[1] Rato recounts that when he was born in 1923 in Ophor, a small village south of Chamdo in the Kham district of Tibet, he was given the name Norbu.

The last chapter and the epilogue give a brief account of his time in India, and finally his move to New York City, where in 1975, he founded The Tibet Center.

In the introduction to the book, Joseph Cambell says that when Rato gave him the first chapters to read, it was as if, "...the fabled mysteries of the most secret fastness of forbidden Tibet were, at last, being opened to me by one whose entire life had been given to their interpretation.

"[3] Erin Marino on the Columbia University website commented that the book shows that Rato's true nature is "an overwhelming compassion to be of help to others.

This character trait shines throughout his autobiography, making for a compelling life story of an incarnate and the Buddhist monastic tradition he took part in.