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With Mystics and Magicians in Tibet – Alexandra David-Neel

At the time the prince was full of cares on account of his contemplated marriage with a Birman princess.

“I regret very much that I cannot meet this great naljorpa’ he said to me in English.   ‘For he certainly, would give me good advice’

And addressing the gomchen he repeated, in Tibetan:

"I am sorry that your master is not here. I really need the advice of some such clairvoyant sage”

But he did not mention the question he wished to ask, nor the nature of his preoccupations.

The lama with his usual coldness of manner asked:

"Is the subject serious?"

“It is extremely important," the prince replied.

" You can perhaps receive the desired advice” said Daling gomchen

I thought that he mean to send a letter by a messenger and was about to remind him of the great distance that would have to be covered, when his aspect struck me.  He had closed his eyes and was rapidly turning pale, his body stiffening.  I wished to go to him, thinking he was ill, but the prince, who had observed the sudden change in the lama, held me back, whispering:

"Don't move. Gomchens sometimes go into a trance quite suddenly. One must not wake them, for that is very dangerous and might even kill them."

So I stayed seated watching the lama who remained motionless. Gradually his features changed, his face wrinkled, taking on an expression I had never seen him wear before. He opened his eyes and the prince made a startled gesture.

The man we were looking at was not the gomchen of Daling, but some one we did not know. He moved his lips with difficulty and said in a voice different from that of the gomchen:

" Do not be disturbed. This question will never have to be considered by you."

Then he slowly closed his eyes, his features changed again and became those of Daling lama who slowly recovered his senses.  He eluded our questions and retired in silence, staggering and seeming to be broken with fatigue.

"There is no sense in his answer," the prince concluded.

Whether by chance or for some other reason, it unfortunately proved that there had been a meaning in these words.  The matter troubling the young maharajah was about his fiance and an affair with a girl who had borne him a son which he did not wish to break off when he married.

But, truly, he needed not to ponder over his course of conduct toward the two women, for he died before the day arranged for the marriage.