John Blofeld and His Spiritual Journey
John Blofeld (1913 – 1987)
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Dear friends around the world,
I had a friend that lived down the street from where I lived in Howell, New Jersey, USA, and she had a pretty big library of spiritual books, especially books on Buddhism. Back in the 70’s many of the local libraries did not carry many books on Buddhism except what you could find in the encyclopaedias. So my friend’s library was a veritable treasure trove for me. She always welcomed me to borrow her books. I would borrow books from her on Buddhism, read extensively, and ask her questions or ask other students at the nearby temple questions that arose from my reading. I had hundreds of hours of discussion with my friend on what I had read, as she had read all the books too. I had a great thirst to learn more about Buddhism. I was very attracted to Buddhism and images of the Buddhas. Some of my favourite books were by John Blofeld. “Mantras: Sacred Words of Power” published in 1977 by John Blofeld was one of my favourites among the few others I could get my hands on. His style of writing is very easy, fluid and very good for a layperson, and without a lot of technical jargon. I enjoyed the books very much. In this particular book he listed the mantras of all 21 Taras and every night I would take it upon myself to memorise all those mantras. My favourite was the mantra of the Tara that increases memory, wisdom and learning. I still appreciate his books very much.
This is one of my favourite books, and one of the few that I read when I was younger. Click to enlarge.
I never had the chance to read up more on the life of John Blofeld himself, till I accidently came across his life story recently. It seems he had such a strong connection to China, Chinese culture and Chinese Mahayana Buddhism. He spent the majority of his life, from his youth up until his death in the Far East, and he lived life like that of a cultured and older Chinese gentleman from imperial times, although he was an Englishman. Mr. Blofeld appreciated Chinese culture, philosophy, religion and food very much. He believed he was a Buddhist practitioner from China in his previous life. Well, what we did in our previous lives does have a powerful impact in this life for sure. His story is very interesting, as are his books. I will order his books to be available in Kechara so more can be attuned to his writings, wisdom and learning. When I read John Blofeld’s books I felt his sincerity and genuine faith in the teachings of the Buddha. I would have loved to have met him and presented him a gift.
Please read this sharing on Mr. John Blofeld who was one of the early Westerners whose genuine interest in Buddhism and the philosophies of the east manifested in his books. His books in turn opened the doorway for the west to be introduced to the vast wisdom of the east, especially from China and Tibet. China’s form of Buddhism is indeed profound and produced countless great masters and practitioners in the last thousand years. China’s culture, customs, way of life, food, writing, dance, music, architecture, inventions and so on have been immense and the impact they have had on the world is beyond measure. China is indeed a great and ancient civilisation. I am an admirer of China since young. Many great practitioners and writers as well as western Buddhist scholars were inspired by John Blofeld’s writings and life. I am not a westerner, but my childhood was spent in America and his writings profoundly touched me. I am still reading his books and highly recommend them to all my friends.
Tsem Rinpoche
John Eaton Calthorpe Blofeld (John Blofeld) (1913 – 1987) was a renowned writer of Chinese culture, Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and Mahayana Buddhist tradition. His literary endeavours had helped in introducing Buddhism to the Western world and inspired many to follow his path on the journey of spiritual discoveries.
During his lifetime, John Blofeld had travelled widely around China and other countries, visited sacred mountains and monasteries, and met with hermits, sages and great Buddhist masters of various traditions. As his popularity grew, he used his fame to inspire younger writers to follow his path and helped to launch their career by writing forewords or providing constructive feedback to their maiden literary effort. Those who had the privilege to be acquainted with this extraordinary man, remembered his generosity, warmth, and sincerity. Even today, his writing and unique experiences continue to inspire others to the path of spirituality and give insight to the world of China when the refined Chinese civilisation was omnipresent.
Formative Years
London in the 1910s where John Blofeld lived during his childhood.
John Blofeld or also known by his Chinese name, P’u Lutao, was born on 2 April 1913 to a middle-class family in London, England. When he was a child, John Blofeld went out on a shopping trip with his beloved aunt and found a small Chinese statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. Although at the time he did not know anything about Buddha Shakyamuni and Buddhism, he became enamoured by the image and convinced his aunt to buy the statue for him. He regarded the statue as his cherished possession and gained a sense of peace just by gazing at the Buddha image. Later, John Blofeld read about Buddha Shakyamuni and developed a tremendous amount of faith in him. He started to offer flowers and incense to the Buddha statue.
The University of Cambridge in the 1930s. John Blofeld had studied at the University of Cambridge for two years before he went to China.
After he had completed his secondary education, John Blofeld studied natural science at the University of Cambridge. However, the desire to travel east was very strong in him, and he decided to terminate his study to go to China against the advice of his family. In 1932, the 19-year-old John Blofeld landed in Hong Kong. He studied Chinese language while waiting for the opportunity to enter China. To sustain himself, John Blofeld taught English language at Munsang College in Kowloon City. Finally, his dream came true in 1934. One of his contacts managed to help him in securing a teaching position at Hebei Academy in Tianjin with the schedule that would allow him to spend three days a week in Beijing. The 21-year-old John Blofeld finally entered the land of his dream and became the resident of the great capital of imperial China.
John Blofeld taught English at Munsang College in Kowloon City to sustain himself while he waited for an opportunity to go to China.
Beijing in the 1930s. John Blofeld wrote about his early experiences in Beijing in his book, City of Lingering Splendour.
In July 1937, Japan increased its armed forces in China from 7,000 to 15,000, and they surrounded Beijing and Tianjin. On 8 July 1937, the Japanese army attacked the Marco Polo Bridge, which was located near Wanping town, about 16.4 km (10.2 mi) from Beijing. At the time, Colonel Ji Xingwen from the Chinese armed forces was successful in defeating the Japanese and retaining control of the important bridge. Regardless of this victory, the incident marked the start of the second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Fortunately for John Blofeld, during the time of the incident, he was in England to settle some family matters.
Marco Polo Bridge Incident on 8 July 1937.
The heated situation did not deter John Blofeld to return to China. He went to Hong Kong in the fall of 1937 and continued to explore various parts of China to enrich his knowledge of Chinese spiritual culture. He visited the sacred mountains and monasteries. He met with and had various engaging discussions with Zen masters, Tibetan Buddhist lamas, and Taoist sages. His interest in Taoism, Zen, and Mahayana Buddhism led him to expand his journey to include Tibet, India, Mongolia, Burma and other countries in South East Asia. John Blofeld briefly went to Hong Kong to teach at Min Sheng Academy before returning to England in 1939 to resume his study at the University of London.
The University of London where John Blofeld briefly studied before World War II.
Unfortunately, John Blofeld had to terminate his study once again when World War II broke out. He joined the army as a captain and voluntarily enlisted himself in the counterintelligence department. His Chinese language skills soon came in handy, and he was transferred from the War Office to serve in a diplomatic capacity as a cultural attaché at the British Consulate in Chongqing between 1942 and 1945.
After the conclusion of World War II, John Blofeld resumed his study at the University of Cambridge and earned a degree in literature. In 1946, he obtained a grant from the Chinese government to research about Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, and went to Hebei, China. In addition to fulfilling his grant terms, he taught English at Shi Fan University to supplement his income. During this period, he returned briefly to England to attend to family matters related to the passing of his father.
One year later, John Blofeld married a lady of half Manchu and half Chinese descent, Chang Mei-Fang. According to John Blofeld, his wife was, “…a woman of excellent character, intelligent, and capable, but she was extremely argumentative!” In 1949, John Blofeld sensed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under Mao Zedong would defeat the Nationalist Party or also known as Kuo Min Tang (KMT) under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, and Chinese spiritual culture that he loved would not be the same anymore. Therefore, John Blofeld and his pregnant wife decided to migrate to Hong Kong. His son, Ming Deh (“Bright Virtue”), was born later that year, and a daughter, Shueh Chan (“Snow Beauty”), soon followed.
Years later, Daniel Reid, a writer with a similar interest in Chinese civilisation, asked John Blofeld as to why he chose to move to Hong Kong instead of Taiwan. He said, “Because, at the time, we were all convinced that soon Taiwan would be swallowed by the same red tide that engulfed China.”
ECAFE former office in Bangkok, Thailand where John Blofeld worked from 1961 to 1974.
To support his growing family, John Blofeld accepted a teaching position in a high-school in Hong Kong between 1949 and 1951. In 1951, John Blofeld and his family moved to Bangkok, Thailand after he had accepted a teaching position at Chulalongkorn University. In 1961, John Blofeld was offered a Chief of Editorial Services position at the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) in Bangkok, Thailand. Now the commission is known as the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). He retired from the United Nations in 1974. After his retirement, John Blofeld taught English at Kasetsart and Chulalongkorn Universities for another five years before retiring to concentrate on his research and writing.
Chulalongkorn University where John Blofeld taught English for several years.
John Blofeld: The Sinopath
As he grew older, John Blofeld became increasingly Chinese in appearance and manner.
John Blofeld’s fascination with China started when he encountered a Chinese-style Buddha Shakyamuni during a shopping trip with his favourite aunt. He believed that his obsession with China and Buddhism was a sign that in his previous life, he had been a Buddhist practitioner in China. John Blofeld was a sinopath or someone whose interest in China goes beyond scholarship or academic interest. As he grew older, John Blofeld had adopted Chinese courteous mannerism. He wore Chinese-style clothing almost on a daily basis. Other than his physical Caucasian features, there was nothing that indicated that he was born and raised in England.
Daniel Reid, who became acquainted with John Blofeld one year before his death, recalled that “When I met John, he even looked Chinese, with his Fu Manchu moustache and goatee, his frog-buttoned Chinese chemise and baggy silk trousers, his straw sandals and old-fashioned Chinese mannerism… in me he found a friend who felt as enamoured and nostalgic about the vanished splendours of old China as he did.”
During his stay in Bangkok, John Blofeld liked to take Daniel Reid to his favourite Chinese restaurants where they would enjoy delicious feasts in the company of charming ladies, and talked in Mandarin Chinese dialect:
“He always chose one of his favourite Chinese restaurants, where he knew the chefs and could go into the kitchen to tell them exactly how he wanted the food prepared. At the table, he and I kept up a running dialogue in Mandarin Chinese to which only we and the waiters were privy. His adopted Thai daughter Bom usually joined us for these culinary extravaganzas, as did Susan, his daughter by his Chinese wife, who was visiting from England. Somehow John always managed to arrange things so that almost all of the guests who joined us at these lavish Chinese banquets were both Asian and female, which allowed us to share another one of our favourite Chinese traditions, enjoying good food and wine in the company of charming women.”
Daniel Reid – John Blofeld & The Wheel of Life
John Blofeld and Spirituality
John Blofeld was a devout Buddhist during his lifetime. One of his favourite deities was the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kuan Yin.
John Blofeld had been drawn to Buddhism since he was a child. The knowledge about the life of Buddha Shakyamuni that he read from his childhood book sparked his interest in spirituality. Although he had lived his life as a married man who enjoyed worldly activities such as eating delicious food and drinking good wine, he was always of the view that life is more than just earning a living and procreating.
Throughout history and pre-history there have always been human beings who have felt that getting our daily bread and butter, producing our children, and dying do not represent the whole of life. If there is not more in life than that, then we might just as well be dead because life viewed from that perspective involves so many difficulties, troubles, boring moments and tragic moments, that it simply isn’t worth living.
John Blofeld – A Talk by John Blofeld 13 July 1978
During his travels within China and other countries in Asia, John Blofeld had shown admiration for sacred places and those who lived spiritual lives. His visit to Mongolia brought him into contacts with local herdsmen who stayed true to their Buddhist belief. He immersed himself in the beauty of Mount Wutai, one the sacred places of Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri. He recalled, “My holiday on Mount Wu T’ai with its fantastic peaks and flower-carpeted plateau where stood a whole galaxy of temples and monasteries inhabited by colourful throngs of recluses belonging to an age gone by.” He poetically remembered his visit to Tashiding Monastery, a Buddhist monastery of a Tibetan Buddhist lineage, “My pilgrimage to the conical mountain of Tashiding, where the roar of the waters and reverberations of the lama’s drums merged in the mantra of never-ending sound.” Although at the beginning of his travels, he was sceptical about Shamanistic elements of the local religions, he was eventually able to open his mind and appreciate these local beliefs. These experiences have made him a genuinely spiritual man. According to Bill Porter (Red Pine), who was mentored by John Blofeld during his younger days, “[John Blofeld] was a very sincere Buddhist who practised every night for several hours and loved what he did. I don’t think he ever stopped learning.”
The sacred Mount Wutai in China.
Tashiding Monastery in Sikkim, India.
Venerable Hsu Yun, one of the greatest Zen masters of all time.
During his visit to Nan Hua Monastery in North Guangdong, China, John Blofeld had a fateful meeting with the abbot of the monastery and the great Zen master, Venerable Hsu Yun (1840 – 1959). When John Blofeld arrived, Venerable Hsu Yun had just returned to the monastery after several months travel to distant provinces. John Blofeld recalled his first encounter with this great master:
I beheld a middle-sized man with a short, wispy beard and remarkable penetrating eyes. He was not precisely youthful-looking as I had been led to expect, but had one of those ageless faces not uncommon in China. Nobody could have guessed that he was already a centenarian. Finding myself in his presence, I became virtually tongue-tied and had to rack my brains for something to say, although there was so much I could profitably have asked him.
John Blofeld – The Wheel of Life
John Blofeld became Venerable Hsu Yun’s student, and learned Zen meditation from his other students at Nan Hua Monastery.
John Blofeld studied meditation at Nan Hua Monastery in Guangdong, China.
John Blofeld’s extensive travels in search of spirituality also led him to stay in many monasteries and meet with Buddhist masters of various traditions. He recorded that he had received his first initiation from a lama named Dorje Joonjay. His visit to India led him to meet several masters from the Vajrayana tradition. John Blofeld met His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama whom he described as a warm and sweet person. He studied under the guidance of various lamas, he had also received teachings from a master named Tangku Rinpoche in Sikkim.
John Blofeld met and studied with many Tibetan lamas
Although when he came to Thailand in the early 1950s John Blofeld was not a wealthy man, he helped to fundraise for the building of a Chinese Kuan Yin Temple, Wat Pho Yen, without the knowledge of his family. The temple had a connection with Tibetan Buddhism, which was a rarity in Thailand where Theravadan Buddhism prevailed. Wat Pho Yen was situated in Kanchanaburi Province, approximately two-hour drive from Bangkok. John Blofeld maintained his Mahayana Buddhist faith that he learned from his Chinese and Tibetan teachers although he spent the last 35 years of his life among the Theravadan Buddhists.
During his first year in Thailand, John Blofeld helped to fundraise for the building of Wat Pho Yen Temple in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand.
John Blofeld’s passion in promoting Chinese Buddhism continued even after he moved to Thailand. On 8 November 1977, he gave a lecture to the members of the Siam Society on Taoism, The Wisdom of Inactivity. The Siam Society was an organisation that aimed “…to encourage the arts and sciences in Thailand and neighbouring countries.” One year later, in December 1978, John Blofeld joined the Siam Society and led foreign visitors on tours to visit Chinese temples in Bangkok and other provinces in Thailand on behalf of the Society from time to time.
The Siam Society office in Bangkok, Thailand.
John Blofeld: The Writer
John Blofeld had begun to fulfil his writing aspiration as early as 1947. His early work reflected his passion for Zen Buddhism. His maiden literary effort was the translation of a 9th century Zen master’s, Huang Po Xiyun (d. 850 AD), teachings. The book was titled The Huang Po Doctrine of Universal Mind. This maiden effort was soon followed by the translation of another great Zen master’s teachings, Hui Hai (720 -814), who was credited with the establishment of the early Chan monastic rules, titled The Path to Sudden Attainment: A Treatise of the Ch’an (Zen) School of Chinese Buddhism by Hui Hai of the T’ang Dynasty. After he migrated to Hong Kong in 1949, his literary passion was interrupted for almost ten years, as he had to concentrate on the effort of sustaining his growing family. After the situation had stabilised, he resumed his writing work. His third translation, the Zen Teaching of Huang Po: On the Transmission of Mind, was published in 1959. The book had since become a classic among the students of Zen Buddhism.
In the early 1960s, John Blofeld started to experiment with other subjects such as his travels and pilgrimages, his quest for spiritual fulfilment, his interest in Chinese culture, and his meetings with Taoist hermits, monks and Buddhist masters of various traditions. His fourth book which provided a vivid description of his early years in China, City of Lingering Splendour, was published in 1961.
After his wife and children had moved back to England, John Blofeld devoted all his energy to his writing, Buddhist practice, and Chinese cultural studies. During his lifetime, he produced over 20 books. John Blofeld’s literary work gained popularity because he wrote them in a clear, elegant, logical, and intimate manner. Through his writing, John Blofeld had managed to introduce Buddhism and ancient Chinese culture to Western readers and inspired other notable writers such as Red Pine and Daniel Reid to follow his footsteps. Today, many of his books have become classics among the Western readers.
John Blofeld’s selected work:
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City of Lingering Splendour: A Frank Account of Old Peking’s Exotic Pleasures The book contains vivid descriptions of John Blofeld’s early years China in the 1930s. The readers are brought back to the era where the ancient Chinese traditions were still widely practised and to the world of magnificent temples, palaces, bathhouses, bazaars, and beautiful courtesans who were trained in the arts of pleasing men. |
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Bodhisattva of Compassion: The Mystical Tradition of Kuan Yin The book contains the explanations about the Chinese Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kuan Yin and the author’s meetings with her devotees. The book also includes the translation of the text and poems dedicated to this deity. |
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The Tantric Mysticism of Tibet: A Practical Guide to the Theory, Purpose, and Techniques of Tantric Buddhism The book contains an introduction to Mahayana Buddhism and explanations about the objectives, theory, and techniques of Tantric meditation. |
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I Ching: The Book of Change The book contains the translation of the Book of Change (I Ching) and explanations about the divinatory aspects of I Ching. In addition to the text and commentaries of the 64 I Ching hexagrams, the book contains the background and basis for this divination method. |
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The Secret and Sublime: Taoist Mystery and Magic The book contains the history of Taoist beliefs and the commentary on how to gain spiritual realisation through the elimination of ego. |
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The Wheel of Life: The Autobiography of a Western Buddhist The book contains John Blofeld’s spiritual autobiography and his quest to search for wisdom and genuine spiritual path. The readers would be able to gain insight to the author’s journey and pilgrimages through Tibet, China, Burma, India, and Mongolia. The book also contains John Blofeld’s encounters with great masters, sages, and yogis. |
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My Journey in Mystic China: Old Pu’s Travel Diary The book contains John Blofeld’s accounts as a Westerner who had lived in pre-communist China and fell in love with the refined Chinese civilisation. The author was remarkably frank and honest in describing his visits to opium dens and entertainment houses. He also described his visits to Taoist hermitages, sacred mountains, and Buddhist monasteries. The book was originally written in Chinese language and later translated into English by Daniel Reid. |
John Blofeld: The Mentor to Young Writers
“If we are loving and helpful to others, if we truly desire to behold the face of truth, then whatever god may be out there or in here will surely forgive our ignorance and account us, good men.”
John Blofeld
During his lifetime, John Blofeld had helped young writers to establish their career by giving feedback to improve their work or to write forewords for their books. He was very generous in his support. Red Pine, one of the fortunate young writers who received this precious assistance remembered that when he was working on his maiden project, the translation of Cold Mountain’s poems, he was turned down by major publishers. In his frustration, Red Pine sent his work to John Blofeld and requested his feedback. John Blofeld willingly became his mentor and gave his constructive feedback for two years:
“[John Blofeld] asked me to start sending him the poems, … and he went over them with me and encouraged me to translate all 350 poems. That was my trial by fire. I never intended to be a translator — it just sort of happened. … I’d send the poems each week, and he returned them with comments and asides.”
Red Pine – Dancing With Words: Red Pine’s Path into the Heart of Buddhism
When Copper Canyon Press agreed to publish Red Pine’s work, he asked John Blofeld to write a foreword for the book. John Blofeld happily agreed.
During his lifetime, John Blofeld had written forewords for the following books to help other writers:
- The Healing Buddha (written by Raoul Birnbaum)
- The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain (translated by Red Pine)
- Alone with Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism (written by Stephen Batchelor)
- Chinese Gods: An Introduction to Chinese Folk Religion (written by Jonathan Chamberlain)
In addition to providing direct assistance to the above writers, John Blofeld’s reputation and writing also inspired other young writers to follow his passion on Chinese civilisation and Buddhism. Daniel Reid remembered that:
Among my favourite writers, especially during my younger years as a freelancer in Asia, was John Blofeld, whose books helped inspire my early interest in Buddhism and Taoism and fired my imagination with colourful visions of life in China before the communist revolution swept away traditional culture there.
Daniel Reid – John Blofeld & The Wheel of Life
Death and the Final Resting Place
John Blofeld was ill with terminal cancer toward the end of his life.
Toward the end of his life, John Blofeld was ill with terminal cancer. However, his sickness did not affect his warm personality. His years of contemplation on Buddhist teachings and impermanence helped him to deal with his old age, illness, and imminent death.
Daniel Reid remembered his first encounter with John Blofeld toward the end of his life:
I was surprised to find him lying flat on his back in bed. “Come in, come in, Dan, have a seat here beside me,” he said, sitting up and greeting me like an old friend. ‘We have so much to talk about.’ He rang for the maid and told her to bring a kettle of hot water so he could prepare Chinese tea for us in the room, and mentioned briefly and unemotionally, as though noting the weather, that he was dying of cancer. Then, without any further formalities, we launched into a lively talk about China and things Chinese. … His terminal illness never once intruded into our conversation, but its silent presence prompted us to speak all the more frankly and openly, and we exchanged some hilarious stories about our respective experiences as Westerners living among the Chinese, his in China, mine in Taiwan, each for eighteen years.
Daniel Reid – John Blofeld and The Wheel of Life
Before his passing, John Blofeld had managed to complete his first autobiography in Chinese language, which contained the collections of stories from his years in China, My Journey in Mystic China: Old Pu’s Travel Diary. Daniel Reid translated the book into English in 1990.
Wat Hua Lamphong where John Blofeld’s body was cremated.
John Blofeld passed away on 17 June 1987 at the age of 74 in Bangkok, Thailand. His body was cremated on 25 July 1987 at Wat Hua Lamphong after the Buddhist rites in accordance with the Thai, Tibetan, and Chinese traditions had been performed. His last wish was for his ashes to be interred in a Kuan Yin temple in Thailand.
After his cremation, his adopted daughter, Bom, experienced many difficulties in finding the final resting place for her father. Regardless of his great contribution in introducing Buddhism to the Western world, all the Kuan Yin temples that Bom visited in Bangkok refused to receive his ashes. Several months later, Bom had a series of dreams that indicated where John Blofeld’s ashes were to be interred:
“…I began having this vivid dream. It was always the same. I saw my father sitting in a temple surrounded by monks. He looked so happy there. I called out to him, and he waved at me. ‘Bring me here,’ he said, ‘this is where I wish to be.’ But I was so overwhelmed by my emotions that I burst into tears and woke up crying. This continued for several weeks.”
Bom, John Blofeld’s adopted daughter
A Kuan Yin statue at Wat Pho Yen Temple in Kanchanaburi Province.
Bom remembered vividly in her dream, the monks wore grey robes, which were common in Chinese temples, the wall in front of the temple was painted in yellow colour, and there was a bodhi tree outside the temple gate. There was a river near the temple. Bom searched for the temples of her dreams for almost two months to no avail. In her desperation, she remembered that her father used to bring the foreign visitors on temple tours on behalf of the Siam Society. Thus, she went to the society office to look at their books and documentations. Finally, she found what she was looking for, the temple that matched the description of her dream. The temple was located in Kanchanaburi Province, and it was facing the River Kwai. There was a Kuan Yin statue on the temple’s main altar.
The picture of the abbot (seated) of Wat Pho Yen Temple in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand with John Blofeld and two other Westerners.
Bom went to the temple and met the abbot. To her delight and surprise, the abbot was a good friend of John Blofeld and allowed his ashes to be interred in that temple. The abbot then showed an old photograph of the younger John Blofeld with two other Westerners and the abbot. The photograph was taken in 1951 or nine years before Bom was born. Bom recalled the revealing conversation:
The abbot told me that my father had helped raise the money needed to finish building that monastery shortly after he came to Thailand, and that the picture had been taken on the day the main temple was formally consecrated. None of us ever knew anything about this, and my father never mentioned it. Not only is it a Chinese Kuan Yin temple, but it also has a close connection with Tibetan Buddhism, which is extremely rare here in Thailand.
Bom, John Blofeld’s adopted daughter
On the 27 December 1987, more than six months after his death, John Blofeld ashes were finally interred at the Kuan Yin temple he had helped to build. The abbot showed his reverence for his old friend by interring John Blofeld’s ashes inside the corner slot of the sacred stupa, which was a rare honour. John’s name and the date of his birth and death were inscribed on a marble plaque that was used to seal the crypt.
The stupa where John Blofeld ashes were interred and the marble plague with his name inscribed on it.
Selected books by John Blofeld for download:
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The texts above were sourced from legitimate book-hosting services offering these texts for free download. They are made available here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes.
List of John Blofeld’s books:
| No. | Book Title | Role | Year |
| 1. | The Huang Po Doctrine of Universal Mind By Huang Po Xiyun and transcribed by Tang Dynasty scholar Xiu Pei. |
Translator | 1947 |
| 2. | The Path to Sudden Attainment: A Treatise of the Ch’an (Zen) School of Chinese Buddhism by Hui Hai[ar] of the T’ang Dynasty By Hui Hai |
Translator | 1948 |
| 3. | The Zen Teaching of Huang Po: On the Transmission of Mind By Huang Po Xiyun |
Translator | 1959 |
| 4. | City of Lingering Splendour: A Frank Account of Old Peking’s Exotic Pleasures | Author | 1961 |
| 5. | Zen Teaching of Instantaneous Awakening By Hui Hai |
Translator | 1962 |
| 6. | I Ching: the Book of Change | Translator and editor | 1968 |
| 7. | The Way of Power: A guide to Tantric mysticism of Tibet | Author | 1970 |
| 8. | The Tantric Mysticism of Tibet: A Practical Guide to the Theory, Purpose, and Techniques of Tantric Meditation | Author | 1970 |
| 9. | The Zen Teaching of Hui Hai: On Sudden Illumination By Hui Hai |
Translator | 1972 |
| 10. | Taoist Mysteries and Magic | Author | 1973 |
| 11. | Atisha: A Biography of the Renowned Buddhist sage. Translated by Thubten Kelsang Rinpoche, Ngodrub Paljor, and John Blofeld. | Translator | 1974 |
| 12. | Beyond the Gods: Taoist and Buddhist Mysticism | Author | 1974 |
| 13. | The Jewel in the Lotus: An Outline of Present Day Buddhism in China | Author | 1975 |
| 14. | Bodhisattva of Compassion: The Mystical Tradition of Kuan Yin | Author | 1977 |
| 15. | Compassion Yoga: Mystical Cult of Kuan Yin (Mandala Books) | Author | 1977 |
| 16. | Mantras: Sacred Words of Power | Author | 1977 |
| 17. | The Wheel of Life: The Autobiography of a Western Buddhist | Author | 1978 |
| 18. | Taoism: The Quest for Immortality | Author | 1978 |
| 19. | Bangkok | Author | 1979 |
| 20. | The Healing Buddha By Raoul Birnbaum |
Foreword author | 1979 |
| 21. | Gateway to Wisdom: Taoist and Buddhist Contemplative Healing Yogas | Author | 1980 |
| 22. | The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain Translated by Red Pine |
Foreword author | 1983 |
| 23. | Alone with Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism By Stephen Batchelor |
Foreword author | 1983 |
| 24. | Chinese Gods: An Introduction to Chinese Folk Religion By Jonathan Chamberlain |
Foreword author | 1983 |
| 25. | The Chinese Art of Tea | Author | 1985 |
| 26. | My Journey in Mystic China: Old Pu’s Travel Diary (originally published in Chinese in 1990) Translated by Daniel Reid |
Author | 2008 |
Sources::
- http://levekunst.com/john-blofeld-the-wheel-of-life/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Blofeld
- http://sweepingzen.com/blofeld-john/
- http://www.danreid.org/daniel-reid-articles-john-blofeld-the-wheel-of-life.asp
- http://www.farwesteditions.com/mft/ATalkbyJohnBlofeld.htm
- https://www.ramdass.org/john-blofeld-and-the-wheel-of-life/
- http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1981/JSS_075_0o_Obituaries.pdf
- https://books.google.com.my/books?id=xXpZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT81&lpg=PT81&dq=
john+blofeld+wife&source=bl&ots=
WtrqvGNr_x&sig=ta81R0zSBmRV-bQtwdaTlnTa6Yk&hl=en&sa=X&redir_
esc=y#v=onepage&q=john%20blofeld%20wife&f=false - https://www.google.com/amp/s/krisadawan.wordpress.com/
2008/10/09/pilgrimage-with-john-blofeld-in-our-heart/amp/ - http://mathisencorollary.blogspot.my/2012/01/heartfelt-portrait-of-john-blofeld-from.html?m=1
- http://www.oolong-tea.org/taiwan-oolong-tea-chinese-art-of-tea/
- http://www.kyotojournal.org/the-journal/fiction-poetry/dancing-with-words/
- https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/chinese-rev
- https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/19287.John_Blofeld
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polo_Bridge_Incident
- https://thebamboosea.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/a-conversation-with-hsu-yun-john-blofeld/
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43300249.pdf?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
- http://www.siam-society.org/pub_JSS/jss_index.html
For more interesting information:
- Kazi Dawa Samdup: a Pioneering Translator of Tibetan Buddhist Texts
- Professor Garma C.C. Chang -The Illustrious Pioneer
- Herbert Guenther – Master of Languages & Buddhism
- Bill Porter (Red Pine): The Translator of Chinese Poems and Promoter of Zen Buddhism
- The Six Patriarchs of Chan Buddhism
- Bodhidharma – the founder of Gongfu
- Empty Cloud
- Tsem Rinpoche and China
- Mount Wutai – The Earthly Abode of Lord Manjushri
- Amongst White Clouds -Amazing!
- Emperor Kangxi / 康熙皇帝
- Gemu Goddess of Mosuo
- Alexandra David-Néel
- Holy Place of Kuan Yin
- In the Footsteps of Joseph Rock
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John Blofeld also published Red China in Perspective,
in 1951.
I am so pleased to meet up with other admirers of John Blofeld.One of my favourite books is “Beyond the Gods” – which is especially great when travelling – so compact and yet full of information and wisdom.
Very inspiring, thanks a lot for this detailed article about John Blofeld’s life. Gives me a warm feeling while reading his “The Zen Teaching of Huang-Po” in a german translation.
All the best from Austria.
Boris
Thank you for reading Boris, we’re glad to know that you found the article useful 🙂
Hope you’re enjoying his book!
His writing style is clear and direct, added with his personal experiences, thoughts and direct realizations at that point of time. I am fond of reading those past masters’ writings as opposed to the modern ones.
John Blofeld spiritual journey and his affinity so strong in Buddhism are really showed that he had a very strong connection to Buddhism in his previous life.Thank you very much for sharing this article.
There is not enough written about John Blofeld therefore I am appreciative to find him here and so well honoured as he deserved to be. His books touched me deeply and left a strong impression in my mind. Seeing pictures of Mr. Blofeld brings joy and sadness to me. Joy because I see he is a kind and gentle man. Sad because he is no more in this world. Hard to fathom what a loss he is to mankind. His spirituality, quest and works forever brings me great inspiration and I wished I had a chance to meet this man. I rarely want to meet anyone, but this man I would have wanted to meet if I had a chance.
I a
I am
Blofeld held that daoism has no dogma of a supreme god.
Based in part perhaps on a mistaken interpretation that the tao has no name,what the text could mean THO is that it cannot be given a name BECAUSE IT HAS ALWAYS HAD A NAME..and to be delighted one has to name that name THAT ESSENTIALLY NAME THAT GOD TOLD MOSES…YHWH..I shall prove to be what I shall prove to be…because God is perfectly consistent in everything..is both perfectly personal and impersonal..
Ones ideal enlightenment is to become one with the father as jesus did,where one becomes fully attuned to the whole but as an attuned eternal part but not the whole,but this the eventual death of all eternal souls as taught by the early church father ORIGEN who taught reincarnation but the ENABLING of such is THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS
Thank you for introducing us this great author, Rinpoche.
I treasure the book Mantras; Sacred Words of Power very much. His writing style is clear and direct, added with his personal experiences, thoughts and direct realisations at that point of time. I am fond of reading those past masters’ writings as opposed to the modern ones. I prefer their own thoughts and the circumstantial account of their spiritual journey rather than presenting just a factual & dry wisdom. I can relate more through their stories in this way. Even the words that they chose and the effort in translating some Tibetan words/items into English also carried lots of meaning to it.
John Blofeld felt a strong connection with the Chinese and I believe what he thought about his previous life maybe true. Although it sounded weird but somehow it just get connected. Ya, he looked more like Chinese towards the end of his life and actually this also happened to Bill Porter. Both also have the “thirst” in pursuing what they wanted. To me it’s like a spiritual calling, although in Buddhism it’s called imprints. Maybe it’s their karma to connect Buddhism between the East and the West. Thanks to this connection that we are able to learn different lineages of Buddhism in the early days.
When I was very young, down the street from where I lived in Howell, New Jersey was a Kalmuck lady who was very spiritual. She was my friend at the time. She was in her 30’s and had a large collection of spiritual books of which many were on Buddhism. I would borrow books from her quite often and read. She would have read them and give me her thoughts on the books and highly recommend this one or that one. I would then read the books she recommended and we would often discuss about them. It was a very enjoyable time in my life. I miss this friend very much. Some of the books she had were from Professor Garma C.C. Chang, Govinda, Alexander David-Neel, Evans-Wentz, John Blofeld, etc.. and I read some of them. Those books inspired me so much. My conversations with this friend inspired me so much and I enjoyed her spiritual company tremendously. That was one part of my childhood that was good.
I have all these books by these great authors in my library now and still read them. I have made them available from Kechara for invite and also will have them in the future Kechara library coming up.
The first time I heard of John Blofeld was when Rinpoche shared about his book: Mantras, Words of Power.John Blofeld spiritual journey and his affinity so strong in Buddhism are really showed that he had a very strong connection to Buddhism in his previous life.Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the bio of John, I really enjoyed reading the lifetime story of such a great man 🙂
What I can conclude in this article, I get to know John Blofeld and his spiritual journey in detail.
What can I say? Just a wonderful book by a great man who has a large story to tell. John Blodfeld is one of a kind… there will be no one to replace him… plus, the world has changed so much during his life that much of what he lived as gone now… never to return. Blofeld lived through interesting times
Thanks for sharing this article.
John definitely has a strong imprint from his previous life to be so devoted in Buddhism. He spent major part of his life in Buddhism and ultimately in the East studying and contributing into Dharma. On top of that he defied objections from his family members and also defying the odds for him to help raise funds to build temples. He always wanted to make it big despite being in a foreign country and having not much money to spend for himself. I admire his tenacity in doing all these work. I am glad his wish to be have his ashes placed in a temple in Thailand were fulfilled and this is only a fair “reward” / consolation for the demise of someone who contributed so much into Buddhism by not only his writing but his general contribution for the growth of Dharma.
John Blofeld spiritual journey and his affinity so strong in Buddhism are really showed that he had a very strong connection to Buddhism in his previous life. How to explain that for an English man in the West can be so easy to accept Buddhism since he was a child. Furthermore, what was amazed me is John Blofeld so easy to shift from culture to culture and from country to country.
The following is Excerpt from a lecture by John Blofeld in San Francisco, 1978
“As for methods, I think it’s very good, at the beginning of our spiritual quest, when we first come to feel that life has a meaning and that we should embark on some kind of spiritual path, to experiment with many kinds of paths. Sooner or later we will find that one path suits us individually more than others. Then, let us take that one, but never in the spirit of “I am now on the right path and everybody else is on the wrong path.” No, we follow our own path, but we accept the validity of other people’s paths” (source: http://www.farwesteditions.com)
Such a great man that saying “ No, we follow our own path, but we accept the validity of other people’s paths”. It is always inspired my life by reading lifetime story of such a great man. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article.
Another great being who realised that being alive is not just about fulfilling our forever hungry desires but to work on something more worthy and meaningful that lead us to a better place and become a better person. May more people able to follow his footsteps
John Blofeld is one of the remarkable European writer produce many buddhism book introduce buddhism to the west. I simply like him because he not materialitic, humble and help to promote other young writer such as red pine’s by writing comment and foreward for their book.
Even he is quit suscess but he is not wealhty. When he stay at Bangkok, he always raise fund to build temple. Interesting part after he pass away, his adopted daughter Bom dream about John Blofeld came to her dream to find the temple for his resting place. Finally Bom find the Kuan Yin temple accepting John Blofeld ashe is one of the temple he help to build the temple before and put his ashe inside the stupa to memories whst he had contribute at the pass. I wish his hard work will not waste and continue benefit other who are interest in buddhism.
John Blofeld is a very amazing person, his affinity is so strong that it lead him back to Buddhism in such young age, immediately he got the interest and start to find out more about it.
John Blofeld has contributed so much towards the growth of Buddhism from China to spread to the west, among of all the good works he has done in his life, these are a few that he has done
1. He inspired many people from western countries to follow his path
2. He did not bow down to the family’s objection towards his pursue in his spiritual journey
3. He find all sorts of ways to get himself through to the destination he wanted to go, working to make his living and to continue his journey.
4. he is not wealthy, but he is not stingy in donating to build temple.
5. Writing non stop to spread the Dharma.
All these that i have listed, I felt so familiar while reading this, this is exactly like what H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche and many other highly attained masters are doing, they just spend their whole life benefiting and serving others instead of just go to work to earn their pay cheque, get married and have children, life is so much more than that.
I felt so warm when reading the last part of this article, he was able to be buried inside a stupa located in the temple that he built, it’s like he’s finally home after travelling and running around so much tirelessly spreading Dharma to others.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the bio of John, I really enjoy reading the lifetime story of such a great man.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article. It must be his previous life imprint that lead him to be a devoted Buddhist this life. Although he was born a western people, but his previous life could be a Chinese, or a Tibetan. John Blofeld had dedicated his whole life for Buddhism. He learnt about Buddhism, practice Buddhism, and converted the learning into text, so that it can spread to more people, even after he had passed away. He must have tremendous merit and he must have enlightened.
Through Pastor Henry sharing Rinpoche’s teaching, I have understood the part that John Blofeld appeared in his adopted daughter, Bom’s dream about interreding his ashes in Kuan Yin temple. Thank you again Rinpoche. _/\_
This is truly amazing on the beauty of spirituality practice. As I see the work of John Blofeld who truly shows his great admiration, passion over his believes that inspired many into practice especially people from the West.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article about Rinpoche’s favourite author John Blofeld. John Blofeld’s interest is so rare. Not many Europeans at that time were interested in Buddhism. It is amazing from a young age, John Blofeld already fell in love with Buddhism and continue to learn and research about it. He must have had some Buddhism imprints from his previous lifetimes. He also practise what he learn from the masters that he met. The most amazing thing is that he wrote so many books and he was the mentor to some young writers. Most of his books was about Buddhism and his life journey. A very interesting person and article I must say.
With folded palms,
Vivian
The first time I heard of John Blofeld was when Rinpoche shared about his book: Mantras, Words of Power. The vast knowledge that John Blofeld shared in his books is an inspiration for many. He also encouraged others to write and helped many other writers.
He was remarkable as, eventhough the many books he wrote, it seems he was quite humble and helped others on their writings. Even when he was very ill, he was not emotional about this but did focus on the things that were important to him.
It is interesting that John appeared in dreams to Bom and showed her where he wanted the final resting place for his ashes. This was months after his remains were cremated. I wonder how he was able to appear in dreams to Bom to relay his wish.
I strongly believe on what he said that he must have been a Chinese in his previous life looking from his interest. His enthusiasm in Chinese culture and Buddhism has brought a great benefit to many people through his books. Towards the end of his, his terminal cancer doesn’t bother him much which I guess he must have strong realisation on impermanent. John Blofeld is really as inspiring practitioner.
Mr Blofeld was simply remarkable. He showed everyone that there is no limit to learning, whether when you are young and able or lying on the deathbed. Such an inspiration knowing what he has done. He was always willingly giving and sharing his knowledge to those who need it.
I guess he could have been a Chinese Buddhist practitioner in his past lives. This Is because his imprints are strong. At a young age, he already had the inclination towards Buddhism. And the point that he was more Chinese than me!
But the last part of the post was quite interesting, the part where Bom dreamed of Mr Blofeld to ask her to place his ashes at a certain place after several months. What happened to him after his death?
Although I have yet to read any of his books, I am sure they are as interesting as how Rinpoche described it. Would be good to read and know.
With great joy and gratitude, I have just read this brief biography of John Blofeld. I met John during the World Religions Seminar of 1983 and 1984 in Kathmandu, Nepal. John presented daily lectures on Tibetian Buddhism. Unlike other presenters, John had the knack for speaking directly and simply about the most complex aspects of Tibetian Buddhism. He was not afraid to introduce his own personal experiences into his lectures, which was a real treat because most presenters during the 8-week seminar treated their topics from an abstract perspective. See my volume, A PILGRIM ENCOUNTERS THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS (1984) for further details.
Every of us has a beautiful spiritual journey to share.But this John Blofeld ‘s journey was one of those amazing.inspiring and exciting one.Not everyone could ,with couragoues, determination mind and having a strong connection to China, Chinese culture and Buddhism.Since as a child John Blofeld was keen in Buddhism and was more chinese in all way eventhough he was a Westerner.John Blofeld travels extensively in search of spirituality. Thats great which led him to write books on Buddhism. His reputation and writing has inspired mant young writers.I do enjoyed reading his biography and hopefuly able to read his books.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing these interesting and inspiring article.
Wow ! What an exciting life John Blofeld lived ! In all stages of his journey he kept spirituality , especially Buddhism as his focus point of his studies, research and contemplation.
“Throughout history and pre-history there have always been human beings who have felt that getting our daily bread and butter, producing our children, and dying do not represent the whole of life. If there is not more in life than that, then we might just as well be dead because life viewed from that perspective involves so many difficulties, troubles, boring moments and tragic moments, that it simply isn’t worth living ”
John Blofeld – A Talk by John Blofeld 13 July 1978
Very inspiring statement . Exactly as Rinpoche has always advised us. Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing. It would be great to be able to read some of John Blofeld’s books. With folded hands.
John Blofeld, by all accounts in this article, seems to have a karmic connection with Vajrayana as he seemed drawn to Chinese Mahayana Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism more than Theravadan. And, he chose to live a life that was so very different from how he was raised and becoming very Chinese in mannerism.
The main thing that struck me was that although he was influenced by Thai Theradavan Buddhism, he stayed true to Chinese Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism. It’s like he found his path and faith, and was not swayed although he was living in surrounding with strong Theravadan influence. His faith was unshakable.
It’s also great that he penned his knowledge so that many more in later years can follow him on his journey in his absence. It would be interesting to be able to read some of his works.
Thank you, Rinpoche for bringing John Blofeld into this little corner of our world.
John Blofeld, first time I heard his name was Rinpoche who mentioned John Blofed in one of Rinpoche’s talks, that John Blofeld was so impressed with the practice of Tara, that was quite some years and now I get to read about this great personage who has shaped many lives of Buddhist writers and enthusiasts, giving them information that leads them to find out much more.
First thing I thought about John Blofeld was that he was like an Indiana Jones who went around and his weapons were his wisdom and compassion. Also discovering something new about something.
Thank you Rinpoche for this very interesting post on John Blofield, a renowned writer who showed in his writing his deep and abiding interest in China, its culture, its religions – Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism.He was also drawn to Tibetan Buddhism, which he learned much of in his visits to India and Sikkim His visit to these two countries brought him into contact with Vajrayana Buddhism.He met various masters, and studied under the guidance of various teachers.
His interest in spirituality began at an early age, when he beheld a small Chinese statue of Buddha Sakyamuni in a shop. He was so enamoured with it that he persuaded his aunt to get it for him. It became a most precious possession.
In his travels in China and other Asian countries, he visited sacred and holy mountains and monasteries, and met with hermits, sages and great Buddhist masters of various traditions.He was deeply drawn to sacred places like Mount Wutai. He would engage in discussions with Zen Masters, Tibetan Lamas, and Taoist sages.
In the last 35 years of his life, he settled down in Thailand. It was there that he began his research and writing in earnest . It is amazing but yet reasonable that he would maintain his Mahayana Buddhist faith that he learned from his Chinese and Tibetan teachers although he spent the last 35 years of his life among the Theravadan Buddhists.
It is only fitting that he finally found his resting place in a Chinese Kuan Yin Temple, Wat Pho Yen, which had a connection with Tibetan Buddhism. This was the temple that he had helped to fund-raise for its building. The story of how he guided in a dream his adopted daughter to this temple, where he wanted his cremated remains to be placed, is most touching and beautiful.
John Blofeld, being one of the earlier Europeans to be drawn to the East to learn about Buddhism in a deep and profound way, would have influenced and inspired many Western practitioners and writers , by his life and by his writing. There is much that profoundly touches me about him. He had such a genuine interest and earnest desire to learn about spirituality and Buddhism from the East, which is most pervasive.