History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Mapping Tantra
Unacknowledged contributors
The choice of topics misses the heart of tantra
Good overview...
Forgets to focus on the central idea of tantra

Tantra in Practice

Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691057788

Book Description

As David White explains in the Introduction to Tantra in Practice, Tantra is an Asian body of beliefs and practices that seeks to channel the divine energy that grounds the universe, in creative and liberating ways. The subsequent chapters reflect the wide geographical and temporal scope of Tantra by examining thirty-six texts from China, India, Japan, Nepal, and Tibet, ranging from the seventh century to the present day, and representing the full range of Tantric experience--Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and even Islamic. Each text has been chosen and translated, often for the first time, by an international expert in the field who also provides detailed background material. Students of Asian religions and general readers alike will find the book rich and informative.

The book includes plays, transcribed interviews, poetry, parodies, inscriptions, instructional texts, scriptures, philosophical conjectures, dreams, and astronomical speculations, each text illustrating one of the diverse traditions and practices of Tantra. Thus, the nineteenth-century Indian Buddhist Garland of Gems, a series of songs, warns against the illusion of appearance by referring to bees, yogurt, and the fire of Malaya Mountain; while fourteenth-century Chinese Buddhist manuscripts detail how to prosper through the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper by burning incense, making offerings to scriptures, and chanting incantations. In a transcribed conversation, a modern Hindu priest in Bengal candidly explains how he serves the black Goddess Kali and feeds temple skulls lentils, wine, or rice; a seventeenth-century Nepalese Hindu praise-poem hammered into the golden doors to the temple of the Goddess Taleju lists a king's faults and begs her forgiveness and grace. An introduction accompanies each text, identifying its period and genre, discussing the history and influence of the work, and identifying points of particular interest or difficulty.

The first book to bring together texts from the entire range of Tantric phenomena, Tantra in Practice continues the Princeton Readings in Religions series. The breadth of work included, geographic areas spanned, and expert scholarship highlighting each piece serve to expand our understanding of what it means to practice Tantra.

Customer Reviews:

Mapping Tantra .......2006-12-04

D.G. White, author of the excellent yogic study and adventure story, "The Alchemical Body," here presents an edited compilation of articles about authentic Tantra traditions taken from the length & breadth of Indian-influenced Asia. Countries & cultures include: India (obviously), China, Tibet/Nepal and Japan, with articles on Hindu, Buddhist, Jain (Jain? yes, Jain), Islamic (!) and Shinto tantric traditions. Before this volume, who would have guessed at the sheer geographical pervasiveness of Tantric traditions? Topics vary from architecture to ethnography to poetry. The quality of the contributions is uniformly very good--well-written and well-organized--and most chapters include a translation, in whole or part, of an important or obscure tantra. The strongest point is that the authors are scholars, not practitioners, with the associated advantage is that, at last (and at least) the reader can avoid the fluff, hype and BS that pervades the field of so-called "Tantra." Reading this volume will go a long ways toward removing our conditioned ignorance, delusion and gullibility about "sacred sex" and "sacred orgasms," the phallacy of worshipping the linga/yoni of your current hot-sex partner as a god/dess, and the like. The jewels herein are too numerous to recount, but some of my favorites include Hudson's chapter, "Tantric Rites in Antal's Poetry," which rather lovingly introduces the poetry of Antal, a kind of Tamil Mirabai. Kudos to numerous authors for emphasizing the relationship between bhakti and tantra. The down side is that the authors are scholars, not practitioners, with the concomitant lack of experiential understanding about what actual tantric practices consisted of, and of what "cosmological homology," as a body of psychospiritual praxis rooted in various yogic practices, actually means in lived experience. (But, as White says in his Introduction, practice without theory is like a map without a legend.) That said, this volume does not suffer from the epidemic of post-modern sophistry--that is, you won't find here pretty words cleverly arranged to signify that Tantra was mere artwork or political posturing by miscreants (this disorder characterizes much of the sociological/literary-critic studies on Tantra). In short, what this volume sets out to do, it does very well. Still, to grasp actual tantric practice, you'll have to look elsewhere. But I am afraid that my guru forbade me to indicate where....

Unacknowledged contributors.......2004-06-03

The correct title of the book should read Tantra in Practice (Princeton Readings in Religions) by David Gordon White (Editor), Beavis and Butthead.

The choice of topics misses the heart of tantra.......2004-05-30

I would not recommend this book since the choice of topics enfogs the subject rather than illuminating it. This collection does indeed have some excellent contributions from leading scholars, but it is the whole package that is disappointing. I was also disappointed with White's own contributions.

Good overview..........2001-08-30

World-class scholars ANDRE PADOUX, PAUL E. MULLER-ORTEGA, DOUGLAS R. BROOKS and many others come together to write about Buddhist Tantra, Hindu Tantra, Jain Tantra, and Tantra and Islam in South Asia; //the countries covered are China, India, Japan, Nepal and Tibet.//
The topics discussed include:
--GURUS AND ADEPTS including "The Tantric Guru" by Andre Padoux, one of the best Kashmir Shaivism scholars in the world.
--KINGS AND PRIESTS
--DEVOTEES AND DEITIES
--TRADITIONS IN TRANSITIONS AND CONFLICTS
--TANTRIC PATHS including "The Ocean of the Heart: Selections from the Kularnava Tantra" by Douglas R. Brooks, one of the only brilliant scholars in the world to know Tantra "from the inside".
--RITES AND TECHNIQUES --YOGA AND MEDITATION
including "On the Seal of Shambhu: A Poem by Abhinavagupta" by Paul E. Muller-Ortega, the leading authority on Abhinavagupta, one of the 3 best scholars of Kashmir Shaivism with Alexis Sanderson and Andre Padoux.
//Any Indology student has to have read this book.

Forgets to focus on the central idea of tantra.......2001-05-02

This book has many excellent articles. Yet, it forgets to focus on the central idea of tantra which is the connections between the outer and inner cosmologies. The contributions thus get lost in the details, unable to find the grammar that would unlock the esoteric language of the medieval tantra texts.

Reflections On A Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical Buddhism

Average customer rating:

A Practical Guide to Enlightment
Reflections On A Mountain Lake : Teachings on Practical Buddhism
Practical and relates Vajrayana to the West
Highly recommended
A lifetime of meditation, retreat, and learning

Reflections On A Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical Buddhism
PalmofVenerableTenzin
Manufacturer: Snow Lion Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1559391758

Book Description

Collection of Dharma teachings addressing issues of common concern to Buddhist practitioners from all traditions.

Customer Reviews:

A Practical Guide to Enlightment.......2007-05-21

Venerable Tenzin Palmo describes in a very clear prose the benefits of meditation, its difficulties, how to overcome them, and extend this practice to our daily life. It is a book to be read more than once, and a must for those in quest of enlightment.

Reflections On A Mountain Lake : Teachings on Practical Buddhism.......2006-02-11

Reflections on a Mountain Lake is composed of Tenzin Palmo's talks to audiences of Western lay people and Buddhist nuns and monks. The talks cover a whole range of subjects on Buddhist teachings, practices and spiritual life. Reading her words of openness, warmth and fluidity, I felt as if I was with her in the audience. She begins with the story of her twelve-year retreat in a cave in the Himalayan mountains, and the words that fill the books seem to flow from that deep place of concentrated practice.

The book is lively, intelligent, practical and straightforward. Each chapter end with questions from the audience, such as: Where do thoughts arise from? Is it a good idea to take political action to right social evils? What's the process of making amends if you have acted unethically at some stage in your life? What happens if you don't keep your commitments?

One of her consistent messages is to keep it simple. She advises people not to be overcome by ambition to do more, or get more initiations and teachings. Tenzin Palmo has gained many insights and much wisdom from her practice and commitment, as if she has dug a deep, deep well from which she can bring up what is clearly needed in each different situation with people.

We all start with an undisciplined mind, and Tenzin Palmo has many excellent examples of how to approach spiritual practices and what these practices are all about. The mind has to be relaxed yet alert, and needs to be tuned like an instrument, with the knowledge of how to return to a clear place. It is then we can be of benefit to other people.

Tenzin Palmo is an example of how women are re-establishing the lineage of yogic practice for women. She is developing a Buddhist retreat for nuns and making available the teachings of Drukpa Kargyu lineage, which has a strong tradition of fully ordained female practitioners. Because of Tenzin Palmo's work, in 1995 nuns debated publicly for the first time in Tibetan history. "There is nothing that women cannot accomplish and have not accomplished in the past. It is up to us to support them...it is time to appreciate the whole picture and bring the two sides together."

I enjoyed Reflections on a Mountain Lake because Tenzin Palmo is a storyteller. Like all great teachers, she uses her personal life and traditional stories to engage us in the teachings. It seems somehow easier for the mind to catch hold of profound ideas if they are told as myth and metaphor. And because she tells many personal stories - from her home life as a child, her searching as a young woman and her times with her guru - she becomes human and accessible, as well as an example of dedication.

Practical and relates Vajrayana to the West.......2005-02-26

This is a great book for Western Buddhists, especially useful as a loaner to friends seeking to understand Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana). It includes extensive Q&A; 8 photos, and a great number of quotable quotes. Ani Palmo (Ani is an honorific for a Buddhist nun) is VERY down-to-earth and realistic and relates a considerable about of advice and commentary from her Lama. She points out that Tibetan mythological themes should not be taken literally-even Tibetan teachers indicate this. For example:
pp. 61-2: "Shantideva says, `Who made the red-hot iron floors? All this is a projection of the personal mind.' Even if we don't believe in the physical reality of the hell realms, we can definitely believe that a mind filled with anger, which loves harming others and takes pleasure in cruelty, could easily project a paranoid environment for itself...the content of our inner mind is projected outward and becomes our entire reality." Furthermore, she invokes valid psychological principles such as: p. 67: "Those who deny the shadow are in a very insecure and precarious position...It is hard to develop true compassion when you are continuously blanking out all suffering from your own life." Also, Sociological principles: p. 81: "Today the West is making a significant contribution to the way the Dharma is presented. Every time the Buddhadharma travels to a new country, that country gives it something of itself."

Ani Palmo, in a highly readable and understandable style, provides pithy advice to practitioners: p. 93: "We need to dissolve the boundary between the subject and the object. In other words, we need to become the meditation" & p. 102: "Worldly desires are like salty water. The more you drink, the thirstier you get...The problem is the way we cling to things" & p. 141: "Our problem is that we believe our mind and identify with it." She also provides logical explanations for many Vajrayana practices: p. 95: "intricate visualizations of mandalas...totally occupy the mind so that there is no room for distraction." She provides considerable, pragmatic material on relationships between Vajrayana and Western religions: p. 96: "All true religions seek to gain access to that level of consciousness which is not ego-bound. In Buddhism it is called the unconditional, the unborn, the deathless. You can call it anything you like. You can call it atman. You can call it anatman. You can call it God." She also provides a number of intriguing teaching stories such as p. 103: monkeys captured by refusing to let go of a sweet--: "If you want to hold water, you have to hold it with cupped hands. If you make a tight fist, it runs away" and of a king unattached to his palace with a guru attached to his gourd. She also observes that the movie "Groundhog Day" can be interpreted as a Buddhist film about reincarnation and karma.

And, best of all, Ani Palmo provides quotes which defuse misconceptions concerning Buddhist doctrines: p. 156: "The Buddha said, `I too use conceptualization, but I am no longer fooled by it."
pp. 159-160: "Difficult Points for Westerners" chapter: "The Buddha replied, `do not take anything on trust merely because it has passed down through tradition, or because your teachers say it, or because your elders have taught you, or because it's written in some famous scripture. When you have seen it and experienced it for yourself to be right and true, then you can accept it.'" However, the one criticism might be that she fails to apply this regarding: p. 238: Eastern images & p. 241: Tibetan lineages.
p. 166: "According to the Buddhadharma, the most important component of any action of body, speech, or mind is intention."
p. 168: when asked about hell, her "Lama just laughed and said, `Oh well, we talk that way in order to frighten people into being good. Actually, it is very difficult to be reborn in hell. You have to be especially evil, and particularly, very cruel.'"
p. 169: "My Lama once said, `Not everything you read in the sutras is true. You don't have to believe everything you read.' ... The Tibetans took from that huge ocean a few drops of this and a few drops of that and put it together into a mixture which was helpful for Tibetans. Much of it is relevant for the rest of us as well. The ways they present the Dharma is wonderful. But there is no doubt that certain aspects, although helpful for them, are not very helpful for us. We can leave those aside." Higher teachings often contradict lower teachings and not everything is appropriate for everybody.
p. 191: "Some Tibetans say it's almost impossible to realize the nature of the mind without a teacher. I don't think that's true. Some people do realize the nature of mind spontaneously without a teacher. But a good teacher helps."

She also provides valuable observations and techniques on Vajrayana practices: pp. 179-180: in utilizing tonglen - "black pearl-like seed of self-cherishing at our heart center...sometimes instead of a black pearl...we can visualize a crystal Vajra which represents our innate Dharmakaya mind. The dark light absorbs into this and is instantly transformed into radiance, since no darkness exists within the pristine nature of the mind." p. 235: "My Lama always said to me, `Don't undertake big commitments. Keep your practice very small and simple, but do it.' ... I have always been very clear with lamas when it comes to initiations. Sorry, I am not keeping this commitment. I say this before taking the initiation, then they can decide whether or not it's okay for me to take it. Usually, they say its okay."

Highly recommended.......2004-10-12

If I were to be stranded on a deserted island and could have but one book along, it would be Reflections on a Mountain Lake. With her lifetime in spiritual pursuit, twelve years as a woman in male dominated Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, and another twelve years alone in a cave in the Himalayas, Tenzin Palmo indeed has something to say. Our good fortune is that she is a talented orator and expresses herself with dazzling clarity and wit. Her persective on life (before, here and after) is deeply wise, casting welcome perspective on what It All is truly about. In the West we are proud of how many books we consume. In the East, the intense study of one magnificent book is revered. This is one such book.

A lifetime of meditation, retreat, and learning.......2002-09-07

Reflections On A Mountain Lake: Teachings On Practical Buddhism is a compilation of the wisdom and Dharma teachings of Ani Tenzin Palmo, who was born in London in 1943 and become one of the first Western women to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. Her writings comprising Reflections On A Mountain Lake, gathered from a lifetime of meditation, retreat, and learning, wonderfully communicate her understanding of holistic and profound principles relevant to Buddhism and to the commonplace struggles of daily life. Reflections On A Mountain Lake is a welcome and very highly recommended addition for Buddhist Studies reference collections and reading lists.

Average customer rating:

Visions Beyond the Vail
Essential read!
Inspiring and confiming
Visions Beyond the Veil
Visions Beyong the Veil

Visions Beyond the Veil
H. A. Baker
Manufacturer: Sovereign World
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1852402784

Book Description

Originally published many years ago, this outstanding book, now revised, is still fresh and challenging to us today. It tells the story of a group of children—mostly street beggars and orphans—living in the Adullam Rescue Mission in Yunan Province, China, under the care of missionaries H. A. Baker and his wife —the grandparents of Rolland Baker, founder of IRIS Ministries in Mozambique.

These children experienced an immense and incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit—so great that they literally "experienced Heaven" through visions, were aware of the presence of angels, and were able to describe in great detail what they saw. The result of these experiences of God was fervent passion for worship, the Word of God, and prayer.

Customer Reviews:

Visions Beyond the Vail.......2007-09-19

My wife and I found this book to be very exciting as it depicts how orphan children in China where provided with a home in an orphanage; how they were fed and clothes and taken care of. This - in and of itself - is a dynamic testimony of how Jesus Christ brings victory into the lives of these children. However, their experience of seeing visions and dreams of Heaven, of God, of Jesus and of angels is one to be envied. We strongly encourage you to read this book. You will not be able to put it down.
Sincerely, Rev. Richard and Holly Lang

Essential read!.......2007-09-01

This is an essential read for those who want more of God.

Story of these Chinese orphans who experience a radical outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The book documents their experiences and visions which will stretch your brain and wreck your heart.

It's a short read that should be in all believers libraries.

Inspiring and confiming.......2007-08-26

I rate this book very high as it offers hope for the Christian and even greater hope for the Christian missionaries. H.A. Baker's journal account of what the children in his orphanage experienced just confirms many of the testimonies of others in different parts of the world, even as recent as 2007. God is alive and He still reigns! Books like Visions Beyone the Veil are inspiring to motivate anyone with a desire, to Ask, Seek and Knock knowing that God will answer, you will find and He will open the door to understanding.

Visions Beyond the Veil.......2007-05-12

EXCELLENT.....10 Stars. If one reads with thirst for the Truth, with an open mind, the reader will be excited as they read through this non-fictional account of the experiences of a missionary and his wife to China in the early 1900s. If the reader has wondered what Heaven will truly be like, to read the spiritual accounts, experiences through the eyes of simple, x-street children, will bring the reader joy and encouragement. The accounts of what the children were seeing regarding Hades, will also encourage and motivate the Christian reader to be an active witness for Christ daily.

Visions Beyong the Veil.......2007-03-09

Awesome eye opener. If you're hungry to know more of the ways God deals with us here on earth, don't miss this one. I've met the Bakers on a mission trip to Mozambique & know them to to be very strong, hard working missionaries that you can trust. They love Jesus and the kids and it comes through when reading this book, how true they are to the calling God has given them.

The Secret of the Golden Flower: A Chinese Book of Life

Average customer rating:

Buy the Thomas Cleary version instead
disappointed
Truly A great Read
Penetrating Text and Commentary by Jung
A DIFFICULT AND OBSCURE EASTERN BOOK

The Secret of the Golden Flower: A Chinese Book of Life
Richard Wilhelm
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0156799804

Book Description

The ancient Taoist text that forms the central part of this book was discovered by Wilhelm, who recognized it as essentially a practical guide to the integration of personality. Foreword and Appendix by Carl Jung; illustrations. Translated by Cary F. Baynes.A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

Customer Reviews:

Buy the Thomas Cleary version instead.......2007-02-09

I'm just starting meditation. My teacher recommended this
book, but I didn't pay attention to the author. The first
part was really hard to understand. Then I came to a
section that gave a really clear description of a meditation
technique. Later in the week, when seeing my teacher, I
happened to have the book out. He said I had the wrong
edition! I should get the one by Thomas Cleary.

Read the Afterward in Thomas Cleary's edition and you will
see why this one has so many errors in its translation.

The first part of the book was much easier to understand,
and it turns out that the meditation technique was a yogic
exercise that is not in the Chinese text (but that was not
clear from the formatting of the text).

I'm giving this book a low rating. But you might as well
get both books anyway, just to see the huge differences.

disappointed.......2006-03-08

I got this book based on my Buddhist teacher's advice to do so. I found it hard to follow and unintelligible in spots. However, it could be my own understanding of it also. This kind of book is similar to other esoteric teachings like the Rosicrucian handbook.

It really is for advanced readers and thinkers. I suppose that leaves me out. So, if you are into esoteric teachings with a twist, then by all means get this book. However, I warn you that it might seem like gibberish to the uneducated and unenlightened (like myself).

Peace....

Truly A great Read.......2005-10-07

The translation of the book is more than worth the price. With the commentary and explanation of the terms it exceeds the price paid. The subject matter and the commentary by Jung makes it pricless. I am familiar with many meditation styles and i must say this is a gem. I would recommend that before this work is done one has trained several years in the magical arts, the worker should at least be over thirty and has a family.Also a working knowledge of chi kung or tai chi should be had. Otherwise the treasure gained will not be as grand or the work never begun properly.

Penetrating Text and Commentary by Jung.......2004-10-15

A very interesting and meaningful book to say the least. And like Jung, gratitude must be given Richard Wilhelm for his insight in the East and translation of the text.

A manual written symbolically for the practice of meditation, where thoughts are reduced to the square inch between the eyes, the eye lids half closed, eyes centered near the tip of the nose, the heart rate next to nothing in quietude, controlled breath of a circular motion that becomes quiet. The "white light" so spoken in Buddhist terms and various states of consciousness are related. However, this is far more than a mere meditation manual, but symbols which convey non-intellectual ideas, that is, non-Western rationalism, and yet significant and advanced in both it's teaching and applications.

Ultimately for myself, it is Jung's commentary that my Western mind needed to interpret the text itself and the subsequent interpretations. I am moved in profundity on Jung's analysis that man's consciousness advances non-rationally, but psychically. Where the advancement cannot be spoken or written of in intellectual terms but rather can be done so in symbols. In this, Jung expounds on the idea that symbols convey advanced images that relate to the psyche and can never be proved intellectually or rationally. This is where images, as in Mandalas, come in. Images and symbols speak what words cannot. They are of a higher conscious level awareness, a psychical advancement. None of this is rationally or mathematically equated, none, nor can it be languistically conveyed. Humans can only point, using symbols and images, they can not expound, explain and reason on such.

Jung's acknowledges the law of opposites and how the Chinese contain a higher culture or mind than the West, one that can contain contradictions or opposites without one-sided fundamentalism. And this is no doubt far ahead of most Western thinking in terms of black and white thinking, or what Jung calls barbarism. This reminds me of Walt Whitman's self poem of containing all contradictions and Keats "negative capabilities" and Shakespeare's comments on having all thoughts together without becoming irritable over such, and that including the beat poet, Allen Ginsberg, who spoke of the same.

In Jung's memorial words dedicated to Richard Wilhelm, he relates to his thoughts on Synchronistic principle, which confirm his validity on the practices of Chinese wisdom found in I-Ching and Astrology, both sciences based not on Newtonian, or causality principles but rather through a remarkable phenomena of the unconscious, psychic parallelisms based which cannot be related to each other causally. The Tao will never be created with words and concepts, a teaching that is absent from the history of philosophy since the time of the pre-socratic, Heraclitus, and only reappears as a faint echo in Lebinitz.

A DIFFICULT AND OBSCURE EASTERN BOOK.......2004-09-09

The English translation is of a German translation of sections of ancient Chinese texts that earlier existed as an oral tradition. The terminology of the book is let us say obscure to a Western reader and I found Jungs commentary difficult even though Jung explicitly treats the texts as psychological rather than metaphysical.

Jung says in an Appendix tribute to Wilhelm that Wilhelm made a greater impact on him than any other man. In his commentary Jung also says that one of the reasons he was so impressed by "The Secret" is that the symbolism is the same as that Jung encountered in his clinical practice ie both originate, he argues, in the structure of the collective unconscious.

The good news is that if you can struggle through the strange wording and references of the Chinese texts, there are real signs of wisdom throughout the texts. For example at one point in "The Secret" it is said that man creates his body through his thoughts. Again on several occasions it is clear that the text is assuming that man survives death, and that after death there are alternative possible scenarios including re-incarnation (many many times) and movement to non-physical realms.

"The Secret" talks about meditation techniques including control of breathing to achieve altered states. I did not find those sections persuasive, perhaps because they were too brief for my taste.

Average customer rating:

Excellent book
Ambitious, but...boring
Building a Bridge from America to Tibet
If you believe we are all in this together...
Inner Revolution as a View beyond Ego

Inner Revolution
Robert Thurman
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1573227196

Amazon.com

Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman (yes, he is the father of Uma) was named one of Time magazine's 25 most influential people in 1997. Here's why: Thurman has a knack for helping laymen understand the teachings and history of Buddhism while also explaining why it has taken root in the West. Thurman was the first Westerner to be ordained as a monk in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition after studying under the Dalai Lama in 1964. In this highly polished memoir he tells the story of his pupilage under His Holiness, which was a frolic in Sunday school compared to the task of integrating Buddhism into cold war America. This is an optimistic and highly satisfying discussion of how Buddhism has shaped the life of one fascinating scholar as well as the course of Western spirituality. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

The New York Times calls him "America's number one Buddhist." He is the co-founder of Tibet House New York, was the first American Tibetan Buddhist monk, and has shared a thirty-five-year friendship with the Dalai Lama. Now, Robert Thurman presents his first completely original book, "an inspiring guide to incorporating Buddhist wisdom into daily life" (USA Today). Written with insight, enthusiasm, and impeccable scholarship, this is not only a practical primer on one of the world's most fascinating traditions but a wide-ranging look at the course of our civilization--and how we can alter it for the better. "Part spiritual memoir, part philosophical treatise and part religious history, Thurman's book is a passionate declaration of the possibilities of renewing the world." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book.......2006-01-03

I loved this book and read it in one sitting on New Years. It is a wonderful combination of the story of a personal search, the central tenets of Buddhism, and a semi-objective religious and historical context for the development of Buddhism.

I have two criticisms of this book.

First, the historical context, while helpful, is hard to view as objective. In particular, Thurman's idealization of Tibet as the only place on Earth to have realized the fruitional stage of societal enlightenment sounds appealing, but is hard for me to believe without more information.

Second, Thurman appeals to many of the modern (materialistic) versions of science, in particular drawing concepts from physics, medicine, and biology to justify Buddhist conclusions and teachings. While I am not able to speak to his interpretation of quantum and subatomic physics, his discussion of biological and neurological concepts seems to gloss over many subtleties... rather than ring like true science, it seems misunderstood and unintentionally twisted. This is ironic, since Thurman laments the misunderstanding of Buddhism by early Western scholars.

It would be wonderful if someone like Thurman could get together with a competent science writer and a spiritual source from Buddhism like the Dalai Lama or Thich Nhat Hanh and follow up on the shortcomings of this book with a synthesis that will help build the Western following Thurman advocates.

Ambitious, but...boring.......2004-03-14

This book was written by literally America's first Tibetan Buddhist monk, Robert Thurman. It has the "scholar's edge", which makes it probably more accessible to those involved in academic Tibetan studies; that's certainly not to say everyone cannot learn from this, but the writing style and the massive amount of material covered borderlines "saturating" the readers mind. This was a sincere book, full of high hopes I'm sure, and for that we can cut him some slack I suppose. After all, it's not as though this is an entirely bad book. However, as a previous reviewer pointed out, Thurman does seem a bit rushed here. As with many of Roberts' other books, the book covers a lot of both history and dogma. Tibetan Buddhism is extremely esoteric and all too often inaccessible to many practitioners. One criticism I make is that history (Tibetan or otherwise) doesn't really have anything to do with the Buddha's Dharma; what was taught is most important! And yes, Thurman does touch on "non-historical" points, such as learning from the practice of the Bodhisattva ideal, et cetera. But I must say, this book was actually, to be frank, rather boring. I concur with our reviewer from Pennsylvania below: Maybe buy a different book. Truthfully there are certainly much better works out there by much more "with both feet on the ground" style teachers. Now Thurman's book, Infinite Life, is by FAR a much more insightful book and I recommend it 10 fold to this one. In Infinite Life, he's matured a bit more if you ask me; perhaps he realized that many of his books are constantly reviewed as being boring. Who knows? This work was ambitious, but gets only 3 stars from me. Take care!

Building a Bridge from America to Tibet.......2004-02-05

Robert Thurman, being the first Westerner to be ordained as a Tibetan monk, has precedent to speak about eastern philosophy like no other American. That said, when I was looking for a connection between eastern philosophy and the world that I live in, Thurman seemed like the best ambassador. This book is largely a history lesson of the last 2,000 years of buddhist philosophy and its stark contrast to its materialistic counterpart lifestyle (capitolism). You're likely to read a lot of hugely profound things in this book, and learn a lot about the history of buddhism from Asoka to Shakyamuni. What I liked best about this book was Thurmans ability to deftly jump from practical contemporary literature to illuminating thousands of years of tradition. Highly recommended!

If you believe we are all in this together..........2003-01-22

Reviews of this book are divided by whether the reader agrees with Thurman's politics. That's not a book review. If you agree that the wealth and happiness of every person depends upon the whole of human history and existence, and that we are all equally responsible for and connected to each other and the planet, then you will agree with the author. If you believe it's everyone for himself (I choose my pronoun deliberately) based on rugged individual talent existing all by itself and making gains at the expense of who and whatever is in the way, then you probably won't. In either case, this book is a thoughtful and humorous presentation of Buddhist philosophy as it may be applied to everyday western life, and the section on how to effect change is worth reading. In fact, it's worth reading this book just to be inspired to visualize the kind of world we could create, if we didn't each think "this whole party is for us."

Inner Revolution as a View beyond Ego.......2001-07-15

I believe all critic is but a glimpse on how one grasps the world, and in this, I mean we perceive a split image and tainted with our own personal baggage. Some fine things have been said about the author, about politics and about the author's personality, yet very little has been said about the work: the book.

This is perhaps one of the finest books to shed light in the dilema of the individual in a complex social matrix and its struggles to break free and achieve some sort of personal mission or calling. The book makes an excellent bridge, analyzing planetary history, describing moments in which the collective need to create new ways to experience and understand, catapulted the planet into a new frequency of understanding; this described in terms of an Axial period in History. Thurman's ability to describe and phrase the very nature of Ego and what we all have collectively come to call "personality" is fascinating. The importance of this book is in its capacity to present a diagnosis of our era and the very things that have held us back: meaning that human beings have a mission or pursuit, that of being happy, of being a better human being and with this intention he is also saying that we, as a society (and very much so the society in power) have created a fractured and very little avenue for human kind to experience itself in a dimension beyond suffering.

I can not understand why there is criticism on the book being political, since we all respond to structures of rule and power, if the possibility of all beings achieving happiness is not on our politicians agenda, then who are the serving? Whose interest is it?

Book Description

This third volume of Princeton Readings in Religions demonstrates that the "three religions" of China--Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism (with a fourth, folk religion, sometimes added)--are not mutually exclusive: they overlap and interact with each other in a rich variety of ways. The volume also illustrates some of the many interactions between Han culture and the cultures designated by the current government as "minorities." Selections from minority cultures here, for instance, are the folktale of Ny Dan the Manchu Shamaness and a funeral chant of the Yi nationality collected by local researchers in the early 1980s. Each of the forty unusual selections, from ancient oracle bones to stirring accounts of mystic visions, is preceded by a substantial introduction. As with the other volumes, most of the selections here have never been translated before.

Stephen Teiser provides a general introduction in which the major themes and categories of the religions of China are analyzed. The book represents an attempt to move from one conception of the "Chinese spirit" to a picture of many spirits, including a Laozi who acquires magical powers and eventually ascends to heaven in broad daylight; the white-robed Guanyin, one of the most beloved Buddhist deities in China; and the burning-mouth hungry ghost. The book concludes with a section on "earthly conduct."

Customer Reviews:

Overview of chinese religion from original sources........2001-03-12

Religions of China in Practice is a wonderful smorgasbord of philosophy, religious stories, poetry and history. The editor sets out to provide an overview of the three main religious traditions of China: Buddhism, Confuciansism and Daoism. This is accomplished with a pastiche of short readings. Readings are arranged according to content rather than by religion and fall into four categories. Sections cover the "Unseen World", human relations with the "Unseen world" (including communication and ritual) and the conduct of day to day affairs.

Each passage is individually translated, and is accompanied by a short introduction furnished by the translator. Fairly extensive additional reading lists are provided at the end of each reading and provide a valuable resource if your interest is piqued by a particular piece. A very extensive general introduction ties the entire book together and provides background information for readers of general interest, who are not scholars in the field of eastern religion.

I, myself, am not a scholar in eastern religion and come to the field mainly through general interest. I was therefore pleasantly surprised at the readability of this book. Some of the poetic pieces (for example - The Seduction Songs of the Perfected) were exquisitely beautiful. Other passages, while less stirring provided me with a clearer understanding of the intricate relationships between the religions of China; something I have often found difficult to understand. I would highly recommend this book to those with more than a passing interest in eastern religion. Although I am not necessarily qualified to speak, I suspect it would also be an invaluable resource to the serious student, given its fairly extensive scholarly accoutrements. Personally, I am looking forward to reading the other books in this collection.

Average customer rating:

Excellent contributors of Tibetan Buddhism

A splendid, varied collection of translations from Tibetan.

A splendid, varied collection of translations from Tibetan.

Religions of Tibet in Practice

Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Indo-Tibetan Buddhism: Indian Buddhists & Their Tibetan Successors

Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West

Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet: Religious Revival and Cultural Identity

Tibetan Civilization

The Autobiography of a Tibetan Monk

ASIN: 0691011834

Amazon.com

Tibetan Buddhism is most well known for its Book of the Dead and its tantric practices. In Religions of Tibet in Practice, an anthology of religious texts from Tibet, both of these elements are well represented, along with many more selections of prayers, sermons, biographies, and epics. Translated by the top scholars in the field, these pieces provide an excellent introduction to the varied and wide-ranging aspects of Tibetan Buddhism, such as the epic of King Gesar (the "Iliad of Tibet"), the meditative states of the boddhisattvas, the horseback consecration ritual, and the life story of tantric master Lorepa. Not only do the selections allow direct contact with the Tibetan religious tradition, but the introductions to each selection together provide a history of Tibetan religion that exceeds in scope and quality anything in print today.

Book Description

Religions of Tibet in Practice is a landmark work, the first major anthology on the topic ever produced. It presents a stunning array of works (hagiographies, pilgrimage guides, prayers, accounts of visits to hell, epics, consecration manuals, sermons, and exorcism texts) that together offer an unparalleled view of the realities of those who have inhabited the Tibetan cultural domain over the centuries. The volume provides a wealth of voices that together lead to a new and more nuanced understanding of the religions of Tibet.

The thirty-six chapters are testimony to the vast scope of religious practice in the Tibetan world, past and present, offering works heretofore unknown. The chapters are organized thematically under five headings: Accounts of Time and Place, Remarkable Lives, Rites and Techniques, Prayers and Sermons, and Dealing with Death and Other Demons. They juxtapose materials from different sects, historical periods, and geographical regions in an attempt to broaden the range of what we understand the religious practices of Tibet to encompass. Each chapter contains a translation and a substantial yet accessible introduction by a leading scholar of Tibetan religions. Religions of Tibet in Practice represents the largest sourcebook on Tibetan religions ever assembled, a work of great value to scholars, students, and general readers.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent contributors of Tibetan Buddhism.......2005-08-23

This book is a collection of articles from excellent contributors of Tibetan Buddhism.Read books by contributors like David Germano,Yael Bentor and Richard Kohn.

A splendid, varied collection of translations from Tibetan........1999-07-01

Donald S. Lopez, Jr.'s newest volume in the Princeton Series is Religions of Tibet in Practice. It includes translations of all sorts of interesting texts in the Tibetan tradition from bits of Gesar of Ling to a Gelug vinaya-type text. Contributions are by various scholars including Shambhala's Nalanda Translation Committee, and others such as Matthew Kapstein, Per Kvaerne, Toni Huber and Janet Gyatso. The introductions by Lopez, Norma E. Levine, Francoise Pommaret and others from around the world, provide a clear context for all readers ranging from the merely curious to students of history, religion and the humanities, and, of course, to inquiring Buddhists. These introductory essays serve to explain the purpose or use of each selected text and so do much to dispel the prevalent notion that the religious practices of Tibetans, educated or not, Buddhist or not, are a confused, though gorgeously exotic mish-mash of animism/shamanism lightly touched with sexual imagery from Tantric yoga and incursions from the Graeco-Roman, even Christian,West.

I found this volume to be like a walk through a scented market. There are booths and stalls to appeal to every taste, yet they are not laid out in random fashion. Lopez has carefully arranged the selections around various themes. There are items to please the connoisseur as well as the tourist. The stroll, itself, is delightful whether one intends to buy or not. There are tasty samples here and there: The introduction makes a good argument against the prevalent contemporary notion that the Bon tradition is but a mere reaction to Buddhism derived from ancient "primitive" beliefs. Since the selections range over a thousand years, I was reminded of the changing fortunes of the various sects, as this or that monastery found favour in the eyes of the Mongolian or Chinese, Indian or local Tibetan kings and princes.

A splendid, varied collection of translations from Tibetan........1999-07-01

Book Description

Guru yoga is the foundation for the whole tantric structure;it is the force that gives vitality to a serious practitioner's meditation.

The Sound of Two Hands Clapping: The Education of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk (A Philip E. Lilienthal Book in Asian Studies)

Average customer rating:

A very enlightening book.
Extremely Valuable Inside Look at Ge-luk Monasticism

The Sound of Two Hands Clapping: The Education of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk (A Philip E. Lilienthal Book in Asian Studies)
Georges B.J. Dreyfus
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520232607

Book Description

A unique insider's account of day-to-day life inside a Tibetan monastery, The Sound of Two Hands Clapping reveals to Western audiences the fascinating details of monastic education. Georges B. J. Dreyfus, the first Westerner to complete the famous Ge-luk curriculum and achieve the distinguished title of geshe, weaves together eloquent and moving autobiographical reflections with a historical overview of Tibetan Buddhism and insights into its teachings.

Customer Reviews:

A very enlightening book........2007-01-17

I cannot agree more with the previous reviewer.

This truly is an edifying book for those who want to reach out the vast realm of spirituality, education, and human experience. I have read the Dalai Lama's books and been wondering what kind of education would create a creature of intellect and spiritual with unfathomable wisdom? This book helps me to sneak preview the 'mistery' yet it challenges my own perceptions about rituals and religions, as well as my belief systems. Religious disciplines and devotions are always inspiring, but in this book, they are taken to the next level because they are narrated through a man from the other side of the hemisphere, then in his early 20s, whose soul-searching quest took him to this incredible journey.

Moreover, Georges Dreyfus was raised in the west - French speaking region in Switzerland - which makes his ardent spiritual transformation through the Ge-luk scholastic approach to Buddhism (let me say it) much more prevalent. He has crossed the threshold of west and east in a pious way, many would have thought it is impossible, and yet, when he returns to our mundane world, he can see that there is, for instance, humor in debate practices in monastery scholastic tradition. Unquestionable, not all of us can take the risk of being defeated in a harsh and thought-provoking debate lightly, with humor!

This is not a `how to' book, yet the description of such a strenuous 'memorization tradition' as part of the scholastic curriculum is more than didactic. I am tempted to say that those Monks will score very high in GRE and SAT tests. Yes, this book is not a self-help one, but it is definitely the one that I will take out of the bookshelf every so often.

Extremely Valuable Inside Look at Ge-luk Monasticism.......2003-05-01

Georges Dreyfus is a scholar of truly prodigious learning. In this book he reflects on his unique experience studying in various Ge-luk-ba monastic education centers in the Tibetan exile community in India, particularly at Drepung Loseling and the Institute of Dialectics. Dreyfus displays his great erudition in a fashion that is illuminating and not pedantic.

Most of the book is occupied with a historical and philosophical analysis of the Ge-luk scholastic approach to Buddhism. In particular, he focuses on two tensions within Ge-luk-ba. The first is the tension between exegesis and debate. The second is the tension between doctrinal allegiance to canonical texts and free and open inquiry into ideas. The picture of Ge-luk-ba scholasticism that emerges from Dreyfus' careful analysis of these twin tensions is a conservative institution that produces brilliant, and sometimes daring, thinkers.

This work is extremely valuable to scholars and dedicated practitioners alike, because it provides a unique insider's view of Tibetan Buddhist monastic education. Dreyfus is not only well steeped in the tradition he analyzes; he also maintains his scholarly rigor and critical acumen.

Dreyfus explains many practical aspects of Tibetan Buddhism that are not frequently discussed in Western scholarship. For example, I found it very illuminating to learn that, for scholars, Lam Rim texts and the related "Grounds and Paths" Prajnaparamita literature are not typically treated as literal, programmatic instructions on meditation courses. Rather, they are regarded as presenting systematic, overarching depictions of the Buddhist philosophical universe. This book is filled with important observations of this type.

If there is a weakness to this book (other than its rather unfortunate title), it is admittedly one-sided in its sphere of interest. It struck me as highly significant that the word "compassion" scarcely appears in this book. I believe it can be read in part as an apology for a style of monastic engagement, which places an enormous emphasis on study and debate, while not formally encouraging meditative praxis. This book focuses on the development of prajna on the basis of study and reflection, but strongly underemphasizes the soteriological aspect of Buddhism.

Of course, it is the author's prerogative to focus on their area of interest, and Dreyfus has done so with a magisterial understanding of the issues in question, carefully honed by decades of research.

A wonderful book.

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