Customer Reviews:
Very good.......2007-06-06
Very good book, many of the reviewers have already stated what I would say as well. One thing I would like to mention, is this book contains exercizes for developing one's psychic abilities, and although one may find them a bit out of the ordinary from what they hear today, Mr. Weed is very reputable and his words can be trusted.
Succinct rendition of Rosicrucian principles/methods.......2007-02-04
Mr. Weed is a former Rosicrucian Grand Councilor who has written other, less pithy books as well. His "A Rosicrucian Speaks" is very different & IMHO far less valuable than this masterwork. I believe Mr. Weed was strongly criticized by AMORC for publishing this book which succinctly reveals much private information that Rosicrucian students receive over years of study & practice--it was felt that people were not ready to receive this information in such a condensed format-- p. 167: "The unknown is always discovered through the known. This is the way we learn." In accordance with Mr. Weed's several warnings, beware of delving too swiftly into these practices. As he states, p. 123: "Energy that is built up demands release, & if we do not open doors for it & guide it in the proper direction it is likely to break out in an undesirable way." Patience & a step-by-step approach is strongly recommended. Some of the teachings in this book, though based on Rosicrucian principles, are specific to Mr. Weed, but this does not detract from them as he was an accomplished Rosicrucian. Topics in the book include: harmonium, karma, reincarnation, types of energy, thought, healing, the cycles of life, prayer, telepathy, developing psychic ability, & psychic projection. I agree that many people could be successful in such practices. Whether people are ready is another story. Still, if you find this book & really practice these techniques as given, you are probably ready. I would also recommend reading the works of H. Spencer Lewis, former Imperator of AMORC, for further information, esp. on "The Cycles of Life." For more on Rosicrucian philosophy, see the works of his son, Ralph M. Lewis.
This book is written in a concise, yet easily readable style with many experiments/exercises. I notice many parallels with Tibetan Buddhism herein. For example: p. 6: "From the very beginning you must learn to be more aware, not less so" & p. 168: "Energy flows from you to whatever you direct your attention [kavvanah]. We can also turn our attention to Great Beings that do not ordinarily manifest in physical form & from them receive a corresponding return of high grade energy which will stimulate & rejuvenate us in every way, physical, mental, & spiritual." This reminds me of Kabbalistic kavvanah (intention) as well as Tibetan Buddhist guru/deity yoga. For the right student, this is a great book. Even for an accomplished Rosicrucian, it's a wonderful refresher. It is NOT a new age book, but is, rather, based on old, tested, efficacious principles.
Wisdom Of the Mystic Masters.......2006-10-30
I recieved my book packed in great shape and in record time. I am very pleased and would buy from Bev again!! (~:
Seek and You Will Find.......2006-05-05
There are no secrets, it only that we have not sought the truth.
I am convinced that with the studies in this book, and further consideration in the
quest for healing we will understand a world of healthy balance. Know Thyself.
Search more information on Joseph J Weed, Rosicrucianism, Bhuddism, Alchemy.
May you find Your Way.
a book well before it's time........2006-02-27
I did not understand what I had purchased in this book. Sometimes it's hard to find a book to keep my attention when it comes to the topic of being awake. I understand what to look for on the subject, in my young 20's I woke up. For some reason I did not understand why I began to fell the way I now felt about people. My thoughts were I love all of God's children regardless because he loves them (and because I love him) but being young and with all the blessings that were comming to me my heart became greedy and harden. As I've stated not understanding why these good deeds were happening, this book tells you who what where when why and how. What is happening, why it is happening in life, how to understand and combat the situation so it ends. That is not all, it touches on some topics that one would find in a book about the craft, religion (does not go into detail) also personal development. I would say it's an energy workbook but it's sooo much more. This has truly been an hidden treasure.
Customer Reviews:
Engaging Dr. Strange Collection.......2007-08-10
This here's a solid collection of Doctor Strange, with most of the artwork by the distinctive Gene Colon. I'd forgotten Colon's run on this title and looking at it again, I'd have to say I rather prefer Colon's work to most of Ditko's. Steve Ditko laid a great foundation, that few have been able to follow up on. Most Dr. Strange books have fallen flat without the Ditko touch. Not here. Colon and Thomas do real nice work.
Also, if you're a Doctor Strange fan look for Doctor Strange: The Oath (New Avengers). The Oath is just about the best Dr. Strange collection ever.
Book Description
The Simplest Path, Step One: Free Your Mind delineates, in one slim volume, a complete system for achieving personal spiritual awakening, along with a straightforward, no-nonsense plan individuals and groups so enlightened can follow to awaken Humanity en masse and positively transform the world. This book contains keys to awakening. Awakening from our personal dream shatters the solid "box" of limitation memes have built around our lives, and frees us to fluidly craft our personalities, environments, relationships, careers, etc. as an artist paints a landscape or a sculptor teases form from formless clay. All of us awakening together from the shared dream of the planet will mark the birth of our species out of our current global nightmare of decline into a limitless future literally beyond our present ability to imagine, even in our "wildest dreams," indeed.
Customer Reviews:
Way Beyond "Socrates Revisited".......2007-08-22
After reading the commentary attached to the one star rating given by the young man from Texas, I feel compelled to step forward in defense of this very fine book. With only one exception, every point made in that negative review is simply wrong. Just not factually correct. The reviewer identifies himself as a young man (... "to my young mind"), and since all of his other Amazon reviews are of TV episodes on DVD, video games and rock music CDs I take him at his word. Well, I am an "old man," closing in on my sixty-third birthday, and I came to Mr. Casspriano's book after six decades of life experience, the last three of those decades a zealous practitioner of Zen Buddhism. I say this not to "brag," but simply to qualify myself as a reviewer before beginning.
I'll start where the one star reviewer closed his argument, with his statement that the simplest path reduces to two Socratic concepts: "Admit that you don't know anything" and "know yourself."
The first part is nominally true (the exception). Like Zen Buddhism, a central tenet of the simplest path is working to release the false notion we all hold that we know ourselves, other people, the world around us. But identifying and releasing our attachments to our illusions is a life's work, not some brash "I don't know nothin'!" as the young Texan seems to imply. Under normal circumstances, we go about our daily lives with no idea we are deluded about anything, as Maya (the illusion of the phenomenal world around and even inside us) is so convincing that most of us never even think to question its validity. Casspriano did not invent the notion of human beings being trapped in illusion, as this truth was known to the timeless authors of the Hindu Vedas and is central to all schools of Buddhism (not just Zen). But his scientific/spiritual exploration of the mechanism by which Maya ensnares our minds and can, with effort, be overcome is among the best "plain English" explanations of this process I have read. There is no "inscrutable mystery" in the simplest path (a criticism that has been accurately leveled toward Zen Buddhism, as a lot of Eastern thought truly does come off as "inscrutable" when translated into English and/or the metaphors of Western culture). Casspriano lays out in no-nonsense American English exactly what our brains are doing when they create the illusion we mistake for reality, then shows the reader in the same clear terms how to train his or her brain to break free of illusion and taste reality as-it-is. In just 216 pages, that is no mean feat. After thirty years of Zen practice and numerous kensho experiences (of varying depths and intensities), I can say from personal experience that Casspriano is correct. Enlightenment comes as the fruit of a long, incremental process of retraining the mind to touch reality in a new way, and the process described in the simplest path is the same as that followed in Zen practice, especially Rienzi Zen koan study (I'll have more to say about this in a later paragraph). Casspriano's approach and language is very different from traditional Zen (more "scientific," and no sitting meditation is required), which I think would appeal to Americans and other Westerners seeking to experience "awakening" without necessarily committing themselves to a religion like Buddhism, but the internal mental/spiritual process and final destination are the same.
"Know yourself," on the other hand, is not in this book at all, at least not in the way the young reviewer, or Socrates for that matter, uses the phrase. As in Buddhism, Casspriano takes pains to demonstrate that "self" is as much of an illusion as our misapprehension of the phenomenal world, and is a byproduct of exactly the same mind process that creates outer Maya. A core teaching of Buddhism is that our "self," our personality/ego, is nothing more than an aggregation of outside influences that cluster together in our minds like shiny stones gathered into a pile, and which we mistake not only for something "real," but tragically, for our essential selves. Yet this "pile" has nothing really to do with who we are at all. Buddhism teaches "no-self." Belief in the illusion of a unique and independent "self" is our greatest obstacle to enlightenment. Wasting time and energy getting to "know yourself" in the Western sense is foreign to Eastern thought. Casspriano again does a great job of translating the Buddhist concept of "no-self" into Western scientific/spiritual terminology. He shows the process by which our ego/personality aggregate "piles up," as well as how to take the pile down, stone by stone. Enlightenment is what the pile was covering up, and so it naturally appears as soon as the pile is removed - but oh how we cling to our personal pile of stones! "Self" is what we must trade for enlightenment, what must be surrendered, and Casspriano returns to this truth many times in the simplest path. My point is that the one star reviewer's reduction of the simplest path to "know yourself" has no basis at all in the actual book.
As to the book being "gimmicky": Yes, the words "The Simplest Path" recur frequently throughout the book, but not in reference to the book itself (at least that's not how I took it), but rather to the system of understanding the mind and working toward "awakening" Casspriano is describing - and it is a complete system that deserves to be considered as a whole, on its own. At times the repetition does have a feel of "branding" in the commercial sense, so I understand where the reviewer may have taken his impression. But the simplest path, while resonant with Zen Buddhism (and apparently, according to Casspriano, with the Toltec philosophy espoused by Carlos Castaneda, of which I have no personal knowledge, so I'll have to take the author's word for that) is far enough different that it needs its own "name" to set it apart from other schools of similar but not identical thought. The reviewer's criticism is like saying that every use of the term "Zen" in a book called "Zen Buddhism" should be taken as a reference to the book, and not to the larger practice of Zen Buddhism as a spiritual discipline that the book is describing. Casspriano's point in repeatedly linking The Simplest Path, Zen Buddhism and Toltec Shamanism throughout the book, at least as I understood it, is to highlight these three spiritual practices as related reliable paths through a dark forest of illusion, a forest in which many apparent (and more popular) paths, including most (all?) religious beliefs, actively vie to mislead travelers toward deeper ensnarement in the dream, rather than leading them toward "awakening."
I want to say a word about koan study in Rienzi Zen and how it relates to the simplest path. Koans are those quirky Zen sayings and stories like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "what was your original face before you (or your parents) were born?" that have no rational answer, and which Zen students turn and turn in their minds like the tumblers of a combination lock until their imprisoned psyches "explode" in a "super-rational" experience of reality beyond the illusion ("irrational" would be the wrong term, as that implies "nonsense"). That "super-rational" vision of reality is called "kensho." I have experienced it myself, more than once in my lifetime. I have come to think of Casspriano's "Key Questions" in the second half of the simplest path, especially the later seven of the ten, as "cultural koans" designed to trigger "collective kensho" for the whole human race at once. Like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?", unflinching consideration of the value of human life, of how our beliefs about the future shape the present, of the true origin and destiny of life on Earth, etc., especially as seen through the lens of Casspriano's "Key Question Technique," reveals that none of these questions have rational answers, yet all require our active and immediate response. Successful resolution of these larger riddles that impact everyone will require us all to eventually "explode" into reality, together, in a "super-rational" way. We'll have to break through the illusion and wake up together, as one (which has been the goal of Mahayana Buddhism, of which Zen is a sect, since around 200 BCE). That is the "Planetary Awakening" addressed in this book, and I believe Casspriano's "Key Questions" are a concrete step in that direction. I'm glad I spent my fifteen dollars.
This is my "old man" take on the simplest path, having encountered it after 30 years of Zen Buddhist practice (I'm not veering off my chosen path here, just bowing respectfully in passing toward Casspriano's). From a Buddhist perspective, the simplest path is true Dharma, though I do not get the impression from reading his book that Vincent Casspriano is himself a Buddhist or a follower of any religion. That to my mind makes his book all the more interesting.
True, but gimmicky.......2007-08-09
Casspriano's book is scientifically and philosophically sound as best as my young mind can tell, but I don't recommend this book. Its scattered with numerous pages of advertising about how his "program" works and how it compares to other religions and spiritual movements. Why must this author physically write out "The Simplest Path" in reference to his book every other page, and talk about his second volume? Perhaps because he's not out for pure truth, but for our money.
All this book comes down to after you strip away the nonsense is two things. First, admit that you don't truly know anything. Second, know yourself. Do those two things (they essentially both mean to question EVERYTHING), and you'll have Casspriano's "Planetary Awakening," with 15 bucks still in your pocket. And you'll be following the fundamental truths already said by Socrates.. so do yourself a favor and pick up Plato's "Apology" and read up on the Socratic dialogue on how to live a good life. And don't stop there, because you can't be sure he's right.
And I have 10 bucks that says these other couple of reviews were written by the book publisher. In any case, ignore the hype.
A Unique and Inspiring Wake-up Call.......2007-05-15
This is one of the most clear-headed books I've read in years on the subject of real, nitty gritty, get your hands dirty spiritual development (as opposed to the fru fru New Age variety). So much of what passes for "spirituality" in our time amounts to some author, celebrity, priest, philosopher or self-appointed guru telling us what to "believe," sight unseen, if we want to reach heaven, attain enlightenment, achieve "ascension," etc. Casspriano takes an at times startling opposite approach. For Casspriano, such unquestioned/unquestionable beliefs are not only NOT the path to spiritual awakening, they represent the chief obstacle blocking our realization of higher consciousness. And it's not just religious beliefs ("faith") he's talking about, but all our beliefs about reality, especially those that enclose our thinking in "boxes" that limit our freedom to find solutions to real-world threats like Peak Oil, overpopulation, Global Warming, etc. Though much of the book focuses on individual enlightenment, for Casspriano, these larger planetary issues are "spiritual," as well. Whether the issue is our personal inability to find happiness or Humanity's collective rush toward physical extinction, the cause is the same - our wrong-headed beliefs about what's real. The solution is the same, as well - continuous, deep questioning. Using Richard Dawkins' concept of "memes" as a central metaphor, Casspriano first breaks down the basic process of belief, showing the mechanism in our brains by which beliefs misdirect and control our psyches, then he walks the reader through an exploration of a series of ten "anti-meme questions" aimed at breaking down the walls of our mental "boxes" and setting our minds free. With each question, he supplies an exercise designed to allow the reader to attain a personal taste of reality "beyond the box," especially as flavored by that chapter's "Key Question." For the most part, this formula works very well (with a few rare moments of over-exuberance on the author's part, as already described in other reviews, though as a card carrying vegan environmentalist, I can't say I particularly minded), delivering a cumulative series of death-blows to some of the most basic "pillars" of our present human consensus reality. Beyond the walls those pillars supported lies real reality, where we are all interconnected and interdependent, and, in Casspriano's view, mutually destined for greatness, if we can just wake up and grab the reins of our runaway culture in time. This is not a book for spiritual "feel gooders" seeking soft assurances that they're perfect just they way they are and everything's going to be all right, no matter what. This is a wake up call, a tool kit and a concrete action plan for becoming individually enlightened and collectively saving the world, all rolled up into one. That, I think, is a cause well-worthy of exuberance.
Challenge Consensus Reality!.......2007-05-10
This is a thoughtful book that addresses how we may go about developing a process to question our everyday consensus reality. I suppose if I have learned anything in 49 years of life, it is that all personal and social problems stem from our fundamental views on the nature of reality itself. Vincent Casspriano uses the concept of a "meme" as a fundamental unit of ideas, assumptions, etc. that often block our understanding of reality itself. One such meme, for example, may be that we have to "fight for our freedom" or the world's a "fearful" place and hence, we have to be ready to kill to protect ourselves. I suppose you could also use the word "paradigm" here as well, but the essential point of this book is that we "unconsciously" function in our life with many limited points of view that block our ability to solve problems on both a personal and a social basis.
While Vince Casspriano is to be congradulated for producing a book that presents both a methodology and a motivation for personal transformation, there are a few pitfalls here that the potential reader should be aware of before tackling this material. The author has some rather strong views on fossil fuel consumption, meet consumption, and the role of humans in the cycle of procreation. While I generally agree with his analysis on fossil fuel consumtion and meat consumption (as I have viewed large tracks of deforrested grazing land in developing countries), these viewpoints can distract the reader from the essential point here which is to rigourously question consensus reality. Since I am single, and have no motivation to have children, I definitely disagree with his views on the necessity of human procreation on this planet, but here again, it is important to extract the essential meaning rather than get caught in the specific political/social debates that these issues may spawn.
If you are serious about personal transformation with the potential for changing our global consciousness, than this book can be an invaluable tool. I do agree with the Author that a world population of "high functioning" people can resolve every planetary problem we face today. As we systematically question our consensus reality, we will see our problems in new ways, and with this new perspective, problems can often be quickly resolved or transcended.
A Simple Cure For What's "Eating Us".......2006-11-13
I considered titling this review, "Stop Whining, Wake Up and Get Busy Saving the World," but decided "Eating Us" would be more attention-grabbing - which matters because I believe Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" is an important book, and I want to do whatever I can to draw your attention to it. Pick the title you like best. Both very fittingly describe what you will find within the pages of this remarkable new release from New Paradigm Press.
I have selected three short quotations to explore in this review that I think best summarize Casspriano's overall message:
From Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"Right now, this very moment, you are asleep... Even if you are reading these words in broad daylight - sitting at your desk or beside the kitchen table, your feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes open, senses alert, feeling the weight of this book in your hands as sounds of life rise and fall rhythmically around you - you are deeply asleep, and dreaming furiously"
Now, the idea that Humans are sleeping, and must therefore "awaken," is by no means unique to Casspriano's "Simplest Path" spiritual system, being the root observation underlying pretty much all Eastern religion, and a lot of Western Occultism and New Age metaphysics, as well. In fairness, Casspriano makes no claim to this as an original insight, openly supporting his assessment of the human predicament with quotations taken from Animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. He then flows seamlessly into a list of complementary illustrations from the secular realms of Quantum Physics, brain/consciousness research, and most to-the-point, the study of memes and memetics, ala Evolutionary Biologist and world's best-known cheerleader for scientific atheism, Richard Dawkins.
If you've never heard of memes or memetics, a quick Google of those terms will reveal hundreds of serious, information-rich websites devoted to this now thirty-year old science. In a nutshell, a "meme" is a sort of contagious thought-form that spreads between people by way of imitation. Obvious memes in our environment include advertising jingles, fads and fashions, etc. Casspriano somewhat radically extends the concept to include just about everything that makes up the contents of our individual brains and shared human culture. While he resists redefining the word "meme" wholesale, he decidedly expands its definition to make memes and "memeplexes" (what you get when a number of memes band together into an organic, relational unit, like a religion or cultural or political movement) the basic, fundamental building blocks of everything we habitually label "real..."
And then he demonstrates, in at times excruciating detail, the complete emptiness of the "apparent-reality" that is a byproduct of memetic activity in our brains. What we call "real" is not real at all. It's an illusion spun up by our memes. And our memes are not original to us. They are "viral invaders" assailing our minds from without. Worse - and, while even this thought is not wholly unique to Casspriano, he certainly gives it his own very effective spin - memes are by no means mere passive beliefs or simple "harmless ideas." They are, Casspriano believes, actively predatory psychic parasites whose survival depends on our buying into the illusions they create in our minds. Think of illusion (Samsara, Maya, etc.) as a web we're caught in. Memes are the spider. We are the fly. Gotcha.
One thing I like very much about Casspriano's book is that he never asks us to take anything on faith, least of all this rather ugly depiction of the human psychic/spiritual condition. He not only challenges readers to test his hypothesis firsthand in order to experience what is real and true for ourselves, he spends a large chunk of the book outlining specific exercises anyone can do to escape memetic interference and personally experience reality as-it-is. The exercises in Part II of the book are powerful medicine... But this is a digression, so let me return to the point.
Memes are the spider, and we are the fly. A better metaphor might be that memes are the farmer, and we are the cow. Domesticated and docile, we allow memes to milk us daily, to extract from our minds the potent human psychic energy which, if reclaimed by us and put to proper human use, would quickly and positively transform our lives and our world. This transformation is awakening, ascension, enlightenment, metanoia, the Buddha-like change of consciousness most religions and spiritual systems on Earth hint at, but few ever actually deliver to followers. In this analysis, Casspriano's "Simplest Path" is very much in line with Gurdjieff's "Fourth Way," Carlos Castaneda's Toltec sorcery, and a few other well known spiritual practices inhabiting a somewhat darker, though perhaps more realistic corner of the New Age. But unlike most of those other systems, Casspriano's prescription for escaping illusion and awakening to reality is remarkably, well... simple.
From Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"The simple truth is that we are sleeping because we lack sufficient energy to wake up."
And later in the same chapter:
"The real work that brings about awakening, rather than merely granting the external appearance of "being spiritual," while actually embroiling us ever more deeply in the dream, is a rigorous, daily commitment to the identification and elimination of every self-serving belief from which our personal dream-lives are constructed."
For "belief" in the quotation above, read "meme/memeplex." Casspriano certainly does, treating the terms as largely interchangeable. In the end, this genuinely simple - at least in the sense of being uncomplicated and pragmatic - spiritual practice amounts to discovering reality as-it-actually-is less by searching for a glimpse beyond the illusion, than by systematically withdrawing our participation in, and identification with, the dream. When we disentangle our psyches from memetic illusion, only reality remains. We don't have to chase it; to a meme-free mind, reality just appears. This is "Satori" in Zen Buddhism. This is "stopping the world" in the Toltec sorcery of Castaneda and others. Casspriano's genius lies in his talent for exposing the core mechanism behind such complex and often inscrutable spiritual systems, and for putting into plain language clear instructions for unraveling the dream and achieving personal awakening. The virus-like process by which memes take over and control our human minds, as described by Casspriano is, to my mind, very complicated (but well worth struggling through). What is genuinely simple about "The Simplest Path," however, is Casspriano's prescription for breaking those bonds, once you've made the effort to understand how they are created and maintained. For Casspriano, remaining a victim of spiritual sleep and energetic exploitation by memes is a complex activity in which we unconsciously invest enormous amounts of psychic energy every day of our lives. Awakening is the product of a simple act of withdrawing that investment, which automatically re-energizes of our minds and lives. Or as Casspriano cleverly phrases it when closing Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"Unweave the tapestry of the dream, and awakening happens."
Anyone can do this. Spiritual awakening, in Casspriano's view, may be hard work, but it is not complicated work. The path to enlightenment is really rather shockingly simple. Fall out of love with the dream. Reclaim your psychic energy. Wake up to reality.
The ten "Key Questions" Casspriano explores in the second section of the book are designed to put the theory laid out in Part I to practical and immediate use. Essentially, I think Casspriano sees these ten issues - why we treat enlightenment as an "airy-fairy" ideal instead of a measurable transformation of brain functioning, the excuses we make for avoiding personal responsibility and integrity along the lines of Castaneda's "impeccability," the fallacy of belief in a "separate self," etc. - as pillars of both our personal and collective human dreams. They are by no means an exhaustive listing of the memes twisting our minds. But they are primary keystones on which layers upon layers of the grand illusion are built. Topple these ten baseline pillars and the larger structure crumbles.
Casspriano explores some "Keys" more successfully than others. One downside to the book is that, especially in the "Keys," Casspriano's own memetic prejudices shine at times rather glaringly through, as when, in his discussion of the American "What Would Jesus Do?" religious fad, he characterizes the Evangelical Christian purveyors of WWJD as, "ultra-conservative, right wing ideologues." Even should the reader personally agree with such pronouncements, its hard to resist thinking, "Hey Vince! Your memes are showing!" But where he nails his point, Casspriano's prose can be downright inspiring, as with the "Key" cosmological study "Is Earth the Center of the Universe?," which explores the gap between what we know, scientifically, about the Universe and what our daily choices and behavior says we really believe, about the cosmos and about ourselves. His closing "Key" "Are We Alone?" so poetically frames the true stakes of our global human predicament - species survival VS extinction - that its hard to imagine anyone keeping their gaze glued squarely to their own self-involved navel in the wake of reading it. Of course we are not alone. There are six and a half billion of us on Planet Earth, and whether we awaken to what's best in us or follow our darkest drives over History's cliff into oblivion, we do so as one. One planet, one fate.
This notion of "oneness" and of a common, intertwined human spiritual and biological destiny is a core theme in The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND that sets it apart from any spiritual book in recent memory. My final quotation from the book returns us to the opening lines of Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"We are all aware of the challenges facing us as we enter together into the 21st Century:
· World oil supplies are running out.
· Global warming is transforming the Earth into a steamy greenhouse.
· Even as our technology connects the world, ideological extremism, terrorism and militarism divide us as never before.
· Headlines bombard us with news of war, famine, pestilence and death until we feel overwhelmed and unable to respond.
· Time is running out..."
Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Transformation, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" does not offer easy escape from these very pressing real-world human ills, but rather, a down to Earth, workable prescription for their cure. Yes, we must awaken as individuals, and, rest assured, "The Simplest Path" shows spiritual seekers exactly how to do that. But a prime message of "The Simplest Path" is that, for personal awakening to have meaning, it must occur within the context of a complete re-visioning of global culture, and a mass wrenching away of the wheel of History from the control of viral memes, that we might create a common cosmic human destiny worthy of our highest potential as a species.
Now that's a meme worth feeding.
Customer Reviews:
The Master of Lucid Dreams.......2006-08-22
Olga Kharitidis' writing keeps one informed on the reality of Lucid Dreams, and the effect they can have as keys in our lives. Her Journey, and those she helped with this knowledge, made me look at dreams in a totally new and productive way.
A deep introduction to other perspectives on healing trauma.......2006-05-24
Ancient cultures viewed pain and trauma as part of the tapestry of life, the obstacles we must face, and lessons in growth if we choose them to be. In the Western world, despite all the trapping of comfort and wealth, Westerners have the highest rates of clinical depression and mood disorders. Though the statistic is subject to debate, it is a clue that material possessions do not make life any easier when dealing with pain. This book provides a detailed explanation of how this pain can be healed from a different vantage point - that of the indigenous practices of ancient shamans. A way out of pain is not denial but harnessing the energy into something that in the ends, fosters positive growth.
Excellent description of the world that lies beyond life.......2006-01-31
This book is not correctly titled as it does not teach you how to be conscious in our dreams. It is about the help that a lucid dreaming master, who lives in Uzbekistan, gives to the author using this technique. This book is the most vivid book that I have come across that describes life after death and the possible consequences of our life to our life after death and therefore reinforces the importance of living our life in order to meet death as enlightened and aware that we can possibly be. His reference to the Book of Revelations being the "christian book of the dead" is intriguing and may offer an explanation for its inclusion in the New Testament. This book is written just as well as her first autobiography which is also a 'can't put it down' quality read.
First Time in Samarkand.......2005-09-21
For those interested in a personal experiencing of central Asian knowledge to an uninitiate, this is an excellent first book. The writer carries her story along in such a gripping fashion the book reads almost like a thriller. It may become necessary to dismantle an important, heavily relied-upon personal conviction that is inaccurate, but such dismantling can be confusing and one might need a guide. The writer of this book was lucky enough to find one, the reader is lucky enough to find her story of it.
What does this have to do with lucid dreams?.......2004-12-19
I was disappointed in "The Master of Lucid Dreams." While the story was entertaining and had some interesting psychological theories about dealing with trauma, the connection to lucid dreams was tenuous. The author and her teacher frequently discuss the important of conscious dreaming, but they provide no information on how to achieve it. Go ahead and get this book if you're interested in healing trauma, but don't bother if you want practical information on lucid dreams.
Amazon.com
All the figures profiled in Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages have one experience in common: they achieved enlightenment, the elusive promise of "profound peace, extreme happiness, and a deep understanding of the truth," as editors Robert Ullman and Judith Reichenberg-Ullman describe it. In gathering the autobiographical stories, essays, and poems written by these various seekers, the editors explore diverse pathways to transcendence. Some, such as the Buddha, suffered. Others found the right guide, such as the Sufi poet Rumi, who met his beloved teacher in a bustling Turkish marketplace. Some went to the brink of suicide, such as the Canadian Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now. The editors offer a brief biographical sketch before each essay, giving readers context for digesting these inspiring experience, which span thousands of years and many regions of the world. The editors claim to be nondenominational, but there are significantly more contributions from Eastern traditions than any other. -- Gail Hudson
Book Description
Be inspired by these 34 unique stories of the moment of enlightenment. In each of the stories in this book lay spiritual gems waiting to be discovered by the sincere seeker. This is not just a dry text. These writings were authored directily by realized beings describing their own experience in crossing over from individual to cosmic consciousness. Such dramatic and immediate accounts will open your heart and mind to the possibility of your own inner peace, enlightenment, and self-realization. These stories have the power to transmit the state of these great beings, which can aid you in awakening to your divine nature.
Customer Reviews:
Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages.......2003-05-05
Robert Ullman and Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman are naturopathic and homeopathic physicians who have also studied with numerous spiritual teachers. Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages: Stories of Enlightenment is their seventh book, in which their "intent is to capture the experience of enlightenment as clearly and succinctly as possible."
While recognizing that each individual's experience will be unique, the Ullmans believe that the stories of others will serve as models or signposts for those who are still seeking. They emphasize that "no one religion, country, socioeconomic class, or gender has laid special claim to enlightenment." They've chosen a diverse collection of stories, ranging from Buddha to St. Catherine of Siena to Suzanne Segal. A total of thirty-three stories are told.
Each story focuses on the moment of transformation in each individual's life. The Ullmans include a brief informational essay, describing the culture and times the individual lived in and his or her teachings. The enlightenment stories themselves are in the words of the masters themselves whenever possible; or from those closest to them.
An extensive bibliography provides a variety of sources for readers wishing to delve further into the lives and times of the individuals.
Although every enlightenment experience is different, the authors describe the common elements they discovered. These include interconnectedness and ego transcendence, timelessness and spaciousness, acceptance, beyond pleasure and pain, clarity, and shattering of preconceived notions.
In his foreword, His Holiness The Dalai Lama says "each human being has an equal opportunity to attain wisdom, happiness, and enlightenment by cultivating a correct motivation-a sincere aspiration to benefit all sentient beings-and engaging in diligent practice." He adds that Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages "is a valuable, inspiring book." It belongs in the library of all readers seeking spiritual insight.
Fascinating and disturbing.......2002-07-17
33 stories of enlightenment, straight from the horse's mouth. Thirteen of the enlightened persons in the book were born in the 20th century, and photographs are included of many of them. This in itself helps me overcome the sense that these folks are completely "other."
The stories of enlightenment cover as wide a spectrum as you could imagine, from 16 year old boys in India who suddenly attained enlightenment, to middle age businessmen, to the very troubling story of Suzanne Segal, a young pregnant women whose mind suddenly disengaged from her body one day as she stepped onto a bus. For some, their experience was the culmination of a long-sought spiritual release. For others, it was spontaneous and not entirely pleasant.
The absence of Jesus in this book is regretable, but perhaps the lack of any first-hand account of His experience excuses that (though I think John 14-17 would have made a nice addition). Several Christian mystics are included however.
Apart from the absence of Jesus, the editorial choices are excellent. The editorial comments, however, leave something to be desired. Often the little introductory blurb simply pre-tells the story that is told quite clearly in the excerpt to follow. There's no point in quoting what someone is about to say! In general, however, enough biographical information is provided to place the writings of each enlightened person in context.
If you have read (or experienced) some mysticism and wonder where this is all going or how enlightenment actually comes about, this book is for you. If you want a theoretical or philosophic introduction to mysticism, look elsewhere. For me, this book was very-- well pardon the pun, but very enlightening! The variety or paths and yet the commonality of experience does lead to some conclusions. The honesty in including some experiences that were not all sweetness and light is also important.
The authors deliver exactly what they promise: descriptions of enlightenment itself, told by those who have lived it.
This is an encyclopedia of Enlightenment.......2002-03-06
I read this book thoroughly upto about 120 pages and coudln't read any more. This is best kept for encyclopedia usage. If you are doing some research on religions and spiritual enlightenment, this book will come in handy. However, if you are planning to read this for fun, please don't buy this....this book is not intended for novel type of readers. If you don't believe me, read this book...I warned you.
Holy experiences of saints and master teachers.......2001-11-09
Mystics, Masters, Saints & Sages gathers stories of enlightenment and includes them under one cover, traversing spiritual traditions to include accounts from Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic, Jewish and other disciplines. The holy experiences of saints and master teachers which led to their awakening make for inspirational reading packed with quotes and biographical as well as spiritual insight.
Average customer rating:
- The Varieties of Contemplative Experience
- Valuable for students of Asian religion and mysticism
- This book is all over the place...
- Mystics and Zen Masters-a review
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Mystics and Zen Masters
Thomas Merton
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ASIN: 0374520011 |
Book Description
Thomas Merton was recognized as one of those rare Western minds that are entirely at home with the Zen experience. In this collection, he discusses diverse religious concepts-early monasticism, Russian Orthodox spirituality, the Shakers, and Zen Buddhism-with characteristic Western directness. Merton not only studied these religions from the outside but grasped them by empathy and living participation from within. "All these studies," wrote Merton, "are united by one central concern: to understand various ways in which men of different traditions have conceived the meaning and method of the 'way' which leads to the highest levels of religious or of metaphysical awareness."
Customer Reviews:
The Varieties of Contemplative Experience.......2006-02-17
This book consists of a number of essays written at different times, and though the range of topics seem quite varied at first (which isn't necessarily a bad thing--we call it the "spice of life" after all), a little thought will show the unifying theme to be the contemplative traditions within the world religions, principally Buddhism and Christianity. It is also apparent that several of the essays were originally book reviews, but Merton's incredible writing style and deep spirituality transform this usually cut-and-dried format into an art in itself.
It was also salutary to see a Catholic actually take Vatican II's directions on other religious traditions seriously, instead of rationalizing this away in favor of one's own arrogant sense of religious superiority (which bears a family resemblance to the pride of Satan). Even more salutary to see a Catholic able to do so with a firm, solid, secure sense of his own religious identity and spiritual tradition (there is no mishmash of "all religions are the same" here).
Since the essays were originaly written in the 1960's, some of the characterizations of Zen Buddhism are a bit dated, which isn't Merton's fault but the reader should still be alert to this fact. His discussions on this subject also owe much to D.T. Suzuki's eccentric, unorthodox formulations of Zen and so end up a bit skewed in spots, and Suzuki may also be a baneful influence in Merton's uncharacteristic use of cliched stereotypes of "the Eastern Mind" and "the Western Mind"--as seen especially in the essay "The Zen Koan". Still, overall Merton's presentation of Zen is reliable and "sympathetically objective" (as he puts it) and his own monastic experience doubtlessly gives him a realistic grounding when approaching the subject.
Valuable for students of Asian religion and mysticism.......2004-02-07
Although this book is a collection of essays over a range of subjects, and therefore not a continuous work, it is a very valuable work for understanding Chinese religion, Zen, and European mysticism (the main topics it addresses). The essays are classicaly Merton, although they are written in a more academic style -- and perhaps this is why the book has drawn criticism from the other reviewers. In other words, this book is less for learning about prayer and contemplation for one's own daily practice, and more for delving a bit deeper into some of the technical and historical aspects of Zen and Christian mysticism. For those interested in the latter, however, Merton does a very good job. His understanding of Zen is remarkable for someone who did not engage in it firsthand and who (I assume) learned about it primarily from reading while he was in the monastery. The first essay (with the same title as the book) gives a very interesting and understandable account of the break between the Northern and Southern schools, and the Zen of Hui-neng vs. the Zen of Hsen-hsiu.
So, although this book may not be for everyone, it is still a very fine work and will be very beneficial for many readers.
This book is all over the place..........2001-04-16
Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was a Roman Catholic monk who frequently wrote on religious topics. This particular book, however, is quite scattered. The format is a collection of essays and articles with no seeming link, paper to paper. Some of the better essays are: "Classic Chinese Thought" "From Pilgrimage to Crusade" "The Jesuits in China" "Pleasant Hill"
Merton states his goal in these terms, "All these studies are united by one central concern: to understand various ways in which men of different traditions have conceived the meaning and method of the 'way' which leads to the highest levels of religious or of metaphysical awareness."
Some of his essays (notably "The English Mystics," and, "Russian Mystics,") are so detailed (and obtuse) that I understood little of what he was talking about. I wondered at this point what Merton's intended audience was... Obviously, someone who has a fairly solid working knowledge of monasticism and mysticism. However, the detail he goes into quickly becomes difficult (and even boring) for the uninitiated.
"Classic Chinese Thought," is an exposition of ancient Chinese thought and is definitely the most clear and accessible piece in the whole book, in my opinion. "From Pilgrimage to Crusade," traces the original idea of being a pilgrim (i.e. an act of penance for serious sins) to the frankly military enterprise which captured Jerusalem in 1099 A.D. "The Jesuits in China," was also a very interesting study in missions; the Jesuits did not import their European heritage initially when they came to China. They slowly became Chinese (inasmuch as this is possible for Westerners) and thus were better able to conduct evangelism. Though this essay was somewhat unorthodox in some areas, I found it to be new perspective on missions. "Pleasant Hill," describes an American group known as Shakers (they were something of a cross between Mennonites and Pentecostals); they existed from the American Revolution to about 1850. They really personified the idea of the Protestant work ethic and I found the group very interesting. It is unfortunate that the Industrial Revolution (which made their hand made goods obsolete, to oversimplify) and their celibacy (they lived in isolated communities and refused to marry and have children; so unless new people joined the order, it was only a matter of time before it collapsed) slowly eliminated them.
Merton's pluralism is very problematic, to say the least. He takes those oft quoted words from Vatican II, "The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions," and stretches them. I personally hold that the Holy Spirit is active in other (i.e. non-Christian) religions to prepare them for Christian evangelism, I still maintain that salvation is only to be found in Christ (i.e. John 14:6. Acts 4:12. 1 Timothy 2:5). Merton castigates his fellow Catholics for dismissing Eastern Religions; I agree that to properly to show the insufficiency of non-Christian religions, one must have some knowledge of them
To end on a positive note, I think Merton does an admirable attempt to provide something of a definition for that ever-illusive way of the East, Zen Buddhism. At one point, he describes Zen Buddhism as the religious existentialism of the East; this is one of the briefest definitions I have yet come across.
Overall, I would *not* recommend this book.
Mystics and Zen Masters-a review.......2000-07-05
Thomas Merton researched this book thoroughly by pouring through obscure and not-so-obscure texts in many classifications and countries. The book is a tracing of the development of each of the religions throughout their known records, with comparisons to major ideologies. English and Russian Mystics are delved into, as well as religion in China, early Buddhism, the Tao and the Jesuit's presence there. Christianity's high points are scanned. Monasticism is explored in both Protestantism and Zen Buddhism. Although it reads like a PhD. dissertation, Mystics and Zen Masters comes to some valuable conclusions about the evolution and the future to come of some of our world religions.
Book Description
Take a closer personal look at the mystical vision of 12 great spiritual masters living before the Reformation.
Customer Reviews:
An intense, spiritual study.......2003-09-11
Bernard McGinn, dubbed "the world's greatest interpreter of Western mysticism" (Choice), combines his talent and insight with licensed professional counselor Patricia Ferris McGinn in Early Christian Mystics: The Divine Vision Of The Spiritual Masters. An accessible and informative study of the uplifting words and wisdom of Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine of Hippo, Dionysius, Hildegard of Bingen, and many others, Early Christian Mystics is an intense, spiritual study striving to better understand the depths of metaphysical Christian wisdom, wholeness, and the love of these teachings that have endured the centuries through their innate strength and inherent virtue.
A Contemplative Introduction to Some Christian Mystics.......2003-08-18
Firstly, let me tell you what this book is not: it is not an in-depth study on the visionary experience of Christian mystics. Furthermore, it is not a study on early Christian mystics - the mystics in this book cover almost a thousand years, from the 3rd through the 12th centuries. This book is also not the fourth volume of McGinn's four-volume The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism, although it does at points expand a bit on what McGinn has written in the three already-published volumes in that series.
This book deals with 12 Christian mystics - 1 Celtic, 5 Greek and 6 Latin - and introduces some of their key ideas to the reader so that the reader may gain from their insights and progress further down the spiritual path. This is a contemplative introduction to some of the more important ideas from some of the more important mystics of the Christian tradition.
The book is broken up into two parts, with six mystics in each part. The mystics in the first part of the book, which deals with practices for finding God, are:
Origen (Greek) - Scripture
Evagrius Ponticus (Greek) - Contemplation
John Cassian (Greek) - Prayer and Purity of Heart
Gregory the Great (Latin) - Repentance
Hildegard of Bingen (Latin) - Visionary Experience
Richard of St. Victor (Latin) - Modes of Contemplation
The mystics in the second half of the book, which deals with transformation in God, are:
Gregory of Nyssa (Greek) - Endless Pursuit and Transformation
Augustine of Hippo (Latin) - The Body of Christ
Dionysius (Greek) - Mystical Theology
John the Scot (Celtic/Greek/Latin) - Nature as Revelation
Bernard of Clairvaux (Latin) - Spousal Love
William of St. Thierry (Latin) - Living the Trinity
Each chapter places the mystic in his/her historical context before proceeding on to talk about their distinctive teachings; each chapter ends with a bibliography for further reading, citing both translations of primary texts as well as relevant secondary readings.
This book is a great place to start if one has little or no knowledge of the Christian mystics and one wishes to grow spiritually. The spiritual depth and integrity of these mystics will be relevant to you wherever you are and it is for this reason that this book is worth reading. If one is interested in a more academic reading or in a more in-depth explanation, one may further consult Bernard McGinn's four-volume series (three of which have been published) The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism.
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Mystic Masters (Super Hero Role Playing, Stock No. 405)
Iron Crown Enterprises , and
Allen Varney
Manufacturer: Iron Crown Enterprises
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Unabridged audiobook in MP3 format.
Customer Reviews:
Anyone interested in Esoteric Christianity will love this book!.......2005-09-26
A deeply thoughtful and lovingly written exploration into the mysteries of Christianity and the true beauty of this spiritual path.
Not Orthodox.......2003-01-30
Although I am faithful in attending church and in studying Christianity through ordinary instructional materials, I feel strongly that something is radically missing in my own understanding and experience of the Christian Mysteries. As I began reading this book, my prejudice was that it would probably be [bad]---more or less. In seeking better understanding, I am willing to look down different dead end streets. After reading the book, I cannot reasonably say it is a dead end.
One strong departure of the author's understanding from Orthodox teachings (here, I don't mean the Eastern Orthodox religions, but more populous, American versions of Christianity) is "physicality." Both the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection are ordinarily understood as physical events. This author understands neither as a physical event. However, in his approach or understanding, the non-physicality of these events does not actually make them "less real." Certainly, the numerous theologians from my church will object to that.
According to the author, most of us receive only the "outer" teachings of Christianity. These are not substantially complete. The more fully developed understanding was made available only to an Inner Circle of believers, originally consisting mainly of The Twelve (apostles). The inner circle experienced greater teaching, both in a theoretical sense and in an experiential or transformational sense. From ancient times to the present, these inner teachings have been brought forward continuously, but only to a restricted audience of Occultists of the tradition. That is the view propounded here. While outlines of the deeper teaching are stated or at least hinted in the text, it does not really give them in a very direct or explicit way (not as in a textbook). Many convincing scriptural citations and citations from the Fathers of the Church are provided to support the thesis that the message itself is carried mainly in elite secret societies. In a sense, the author sounds almost like a Mason in his writing.
For more details or "how to" the reader is refered to the author's book on Gnani yoga and others of the author's writings. On the one hand, the author writes in a credible and mostly self-consistent way and supports a creditable, if quite alternative, view of Christian history. On the other hand, I'm not sure that it is very useful. For the practical-minded reader, it does relatively little good to have the "real" teaching locked away in some secret society somewhere (of course, somewhere secret). If we can't learn it, too, isn't something unsatisfactory or something missing? For me, it is. To be entirely satisfactory, the reader should have a good way to get in on the good stuff, too. Christianity is not a spectator sport.
A challenging read........2002-01-23
This book fundamentally changed my viewpoint on Christianity. I would recommend it to any who are truly interested on learning more about the life and spiritual development of Christ. It will help you on your spiritual journey. However, I didn't agree with every theory put forth. Nonetheless, it is a good read.
To try and describe the content of the book is futile. You have to read and re-read it several times to get the full impact.
God Bless.
Very Enlightening.......2000-03-01
This book explains Christianity as it was in its early days, before teachings were added or removed. "Mystic Christianity" was passed down from generation to generation of occult teachers & helps to explain why the teachings of modern Christianity are contradictory. It is a very powerful book.
This book is a real eye opener to the being we call Christ........1999-07-08
I first read this book 15 years ago and have just finished reading it for the nth time(lost track). This is one of those books that you will want to read over and over because each time your eyes will be opened in new ways. Mystic Christianity will give you a new vision to the concepts and misconceptions taught about the Christ. If your are someone who believes there is more to Christianity than they teach you, if you want to see "the bigger picture" then this book is a must.
Customer Reviews:
Not very good........2005-08-26
I enjoy most of Mr. Howard's books very much, but this one was a waste of time and energy. I reccomend all of HIS books.
Celestial Wisdom at your fingertips!.......2004-05-03
Vernon Howard was an author and speaker who taught universal & timeless spiritual principles that far transcend the often inane "wisdom" of today's self-help & New Age methodologies, and which reach a level of insight seldom found within the halls of organized religion. True spirituality, Howard taught, consists of a personal discovery of Divine Guidance and Higher Insight.
This comes about through a sincere and persistent effort at objective inner examination and self-discovery, not by superficially ahdering to a set of written codes or beliefs. His greatest asset as a teacher was his ability to convey these lofty principles in a practical, easy-to-understand manner.
This is evident throughout The Mystic Masters Speak. Howard presents 1,360 frequently-asked-questions, if you will, of seekers on the Higher path. A sampling of them:
"Why do we fail to learn from our mistakes?"
"It has been said that knowledge is not the same thing as wisdom. Will you please explain the difference?"
"Why do cruel people often win great prosperity and public honors, and how do they get away with their wickedness?"
"How does the absorbtion of lofty principles change and refine our physical habits?"
"I often feel judged by others, which is a form of mental slavery I would like to abolish."
"What is an example of self-deception, of believing what we prefer to believe?"
May we hear of a spiritual practice for use when meeting trouble of any kind?"
"Why do many people, including ourselves, hesitate to explore beyond our present boundaries of life?"
"Can we really escape our anxieties?"
"What common weakness is remove by self-exploration?"
For answers to these and the other 1000+ questions and concerns posed, Howard turns to over 100 of the greatest spritual masters who ever lived: Jesus Christ, Emerson, Thoreau, Buddha, Marcus Aurelius, Nietzche, Lao-tzu, just to name a few. The responses appear in the form of a quote -- ranging from one sentence to a single paragraph -- from one these "Mystic Masters". Each answer, though brief, is concise and authentically helpful.
Another charlatan strikes!!!!.......2003-08-27
A bunch of quotes to answer a variety of questions. The questions and the answers don't always work well together, and some of the questions seem to be posed for the sole purpose of using a quote. If one wishes to study these brilliant minds, it would seem to be more advantageous to actually study them. I wouldn't have minded this book if it was presented simply as a cool book of quotes, but a tool of instruction, it certainly is not!!!!!
The "golden thread" that runs through all great teachings..........2002-05-26
Because of the title I almost bypassed this remarkable book. After all of these years you would think that I would have learned not to judge a book by either it's title or it's cover. I am glad that I looked inside, for this book represents one of the best expositions of the "golden thread" that runs through all the works of the truly great minds and souls. I noted this some years ago, how the same mystic truths kept surfacing in the works of men from so many different times and cultures. In fact, most of my favorite ideas, quotes, and epigrams from my favorite philosophers are contained between these covers- it was rather like an incredible string of synchronicities. I am awed by the author's ability to assemble all of this wisdom (as opposed to mere knowlege and facts) into a satisfying question and answer format that reads rather like the socratic method.
My discovery of The Mystic Masters Speak,........2002-03-12
In this beautiful book, I have met countless Masters from all Ages, all speaking in the same vein, All about self responsibility, Learning how to be " A part of this world, but not of it." AS is spoken in the New testement.
To be truely amazed at the accumulation of Wisdom, that Vernon Howard included in this Masterpiece, is beyond imagination.
I have loved this book from the day I opened the cover and read the beginning of a 'journey into myself'.It has changed my life and started a new direction for me toward a New Life...Thank You, Vernon Howard !!
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