Book Description
Like the two wings of a bird, love and insight work cooperatively to bring about enlightenment, says a fundamental Buddhist teaching. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we each possess the ability to achieve happiness and a meaningful life, but the key to realizing that goal is self-knowledge. In How to See Yourself As You Really Are, the world's foremost Buddhist leader and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize shows readers how to recognize and dispel misguided notions of self and embrace the world from a more realistic -- and loving -- perspective.
Step-by-step exercises help readers shatter their false assumptions and ideas and see the world as it actually exists. By directing our attention to the false veneer that so bedazzles our senses and our thoughts, His Holiness sets the stage for discovering the reality behind appearances. But getting past one's misconceptions is only a prelude to right action, and the book's final section describes how to harness the power of meditative concentration to the service of love, and vice versa, so that true altruistic enlightenment is attained.
Enlivened by personal anecdotes and intimate accounts of the Dalai Lama's own life experiences, How to See Yourself As You Really Are is an inspirational and empowering guide to achieving self-awareness that can be read and enjoyed by spiritual seekers of all faiths.
Customer Reviews:
The emperor wears no robe.......2007-06-23
I've got news for the "Buddhist" community: "His Holiness" the Dalai Lama is just another human being. I find it highly contradictory that adherents to a spiritual practice such as Buddhism, which claims to be non-theistic, regards a fellow human being as an exalted high holy incarnation of a deity to be referred to unquestionably as a fundamentalist Christian theocrat would refer to "God" or Jesus Christ in public discourse. The crass zen saying "if you meet the Buddha kill him" means that the divine does not exist outside of you...
That being said, our fellow human being "the Dalai Lama" has not really said anything original with regard to Buddhist practice. Quotes attributed to him are on the lines of "kindness is good, if you pursue kindness you'll be happy," etc. This is not to say he doesn't have anything good to say (though I highly suspect much of what he has "authored" is ghost-written), it's just that in terms of talking about meditation and mindfulness, etc. to Westerners he's no where near someone like Charlotte Joko Beck or Alan Watts.
The path to enlightenment.......2007-04-08
I believe the Dalai Lama is the closest thing we have to a Buddha on earth. His writing is full of grace and enlightenment. In this book he takes on the difficult task of explaining the true condition of a human being-impermanent conditional consciousness. This topic is very difficult to explain by putting it into words. The Dalai Lama does a great job and then follows up with many exercises. Here is how I would summarize this books teachings:
We are not our body, nor even our mind. if we were we could not say my mind or my body. Then what are we? We are "like" and illusion existing through our 5 aggregates, body, thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and consciousness. No "I" can be located. The closest we can come is understanding that we are consciousness observing the present moment, all else is thought and mental formation. Who we think we really are is just a mental formation we hold in our mind of our beliefs about ourselves our religion, height, weight, name, etc. Enlightenment is simply understanding this and the nature of reality.
I hope I did some justice to this books topic, but I highly recommend reading this book to move farther down the road to enlightenment.
Detachment as a way to authenticity.......2007-03-17
Emotions distort reality of self and others. Buddhism is a practice and a religion that offers a way out of illusion (Mara). The Dalai Lama brings forth his own wisdom as a world soul teacher immersed in Tibetan Buddhism. A wonderful guide on getting out of your own way.
Number One Pick.......2007-03-03
I have over 100 books on buddhism and meditation and if I had to pick my favorite this is it. To me it contains everything an aspiring buddha needs to know and practice.Especially good if you don't have access to a teacher or a spiritual center.
Stunning!.......2007-03-01
Only someone with such a profound insight and deep understanding over a subject as complex as emptiness is, can expound it as clear, easy going, way as His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama... This is a wonderful book guiding the reader step by step into a precise methodology to discriminate between the way things appear to our senses and the way they actually exist... Inspiring, clarifying, amazing!!!
A book that can be enojoyed at so many levels!!!
Book Description
Jonathan Israel presents the first major reassessment of the Western Enlightenment for a generation. Continuing the story he began in the best-selling Radical Enlightenment, and now focusing his attention on the first half of the eighteenth century, he returns to the original sources to offer a groundbreaking new perspective on the nature and development of the most important currents in modern thought. Israel traces many of the core principles of Western modernity to their roots in the social, political, and philosophical ferment of this period: the primacy of reason, democracy, racial equality, feminism, religious toleration, sexual emancipation, and freedom of expression. He emphasizes the dual character of the Enlightenment, and the bitter struggle between on the one hand a generally dominant, anti-democratic mainstream, supporting the monarchy, aristocracy, and ecclesiastical authority, and on the other a largely repressed democratic, republican, and 'materialist' radical fringe. He also contends that the supposedly separate French, British, German, Dutch, and Italian enlightenments interacted to such a degree that their study in isolation gives a hopelessly distorted picture. A work of dazzling and highly accessible scholarship, Enlightenment Contested will be the definitive reference point for historians, philosophers, and anyone engaged with this fascinating period of human development.
Customer Reviews:
A stunning work.......2007-09-14
No number of stars is enough for this book. The scholarship is amazing, the narrative clear and fascinating from start to finish, the topic more relevant than ever. This book and its predecessor (Radical Enlightenment) are two of the best books I have read in many years, and by far the best on this subject. I am very seldom so enthusiastic about any product. So many books come with the lure of an interesting title or an impressive review, and yet disappoint. Not this one. This was an extremely enjoyable and rewarding read, and a book I shall return to, many times.
Fascinating.......2007-04-29
Actually, I would give it 4.5/5 but Amazon won't let me. Overall it's a fascinating book. The highlights for me are Israel's comments about Locke and Newton. Certainly in my education, Locke has always been presented as, if not the absolute originator of our liberal notion of tolerance, at least its more important forerunner, and Israel arues convincingly something fellow students and I couldn't articulate well enough: that there is a lot lacking from Locke's notion of toleration. The Newtonian dominance at the time and subsequently; especially when one learns of a thinker developing what sounds like the genesis of the theory of relativity only to be forgotten for 200 years. It's a shame that, at least in Canadian universities, we tend to not even think about Spinoza in terms of political theory, to pick just one example of how Israel shows we have missed a lot of what actually went on. His research seems very thorough and though he repeats himself on a number of occasions (in particular with regard to Spinoza and Balye, whom he seems to adore), the argument is significant and definitely worth your time if you're interested in the history of ideas, like I am. My one problem with the book is a matter of personal politics, as I believe that the 'moderate mainstream' wasn't wholly out to lunch. In any case, it is something that is well worth your time and it would be nice if this argument would have some affect on the odd department.
Average customer rating:
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Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment (4 vol. set)
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Book Description
Defining the Enlightenment as the "long eighteenth century," the Encyclopedia focuses on the entire range of philosophic and social changes engendered by the Enlightenment. It extends the conventional geographical boundaries of the Enlightenment, covering not only France, England, Scotland, the Low Countries, Italy, English-speaking North America, the German states, and Hapsburg Austria but also Iberian, Ibero-American, Jewish, Russian, and Eastern European cultures. Nor does the Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment limit itself to major centers like Paris in France and Edinburgh in Scotland, but shares the rich lode of recent scholarship on "secondary" and "provincial" centers such as Berlin and Geneva; Philadelphia and Milan. The Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment brings a similar spirit of inclusion to the new theoretical and methodological approaches that have flowered in the humanities during the past two decades. Including feminist and various post-modernist reassessments alongside more traditional perspectives, the four volumes offer the broadest possible range of current knowledge. Accessibility combined with scholarly rigor make the Encyclopedia the first choice for researching any aspect of the Enlightenment.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent set.......2007-08-05
This encyclopedia is outstanding in all respects: comprehensive range of coverage, highly-competent content and editing, and beautifully produced. It will be useful to scholars and general audiences alike.
Book Description
In a world troubled by religious strife and division, Chris Lowney's vividly written new book offers a hopeful historical reminder: Muslims, Christians, and Jews once lived together in Spain, creating a centuries-long flowering of commerce, culture, art, and architecture. Written with a narrative drive reminiscent of Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror, this new work takes us back to a medieval Iberia that prefigured the Renaissance.
In 711, a ragtag army of Muslim North Africans conquered Christian Spain and launched Western Europe's first (and to date only) Islamic state. In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella vanquished Spain's last Muslim kingdom, forced Jews to convert or emigrate, and dispatched Christopher Columbus to the New World. In the years between, Spain's Muslims, Christians, and Jews forged a golden age for each faith and distanced Spain from a Europe mired in the Dark Ages.
Medieval Spain's pioneering innovations touched every dimension of Western life: Spaniards introduced Europeans to paper manufacture and to the Hindu-Arabic numerals that supplanted the Roman numeral system. Spanish scholars translated what stood for centuries as Europe's standard medical handbook. Spain's farmers adopted irrigation technology from the Near East to nurture Europe's first crops of citrus and cotton. Spanish artisans graced luxurious homes with the fountains, gardens, and decorative tile that remain hallmarks of southern Spain's distinctive decor. Spain's religious scholars authored works that still profoundly influence their respective faiths, from the masterpiece of the Jewish kabbalah to the meditations of Sufism's "greatest master" to the eloquent arguments of Maimonides that humans can successfully marry religious faith and reasoned philosophical inquiry. No less astonishing than medieval Spain's wide-ranging accomplishments was the simple fact its Muslims, Christians, and Jews often managed to live and work side by side, bestowing tolerance and freedom of worship on the religious minorities in their midst.
A Vanished World chronicles this impossibly panoramic sweep of human history and achievement, encompassing both the agony of jihad, Crusades, and Inquisition, and the glory of a multireligious, multicultural civilization that forever changed the West. One gnarled root of today's religious animosities stretches back to medieval Spain, but so does a more nourishing root of much modern religious wisdom. In a world torn by religious antagonism, Chris Lowney offers enduring lessons learned from medieval Spanish villages where Muslims, Christians, and Jews rubbed shoulders on a daily basis.
Customer Reviews:
'No single tradition has monopolised every human expression of truth..'.......2007-05-11
This book is a great starting point in terms of understanding medieval Spain and appreciating the Iberian contribution to broader European enlightenment. Aptly subtitled 'Medieval Spain's Golden Age of Enlightenment', Chris Lowney draws us into the accomplishments of Muslims, Christians and Jews over seven centuries.
Whether you choose to read this book as an historical statement of past accomplishments, or as a sign of hope for a more co-operative future, it provides a wonderful view of the golden age of the Iberian peninsula.
The book has a wealth of notes and suggested readings for those who would like to obtain more information about specific events or achievements.
Highly recommended to those interested in learning more about medieval Spain as well as those looking for instances of shared learning.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Somewhat interesting, but it delivers less than what it promises.......2007-03-16
The history of Spain between 711 (the date of the Muslim invasion of the Iberian peninsula) and 1492 (when the moors were finally vanquished and the spanish crown got back total control of what is today Spain; coincidentally this was the same year Columbus reached the Americas and Jews were expelled from Spain) is fascinating in itself. This book is kind of interesting, but it delivers less than what it promises. If you know some of the history before reading this book, you will not learn a lot from it. Moreover, it is sometimes overly credulous with its sources. One of the problems appears when you see that all the bibliography is in English; Lowney clearly doesn't speak either Spanish or Arabic, so the book is essentially second hand retelling of previous books. There is no original material here. Lowney is identified in the book as a former Jesuit priest, but he seems prejudiced against Christians, always comparing their supposed backwardness with the Muslims' supposed tolerance and brilliance. Look, if Christians were able to reconquer Spain after almost eight centuries, they must have done something right. Still, the book is not totally without interest, especially as an introduction to the subject.
Religious Tolerance: 21st Century Pipedream? .......2006-10-21
Chris Lowney resurrects with much brio the fascinating history of Medieval Spain, which became the only Islamic state that ever prospered in mainland Europe for more than seven centuries. After a "blitzkrieg" military campaign, Muslim conquerors hailing from North Africa rolled back Christian rule on most of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 C.E. Christian rulers, who were understandably resentful of this occupation, launched their Reconquista from the north of the peninsula after infighting started weakening al-Andalus (the Arabic name for the Muslim-ruled part of Spain) in the eleventh century C.E. Al-Andalus disintegrated itself into more than two dozen rivaling small kingdoms by the 1030s C.E that over time became easy picks for united Christian conquerors. This rivalry among these kingdoms was also a blessing in disguise.
To his credit, Lowney acknowledges and emphasizes the significant contributions of al-Andalus to transition the rest of Europe out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance. Without Islam, much western wisdom from the Antiquity would have been lost forever following the disintegration of the Roman Empire in the West. Furthermore, Medieval Spain became the conduit for bringing the best that the Islamic world had to offer to mostly backward Europeans. Cosmopolis such as Seville, Cordoba, Toledo, and Granada were the cities on the hill economically, culturally, scientifically, and religiously. The architecture of the older parts of these urban centers still reflects this past greatness.
Despite their differences, Medieval Spaniards showed for a time a tolerance for each other's religious and cultural background that remains a marvel to a world plagued by intolerance and obscurantism. Outstanding twelfth-century theologians such as the Jewish Moses Maimonides and the Muslim Ibn Rushd Averroes went as far as to subject their respective religions to rationality. Shias and Sunnis in Modern Iraq, especially in Baghdad, have much to learn from this peaceful religious coexistence. Obscurantism and intolerance were the perfect ingredients for the disastrous recipe that Medieval Spain itself ended up swallowing after the completion of the Reconquista.
With the fall of the Kingdom of Granada in 1491 C.E., the sole remaining Muslim territory in the peninsula, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella completed the Reconquista of Medieval Spain. They did not waste much time to impose Christianity on all their subjects. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella gave their Jewish and Muslim subjects little time to either convert to Christianity or leave most of their possessions behind them and leave Spain forever. The discovery of the New World and its riches bought Spain some time. After Catholic Spain passed by its zenith, it could no longer count on the genius of its former Jewish and Muslim subjects who along Christians had contributed to the greatness of Medieval Spain. Unsurprisingly, Catholic Spain became an increasingly troubled and weak state that only rebounded from its backwardness in the second half of the 20th century C.E.
The richness that was Medieval Spain.......2006-06-28
A first class read for any history buff. Right up there with 'The Ornament of the World' by Maria Rosa Menocal.
Time to move on?.......2006-03-11
This is the third book I've read recently about the Iberian peninsula from the 700s to 1500s during the coexistence of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I first read Reston's "Dogs of God" (see my review) mostly about the 1400s' Christian reconquest of Spain, and their abuse and expulsion of Jews and Muslims. I then read Menocal's "Ornament of the World" mostly about the flowering of al-Andalus beginning in the 700s under generally tolerant and progressive Muslims.
Lowney's "A Vanished World: Medieval Spain's Golden Age of Enlightenment" is also about the same period as Menocal's book but initially more from the Christians' perspective. And initially I found his writing style somewhat tedious but farther along either it improved or I accommodated to it. Yet Lowney reveals aspects not covered by either Reston or Menocal so it's well worth the read if you want a balanced perspective of the period. And he provides extensive endnotes and annotated further readings.
Lowney concludes by lamenting the squandered opportunities resulting from religious bigotry and greed, and suggests lessons that could be learned by today's Christians, Jews and Muslims. But even here in the US, with our constitutional guaranteed religious freedoms, we still see contending for domination by some religious factions. Perhaps it's time we move beyond obsolescent religious teachings toward a New Enlightenment, as explored in my book "Concepts: A ProtoTheist Quest for Science-Minded Skeptics."
Book Description
Arguably the most decisive shift in the history of ideas in modern times was the complete demolition during the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries - in the wake of the Scientific Revolution - of traditional structures of authority, scientific thought, and belief, by the new philosophy and the philosophies, culminating in Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau. In this revolutionary process which effectively overthrew all justification for monarchy, aristocracy, slavery, and ecclesiastical authority, as well as man's asendancy over woman and theology's domination over education and study, substituting the modern principles of equality, democracy, and universality, the Radical Enlightenment played a crucially important part. Despite the present-day interest in the revolutions of the late eighteenth century, the origins and rise of the Radical Enlightenment have been astonishingly little studied, doubtless largely because if its very wide international sweep and the obvious difficulties of fitting it into the restrictive conventions of 'national history' which until recently tended to dominate all historiography. The greatest obstacle to the Radical Enlightenment finding its proper place in modern historical writing is simply that it was not French, British, German, Italian, Jewish or Dutch, but all of these at the same time. In this novel interpretation of the Radical Enlightenment down to La Mettrie and Diderot, two of its key exponents, particular stress is placed on the pivotal role of Spinoza and the widespread underground international philosophical movement known before 1750 as Spinozism.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating.......2007-10-07
An interesting and well written history of the radical Enlightenment - the growth of atheism and deism in particular. The author writes engagingly and makes what could otherwise be a tedious subject interesting. I found the descriptions of how philosophy books were literally smuggled into countries as contraband quite intriguing and more than a bit amusing.
Two notes of caution, however: First, be at least somewhat familiar with the basics of western philosophy. Either have taken a college-level course in it or read a basic book on the topic such as Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy. Second (and this is only a minor complaint) the author provides copious quotes, mostly in French, without translation. While it is possible to figure out the gist of most of these from the context, it is somewhat annoying at times. The assumption seems to be that if you're studying philosophy, you must speak French.
I will undoubtedly follow this up with the author's other book on the Enlightenment in this series.
Radical, Contestable.......2007-07-16
Jonathan Israel presents his work as an important new history of the `Early' Enlightenment (1680-1740).
He has two key, inter-related theses. Firstly, that the whole of the early Enlightenment was driven by an engagement with the views of Spinoza (e.g. P.431) and secondly that the whole of the early Enlightenment, across Europe needs to be understood as a single, integrated process.
At one stage (P.456) he draws a comparison betweenSpinozism and Marxism and that gives you a good sense of how he sees Spinoza's movement.
His own background as a specialist in the Enlightenment in the Netherlands comes strongly into play and the book is at its best on this topic. The original growth of Cartesianism is taken as read. Spinoza's breach with Cartesian dualism and his counter arguments for monism are gone into in more detail . The book comes alive when discussing the popularizers of Spinoza such as Leenhof, Van Dale, Bekker, Kuyper, Van Den Enden, Meyer, Beverlaand, Goeree. Other radical figures such as Vauvenarues, de Boulainvilliars, Radicati, le Clerc take on a new significance in this light.
Such figures have been lost to history. It is a paradox of the history of philosophy that the greatest intellectual achievement often resides in defending the indefensible, putting obstacles in the path of progress. Those who championed change often achieved less of lasting intellectual quality, being too busy achieving a different world.
It is for this reason refreshing that Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Voltaire, Leibniz, Malebranche and Rousseau play a support role in this book. Soon we begin to believe that the Enlightenment may indeed have been driven forward by radical deists and atheists elaborating on Spinoza.
The argument goes too far as we slip from the 1670s and 1680s to the 1730s and 1740s. Israel is too keen to amalgamate the whole period. He fails to emphasise sufficiently that whereas Spinoza's own work, with Geulincx and Malebrance and Gassendi was part of a debate about Descartes, what came later was something different. Spinoza may have survived better in the 1730s as an icon than Descartes or Malebranche, but he was no less an historical figure. The new battle, by that time, was - as he says - a three cornered fight. But the third corner with Lockean empiricism and Leibnizian/Wolffian rationalism was an emergent mechanical materialism and not a continuing Spinozism. The two over-lapped, but were not the same.
Furthermore, Israel nowhere recognises the full force of the Newtonian-Lockean and Leibniz-Wollfian critiques of Spinoza - undermining, respectively the epistemology and concept of necessity on which Spinoza relied. The internal tensions and dialogue within Spinozism are also often lost sight of in the repeated insistence on drawing the lineage of continuity. Thus the intellectual origins of 18th century materialism are misplaced and he does not see that the changed treatment of Spinoza in the works of the moderate Enlightenment, such that he came aroudn 1730 to be treated with « meticulous care » (P.658) derives from Spinoza's increasing irrelevance.
The failure to chart as carefully as he might have the changing pattern of influence of the radicalEnlightenment reflects a certain crudity of approach which affects more substantially Israel's unwisely formulated second thesis. The idea that the early Enlightenment was a single trans-European process is simply too crude. Israel's own nation-specific chapters don't even support it. Israel speaks repeatedly of the `Republic of Letters'as an unproblematic trans-European unity. Yet the evidence is of a far more complex set of phenomena, driven not only by the interchange of ideas, but also by the precarious realities of book and manuscript circulation (often via smuggling routes) of erratic patterns of translation and survival of Latin as an international language and of local governmental and institutional politics. We never get any structured treatment of the complex inter-related systems of dialogue in secret discussion circles, in the manuscript circulation of material and in the very different published circulation of material. It is paradoxical that the national and even `local' character of the Enlightenment is so effectively lost in the midst of so sweeping and knowledgeable a survey across Europe.
A very particular and telling problem lies with defining the margins between heterodox Christianity and deist Enlightenment. Israel's account involves drawing figures like Leerhof into the deist fold while evaluating others such as Van Hatten as merely heterodox Christians. Tellingly, at one point we are assured that Stosch's stance was « philosophical not local » (P.641). We see here an artificial distinction that has less grounding in historical reality than in Israels' retrospective schema.
It is strikingly illustrated in this book that when Marx's eleventh thesis on Feuerbach rejected philosophy he was rejecting a substantial, reputable tradition of philosophical militancy against revealed religion. Spinozism was a militant tradition, determined, in its day, by bravery and deception to undermine the established churches.The early Enlightment was also a period of militant deism rampant among the ruling elites, championed by figures such as Federick the Great, the Duc de Noailles and the Earl of Shaftesbury. This combination of dissent from within the ruling elite and isolated radical intellectuals is strikingly strange to us.
Despite the weaknesses of his two specific theses on this period, Israel has written a fascinating work, reminding us of that militancy, of Spinoza's central role in it and of - as so often - how the militant minority drive the moderate as well as the reactionary mainstreams.
Fascinating Intellectual History.......2007-05-12
An utterly fascinating study of intellectual history in Europe, especially Holland, on either side of the turn of the eighteenth century. "Radical Enlightenment" refers to what were perceived as hard-line attacks on authoritarian, particularly religious ideas, specifically the ideas of divine providence, the afterlife, rewards and punishments for behavior. Israel sees Spinoza as the chief philosophical force behind the radical ideas with his concept of a single substance composing the universe, i.e., pantheism is seen as atheism and is either persecuted by church and state or modified by less "radical" thinkers such as Leibniz and Wolff, Locke, and others considered part of the more "moderate" Enlightenment. Anyone interested in the development of modern ideas and the progress of knowledge or philosophy generally would be hard-pressed to find a better written, researched, or more comprehensive source for the period. Israel is obviously writing for intellectuals, but be advised that he quotes frequently from French sources and does not translate, so make sure your French is in order.
A slightly flawed masterpiece.......2005-01-05
Most people, when they think of the Enlightenment, think first of 18th France, of Voltaire and of Diderot. The late Roy Porter, in his spirited Enlightenment (Penguin paperback) claimed that the roots of the Enlightenment were actually in England. Then we have recently had James Buchan's Capital of the Mind, which claims in its subtitle that the philosophers of Edinburgh "changed the world". Jonathan Israel says that these are all parochial approaches, and that the Enlightenment was a movement whose international character he intends to illustrate. He has indeed read prodigiously in international literature: his bibliography gives 26 pages of published primary sources and 31 of secondary literature, and these include titles in Latin, English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish and Danish.
Nevertheless, what emerges quite clearly from this book is that he places the origins of the Radical Enlightenment very firmly in 17th century Holland in general and in Spinoza in particular; and although one might perhaps expect this from a historian whose previous book was an equally massive work on the Dutch Republic (OUP), he makes a totally convincing case for this. In the course of it we learn much about many Dutch thinkers. Many of them are scarcely known in this country; and there are some, like Anthonie van Dale and Frederik van Leenhof, who according to Professor Israel are almost unknown even in Holland today.
True, it is a Frenchman, René Descartes, who could be said to have planted the seeds of what would become the Enlightenment, and there is a good deal about him in the book; but the principal theatre for the debate about Descartes is again shown to be Holland, where he had moved for safety in 1628, where the Discours de la Méthode was first published in 1637, and from where it later spread to other countries. Indeed, Spinoza's first published work was The Principles of Cartesian Philosophy (1663). I think myself that the title of the book is somewhat misleading. It ought really to have been called Spinoza and the Enlightenment, since it is almost wholly devoted to his influence: all later Enlightenment thinkers of whatever nation are discussed almost exclusively in terms of the extent to which they were in agreement or disagreement with him.
That debate is described in exhaustive - I would say - exhausting - detail, since in fact the various arguments are repeated over and over again. There are principally three parties to this argument: thinkers of the Radical Enlightenment who follow Spinoza more or less all the way; those of the Moderate Enlightenment, who accept a broadly rational approach but stop short of denying a providential deity and the principal mysteries of the Christian faith; and the Conservatives or fideists who demand total acceptance of the traditional doctrines of the churches about such matters as miracles, the existence of Hell and of the Devil. Jonathan Israel patiently gives the arguments of this last group more space than most histories of the Enlightenment would do. Interestingly, many members of even the first group often denied that they were "Spinozists". That label was used by anti-rationalists, right up to eve of the French Revolution in a positively McCarthyist way to discredit even members of the second group, who themselves went out of their way to condemn Spinoza in the strongest terms. The true Spinozists often protected themselves by giving a full statement of the Spinozan positions and then following them with perfunctory or even deliberately feeble objections.
Despite its enormous length and the width of Israel's research, the book does remain rather narrowly focussed. The debates described in the book are largely about religion and about the challenges to deductive rationalism both from the churches and from the pragmatic schools. Such discussion as there is of Enlightenment political thought is again entirely related to the influence of or reaction against Spinoza's unfinished Tractatus Politicus. So, for instance, the debate in France between the thèse royale, the thèse nobiliaire, and democracy does not feature on its own terms. At the end there is an interesting short section on Diderot and his relationship to Spinozism; but there is nothing much of interest on Montesquieu, Voltaire, Helvétius or Holbach, all of whom are considerable figures in the history of the French Enlightenment. And there are just two references to Hume.
There are two other major criticisms: the book takes much previous knowledge for granted (for example, what exactly had been both the psychological and political teaching of Thomas Hobbes). Although there are several references to Malebranche and Malebranchisme, there is nowhere a concise account of what that philosopher taught: the "Occasionalism" for which he is famous has just two references in the index, only one of which links that doctrine with him.
However, Professor Israel has undoubteldy written a most important book which significantly shifts the focus of Enlightenment studies. For that and for his immense scholarship he deserves the praise that reviewers have heaped upon his book.
Good survey.......2003-04-18
It's a good book if you want to have an overview of the general philosophical and cultural atmosphere of the time.
Book Description
In 1777 several of the world's greatest men gathered together to create a book that would champion rationalism, free thinking, and secularism--the Encyclopédie. Such leading minds as Diderot, Rousseau, and Voltaire conceived of a work that would tear down the social order dominated by the Crown and Church, a brave act at a time when heresy could still be punished by death. During the years it took to produce all twenty-seven volumes, the writers faced exile, jail, and censorship. But when they were done, they had created a book that would provide the foundation for the Enlightenment and change the world forever. Novelist and historian Philipp Blom presents the story behind the sixteen-year struggle to create the Encyclopédie, the men who wrote it, the powerful forces that tried to suppress it, and the tremendous impact it had on the world.
Customer Reviews:
Easy Reading Generalizations But Not Bad.......2007-03-10
This volume is a bit thin as history but an easy read and useful for those who want an easy way to get their head around d'Alembert and Diderot's Encyclopedie project. I like the book but don't consider it "high book" scholarship. With those qualifications, however, I'd recommed for the casual reader. D'Alembert's Preface to the Enclopedie is far "deeper," and provides a better summary. This is a nice book, worth having, but a bit of a coffee table edition, perhaps.
Encyclopedie.......2006-12-17
Philipp Blom is a delightful writer and this is a fascinating and highly entertaining history of the great French Encyclopedie created over the course of 25 turbulent years in the mid-1700s. Despite the title, this is really a book about people, with the encyclopedie as thread to tie the stories together. I have very little background in 18th C European/French history Blom makes it entirely accessible for novice and expert alike (although I suspect many of the stories here are well worn, but new to me, and well told). Probably the greatest compliment is I want to learn more about those involved, probably starting with a biography of Rousseau. This book easily sits besides Simon Winchester's "The Meaning of Everything" and Henry Hitchings "Defining the World". As another reviewer mentioned, anyone with an interest in Wikipedia will find it fascinating.
The real importance of the Encyclopedie comes to life in this history of its controversies.......2005-12-03
What was the real significance of the 'Encyclopedie' by Diderot and d'Alembert? Many will say its size and date of appearance marked it as special: Philipp Blom reveals its significance lie in its blend of politics, honesty and ideas which went against the Church and Crown alike in its effort to provide unbiased truth. Its publication was to underwrite the values of two centuries to come, with philosophers Denis Diderot and Jean-Jacques Rousseau and medical scientist Louis de Jaucourt living through arrest, imprisonment, attacks and more for their achievement. The real importance of the Encyclopedie comes to life in this history of its controversies.
A good read.......2005-09-04
Not the usual turgid history book of pre-revolutionary France but instead a very good, readable depiction of the trials and difficulties of creating the Encyclopedie. The prose is fluid and the book almost reads like a novel.
Before the Wikipedia..........2005-08-10
At a time when postmodern critiques of the Enlightenment downplay its significance it is useful to look at the phenomenon beyond abstraction in its particulars and vivid detail. Here the history of Diderot and his Encyclopedia brings the moment to life, and is a reminder of what the philosophes wrought in world still dominated by Church and King. The immense task of the work against the perils of censorship is close to a working miracle, and the tribulations of Diderot from the first lettre du cachet that put him in Vincennes prison are heroic. Diderot's dissatisfaction with his labors seem irrelevant now since this world-historical contribution to the Information Revolution is his great legacy.
Book Description
Through explorations of the three pillars of Zen--teaching, practice, and enlightenment--Roshi Philip Kapleau presents a comprehensive overview of the history and discipline of Zen Buddhism. An established classic, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs, as well as a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who has succeeded Philip Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center, one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States.
Customer Reviews:
Additional resources for the unenlightened.......2007-06-23
I commented several months ago on a post made by Mike-in-the-Middle, asking for more resources to help a beginner (me) without easy access to a roshi who could offer clarity on Zen/Buddhist ideas. I have since received several emails which offered more resources for me to check out, and I'd like to share these resources with you.
Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor. This one is obviously of a secular bent, and I've been reading it off and on since I purchased it. It's a bit. . . scholarly, with some big 50-cent words, if you know what I mean. You definitely need a quiet place to be able to focus on his intellectual renderings, but if you can get into it, it's very insightful. Although it's "intellectual" and contains "big words," it doesn't contain a lot of the mysterious and otherworldly terminology of other such books written by Zen/Buddhist disciples. The book shows how you can practice the tenets of Buddhism without necessarily buying into all the religious aspects.
The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga: Paths to a Mature Happiness by Marvin Levine. This is the book I am currently reading. Mr. Levine makes a good comparison between the tenets of Buddhism (and yoga) and those of Western Psychology, both of which seek to put the person in touch with his/her true self. He also gives advice, gleaned from his own life and journey, about how to incorporate the ideas into your life. This book is VERY readable; Mr. Levine goes out of his way to make this book accessible to the lay person. I'm enjoying this one very much. (It doesn't have to be QUITE so quiet at my house in order for me to get into it. =)
Also recommended to me, but which I haven't yet checked out, are the following books:
Here is a short email I received.
"Saw a comment you left on a review of 3 Pillars of Zen mentioning you were looking for a good place to start. For me, the perfect start was "Buddhism Plain and Simple" by Steve Hagen. It's short, inexpensive and simple. Then I went to his website and downloaded all his free audio talks to listen to on my commute, and now i feel i can approach more advanced zen books quite comfortably (but start with the book before the audio stuff).
Another book recommended was Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck.
I hope these books will help some of you on your journey.
=)
Laurie
(Lovejoy444 at a o l dot com)
A wonderful beginning..........2007-04-13
I purchased this book around 40 years ago, when my interest in zen was very new. I read it and kept it. Recently, I picked it up again, and began re-reading it. The amazing thing was that I felt strongly that this book alone would have been nearly enough; I could have saved a lot of time and money. It isn't about books, of course, but a book can be as real as anything else. This book is that. This book is about real people and zazen, and zazen is the chief method by which one learns to go about empirically developing awareness. It will sit well with you.
The Best of it's Kind.......2006-12-13
I've read a few books on Zen meditation, and this is definitely the best one out there. It's truly the only book on the subject you need. This book teaches the basics of zazen meditation in an easy to read fashion. You'll find the meditation technique taught in this book to be extremely calming and serene.
Even if you're not looking for a book on meditation, this book gives some excellent commentary and history on Buddhism and the Buddha. The book also has great drawings showing the different meditation postures and how they can be adjusted. Most of all, this book offers a wonderful learning experience to those that are new to Zen meditation or for the experienced pro. There's something in here for everybody. It's a wonderful read and I often felt a sense of peace just in flipping through the pages.
Incredibly simpe yet powerful depiction on Zen. .......2006-07-02
Unlike other books that were written about Zen, one thing that one would suddenly notice in this book is that; it does not contains too much philosopical of Zen that often make ourselves attached to the 'beauty' which in itself devoid the ultimate purpose of Zen which is 'satori'.
This book, in my opinion, has reflected the deepest and the most profound level of Zen than any other books could possibly do. The content of the book is by far is the most comprehensive, straight to the point explanation that would be extremely valuable for anyone interested in Zen to perhaps masters in Zen.
The conciseness of this book really depicted in its title. The Tree Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice and Enlightment. Providing step by step lecture, instruction, real-life story, with some combination of old masters letter and commentary on various Koan, instruction on Zazen - it is by far, and can't be stressed more, that this book is the most complete , well-rounded, and straightforward book that would lead dedicated Zen's practice to enlightment.
The Drama of Practice.......2005-07-23
I have very mixed feelings about this book. It is the book which really brought me to spiritual practice; for that, I will always be grateful. It was, however, the same things about it which first drew me in, that I now find problematic.
If you are at all open to practice it is hard not to find this book exciting. There is great drama in the stories of those struggling against all odds to achieve enlightenment. It is that sense of drama which I find problematic. There is a sense of striving encouraged by this book and practice at Rochester. Metaphors of climbing a mountain are used; we are encouraged to "push harder.' But who is striving? There is an underlying sense of dualism in this flavor of practice. While that drama of achieving something is perhaps helpful for those difficult early stages of practice, it is ultimately a poison. Traditional Zen practice, such as that described here, pits you in a battle against your ego. Such warfare can, in the end, only be ego building.
This is a modern Zen practice in that there is an explanation of the "theory" of practice. At one time you just sat, heard talks on Koans, and had very brief interviews with your teacher. Eventually, you would either get it or not (mostly not, I believe). Of course, in that more historically traditional practice you would have been a monk totally removed from the concerns of the day-to-day world. I think that the practice described by Kapleau Roshi is still too close to those traditional monastic roots.
My experience at traditional Zen Centers is that they are beautiful and that meditation practice there has a sense of percptible strength-it seems quite grounded. The trouble comes when people are off the cushions. I can't say that I see a great deal of impact of practice on peoples lives. There is still plenty of confusion and reactivity. There is still an attachment to personal drama. I had teachers tell me that the first step is for people to break through and see who they really were; later they would integrate. I am not sure that step two generally occurs.
What, ultimately, is the point of Zen practice? To have an enlightenment experience? Does that drive for kensho come from a need to experience the truth of our life or does it come from a need to fix ourselves? Most of us are driven by this latter need. To the extent that our motivations remain invisible, we can't truly metabolize our experience. We "own" rather than live our realization.
My bias is that practice serves life best when it takes on our whole life as a koan. Our life becomes less of a soap opera and becomes more mundane. From that ordinariness emerge joy, compassion, love and all of the other aspects of our true nature. You might have fewer of the kind of lightening bolts of a traditional practice. Instead, you will have a grounded life which brings peace rather than pain into this world.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Have for French History Students.......2004-03-10
Gordon Wright's "France In Modern Times" is an all-encompassing book about French history from the start of the 1789 Revolution to contemporary times. This book has been required reading in all of my French history classes and with good reason: it clearly defines the main themes of French history in language that everyone can understand. In other words, one does not have to be a professional historian or a graduate student like myself in order to understand the points that Wright is highlighting. Furthermore, Wright gives an outstanding bibliography that enables one to continue their research on the various topics that he discusses within the book. If you are looking for one book on modern French history, this is the one that you should buy!
Average customer rating:
- A Classic of Modern Mysticism, a Bit Flawed
- A good starting point
- Must Read
- RESEARCHES BIRTHPLACE OF "ALL" ESOTERIC DOCTRINES
- The Perfect Book!
|
Egyptian Yoga Vol. 1:: The Philosophy of Enlightenment
Muata Ashby
Manufacturer: Sema Institute
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1884564011
Release Date: 2005-10-10 |
Book Description
1. EGYPTIAN YOGA: THE PHILOSOPHY OF ENLIGHTENMENT An original, fully illustrated work, including hieroglyphs, detailing the meaning of the Egyptian mysteries, tantric yoga, psycho-spiritual and physical exercises. Egyptian Yoga is a guide to the practice of the highest spiritual philosophy which leads to absolute freedom from human misery and to immortality. It is well known by scholars that Egyptian philosophy is the basis of Western and Middle Eastern religious philosophies such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, the Kabala, and Greek philosophy, but what about Indian philosophy, Yoga and Taoism? What were the original teachings? How can they be practiced today? What is the source of pain and suffering in the world and what is the solution? Discover the deepest mysteries of the mind and universe within and outside of your self. ISBN: 1-884564-01-1
Customer Reviews:
A Classic of Modern Mysticism, a Bit Flawed.......2007-10-01
Originally written in 1995, I read the 6th edition of "1997-2001". Muata Ashbys book titles usually change quickly and/or are known by alternative titles. "Egyptian Yoga: The Philosophy of Enlightenment" is aka "Smai Tawi: 'Egyptian Yoga' (Union of the Higher and Lower Self)" and I suspect by further titles also. The author himself regards this early book of his as a classic, which chapters he has turned into full new books in the meanwhile.
Muata Ashby is a Do-It-Yourself author and publisher, which has the advantage that he is able to publish unconstrained by any directives. The disadvantage is the occasional slip of layout etc., such as the half a dozen times in which the text of captions etc. abort in the middle of the sentence.
It should be known that by "yoga" the linking back to God, i.e. the union with God is meant, not really the body exercise popularly associated with the term in the West. Five pages only are devoted to actual body exercise, consisting of little text as such. However, there is a larger section on the seven chakras, energy centers in the body, though other books are dealing with them far more in depth. Also in other contexts, the close connection to India is exposed.
This is a great mystical book, especially for the Imes (time) it has been written. For the revelatory potential, this book is worth five stars. For mystics, who already know about this topic, some subtractions will have to be made. Which is not to say that mystics can't learn from this book, on the contrary. Depending on the previous knowledge it is sure informing to read about the Egyptian origins of such symbols as the sacred cows and the swastika, which are both popularly blinded as originating from the Indian periphery. Also the (more complex) religious serpent symbol gets elaborated on from the Egyptian source. The symbolic crucification of the spirit on the cross of time and space when it enters into physical form (the body) is decisive to know, for those who don't know that the Christian cross is derived from the Egyptian ankh/nkwa (life) symbol. Further elaboration on this will be found in Egyptian Yoga II: The Supreme Wisdom of Enlightenment.
Muata Ashby sure dives into the phenomenological approach of egyptology (including India) in contrast to mainstream Western scientists who can't make anything of Egyptian spiritual wisdom for real. It is breathtaking to know, especially after reading this book, that the ancient Egyptians are still not only advanced in being capable of building pyramids, but also in spiritual enlightenment. Once, we have passed the Egyptian mythology and know the mysticism behind it. This book is rolling back the Nicaean Council of 325 C.E., which decided for Christianity that an external savior figure would be necessary between an individual human and God. (And, of course, the savior's "official" representatives of the Church.) Muata Ashby is using Egyptian/Indian doors to religion to write in an universal style, i.e. irrespective of the branch of religion the readers may count themselves belonging to. He was even able to bring the concept of reincarnation (and AVOIDING it) somewhat closer to me than The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) and similar Buddhist books I have read recently. He does get a bit repetitive though.
I would have appreciated an elaboration on the Ethiopian part of "Ethiopian-Egyptian" rites, religion, philosophy, etc. For one thing: Is he talking about the area of today's Ethiopia or today's Sudan? For another, I am aware that Egyptian society originated as a "colony" from (today's) Ethiopia, yet little do I know about pre-Jewish/Christian society in Ethiopia, and this book nothing more than references that.
Not everything in this book should be taken at face value, though. Literally, when it comes to the reproduced Zulus' averment to originate from Mars. At least not concerning biology (DNA) and the supposed pyramids and that huge face sculpture on Mars "discovered" a couple of decades ago. In the meanwhile much more precise pictures have been taken by new Mars probes, exposing CLEARLY natural mountains with no artificial treatment. I have also read various differing findings about the Egyptian obelisks than the single one provided in this book.
Occasionally I was baffled by the inconsistencies in this book. One chapter describes the pyramid texts (and the related so-called "Book of the Dead") as funerary, another suggests a quite inconclusive mystical content. (Read Shamanic Wisdom in the Pyramid Texts: The Mystical Tradition of Ancient Egypt for a clearly mystical, non-funerary approach.) One chapter may be clearly sex hostile, another warns against such extremes. In a nice catch 22, it is stated that one should meditate every day without a day missing, but elsewhere it is said not to meditate 24 hours after sex.
Concerning that mostly rather hostile approach towards sexuality: Ejaculation, even the thought of sexuality would cause energy loss. Personally, I would need some in-depth elaboration on suggestions like that, especially in the shadow of the sex hostile meme pool of religion at large. Supposedly, one would hasten to death with sexual engagement. Yet, the book states, there isn't death and is making strong points against egoism, this would qualify as in context. While the book harbors all the ingredients of sex hostility, it later mentions sex as a vehicle to unite with God, seeing orgasm as spiritual. Not explaining that either.
Similarly, the book remains inconsistent on the construct of genders. "As we pursue the union of opposites [of genders], we will discover that there are no opposites, only the projected appearance of them." Also: "The sage no longer identifies with the sex of his or her particular body." Yet: the so-called negative confession #27 is translated as: "I have not lusted or committed fornication nor have I lain with others of my same sex." Not only doesn't this fit with the rest of these declarations of innocence, doesn't match other translations (no source is provided for this one), but how can the same sex exist, if no genders exist at all? Besides, all the primary god/desses are considered androgynous and sexuality described with/among them - in all varieties. The failure lies in the strong meme pool of the belief in genders making it not really possible for the author to leave that construct, even though intellectually attempting that. "Merging of opposite forces", "andro-gyn-ity", "humans are half-half" etc. all work in the pretext that there IS such a thing as genders. Whereas to REALLY feel that there isn't, the scientific knowledge is paramount that there isn't any clearly separable biological differentiation to begin with. Besides, the reader is asked to follow all the 42 declarations of innocence ("negative confesstions"), yet, obviously no Egyptian ever did that, as the provided version consists of a COMPILATION from various differing sources. Plus, e.g. the "Papyrus of Ani" only mentions a SELECTION of the 42 declarations... The consequences of not being able to give these declarations is to get reincarnated again. Which in later branches of religions became interpreted as "hell". So in reality we are basically free to follow them or not, should we decide, reincarnation isn't that bad after all... In addition, in this book's world of no gender, most certainly one is more equal than the other: There's the duality provided of top-bottom, giving-receiving, positively-negatively charged, godly-evil (Horus-Set). Guess, which "gender" is always the first and which one always the latter... No wonder the book is against dualisms in principle, while forgetting that once in a while. Also, some provided Egyptian proverbs are sexist (and others xenophobic), as this one: "...fill [your wife's] belly... She is a fertile field for her husband... It is by such treatment that she will be compelled to stay in your house." I find the old English translation of thy, thine, thou etc. pretentious anyway, as this makes for needlessly stilted reading, considering that old English is futuristic from the ancient Egyptians' point of view in the first place.
Even though it is important, yes, to put the concept of emotions, the physical world we live in etc. in mystical perspective, I upwise a little less life hostility / nihilism. We wouldn't have been constructed this way, if we weren't to experience it at all. Just be aware of that construct and do not blind it as reality. Separating from emotions, viewing life, relatives, friends and loves with dispassion at all Imes, as suggested may lead to neurosises, similar to the effects of child abuse. It's intriguing to attempt the Vulcan approach, yet this isn't the necessary life style for everyone...
A good starting point.......2006-11-04
I am actually rating this book at 3.5 stars. The author obviously spent a great deal of time and effort researching the material presented. Also it seems that a lot of thought and care went into synthesizing a relationship between seemingly disparate world traditions. It provides a summary of many of the world's great religious and spiritual traditions. This book serves as a springboard into more indepth study of spiritual practice and as a general reference. It provides a wide spectrum of topics and plenty of material for speculation and introspection. The authors seem to have a vision of providing aspiring seekers of knowledge a firm grasp on the truths that underly all spiritual and religious tradition.
There were a few things that bothered me about this book. First, the layout of the book makes reading problematic. Many of the sections of the book have multiple fonts, formats, and sizes that begin to confuse the eye. Also, the book would have greatly benefited from a more consistent style to the artwork. While it is important to try and preserve the original style and look of the art, there is no crime in letting a talented artist reinterpret the picture to add continuity to the images. Many of he sections looked like the product of an old word processing program.
My second concern is the scope. While this book may be the first volume of author's magnum opus (he has written many other books), his work might benefit from a bit more stylistic focus. A great many authors, especially in the realm of African centered work, tend produce sweeping books that are intended to be compendiums on their intended topics. The authors in this genre try to follow in the footstpes of greats like John Henrik Clarke, St. Claire Drake, and Ivan Van Sertima. The aforementioned veteran authors all benefit from years of academic experience which hones their writing and presentations skills.
My problems with Egyptian Yoga Vol.1 could be solved in a three steps. One, allow a talented and open minded artist reinterpret the art to give a coherent and consistent visual perspective. Two, allow someone with desktop publishing experience to thoroughly format the text and layout to provide a more pleasing reading experience. Three, the experienced eye of an editor could make the prose and ideas presented more accessible and focused.
I give Egyptian Yoga 3.5 stars because it shows a great deal of promise and exposes readers to the beginnings of a many spirituals truths and philosophies. Taken for what it is (an expansive coverage and summary of a huge body of knowledge), it is a good initial effort. The three ideas mentioned above could turn this book from a good effort into a superior one.
Must Read.......2002-06-23
This book is definately one of the best additions to my library. Dr. Ashby gives a great analysis of the most complex knowledge system known to humankind. Not only does he know what he is talking about, but he is able to transform the wisdom of the ancients into the limited framework of the English language. Very powerful. If one is seeking enlightenment, this book definately provides a step in the right direction.
RESEARCHES BIRTHPLACE OF "ALL" ESOTERIC DOCTRINES.......2000-12-08
This book is a classic in a multiplicity of fields; incl.,Kemetic (Egyptian) research, Melanin studies, Yoga techniques,Symbology, Comparative Religions, Esoteric materialism (scientifictechnology behind machinery), and others to numerous to mention.Dr. Muata Ashby is a first rate academician and he is a Masterpractitioner of the Art to boot! This is the most cosmopolitan workyou can find on esoteric/occultic syncretism. Every page is loadedwith diagrams, or sublime research on the esoteric connection aroundthe world of the African Diaspora. Take for example page 8:""THE VEIL OF IGNORANCE- As stated in the ancient Egyptiantext, 'The Book of Coming Forth by Day
', the eternal soul comes to earthto learn certain lessons and to become purified
. In the process of evolution, virtues as well as vices areexperienced by us based on our own 'mental disposition.... When thespirit
, our innermost self, is ready to make the final'journey home', back to its source, GOD, it begins to inquire aboutthe nature of its existence and thereby causes pressure on the mind,namely the ego-personality. Our BA
, our individualGOD consciousness, begins to apply subtle pressure on our wakingconsciousness in the form of subtle suggestions. We begin to recognizethe wisdom of ancient scriptures and develop an interest in books suchas this one. Becoming in tune with the pressure of the spirit withinis allowing ourselves to be guided by our intuition and the letting goof ideas and thoughts which we know to be untrue or fruitless. Mentalpurification requires the utmost patience with ourselves. Interest inthe world as an Absolute reality (the notion there is nothing elsebeyond 'this' physical reality) is left behind gradually and newpsychological impressions and experiences are introduced until webecome established in this 'other' reality. At this point, we wake upfrom the consciousness we have been used to as if waking up from adream this is attaining 'Horushood', 'Christhood', or becoming'Buddha' or 'Krishna'. THAT WHICH IS THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH, THESUBSTANTIAL REALITY, IS BEYOUND TRUE NAMING, BUT THE WISE CALL IT THEALL Egyptian Proverb"" Actually the Masculine side of theGodhead (The Father in Christendom) is called the ALL, by theinitiates, the mundane call it Allah. And the Feminine side of theGodhead (Holy Spirit in Christendom) is called the ALL IN ALL {She isthat which is beyond the Masculine side according to the"KA.BA.ALLAH" (this is where Mohammed, a black Arab initiateof the Damascus Lodge; a branch of the Egyptian Spiritual sytem's maintemple at Luxor, got the word/idea for his God from), purposely hiddenin this book's name is the word A.L.L.A.H.; Arm, Leg, Leg, Arm,Head. So we have in this Egyptian, (not Jewish like they would haveyou think), artifact - the component structure of man, whom is thephysical incarnation of God/GODESS) & the Feminine side gave riseto the Masculine, this is why She is called the All IN ALL}; by theinitiates, and Allet by the mundane (even though you hardly ever hearabout Her)... Yes, i am scholarly enough to be able to correct DrAshby in this area! The wonderful quote above is so good that thecompany that i work for took it and condensed it into a marketingmotto. Many off the members of KC Board of Trade that i introduce tothis gem, go out a by it for themselves immediately. They come backamazed at how much research quality information is contained in only209, 8.5" x 11", pages. The foreword alone is worth theprice of the entire book. It reads: ""The literal meaning ofthe word YOGA is to 'YOKE' or to 'LINK' back. The implication is: tolink back to the original source, the original essence, that whichtranscends all mental and intellectual attempts at comprehension, butwhich is the essential nature of everything in CREATION. The Scienceof Yoga constitutes the teachings required to achieve perfection whichis the original essence of every human spirit. Nature herself offersone path to perfection. The path of learning through mistakes andsuffering, the process of trial and error....Through self discipline,the path of Yoga offers a 'short cut' to ending the pains of humanexistence...by achieving self-mastery and self-realization, therealization of one's true nature: GOD. The process is to become aHorus, a Christ, and Enlightened Being, while still alive. To attainthis level of being, we must first control the forces of our own lowernature. In essence, we must learn how to give up our egotisticalideas and allow them to dissolve so that we may discover our deepestself, who is nameless,, bodiless, immortal and eternal....""Wow is there anything else that needs to be said, i think not. But iwill say that if being a TRUTH seeker is what you are then this is theplace, and the time is now for you to make a commitment (envoke asolemn oath to yourSelf) to right now "discover a far awaycountry". There's no place further than.... "(inner)SPACE thefinal frontier! These are the voyages of the stel'ar ship,Enterprise. It's mission, to seek out L.I.F.E. (L.iberty, I.ntegrity,F.ocus, E.volution- the fourfold path of self-discipline hidden inJesus' saying: "I am the Way, the Truth, the L.I.F.E., any thatcome to me
shallhave life everlasting".), to search for meaning, to boldly gowhere others have gone on before
.... Djhuiti M. AmenRa, CEO/Chairman of Board: TheA.C.M.E. Corporation, Inc....
The Perfect Book!.......2000-07-28
It's the perfect book to be enlighten and it provides spiritual nutrient! I purchased this book in 1997 and have read it over-and-over again. . . . It's that interesting and informative. It provide self guidance, understanding, and inner growth. I highly recommend.
Book Description
Buddha Mind, Buddha Body expands upon the themes in Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Understanding Our Mind. It opens with the question: Is free will possible? This concept becomes a leitmotif as the author considers how the mind functions and how we can work with it to cultivate more freedom and understanding, how to be in closer touch with reality, and how to create the conditions for our own happiness. Nhat Hanh discusses the connection between psychology, neuroscience, and meditation. He describes the importance of creativity and visualization in a successful meditation practice, presents basic Buddhist practices (particularly walking and sitting meditation), and writes movingly about the importance of brotherhood and sisterhood in finding love, happiness, and harmonious coexistence with others. Punctuated with memorable stories from the life of the Buddha as well as anecdotes and observations from his own life, Buddha Mind, Buddha Body conveys powerful life lessons in Nhat Hanh’s characteristically light, humorous style.
Books:
- Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome
- Indigenous Mestizos: The Politics of Race and Culture in Cuzco, Peru, 1919-1991 (Latin America Otherwise)
- Into the Cold Fire (Daughters of the Moon #2)
- Ishi in Two Worlds: A Biography of the Last Wild Indian in North America
- Jamestown: A Novel
- Johnny Tremain
- Juneteenth: A Novel
- Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography--The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
- Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
- Letter to a Christian Nation
Books Index
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How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships
The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality
Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist Perspective
