A couple of years ago I received an email from someone wrapping up a deceased estate. No, not a lawyer in Nigeria or Dubai. This one was from a man whose family member, a couple of generations ago, was literary agent to the enigmatic Lobsang Rampa. Among the few remaining items to be disposed of...
Happy 2020! Isn’t it incredible to think that you and I are among the top 0.0000001% of the world’s population? How can I make such an extraordinary pronouncement? The population to which I refer is that of all sentient beings – not just humans. To be born as one of only seven billion humans on a...
For most of us, the opportunity to spend time in the natural world is rare and fleeting. If we are fortunate, we may enjoy regular walks in the park or by the sea. We may get out of town on the occasional weekend. The very lucky get to go on Mindful Safari to Africa! But...
If you’re under forty years of age, chances are the name Tuesday Lobsang Rampa won’t mean anything to you. But for some of us, in the second half of our lives, his name is redolent with powerful associations – positive and otherwise. By way of a refresher, or for those of you who haven’t heard...
We have recently returned from Mindful Safari 2016 – and what a truly amazing time we all had! Where to start with the highlights of our six day retreat? Arriving at Hoedspruit airport in a De Havilland twin prop aircraft, after a flight over the Drakensberg Mountains, we were soon whisked to nearby Lufafa Ranch...
As the author of The Dalai Lama’s Cat series, and a clear devotee of all things feline, people sometimes assume that I am a dog-hater. As it happens, nothing could be further from the truth. In my childhood home I was brought up with a Siamese cat, called Pandy as well as two corgis, Trudy...
Picture the following scene, dear reader. It is a busy morning at the Himalaya Book Café. With less than an hour before lunch service, I am sitting on my customary spot on magazine rack, nostrils flaring as I try to identify the delightful aromas wafting from the kitchen, where the Dragpa brothers are working their...
I am delighted to share with you the first 12 pages of my book, The Queen’s Corgi: On Purpose! If you’d like to know a little more about why I wrote to the book, check out this two minute video: Now, find yourself a nice, snuggly spot for a few minutes and enjoy! Warm...
Hi Everyone, I am very excited to let you know that my new novel, The Queen’s Corgi: On Purpose is published this week! In the same style as The Dalai Lama’s Cat, in The Queen’s Corgi our narrator, Nelson, provides a dog’s-eye view of life with the royal family. Along with a lot of fun and games,...
Every one of us will experience hurt, betrayal and disappointment. What matters is how we deal with these feelings. As the Dalai Lama says, ‘Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.’ What he means is that although it’s impossible to avoid upsetting experiences, we do have a say about whether negative events or people continue to...
