A Step Away from Paradise: The True Story of a Tibetan Lama's Journey to a Land of Immortality - Paperback

A True Story of Faith, Adventure, and the Search for Shangri-La

In the early 1960s, a charismatic Tibetan lama named Tulshuk Lingpa led over 300 followers on an extraordinary expedition into the Himalayas. Their mission: to open a Hidden Land of immortality prophesied in Tibetan tradition—a real-life Shangri-La concealed among the peaks and glaciers of the world's third highest mountain.

This meticulously researched account follows Tulshuk Lingpa's journey against the explicit wishes of the kings of Sikkim and Nepal. The expedition ventured up treacherous snowy slopes, guided by the lama's conviction that he possessed the secret knowledge to crack open the fabric of reality itself and enter a land of eternal peace and concord.

Five Years of Research, Forty Years After the Journey

Author and photographer Thomas K. Shor spent over five years tracking down surviving members of this remarkable expedition. Through extensive interviews and scholarly research into Tibetan traditions of Hidden Lands, he weaves together firsthand accounts with humor, wisdom, and deep cultural insight. The narrative explores what this quest for paradise means for all of us—believers and skeptics alike.

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo writes in the Foreword: "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."

From Tulshuk Lingpa's Own Guidebook

"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."