little glimmer came from the doorway - it was in a most unexpected place! - and the attendant advanced towards me. "A most amusing interlude," he said, "I thought at first that a herd of yaks had broken loose and were in here." His smile robbed the words of all offence. I settled down again, and the attendant and his light withdrew. Across the lighter darkness that was the window a shooting star flamed into incandescence, and its journey across the countless miles of space was at an end. I rolled over and slept.

Breakfast was the same old dull and dreary tsampa and tea. Nourishing, sustaining, but uninspiring. Then the attendant came and said, "If you are ready, I have to take you elsewhere." I rose to my feet and walked with him out of the room. We went a different way this time, into a part of the Chakpori which I did not know existed. Downwards, a long way downwards until I thought we were descending into the bowels (tarm) of the Iron Mountain itself. Now there was no glimmer of light except from the lamps we carried. At last the attendant stopped, and pointed ahead. "Go on - straight along and turn into the room on the left." With a nod, he turned and retraced his steps.

I trudged (trasket) on, wondering "What now?" The Room on the Left was before me, I turned into it and paused in amazement. The first thing to attract my attention was a Prayer Wheel standing in the middle of the room. I had time for only a brief glance at it, but even so it appeared to be a very strange Prayer Wheel indeed, then my name was spoken, "Well, Lobsang! We are glad you are here." I looked and there was my Guide, the Lama Mingyar Dondup, by his side sat the Great Medical Lama Chinrobnobo, and on the other side of my Guide there sat a very distinguished looking Indian Lama named Marfata. He had once studied Western medicine, and had indeed studied at some German University, which I believe was called Heidelberg. Now he was a Buddhist monk, a lama, of course, but "monk" is the generic term.

The Indian looked at me so searchingly, so piercingly, that I thought he must be looking at the material comprising the back of my robe - he seemed to look right through me. However, on this particular occasion I had nothing bad on my conscience, and I returned his gaze. After all, why should I not gaze at him? I was as good as he, for I was being trained by the Lama Mingyar Dondup and by the Great Medical Lama Chinrobnobo. A smile forced its way across his rigid lips as if its execution caused him intense pain. He nodded, and turned to my Guide, "Yes, I am satisfied that the boy is as you say." My Guide smiled - but there was no forcing of his smile, it was natural, spontaneous, and indeed warming to the heart.

The Great Medical Lama said, "Lobsang, we have brought you down here to this secret room because we want to show you things and discuss things with you. Your Guide and I have examined you and we are indeed satisfied with your powers, powers that are going to be increased in intensity. Our Indian colleague, Marfata, did not think that such a prodigy (vidunderbarn) existed in Tibet. We hope that you will prove all our statements." I looked at that Indian and I thought, "Well, he is a man who has an exalted (høy) opinion of himself." I turned to the Lama Chinrobnobo and said, "Respected Sir, the Inmost One who has been good enough to give me an audience on a number of occasions has expressly cautioned me against giving proof, saying that proof was merely a palliative (lindrende middel) to the idle mind. Those who wanted proof were not capable of accepting the truth of a proof no matter flow weH proven." The Medical Lama Chinrobnobo laughed so that I almost feared I would be blown away by the gale of wind, my Guide also laughed, and they both looked at the Indian Marfata who sat looking sourly at me. "Boy!" said the Indian, "you talk well, but talk proves nothing as you yourself say. Now, tell me, boy, what do you see in me?" I felt rather apprehensive about this, because much of what I saw I did not like. "Illustrious Sir!" I said, "I fear that if I say what I see then you might indeed take it amiss and consider that I am being merely insolent (frekk) instead of replying to your question." My Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup nodded in agreement, and across the face of the Great Medical Lama Chinrobnobo - a huge, beaming smile expanded like the rising of the full moon. "Say what you will, boy, for we have no time for fancy talk here," said the Indian.

For some moments I stood looking at the Great Indian Lama, stood looking until even he stirred a little at the intensity of my gaze, then I said, "Illustrious Sir! You have commanded me to speak as I see, and I understand that my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup and the Great Medical Lama Chinrobnobo also want me to speak frankly. Now, this is what I see, I have never seen you before but from your aura and from your thoughts I detect this: You are a man who has travelled extensively, and you have travelled across the great oceans of the world. You have gone to that small island whose name I do not know, but where the people are all white and where there is another small island lying nearby as if it were a foal (føll) to the greater island which was the mare. You were very antagonistic toward those people and they were indeed anxious to take some action against you for something connected with - I hesitated here, for the picture was particularly obscure, it was referring to things of which I had not the slightest knowledge. However, I ploughed (pløyet videre..) on - "There was something connected with an Indian city which I assume from your mind was Calcutta, and there was something connected with a black hole where the people of that island were gravely inconvenienced (ulempet) or embarrassed. In some way they thought that you could have saved trouble instead of causing it." The Great Lama Chinrobnobo laughed again, and it did my ears good to hear that laugh because it indicated that I was on the right track. My Guide gave no indication whatever, but the Indian snorted (snøftet).

I continued, "You went to another land and I can see the name Heidelberg clearly in your mind. In that land you studied medicine according to many barbarous rites wherein, you did much cutting and chopping and sawing, and did not use systems which we here in Tibet use. Eventually you were given some sort of big paper with a lot of seals upon it. I see also from your aura that you are a man with an illness." I took a deep breath here because I did not know how my next words would be received. "The illness from which you suffer is one which has no cure, it is one in which the cells of the body run wild and grow as weeds (ugress) grow, not according to pattern, not according to the ordained way, but spread and obstruct and clutch at vital organs. Sir! You are ending your own span upon this earth by the nature of your thoughts - which admit of no goodness in the minds of others." For several moments they may have been years to me! - there was not a sound, and then the Great Medical Lama Chinrobnobo said, "That is perfectly correct, Lobsang, that is perfectly correct!" The Indian said, "The boy was probably primed (pumpet) about all this in advance."

My Guide, the Lama Mingyar Dondup said, "No one has discussed you, on the contrary much of what he has told us is news to us, for we have not investigated your aura nor your mind for you did not so invite us. But the main point at issue is, the boy Tuesday Lobsang Rampa has these powers, and the powers are going to be developed even further. We have no time for quarrels, no place for quarrels, instead we have serious work to do. Come!" He rose to his feet and led me to that big Prayer Wheel.

I looked at that strange thing, and I saw that it was not a Prayer Wheel after all, but instead was a device standing about four feet high, four feet from the ground, and it was about five feet across. There were two little windows at one side and I could see what appeared to be glass set in those windows. At the other side of the machine, and set off-centre, were two very much larger windows. At an opposite side a long handle protruded (stakk fram), but the whole thing was a mystery to me, I had not the slightest idea of what it could be. The Great Medical Lama said, "This is a device, Lobsang, with which those who are not clairvoyant can see the human aura. The Great Indian Lama Marfata came here to consult us and would not tell us the nature of his complaint (klage), saying that if we knew so much about esoteric medicine we would know his complaint without his telling us. We brought him here that he could be examined with this machine. With his permission he is going to remove his robe, and you are going to look at him first, and you are going to tell us just what his trouble is. Then we shall use this machine and see how far your findings and the findings of the machine coincide."

My Guide indicated a spot against a dark wall and the Indian walked to it and removed his robe and other garments so that he stood brown and bare against the wall. "Lobsang! Take a very good look at him and tell us what you see," said my Guide. I looked not at the Indian, but some way to one side, I put my eyes out of focus as that is the easiest way of seeing the aura. That is, I did not use normal binocular vision, but instead saw with each eye separately. It is a difficult thing indeed to explain, but it consisted in looking with one eye to the left and one eye to the right, and that is just a knack - a trick - which can be learned by almost anyone.

I looked at the Indian, and his aura glowed and fluctuated. I saw that he was a great man indeed and of high intellectual power but, unfortunately, his whole outlook had been soured (gjort bitter) by the mysterious illness within him. As I looked at him I spoke my thoughts, spoke them just as they came into my mind. I was not at all aware of how intently my Guide and the Great Medical Lama were listening to my words. "It is clear that the illness has been brought on by many tensions within the body. The Great Indian Lama has been dissatisfied and frustrated, and that has acted against his health, causing the cells of his body to run wild, to escape from the direction of the Overself. Thus he has this complaint here" (I pointed to his liver) "and because he is a rather sharp tempered man, his complaint is aggravated every time he gets cross (lidelsen blir forverret ved sinne). It is clear from his aura that if he would become more tranquil (fredelig), more placid, like my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup, he would stay upon this earth longer and so would accomplish more of his task without the necessity of having to come again."

Once again there was a silence, and I was pleased to see that the Indian Lama nodded as if in complete agreement with my diagnosis. The Medical Lama Chinrobnobo turned to that strange machine and looked through the little windows. My Guide moved to the handle and turned with increasing force until a word from the Medical Lama Chinrobnobo caused him to maintain the rate of rotation at a constant speed. For some time the Lama Chinrobnobo gazed through that device, then he straightened up and without a word the Lama Mingyar Dondup took his place, while the Medical Lama Chinrobnobo turned the handle as had previously my Guide. Eventually they finished their examination, and stood together obviously conversing by telepathy. I made no attempt whatever to intercept their thoughts, because to do so would have been a gross slight and would have put me "above my station". At last, they turned to the Indian and said, "All that Tuesday Lobsang Rampa has told you is correct. We have examined your aura most thoroughly, and we believe that you have cancer of the liver. We believe also that this has been caused by certain shortness of temper. We believe that if you will lead a quiet life you still have a number of years left to you, years in which you can accomplish your task. We are prepared to make representations so that if you agree to our plan you will be permitted to remain here at Chakpori." The Indian discussed matters for a time, and then motioned to Chinrobnobo, together they left the room. My Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup patted me on the shoulder and said, "Well done, Lobsang, well done! Now I want to show this machine to you."

He walked across to that very strange device and lifted up one side of the top. The whole thing moved, and inside I saw a series of arms radiating from a central shaft. At -the extreme end of the arms there were prisms of glass in ruby red, blue, yellow and white. As the handle was turned belts connected from it to the shaft caused the arms to rotate, and I observed that each prism in turn was brought into the line, which was seen by looking through the two eyepieces. My Guide showed me how the thing worked and then said, "Of course this is a very crude and clumsy affair. We use it here for experiment, and in the hope of one-day producing a smaller version. You would never need to use it, Lobsang, but there are not many who have the power of seeing the aura as clearly as you. At some time I shall explain the working in more detail, but briefly, it deals with a heterodyne principle wherein rapidly rotating coloured prisms interrupt the line of sight and thus destroy the normal image of the human body and intensify the much weaker rays of the aura."

He replaced the lid and turned away to another device standing on a table at a far corner. He was just leading the way to that table when the Medical Lama Chinrobnobo came into the room again and joined us. "Ah!" he said, coming over to us, "so you are going to test his thought power? Good! I must be in on this!" My Guide pointed to a queer cylinder of what appeared to be rough paper. "This, Lobsang, is thick, rough paper. You will see that it has innumerable holes made in it, holes made with a very blunt instrument so that the paper is torn and leaves projections. We then folded that paper so that all the projections were on the outside and the sheet, instead of being flat, formed a cylinder. Across the top of the cylinder we affixed a rigid straw, and upon a small pedestal we fixed a sharp needle. Thus we have the cylinder supported on an almost frictioniess bearing. Now watch me!" He sat down, and put his hands on either side of the cylinder, not touching the cylinder, but leaving about an inch or an inch and a half space between his hands and the projections. Soon the cylinder started to spin, and I was astounded as the thing picked up speed and was soon rotating at quite a merry rate. My Guide stopped it with a touch, and placed his hands in the opposite direction so that the fingers - instead of pointing away from his body as had been the case - now pointed toward his body. The cylinder started to spin but in the opposite direction! "You are blowing upon it!" I said. "Everyone says that!" said the Medical Lama Chinrobnobo, "but they are completely wrong."

The Great Medical Lama went to a recess in the far wall, and returned bearing a sheet of glass, it was quite a thick sheet, and he carried it carefully to my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup. My Guide stopped the cylinder from rotating and sat quiet while the Great Medical Lama Chinrobnobo placed the sheet of glass between my Guide and the paper cylinder. "Think about rotation," said the Medical Lama. My Guide apparently did so, for the cylinder started to rotate again. It was quite impossible for my Guide or for anyone else to have blown on the cylinder and made it rotate because of the glass. He stopped the cylinder again and then turned to me and said, "You try it, Lobsang!" He rose from his seat and I took his place.

I sat down and placed my hands just as had my Guide. The Medical Lama Chinrobnobo held the sheet of glass in front of me so that my breath would not influence the rotation of the cylinder. I sat there feeling like a fool. Apparently the cylinder thought I was one too, for nothing happened "Think of making it rotate, Lobsang!" said my Guide. I did so, and immediately the thing started to go round. For a moment I felt like dropping everything and running - I thought the thing was bewitched, then reason (of a sort!) prevailed and I just sat still.

"That device, Lobsang," said my Guide, "runs by the force of the human aura. You think of rotating it and your aura puts a swirl on the thing, which causes it to turn. You may be interested to know that a device such as this has been experimented with in all the greater countries of the world. All the greatest scientists have tried to explain away the workings of this thing, but Western people, of course, cannot believe in etheric force and so they invent explanations which are even stranger than the actual force of the etheric!"

The Great Medical Lama said, "I am feeling quite hungry, Mingyar Dondup, I feel that it is time we repaired to our rooms for a rest and for sustenance. We must not tax the young man's abilities nor his endurance, for he will get enough of that in the future." We turned, and the lights were extinguished in that room, and we made our way up the stone corridor and into the main building of the Chakpori. Soon I was in a room with my Guide the Lama Mingyar Dondup. Soon - happy thought - I was consuming food and feeling the better for it. "Eat well, Lobsang," said my Guide, "for later in the day we shall see you again and discuss with you other matters."

For an hour or so I rested in my room, looking out of the window, because I had a weakness; I always liked to look from high places and watch the world moving beneath. I loved to watch the traders wending their slow way through the Western Gate, their every step indicating their delight at having reached the end of a long and arduous journey through the high mountain passes. Traders in the past had told me of the wonderful view there was from a certain spot on a high pass where, as one came from the Indian border, one could look down between a cleft in the mountains and gaze upon the Sacred City with its' roof tops agleam with gold and, off by the side of the mountains, the white walls of "The Rice Heap", looking indeed like a heap of rice as it sprawled in bounteous profusion down the side of the mountainous Slopes. I loved to watch the ferryman crossing the Happy River, and I hoped always for the sight of a puncture in his inflated hide boat, I longed to watch him gradually sink from sight until only his head protruded above the water. But I was never that fortunate, the ferry-man always reached the other side, took on his load, and returned again.

Soon, once more I was in that deep room with my Guide, the Lama Mingyar Dondup and the Great Medical Lama Chinrobnobo. "Lobsang!" said the great Medical Lama, "you must be sure that if you are going to examine a patient in order that you may assist him or her the clothes' be entirely removed." "Honourable Medical Lama!" I said, in some confusion, "I can think of no reason why I should deprive a person of their clothing in this cold weather, for I can sec their aura perfectly without there being any need whatsoever to remove a single garment, and oh! Respected Medical Lama! How could I possibly ask a woman to remove her clothing?" My eyes rolled up-wards in horror at the mere thought. I must have presented quite - a comical figure, for both my Guide and the Medical Lama burst out laughing. They sat down, and really enjoyed themselves with their laughter. I stood in front of them feeling remarkably foolish, but really, I was quite puzzled about these things. I could see an aura perfectly -with no trouble at all and I saw no reason why I should depart from what was my own normal practice.

"Lobsang!" said the Medical Lama; "you are a very gifted clairvoyant, but there are some things which you do not yet see. We have had a remarkable demonstration from you of your ability in seeing the human aura, but you would not have seen the liver complaint of the Indian Lama Marfata if he had not removed his clothing." I reflected upon this, and when I thought about it I had to admit that it was correct; I had looked at the Indian Lama while he had been robed, and while I had seen much about his character and basic traits, I still had not noticed the liver complaint. "You are perfectly correct, Honourable Medical Lama," I said, "but I should like some further training from you in this matter."

My Guide,' the Lama Mingyar Dondup, looked at me and said, "When you look at a person's aura you want to see the person's aura, you are not concerned with the thoughts of the sheep whence came the wool which was made into a robe. Every aura is influenced by that which interferes with its direct rays. We have here a sheet of glass, and if I breathe upon that glass, it will effect what you see through the glass. Similarity, although this glass is transparent, it actually does alter the, light or rather the colour of the light, which you would see when looking through it. In the same way, if you look through a piece of coloured glass all the vibrations which you receive from an object are altered in intensity by the action of the coloured glass. Thus it is that a person whose body has upon it clothing, or ornaments (pryd) of any kind, has his aura modified according to the etheric content of the clothing or ornament." I thought about it, and I had to agree, that there was quite a lot in what he said, he continued, "A further point is this, every organ of the body projects its own picture - its own state of health or sickness - onto the etheric, and the aura, when uncovered and free from the influence of clothes, magnifies and intensifies the impression which one receives. Thus it is quite definite that if you are going to help a person in health or in sickness, then you will have to examine him without his clothing." He smiled at me and said, "And if the weather be cold, why then, Lobsang, you will have to take him to a warmer place!"

"Honourable Lama," I said "some time ago you told me that you were working on a device which would enable one to cure illness through the aura." "That is perfectly correct, Lobsang," said my Guide, "illness is merely a dissonance in the body vibrations. An organ has its rate of molecular vibration disturbed and so it is considered to be a sick organ. If we could actually see how much the vibration of an organ departs from the normal, then, by restoring the rate of vibration to what it should be we have effected a cure. In the case of a mental affliction, the brain usually receives messages from the Overself which it cannot correctly interpret, and so the actions resulting are those which depart from that which is accepted as normal actions for a human. Thus, if the human is not able to reason or act in a normal manner, he is said to have some mental ailment. By measuring the discrepancy the under-stimulation - we can assist a person to recover normal balance. The vibrations may be lower than normal resulting in under-stimulation, or they may be higher than normal, which would give an effect similar to that of a brain fever. Quite definitely - illness can be cured by intervention through the aura."

The Great Medical Lama interrupted here, and said, "By the way, Respected Colleague, the Lama Marfata was discussing this matter with me, and he said that at certain places in India - at certain secluded lamaseries - they were experimenting with a very high voltage device known as a - " he hesitated and said, "it is a deGraaf generator." He was a bit uncertain about his terms, but he was making a truly manful effort to give us the exact information. "This generator apparently developed an extraordinarily high voltage at an extraordinarily low current, applied in a certain way to the body it caused the intensity of the aura to increase many many times so that even the non-clairvoyant could clearly observe it. I am told also that photographs have been taken of a human aura under these conditions." My Guide nodded solemnly, and said, "Yes, it is also possible to view the human aura by means of a special dye, a liquid which is sandwiched between two plates of glass. By arranging appropriate lighting and back-ground, and viewing the nude human body through this screen - many people can indeed see the aura.

I burst in and said, "But, Honourable Sirs! Why do people have to use all these tricks? I can see the aura -why cannot they?" My two mentors laughed again, this time they did not feel it necessary to explain the difference between training such as I had had and the training of the average man or woman in the street.

The Medical Lama said, "Now we probe in the dark, we try to cure our patients by rule of thumb, by herbs and pills and potions. We are like blind men trying to find a pin dropped on the ground. I would like to see a small device so that any non-clairvoyant person could look through this device and see the human aura, see all the faults of the human aura, and - in seeing - would be able to cure the discrepancy (mangel) or the deficiency which truly was the cause of the illness."

For the rest of that week I was shown things by hypnotism and by telepathy, and my powers were increased and intensified, and we had talk after talk on the best ways to see the aura and to develop a machine which would also see the aura, and then, upon the last night of that week. I went to my little room in the Chakpori Lamasery and looked out of the window thinking that on the morrow I would return again to that bigger dormitory where I slept in company with so many others.

The lights in the Valley were atwinkle. The last dying rays peering over the rocky rim of our Valley glanced down, flicking the golden roofs as if with sparkling fingers, sending up showers of golden light, and in doing so breaking the light into iridescent colours which were of the spectrum of the gold itself. Blues and yellows and reds, and even some green struggled to attract the eye, growing dimmer and dimmer as the light faded. Soon the Valley itself was as encased in dark velvet, a dark blue-violet or purple velvet which could almost be felt. Through my open window I could smell the scent of the willows, and the scent of plants in the garden so far below me, a vagrant breeze wafted stronger scents to my nostrils, pollen, and budding flowers.

Part 3