The real meaning and the essence of the concept called ...
923735
The real meaning and the essence of the concept called "love", should not be confused with manifestation of "lust".
1434807
This is a subversive book in the best sense of the word.  It reminds us, again and again, that as long as we look "out there" for the source of meaning in our lives, we are doomed to wander and wonder.  But when we accept that we get to create the adventure and meaning in our lives from the raw material of existence itself, we have a shot at constructing lives worth living.  The insights and exercises in this book are obvious only when we make that great leap to the frontier that we carry with us.  When so many books purport to be our guides to a better life "out there" this book works to remind us that our lives already have meaning, that we are ready right where we are, and that we already have everything going for us.  Recommended.
3168047
Eben has captured the essence of the mind vs. the soul.  This is a powerful, scientific perspective of what happens when we leave this planet.  But more importantly, the book reminds us all that we,are loved, connected, and part of something much bigger than this earthly system we fun ourselves in.  this is a perfect read for skeptics of consciousness and seekers alike.
2070132
In this remarkable book, Bohm demonstates the falseness of concepts such as "I" and "me", and how these concepts are the inevitable product of a system - the system of thought - that is created when thought is allowed to dominate consciousness and produce all the incoherence and dysfunction we experience in a culture where it is implicitly assumed that thought is the only means of perceiving reality. The process Bohm uses in the book is a dialogue with a group of 30 or so people. As was the case with his friend Krishnamurti, Bohm avoids assuming a position of authority since this would be to fall into the trap of thought and the authoritarianism inherent in the illusory - but to the system of thought necessary - concept of "I" as "thinker". Instead Bohm creates and sustains a dialogue with the people in the group through group reflection. Bohm hints at something transcending thought but does not attempt to define the  undefineable. Rather the dialogue demonstrates the falseness of the idea of thought and "thinker" as the means of perceiving the real thus aiding the participants to open to what may lie beyond thought.
2306736
I am giving 5 stars, besides the need for editing the book language, because the content, in my opinion, is of the most importance. I am not a newbie in this kind of subject, this is why I can understand clearly what the author is trying to comunicate. Any person in search of the spiritual connection to their Souls(I am not refering about knows that we become real human beings when our essence is awake and not rooted only in our personalities (egos) anymore. He tries to describe from there the good we are capable of doing with our essence rooted in our Souls. The Spiritual level is revealed throught perception of the Divine around us - noticing synchronicities, getting messages in numinous dreams, events, situations, and so on, when in contact with the Divine. He tries to teach how we do some betterment in these levels and how. More information from more writers about this reality are welcomed, since I do believe, we have so many people capable of understanding it and acting upon it.
441313
The absolute "real" thing.  These ascetics mean what they say when they want to give their hearts to the Lord! This way of life, though not for many, and though extremely difficult, must bring such profound possession of the love of God. Their witness is a definition for "true surrender".
1605696
This book captures the essence of Christ in a way most people don't understand it.  Most can verbalize "love and grace" as the core message of Christ.  Few can experience it.  This easy-to-read book uses a biblical and logical approach to describe what Christ has done for us -- and why it is so difficult for us to accept.  This book is truly a gift to the soul.
2375084
This book hits the nail on the head regarding what we think we believe and with how we really live and work in this world.  Chapter 2, "the Abstract Wild: a Rant" and chapter 4, "Economic Nature" are particularly valuable, but then so is the rest.  This is a book that makes the reader face the reality of our world and what we are making of it on no uncertian terms.  If you think that we can reconcile the comfort of modern life with the real world you need to read this book.  The world we are loosing is very different from the "abstract wild" we believe we are "saving".  The book makes the strongest justification and argument for the spiritual reality of the world over the "economic reality" that we seem to think we must compromise with.

The "Abstract Wild" belongs in every hand that hold such writings as Thoreau, Leopold and Abbey important.  Much like Thoreau, it holds up a mirror that all of us, including the "mainstream" environmentalists should look on.  It reveals an image that is difficult to rationalize away, showing some hard truths that we all must heed if we wish to truely change, both individually and as a culture.  The "Wildness" that is the salvation of the world is more than a slogan, a momentary protest or a cause.  It's Reality in the true meaning of the word.
2897320
I recommend this reading for those that have already read the Four Agreements and The Fifth Agreement; otherwise I am not certain the events of this book deliver true understanding. I have been reading the writings of Mr. Ruiz and his students for three years now and continue to gain enlightenment with each book. It's a process of continued learning and understanding that is having profound influence on my life. As many, I've been searching for meaning in life. This path is open and honest without any pressure to believe its words.
4197861
The entirety of the body is a perfect reflection of our beliefs, thoughts and emotions. It is the physical manifestation of our inner beliefs about who we are. Chakras are vast pools of energy in our bodies which govern our psychological qualities. There are said to be seven main Chakras in all; four in our upper body, which govern our mental properties, and three in the lower body, which govern our instinctual properties. I am grateful for reading this book as I am in the middle of seeking balance and inner peace and getting to know myself better. This book is easy to digest and reveals simple yet profound meanings. This book is great at explaining some free methods that a person can use to improve his life.
It is indeed a good read and I recommend this book to everyone.
1163668
When one is raised in the western world it is common to have a built-in skepticism toward any form of ancient wisdom that finds itself at odds with the scientific or academic status quo. Even those who have embraced spiritual concepts are likely to harbor a deep-rooted resistance to mystical teachings that were erroneously dismissed and ridiculed by misguided figures of authority long ago based upon scientific assumptions which are continuously in play.

As we travel along the very interesting path of awakening experienced by Rizwan Virk in Zen Entrepreneurship, we witness the gradual breaking down of his resistance to the laws of the universe and are warmly invited to re-examine the understandable yet potentially disastrous prejudices imposed upon us by our societal conditioning. These laws, which are only perceived and understood as we expand our consciousness into the realm of hidden worlds are found at the heart of all major religions yet are most accurately preserved by isolated indigenous traditions.

One of the things that makes this book so powerful is that instead of demonizing our desire to master the material world, it helps us to understand the importance of balancing that desire with a much higher aim, that of the "career warrior." It teaches us that to truly embrace the path of the career warrior we must learn to fuse together our best intentions and highest selves with our worldly ambitions. In this respect Rizwan is humbly inviting us to cast aside doubt in order to reconcile our social conditioning with life's deeper truths. Truths that can only be discovered by becoming highly self-aware. Only by observing ourselves and others with a combination of brutal honestly and loving acceptance, the book seems to contend, can we ever hope to access the deepest kind of success, the kind that money cannot buy.

The book gently and masterfully introduces us to nothing less than the underlying nature of existence and implores us to place our desire for material freedom at the service of our elevated impulse to contribute to the welfare of all. Zen Entrepreneurship ambitiously calls for an end to the long epoch of animosity and compartmentalization between our materialistic and religious impulses so that we might start to reach our highest potential, as entrepreneurs and as a species.
3331206
In this book Hume assumes a true philosophical approach to the most fundamental qualities of human life such as values. Open-minded and analytical approach to issues paves the way for true enlightenment. It demands intellectual acumen and challenges the credibility of some established sources of knowledge.
2923844
First let me set the expectation right because the title lends itself to expectations quite varied from the intent and purpose of the book. This book pertains to ontology rather than metaphysics in a wider sense. (Ontology is regarded as one of the branches or subjects of inquiry comprising metaphysics).

And this is in no way a textbook on metaphysics or an introduction to the subject of metaphysics (I picked it up when I did not know who Heidegger was and wanted a quick introduction to 'metaphysics' about which I was hazy then. But I ended up loving this book for a different reason).

This however does not discount the value of the book. The book asks and seeks to answer the question 'Why are there beings rather than nothing?' (in the older transaltion -- beings = essents). It then moves on to the questions like what is Being, what is the meaning of Being, what are the limits of Being, what are the etymological origins of Being (not the etymology of the word, but of the concept - including Greek and Latin equivalents) etc.

The book explains the sense of 'limitedness' latent in the concept of Being through etymological connections with terms like polis, for example.

In the last chapter, Heidegger dileneates Being from its four boundary conditions - thinking (as contrasted with existing), becoming (changing into another being), appearance (being as perceived by another being) and ought (abstract goal for being).

This book clarifies many essential concepts like the ones mentioned in the previous paragraph by delineating them from a lot of muddle that has been written about them by many other philosophers. If there were to be an alternative title for this book,'The Concept of Being' captures it best.
340885
If one is to understand this novel, one must understand the concepts of Gnosticism, the 7 Chakras/Planets/vowels/Hermetic Principles, and specifically one's own brain or mind:(Maskull.....Ma/My Skull).

The Journey is through the psyche, and simultaneously the psyche of the Great ALL, in which we all reside.

This os a great work, you just have to open your mind to see beyond the surface, using the esoteric premise as a guide.
1711128
Trying to make sense of the "what is" is one of the favorite games of humanity.  In doing so, the immediacy of the untouchable indescribable is shown here to be beyond the mind, body and the sensation bazar.  God only knows what it is, and we are appearing as that.
4923162
Elan Carson captures the true essence of what it is to really be one of "US".
Many people write about "US" but they don't really understand "US" and how we see things.
I was proud to see that she pulled back the curtain on so many issues and didn't back away from the bad & ugly, while reporting the good; oh she touched on everything!
There were times when I had to put the book down and look at myself, wondering "damn, is that really how I act?"
And yes, it was pretty much all true.
I recommend this book to anyone of any race, creed, gender, age.
It by passes boundaries and leaps toward a more united front and universal way of thinking that is sure to make you rethink your existence, your expectations, and plans for your future.
Super good read... Altho, I am partial to the original title :)
31032
A magical real life story with two inner spiritual souls captivating the essence of the meaning we all strive for in life. It reminds us that to find deep meaning in life is our ultimate purpose. To know it is to be really blessed. But we must become "baggage free" in our secular lives to find that peace and connection. When it comes to two people at times when they haven't, it's a challenge to attaining that balance. This lovely book can be a 'self help book' for the challenges you must take to get to the ultimate nirvana of your souls!