Book Description
From one of the world's most acclaimed writers comes a collection of beautiful short stories based on the author's childhood ramoedya Ananta Toer is a major figure in world literature, listed in John Major's rewrite of the famous Lifetime Reading Plan among the likes of James Baldwin, Bertolt Brecht, Graham Greene, and John Steinbeck as one of 100 authors everyone should read. A constant contender for the Nobel Prize, he recently won one of France's highest literary awards and has won the highest award in Asian letters. In All That Is Gone, Pramoedya's semiautobiographical stories deal with life's major themes: birth and death, sexual knowledge and love, compassion and revenge. Some stories are written from a child's point of view, others from that of an adult. But all are written in a style that quickly wraps the reader up in this master storyteller's narrative web. This is the first time Pramoedya's short fiction has been widely available to the English reading public; its publication represents a significant addition to the canon of world literature in translation.
Customer Reviews:
All That is Gone: Great Story, too harsh.......2007-10-09
All That is Gone
By: Pramoedya Ananta Toer
This collection of realistic short stories by Pramoedya Ananta Toer was very emotionally moving, and somewhat depressing. Although I thought the book was written very well, it was almost hard to read for very long, because it was so harsh and melancholy. Regardless, the stories he wrote about young people and their harsh lives in Indonesia were the kind that almost any person can relate to.
The eight short stories in this book speak of love, hatred, separation, cultural tension, and the many occupations of Indonesia in the first half of the 20th century. Almost all of them involve families being broken apart, prisoners, death, and love. The stories are all written in easy-to-understand language, and I enjoyed reading it because of that. I learned a lot about Indonesian history, and throughout the book the Toer used very descriptive language, and I could really see and understand what was going on.
One of my favorite stories in the collection was the story Independence Day. It was about a family living during the time when the two political parties the "Reds" and the "Republicans" were fighting for power in Indonesia. The family had no mother, the father was taken by the "Reds", and the eldest sister joined them by choice, leaving the other five children to fend for themselves in a time where no one was a friend, and you could never be sure if you would be living in your house for much longer. The story introduced me to many new topics, and the harsh, cruel aspects of the story made me realize what tragic things occur in other parts of the world.
All That is Gone relates to my life, mostly because it is all about life. There is nothing entirely unrealistic about it, and although I cannot fathom the misery and sorrow these characters experience, somehow I understand their lives. I know what it is like to be very uncertain of what you are going to do in life, just like these characters, but on a much smaller scale. When I moved from my old school to Catlin, all of my friends went to a public school, but I chose to come here. Other than my parents, I had no idea who would understand my situation or be able to really help me, just like the siblings in Independence Day.
Overall, the book was fascinating, and I really enjoyed learning about the different cultures from that part of the world, and I enjoyed learning about the harsh but interesting history.
All That is Gone: Great Story, too harsh.......2007-10-09
All That is Gone
By: Pramoedya Ananta Toer
This collection of realistic short stories by Pramoedya Ananta Toer was very emotionally moving, and somewhat depressing. Although I thought the book was written very well, it was almost hard to read for very long, because it was so harsh and melancholy. Regardless, the stories he wrote about young people and their harsh lives in Indonesia were the kind that almost any person can relate to.
The eight short stories in this book speak of love, hatred, separation, cultural tension, and the many occupations of Indonesia in the first half of the 20th century. Almost all of them involve families being broken apart, prisoners, death, and love. The stories are all written in easy-to-understand language, and I enjoyed reading it because of that. I learned a lot about Indonesian history, and throughout the book the Toer used very descriptive language, and I could really see and understand what was going on.
One of my favorite stories in the collection was the story Independence Day. It was about a family living during the time when the two political parties the "Reds" and the "Republicans" were fighting for power in Indonesia. The family had no mother, the father was taken by the "Reds", and the eldest sister joined them by choice, leaving the other five children to fend for themselves in a time where no one was a friend, and you could never be sure if you would be living in your house for much longer. The story introduced me to many new topics, and the harsh, cruel aspects of the story made me realize what tragic things occur in other parts of the world.
All That is Gone relates to my life, mostly because it is all about life. There is nothing entirely unrealistic about it, and although I cannot fathom the misery and sorrow these characters experience, somehow I understand their lives. I know what it is like to be very uncertain of what you are going to do in life, just like these characters, but on a much smaller scale. When I moved from my old school to Catlin, all of my friends went to a public school, but I chose to come here. Other than my parents, I had no idea who would understand my situation or be able to really help me, just like the siblings in Independence Day.
Overall, the book was fascinating, and I really enjoyed learning about the different cultures from that part of the world, and I enjoyed learning about the harsh but interesting history.
Great stories, weak translation.......2004-10-06
Pramoedya is a master of the short story, and "Stories from Blora" is his finest collection. Sadly this translation is often cliched and often shallow. Pramoedya deserves a more nuanced translator than Mr. Samuels. Readers are advised to seek out the stories translated by Benedict Anderson and James Siegel -- scholars who have a far more sophisticated understanding of Indonesia and the author.
A Fine Collection of Stories, A Fine Author.......2004-05-26
Pramoedya Ananta Toer is an Indonesian writer who lives in Jakarta and has garnered many prizes for his work. I was surprised to read that he is considered by some to be in a class with James Baldwin, Graham Greene, Bertolt Brecht, and John Steinbeck. Perhaps in his thirty novels he may rise to those standards, but as for ALL THAT IS GONE: Stories (my first introduction to his writing) he emerges as a talented story teller, but one of many such writers active today. Not that this collection is not noteworthy - far from that. Toer has a style that is deceptively simple (he likens stories to the tradition in his native Indonesia of depending on the spoken tales by storytellers instead of the written word) and while the content of his stories may seem simplistic, the after-burn of the message is unusually pungent. The stories appear autobiographical in nature and range from tales as seen and told through a child's eyes to those of young adult and mature elders. In the title story the narrator is a small boy who is observing his family disintegration. In "Inem" one of his 'foster children family' who share the narrator's home is sold into marriage at age 8 and the story concerns her fantasies of 'being someone' and her ultimate acceptance of reality. "Circumcision" is gently humorous and simultaneously tender as our narrator gains the courage for the tradition of circumcision making him an adult. "Revenge" (the strongest of this collection) is a story about the young man's need to participate in the glory of becoming a soldier in order to become a man and to honor his homeland, only to come face to face with the realities of War in all its horror. "Defeated troops are always silent, but that night I thought I could hear the men's hearts screaming out to be remembered." "...there came to me my life's first revelation: that life is actually very simple, but that man, lake a wind in the dry season filling the air with debris, turns simplicity into chaos. It is this self-induced state of chaos that causes men to kill one another." "War is war, no doubt about it - a constant cycle of man's evil toward man." The other stories deal with how prisoners are ill-treated (!) and how Indonesia has moved through the maze of colonialism and independence with lasting imprints from the line of captors - the Dutch, the Japanese, the revolutionaries. Toer's manner is straightforward and incorporates a lot of Indonesian history and culture. For some this will be revelatory, for others it will be a confusing stumbling block. In all, these are well-written stories (and in the case of "Revenge" , brilliant). No doubt Toer is an important writer, but I think it will take more than this collection to justify the eager praise on the book jacket cover.
Book Description
Orphaned by a cholera epidemic, Neb and his young brother are sent to the desolate farm of their last living relative. But when the savage Horsekin tribes begin raiding the villages along Deverry's western border, the brothers must flee for their lives. A chance encounter with Salamander-a bard and master of dweomer magic-proves their salvation, as he brings them to the shelter of Tieryn Cadryc's dun. Here Neb finds love with his soulmate Branna only to be dragged into a war for the very survival of the kingdom. And though both Neb and Branna are gifted with dweomer magic, they are also facing powerful enemies they have fought before in past lives they no longer remember.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2004-11-09
If you like Sci-Fi and you like Space, then You've GOT to read Larry Niven's Man Kzin books. He's gotten together with scientists and over 20 writers and created a so-fi world unlike any that's ever been created.
His sci-fi world will continue perpetuating itself long after he's gone because many young writers have bought into his sci-fi version of space as well as MANY older well established ones.
Excellent, if rather depressing, science fiction........2002-02-22
For those of you new to this series, the Kzinti are a race, created by Larry Niven, which he has given other authors permission to write stories about in this series. They are a spacefaring, sentient race evolved from carnivorous hunting cats rather than omnivorous monkeys, just as intelligent as humans and slightly more advanced technologically, at least in some areas. The only thing that has kept them from enslaving all of humanity is that they have a code of honor that frowns upon sufficient caution; their general idea of strategy and tactics is "First you scream and then you leap".
In many ways, this installment is the best of the series so far; the quality of the writing in both stories is extremely good. The only drawback is that while in neither story can it be said that the heros "fail", the price for their success in each story is depressingly high.
The first story is a continuation of the first story in volume IV of the series; those who read and enjoyed that story will not want to miss this one.
Kinsbury's novella is the highlight of this episode........1999-05-25
The Man/Kzin Wars have been full of dering-do but light on character development and cultural insights. Donald Kingsbury remedies this in "The Heroic Myth of Lt. Nora Argenine",the novella that comprises most of Man/Kzin VI. My only critique is that some of his intricate creations--Kzin mathematical traditions, for example--sit uneasily against the Kzin we see in most of this series--written as hidebound, unimaginative goons. For a refreshing foray into real characterization, try this story. The book's other story, "The Trojan Cat", is a decent effort with an unexpected ending.
Average customer rating:
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MAN-KZIN WARS VI
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I67SME |
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Man-Kzin Wars VI
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0743876075 |
Book Description
Jane Harrison examines the festivals of ancient Greek religion to identify the primitive "substratum" of ritual and its persistence in the realm of classical religious observance and literature. In Harrison's preface to this remarkable book, she writes that J. G. Frazer's work had become part and parcel of her "mental furniture" and that of others studying primitive religion. Today, those who write on ancient myth or ritual are bound to say the same about Harrison. Her essential ideas, best developed and most clearly put in the Prolegomena, have never been eclipsed.
Customer Reviews:
"Behind their bright splendours I see moving darker and older shapes.".......2006-03-02
Jane Ellen Harrison was a ground breaking scholar in the field of mythology--she was one of a group of what was called the "Cambridge Ritualists" who believed that contrary to prior belief that myths arose from rituals rather than rituals from myths.
Her primary thesis in Prolegomena is that the religion of the Greeks and Romans has been only selectively reported in order to support a vision of rational, highly civilized people as the progenitors of western thought. Scholarship of the 19th century was founded on the notion that "the integrity of Western Civilization depends upon the exceptionality of the Greeks" (p. xx). This vision was developed by the Romantic movement to support a superior intellectual foundation to western civilization that emerged from the Greek and Romans.
Harrison argues that in fulfilling this desire to have exalted ancestors, the true religion of the Greeks has been overlooked. Her scholarship is focused on what has not been noticed-her conclusion is that the Olympian gods of Homer are the final product of centuries of evolution from a more primitive collection of chthonic deities or forces.
Harrison is more interested in the earlier forms of religion--the underworld beings that were placated to prevent evil. She is a master at examining greek texts and art to delineate these ancient deities. As Harrison says: "Great things in literature, Greek plays for example, I most enjoy when behind their bright splendours I see moving darker and older shapes"
This book can be utilized as a reference to understand certain Greek myths more easily--or read it straight through to get a more thorough understanding of the world of Greek mysticism!!
Man makes the gods in his own image.......2005-08-08
Although partly out-of-date, Jane Harrison's analysis of 'neglected' aspects of Greek religion proves these aspects to be 'essential'. By dissecting rites, ceremonies, festivities and mysteries, she exposes the real obsessions of the Ancient Greek (Plato included). Instead of being 'possessed by a set of conceptions based on Periclean Athens', she shows astonishingly that Ancient Greece was still a totally irrational, savage and primitive society, dominated by ignorance and fear. Her picture is far more gloomy than the rosy one drawn by other scholars, who imposed their own language on ancient societies ('We should not monotheize').
In Ancient Greece, there was no 'civil' law. Law was essentially magic and in the first place a curse. People thought that they could injure their enemies by curse tablets, swathed figures ... In Plato's 'Laws', people who injured other citizens by magic had to die.
Ignorance and fear concerning the souls of the death, sprites, ghosts and demons were a fertile ground for theology (better: demonology). Evil spirits reflected the population's own savage, cruel and irrational passions and relations. (Porphyry: 'No Greek sacrifice of a camel or an elephant').
The Greek believed that evil was a physical infection that could be transferred on animals and human beings. The latter could be sacrificed in order to purify the rest of the population. One is astonished to learn that human sacrifices still took place in the 5th century BC. 'Pharmakoi' were kept and fed at the public expense in order to be slaughtered in rites of Aversion (riddance of evil spirits).
Winds were believed to be ghosts who had to be placated by sacrifices. The latter (humans were better than animals) took also place for mandic reasons.
In Greek theology, there were 'no gods at all', only conceptions of the human mind. Theology's formulary was 'panta rei'.
New gods developed out of heroes or crystallized out of a gentler form of ghost or were imported from other regions. One of the new gods was Dionysos coming from Thrace. He was the god of all growing things and of physical intoxication. His double was the god of spiritual intoxication: Orpheus (Orphism). The latter Mystery had a profound influence on Plato and his theory of the immortality of the soul (essentialism).
The author's analysis of the Eleusian Mysteries and Orphism are interesting but partly out-of-date, because new sources of information were discovered after the publication of her book.
For Eleusis I recommend G. Meautis's 'The Mysteries of Eleusis', and for Orphism, W. Guthrie's 'Orpheus and Greek Religion'.
This book contains excellent graphic material, which is magisterially analyzed by the author.
Harrison's book is still a must for all those interested in Ancient Greece. It is the work of a superb free mind.
Excellent Detailed Information.......2003-09-16
I was searching for an answer to the mystery that was in the Greek Mysteries. Harrison provides the answers. Prolegomena provides a very detailed account of the Mysteries that are rooted in worship of the the Chthonic (Earth) Gods that preceded the Olympian deities. The reading level of this book is probably the most difficult I have ever experienced in a book that I am reading purely for pleasure. You must have a burning interest in the field of ancient Greek religion to be able to appreciate this book for the great work it is.
Jaime Gomez
A Fascinating Classic.......2003-03-03
Although published in the early 1900s and outdated in certain areas, Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion is still an essential read for anyone interested in Greek Religion. Perhaps the best description of the book would be to call it the Greek Golden Bough.
In this classic work, Harrison sought to uncover the primitive substratum of Greek religion, so rather than focusing on the
Olympian deities, she spends the better part of the book discussing ghosts, 'demons', and the chthonic deities. The religious landscape that she illuminates is therefore nothing like the cheery and rational world of the Olympians. The dark, the creepy and the uncanny tend to predominate.
The book is very well-written, and the author's fascination with her material is infectious. I found it so powerful a reading experience that I can only describe Prolegomena in terms of a kind of anthropological prose poetry. Although its ostensible topic is a rather specialized and obscure field of enquiry, one comes away from the book with a feeling of having gained a deeper insight into that most general of topics, the human condition.
I have to agree with the other reviewer who emphasizes that this is not a book for those completely unfamiliar with ancient Greek religion. Moreover, parts of it might be frustrating and tedious for readers without knowledge of the ancient Greek language, since Harrison is constantly engaged in the elucidiation and discussion of Greek religious terminology.
All in all, an unforgettable book that, unlike most academic studies, is a piece of great literature.
Indispensible classic.......2002-11-16
This book is an indispensible classic for anybody interested in Greek religion. I was considering following up Prof. Harrison's weighty tome by writing the sequel: "Avgolemeno to the Study of Greek Soup Making," but I couldn't find an interested publisher, for some reason.
*Note: "Avgolemeno" is a well-known Greek, lemon-flavored soup.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Best Cookboks I have ever purchased!!!!!.......1999-03-11
I loved this book, and hope they come out with another one real soon!!
Customer Reviews:
book review.......2000-12-29
Fantastic book overall!! Topics covered include side by side to autoloaders to various kinds of ammo for all types of birds. Great read from an honest author!
Barsness is currently the best.......2000-03-08
Barsness has written the best current overview of shotguns for hunting: not sporting clays, trap, etc. He is not aligned nor does he show a marked prejudice for a particular type of shotgun like the side by side which is so prevalent today. He explains the advantages and downsides of various guns and does a particularly good job on the very important, if not vital, subject of stock design and fit. Although I think you can find much of this information elsewhere, Barsness brings it together in a very concise format and cuts through the "poppycock." Plus, the photos are great!
Book Description
The Orvis Wingshooting Handbook is a concise and clearly written guide to the fundamentals and intricacies of wing shooting. Chapters include an analysis of field shooting versus skeet and trap; a discussion of basic techniques; how to choose the right gun; how to aim properly; safety and etiquette; tools you'll need; and more. Black-and-white illustrations throughout help the reader gain a more thorough understanding of Bowlen's tips and techniques.
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- Creative, Fascinating Use of the Mirror
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Mirror by Design: Using Reflection to Transform Space
Pamela Heyne
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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General
| Drawing & Modelling
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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Furniture
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
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Furniture & Carpentry
| Woodworking
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
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General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
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ASIN: 0471118338 |
Book Description
This book gives readers the full tour on mirror, from its origins over 6,000 years ago to today's uses in design. It also illustrates the remarkable ways in which mirror can be used to alter perspectives and change the way people react to a room. Color and black-and-white photographs demonstrate design achievements with mirror.
Customer Reviews:
Creative, Fascinating Use of the Mirror.......1999-12-06
To paraphrase 'Art Times', 'this is far more than an interior decorator's book, but a definitive analysis of the creative, and practical uses of the mirror.' 'Mirror By Design' won Honorable Mention for the Polsky Award from the American Society of Interior Designers.
Ms. Heyne, an architect herself, shows how architects and designers use mirrors to dematerialize heavy, bulky design elements, such as mirroring supporting columns; to create illusions, such as installing an 'infinity chamber' in a low restaurant ceiling to provide the feeling of height; or even to create views where there are none, such as through Ms. Heyne's own 'periscope window', which reflects a view from ground level into a basement area.
Experiments in underground space, in light tubes which can provide sunlight in lower story rooms, and numerous other fascinating products, make this a wonderful resource for the architect or designer.
Average customer rating:
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The Protection of Well-Known Marks in Asia (Max Planck Series on Asian Intellectual Property Law, V. 1)
Christopher Heath
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Graphic Arts
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Administrative Law
| Law
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Commercial
| Business
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| Intellectual Property
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Patent, Trademark & Copyright
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ASIN: 9041197052 |
Book Description
Trade mark law has become an increasingly important field of law in the context of a rapidly globalizing economy. The promotion and protection of marks is widely viewed as the most important tool for a successful expansion of business, particularly in areas of economic transformation such as the Asia-Pacific region. The importance of the Asian market for global competition makes the appearance of a book on the protection of well-known marks in Asia extremely timely. This collection of expert essays examines the legal protection of well-known marks both under trade mark and unfair competition law in 10 different jurisdictions of the Asia-Pacific region, analysing the still widespread piracy of well-known marks in the context of the underlying legal and cultural concepts. It explores the significance of trade marks in an information society, highlighting the tensions between those seeking to protect their well-established brands globally in an age of electronic commerce, and those concerned to prevent large firms from being granted indiscriminate control over certain marks without having made the corresponding marketing efforts. It examines the opportunities and problems arising from the advent of the new digital technology, and looks at some of the issues the technology gives rise to, such as the protection of domain names. The papers collected in this volume are the revised and updated proceedings of a conference on Trade Marks, Domain Names and Unfair Competition in the Information Age, held in Taipei in January 1999, as the result of the co-operation by the Sun Yat-Sen Institute for Social Sciences and Philosophy, Academia Sinica, Taipei, and the Max Planck Institute, Munich.
Product Description
In the depth of every human being, there is a profound need for answers to the fundamental questions of existence. Is there a God? What is Truth? What is Reality? 'The Knee of Listening' has transformed the lives of thousands of secular and religious seekers since it was first published in 1972, because it answers all of these questions.
This autobiography shows, with incomparable wisdom and clarity, a life moved by the Divine, and a being of such unheard-of greatness that many readers are left amazed and touched by this book.
Adi Da s spiritual autobiography tells the miraculous story of his unique Incarnation and Revelation in the West for the sake of liberating all beings. To read it is to find the very Heart of Reality--tangibly felt in your own heart as the deepest truth of Existence. It is the great mystery that you are invited to discover.
This newly expanded edition includes an expanded description of Adi Da's early-life, leading up to his Divine Re-Awakening in 1970 and the secrets of his birth in 1939. It also has new revelations about the spiritual work of the great Realizers in his lineage, and Adi Da's unique demonstration of the Seventh Stage of Life. The profound events of "Yogic death" (in 1986, 1999, and 2000) that occurred after his Divine Re-Awakening--events that completed his process of Incarnating the Divine Conscious Light are new as well to this new edition.
From Amazon readers of a previous edition:
"... a kick a** book - that really gets to the core of what life, suffering and God Realization is all about.
"... an amazing story of the an actual and real spiritual awakening and transformation..."
Adapted from the introduction:
From time to time, there is a book that challenges, and eventually changes, the entire perspective of a civilization. 'The Knee Of Listening' is such an epoch-making book. Appearing at the beginning of the third millennium of the common era, it carries a Revelation that has the potenti
Customer Reviews:
A profound spiritual autobiography.......2005-04-29
The Knee of Listening by Adi Da Dawn Horse Press 621p (1995)
This is one of many editions of the spiritual autobiography of the unique American mystic
Adi Da. The first edition was 1972 and new editions with more material and much advertising about the group continue to appear. I also got the latest one(2004) which was about 3 times the size and weight but the hundreds of pages of new material was more of the opaque prose and advertising. So, I recommend one of the earlier paperpack editions like this one.
The sticker on the cover says `The most profound spiritual autobiography of all time` and this might well be true. I am in my 60's and have read thousands of books and this if one of the great ones. Certainly it is by far the fullest and clearest account of enlightenment I have ever seen. Even if you have no interest at all in the most fascinating of all human psychological processes, it is an amazing document that reveals a great deal about religion, yoga, and human psychology and probes the depths and limits of human possibilities.
As I have read and experienced alot in various religious traditions, I naturally compare his writings with those of others, particularly with the great Indian mystic Osho. Though they clearly agree on the major points of how to prodceed on the path, letting go of the attachment to the spiritual quest etc. their styles are vastly different. Both are highly intelligent and well read(Osho could speed read and read over 100,000 books) and were at home in the spiritual literature of the major religious traditions. However, most of Da's books are essentially unreadable as he struggles to express in language the ineffable realms of the enlightened mind. Even in this, by far his most readable book, he often veers off into pages of opacity as he tries to explain the unexplainable. Osho by contrast is the clearest, most jargon free expositor of the spiritual life who has ever lived. He wrote very little and nearly all of his more than 200 books are transcriptions of spontaneous talks he gave-- with no notes or preparation. They are nonetheless unexcelled masterpieces of spiritual literature. His amazing àutobiography`(actually compiled after his death) has been published by St. Martins by the full version is available online at www.oshoworld.com and other places. Unfortunately, he has very little to say about the exact details of his spiritual progress.
Most of Osho's talks were videotaped and are available on tape and DVD. As Da lives most of the time in seclusion on an island in Fiji it is not easy to get to hear him but the Dawn Horse Press sells a few videotapes on their web page. Da is not a very engaging or facile speaker, unlike Osho who is by turns amusing, shattering and hypnotic. But, as both of them understand, it's what the master is and not he says that is important.
Both of them were utterly honest and uncompromising in their life and teachings and Da omits nothing of relevance, including his youthful adventures with sex and drugs as well as his exposure to LSD, psilocybin and mescaline as a volunteer in government experiments. However, as with many or perhaps all of those destined to become enlightened, he was different from birth and experienced the Shakti energy (which he calls the Bright) from childhood. And, when he entered college, he said his primary interest was to discover what living beings are and what is living consciousness. Clearly not your typical freshman.
A major problem in describing advanced spiritual states is that no criteria or language for them exists in common discourse so mystics have to try to bend language in mostly vain attempts to capture their experiences. It is far worse than trying to describe seeing to a congenitally blind person since they at least have the cognitive structures and experience of the world. But mystics are quite rare and most of them have left little or no description of their mental states.
Unlike Osho, who rejected miracles, paranormal phenomena and all the other nonsense that commonly accompanies religion, Da seems to lack any science background at all and embraces precognition(p120), reincarnation(p555),`meditating` other persons, living on air(p287) etc., and regards the phenomena that I would say are happening in his brain as being `out there`. From comments included in newer editions it is clear that many of his disciples believe he can perform miracles like stopping a raging forest fire at their California retreat. Nevertheless, most of the time he is amazingly levelheaded, going thru over a decade of stress and psychic terrors that would drive most from the spiritual path. Millions of years of evolution have solidified the ego and it does not leave peacefully.
Interwoven with the spellbinding account of his spiritual progress are the details of the minds interaction with the body described in the East in terms of various forms of Yoga(eg., p95-9, 214-21, 249,281-3, 439-40). These few pages are worth more than a whole shelf of yoga books if you want to get to the heart of the mind/body relation in spirituality.
Unlike most who have become enlightened, he had a thorough grounding in Christian practice and made a major effort to become a protestant and then Greek Orthodox minister. Even years later, after he was far along the path with Muktananda, he had an amazing and totally unexpected series of visitations from Mary and Jesus that went on for weeks(p 301-3 et seq.).
Regarding drugs, as is nearly universal among spiritual teachers, he notes that although they may remove certain barriers at times, they do not provide a shortcut to understanding. However, nearly everyone is now aware that they put many on the path to higher consciousness.
He describes in detail the many stages in his ego death or self realization(eg, p72-4, 198-200, 219,20, 238-9, 245, 249, 258-9, 281, 355-65, 368-72, 406). Along the way, he realized the ultimate disutility of all practices and all traditions(337-9) including yoga(281-3) which are all attached to seeking and goals, ultimately winding up in the present. He discovered, as have many others, that seeking and meditation became obstacles and gave them up for devotion to his guru Muktananda(p420-22). His detailed accounts of his interactions with the famous Swami Muktananda and his ultimate realization of his limitations are of rare insight and honesty.
He constantly encounters his attachment to his ego(Narcissus-- eg, p108-110) and asks himself--`Avoiding Relationship?` by which he seems to mean avoiding the divine or ego death with spiritual seeking.
After enlightenment he teaches the 'only by me revealed and given Way of the heart`, finding all other paths to be `remedial` and 'egoic' and merely pursuing God or reality(p359 +) but after a careful reading of this and several other books I never got any idea what that way consists in. Undoubtedly being in his presence helps alot but in other places he has complained about the fact that his disciples just won't let it happen and one wonders if even one has been able to follow him. Of course the same considerations apply to all traditions and teachers and though some of Osho's friends(he disavowed the master/disciple relationship) have claimed enlightenment, nobody of his status has emerged. It looks like you have to have the right genes and the right environment and a very advanced and preferably enlightened guru to stimulate you. The world desperately needs higher consciousness and I hope that someone comes up with an easier way very soon.
Eye-and-Heart Opening.......2005-02-10
Adi Da Samraj reveals his life and work in the pages of this autobiography, and as that revelation unfolds, a simple fact emerges: he has gone through an extraordinary ordeal to give us all a way to be happy, even right now. It is a fascinating and moving account of how that way came to be, full of both the ordinary trappings of human existence and incredible spiritual awakenings. This book opened my eyes and heart to a rare being. Definitely worth the read.
The most illuminating autobiography you will ever read!.......2005-01-18
This is the most illuminating autobiography you will ever read! It will change your whole idea of life. When I read Adi Da's words, I can feel amazing clarity and bliss pervading my mind and heart. Troubles, seeking, and problems seem to instantly disappear.
I have always loved the prologue to the Knee of Listening, which speaks about the real possibility of freedom from fear of death:
"Death is utterly acceptable to consciousness and life. There has been endless time of numberless deaths, but neither consciousness nor life has ceased to arise. The felt quality and cycle to death has not modified the fragility of flowers, even the flowers within the human body. Therefore, one's understanding of consciousness and life must be turned to That Utter, Inclusive Truth, That Clarity and Wisdom, That Power and Untouchable Gracefulness, That One and only Reality, this evidence suggests. One must cease to live in a superficial and divided way, seeking and demanding consciousness and life in the present apparent form, avoiding and resisting what appears to be the end of consciousness and life in death.
The Heart Is Real understanding. The Heart Is Real Consciousness and Real Life. The Heart Is What Merely and Only Is, but Which Is also Appearing In and Behind the conditions of mortal life and its death. Therefore, it is said of old, the One That Is Is neither born nor come to death, not Alive merely as the limitation of form (itself), not Itself (or Entirely) Rendered in what appears, and, yet, It Is the Living One, than Which there Is no lesser other (and no Great or Greater Other), Appearing As all of this Play of changes, but Eternally One, Unchanging, and Free.
There is Only the Constant Knowledge and Enjoyment of the Heart, moment to moment, through the instant of all conditions of appearance and disappearance. Of This I Am Perfectly Certain. I Am That."
Profound beyond Limit.......2004-07-31
I have just started reading this newly updated book, having read an older version several years ago, and I am even more speechless reading this book - with the profundity, the sacrifice, and the recognition of the One Who speaks through The Knee of Listening. This is spiritually historical, but also very human.
I am newly impressed on each page and each chapter, with the depth of Adi Da's Realization, and with the sacrifice Adi Da has made and continues to make for the sake of returning to the "Bright" not just himself, but as his gift for all humanity, for our liberation and Happiness. The relentless willingness he has to go beyond all limits blows me away! Also, the relationship he had to his teachers is very instructive, especially talking about Nityananda and Vivekenanda. I think this book is a must read for anyone interested in God, Truth, Religion, or anyone on their own spirutual path.
Books:
- An Outline of the Republic : A Novel
- Astronauts: and Other Stories
- Best of Tin House: Stories
- Beyond Summer Dreams
- Bloomsday: Ulysses in Boston
- By the Grand Canal: A Novel
- Circling Eden: A Novel of Israel in Stories
- Circus of the Grand Design
- Despistes y Franquezas
- Dorian: An Imitation
Books Index
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