A Step Away from Paradise

The True Story of a Tibetan Lama's Journey to a Land of Immortality

It was the early 1960s. The place, a far-off corner of the Himalayas long fabled in Tibetan tradition to be hiding a valley of immortality among its peaks and glaciers - a real-life Shangri-La. They waited generations for the prophesied lama to come, the one with the secret knowledge of how to "open" the Hidden Land. Then, one day, he came. His name was Tulshuk Lingpa.

This book tells the true story of this charismatic visionary lama and his remarkable expedition. Against the wishes of the kings of both Sikkim and Nepal, he and over three hundred followers ventured up the snowy slopes of the third highest mountain of the planet. Their aim: to open a crack in the very fabric of reality and go to a land we would all wish to inhabit if it were only there - a land of peace and concord.

Forty years later, the author spends over five years tracking down the surviving members of this extraordinary expedition. He deftly weaves their stories together with humor, wisdom, and scholarly research into Tibetan traditions of Hidden Lands, all the while reflecting on what this means for the rest of us.

“Like no other book I have ever read…a riveting tale of adventure…honest to the real spirit of Tibet…both unique and intriguing…an engrossing read. Highly recommended.” (Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, from the Foreword)

From Tulshuk Lingpa’s Guidebook to the Hidden Land:

“Don’t listen to anybody. Decide by yourself and practice madness. Develop courage for the benefit of all sentient beings. Then you will automatically be free from the knot of attachment. Then you will continually have the confidence of fearlessness and you can then try to open the Great Door of the Hidden Place.”

What would have happened...

If Lewis Carroll had proclaimed the reality of Alice’s Wonderland? What if he had gathered a following and launched an expedition?

©2012 Thomas K. Shor (P)2019 Thomas K. Shor

interesting

very interesting, very very interesting story from the depths on tibet. the story was read very well

Absolutely Inspiring!

There are so many excellent teachings in this intriguing story.
I loved it and will listen to it again.

A Mystical Journey

What a pleasure to listen to this story of adventure and faith. I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to listen to it again.

Fascinating

I loved this book in so many ways. Brilliantly written . Beautifully told. The narrator was absolutely first class.

A pilgrimage worth walking on!

This novel was a great adventure! The author really thoroughly seemed to thoroughly research his topic. The way in which he wrote, I felt as if I was on a pilgrimage from beginning to end. A fun read for someone exploring Tibetan Buddhism in a greater depth.