The prophecy was already old over one thousand years ago. It was a prophecy telling that one day a sign would come to the people of the Lhasa valley. A sign that it was time to leave Tibet and spread their spirituality across the world. This was understood as being not to spread their religion but their spirituality, their compassion. Although it told of the death of three quarters of the people in the Lhasa valley, it was celebrated, eagerly seen as a time to share themselves with the world.

In service to this prophecy a decree went out that no foreigners were to be allowed into Tibet. The concern was that foreigners could expose Tibetans to the material lifestyle of the outside world, diluting their native spirituality.

And it did.

A doctor got in during the 1920s, bringing actual medicine with him. When Heinrich Harrer arrived in the 1940s, he found flashlights, a movie camera, even a car which had been disassembled to carry over the Himalayas then reassembled, and nearly any magazine he wanted.

Now I’ll ask you to imagine what Tibet would have turned into if the Chinese had not invaded, and that level of exposure to Western culture had continued for forty more years. This question arises; would they have willingly gone out into the world when the sign finally came, given that they’d have had radio, television, and movies by then?

Which leads to this; did the Chinese inadvertantly fulfill the ancient prophecy by invading Tibet? Was that a ‘back up plan’ from spirituality?

When spirituality has something which needs to be done, it creates a way.

So, fast forward to 1981. The Chinese have invaded. Three quarters of the people of the Lhasa valley are dead. Tibetans have spread out across the world. The earthquake hits. It’s the sign which has been eagerly looked forward to for over a thousand years – and no one is there to celebrate it.

At the time the earthquake hit Tom psychically comforted a young girl hiding beneath her desk in school. That young girl turned out to be Willie, their guide on the 1991 trip.

Tom and Dan’s understanding was that the Lost Temple was under a hospital. In the basement perhaps? Psychic information can be vague. The reality was that the hospital had been torn down decades ago, although it can be seen briefly in the 1957 version of the movie “Seven Years in Tibet”. It sat atop Chokpuri Hill, or Hospital Hill, a perfect place for a healing hospital.

What came to be known as the Lost Temple was a cave at the base of that hill. The hill consisted of one enormous solid rock into which two caves had been cut. The upper cave was a circular path which encompassed a stone support in the center. A small building at the entrance was the living quarters of the monks which serviced the ceremonies in the cave.

On the 1995 trip Norm Howe looked at one of the beds, made of solid stone, exclaiming, “That’s my bed. I slept there!” Also, Carol Scoville was the first woman to ever be allowed to walk through the sacred circular cave.

So, finding no suitable hospital to look under, Tom and Dan continued to search around Lhasa. Tom eventually stood in front of the padlocked doors of the Lost Temple, looking into it psychically. He determined it was an L shaped cave, and was the most likely place they’d found. Someone was sent to find the key and a flashlight.

While waiting they climbed the stairs to the upper cave. When they came back down the padlock was lying on the ground. The only footprints in the sandy soil were Tom’s. No key was ever found.

They entered the Temple, found a golden Buddha, and puddles of water on the floor. The earthquake in 1981 had cracked the rock allowing water to enter, making it unsuitable as a temple after that. That was the sign the prophecy had foretold so long ago, and no one was there to recognize it.

How had the temple become lost? Tom surmised that the previous Dalai Lama, upon leaving the temple after a ceremony, said to lock it up. A statement by the Dalai Lama was absolute law in those days. It remained locked as he got sick and died before another ceremony was to have been held. Finding the current Dalai Lama, raising him to the age where he could assume his duties, and with all he had to deal with at that time – the temple was simply forgotten.