The Jesus Lama and the Yogi

Father Thomas Merton meets His Holiness Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche

Father Thomas Merton was an American Trappist monk. In 1968, the Pope sent him to Asia to investigate Buddhism and report back his findings.

During his travels, he visited His Holiness the Dalai Lama in India. Merton asked the Dalai Lama about practicing Tibetan Buddhism and the contemplative meditation arts. The Dalai Lama mentioned a great master, a Tibetan yogi with extraordinary spiritual power, considered the greatest Lama alive. This master lived atop a mountain in Nepal, and if Merton wanted to learn about meditation, this was the best person from whom to learn.

Thomas Merton traveled from India to Nepal, took a bus an hour outside of Kathmandu, and hiked up the mountain to meet this Lama. Upon his arrival, the Master wanted to learn about the man the Dalai Lama called the “Jesus Lama.” Since he was from Tibet, the Yogi had no idea who Jesus was, so he asked Father Merton to explain what was special about his God in human form. Merton explained that Jesus was born to a virgin mother, died on the cross for humanity's sins, and then rose from the dead. The Yogi looked puzzled and said, “That's very strange. In Tibet, if a person dies and comes back to life, we call them a zombie (ro-lang in Tibetan), but you call him God.”

Father Merton asked many questions about meditation, which the Lama graciously answered. He later said that this master was the greatest man he had ever met. He had resolved to return to Nepal after his travels to receive teachings from this great master. Unfortunately, it was never to be. Father Merton's travels took him next to Thailand. While he was there he was electrocuted in a freak accident and died.

Inspired by this story, I went to Nepal almost 30 years after Father Thomas Merton and I met this same Lama, who was 85 years old by then. A meeting that changed my life.

Stories to come.