Talk:Lobsang Rampa

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I guess there is no real harm in including this so-called "positive article" link - but Lobsang Rampa is a known fraud. There are no ifs, ands or buts applicable. He makes lots of absurd and factually false claims about Tibetan Buddhist practice, to the point that some Monks like reading his books for the comical value. Including this link is slightly misleading. Luis Dantas 21:51, 21 Feb 2004 (UTC)

Hello Luis, I agree that it can be misleading to put a positive article but I felt obliged to it because of NPOV. The books look pretty harmless but I think they are not. I heard from a former member of Scientology (Monica Pignotti) that who was influenced by Lobsang Rampa and what made her more susceptible for the $cientology business. And the f* thing is that these books are still here in the nearest local library without a good warning! Andries 22:07, 21 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I think the best way to keep the word "hoax" (and I agree that is indeed the better word, Andries) in the NPOV column although it appears without attribution or qualification is to give some facts of the exposé that would establish there is no counterargument to its status as a hoax. --Gary D 23:06, 23 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Interesting. Pretty much the same thing happens here in Brazil if you substitute "Kardecist Spiritualism" for "Scientology". I agree that the books are not harmless at all, although this is probably not the place to go about why I think so. Best, 200.163.1.248 23:47, 21 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I have been reading lobsangs books now for 15 years i started reading his books when i was 14 he has written over 18 books i am missing two from the collection. I have followed his techniques and i can tell you he is not a hoax. He has made me the person i am today i have alot to thank. in this time and place of existance we are here to learn what we cant in spirtual form ie hardships, this is a learning place and if you dont get it right you can bet you wont be over the otherside of the fence eating yummy fruit, you will return untill you learn or evolve to what you set for yourself before you came. the mainstream world does not want you to learn all about yourself so they can keep feeding you the same old crap they have for years. The truth is surely denied by these peoples because they want control. think about it................

I propose we separate the author's body (Hoskins-Rampa) from the published body of work. Whether you believe it's fiction or non fiction is a minor point. For example, Tom Clancy's fictional works are often discussed in terms of 'Jack Ryan's Universe.' The same applies here. Sure, if you have first-hand Tibetan knowlege or if you knew Hoskins before and after his 'episode', then please enlighten us. Otherwise, admonishing the published work as a hoax or fraud with amplified with the assertion 'There are no ifs, ands or buts applicable' seems, at best, a second-hand opinion.

Dr. Rampa was NOT a fraud, his work has since been verified by other scholars, if you visit http://www.tlrampa.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.htm you will discover the truth about this man. No one has ever disproved anything he wrote, please bear that in mind

[edit] Rampa Hoax

Reading this page brings back memories and a bit of nostalgic sadness.

To the above anonymous writer I have to say: "we are all allowed to believe in what we want". Nobody forces belief or desbelief. But sadly, Mr. "Rampa" was stating he was a "tibetan monk". No, forgive me. A Lama. His understanding and descriptions of Tibetan Bhuddism were inacurate and misleading. True, some of it might be accurate, but this can be done with research and studying of the real Tibetan religion. But the innacuracies cannot be forgiven, to somebody who claimed he was the real deal.

Trust me when I tell you that it broke my heart when I discovered the fantasies described in his writings. For me, reading Lobsang Rampa was a rite of passage, passed down from my grandfather (my Guru) to my young mind and soul. I based my belief system on false teachings, and while became a good person and some of it has to be attributed to what I've learned as a child, to program yourself with fantasy can be dangerous and misleading.

Open your "third eye" and seek the truth.

user:jerry.mills

If it's inaccurate, point out the problems in the article. As far as i can tell, this is just a description of the man and his work, with no evidence that he was a hoax besides conjecture. I'm not saying to do any original research; just think of pages like Bigfoot, which present the evidence that has been presented elsewhere. You can tell from pages like that, that it's possible to do these things NPOV and without original research.--The Sporadic Update 16:49, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

I agree. On this discussion page and the discussion page for The Third Eye contributors say that descriptions of Tibetan Buddhism are inaccurate and misleading. How so? Please cite sources, otherwise this smacks of opinion. 18:52, 14 November 2006 206.54.145.254

As one of the writers of the articles Lobsang Rampa and The Third Eye, I have steered clear of using words like liar, fraud and hoax, as they assume bad faith which is usually inappropriate for a Wikipedia article. Nevertheless, any serious look at Rampa's career would need to take a look at the controversies caused by his books. There are some links at the bottom of the Lobsang Rampa article which give both sides of the argument and allow people to make up their own minds. Much of Rampa's work contains claims which are not found anywhere in traditional Buddhist teachings, and in recent years his work has been seen as part of the New Age movement rather than as part of the mainstream Buddhist tradition. The articles on Lobsang Rampa and The Third Eye are not designed to support or disprove Rampa's claims, but to give both sides of what is a famous but controversial incident in the literary world.--Ianmacm 19:17, 14 November 2006 (UTC)