John Perks, who immigrated to America from England as a teenager, served as Chögyam Trungpa’s butler during the 1970s. This is Perks’ story, focusing primarily on his years with his guru. The pair’s madcap adventures leave one wondering whether this is crazy wisdom or just plain crazy, but they are always entertaining. A continued theme of their escapades is that Chögyam Trungpa is a senior foreign military or political leader, and Perks is traveling with him as his assistant. “Let’s put on our uniforms,” the guru would say as he initiated yet another elaborate prank with the sometimes reluctant author. At the end of each chapter, Perks notes what Buddhist principles he learned from the apparently pointless behavior of his teacher. I enjoyed this book tremendously.John Riley Perks. The Mahāsiddha and His Idiot Servant. Putney, Vermont: Crazy Heart, 2004. Paperback. 249 pages. $17.95.
