Book excerpt: When it was suggested to the man who came to be known as T. Lobsang Rampa that he should write a book about his early life in Tibet he rejected the idea. He had no wish for the fame he knew it would bring, nor for the jealousy and the problems that jealousy would engender. But he needed money to do the research he had undertaken for the benefit of mankind, so eventually he agreed and wrote "The Third Eye," a classic that brought Buddhism to the Western world and shed light in countless dark corners the world over. Now, his only close friend and confidante throughout his last quarter century on Earth has given us an inside look at the life of struggle and suffering endured by this fascinating and remarkable man in his effort to help humanity. Her own life of dedication and devotion to Lobsang Rampa is interwoven with his, and this book should be read by his followers and detractors alike, as well as by those new to metaphysics.