The Nirvana Blues: A Novel

Book Description

The seventies are over. All across America, the overgrown kids of the middle class are getting their acts together--and getting older. The once-tight Chicano community of Chamisaville is long gone, and the Anglo power brokers control almost everything. Joe Miniver--faithful husband, loving father, and all-around good guy-is about to sink roots. To buy the land he wants, he dreams up a coke scam that will net him the necessary bread. Joe is also about to embark on a series of erotic adventures with three headstrong women, bringing him face-to-face with the terrors (and absurdity) of the modern man-woman scene.This final volume in the New Mexico trilogy, like its predecessors, is a lusty, visionary novel that blends comedy and tragedy, reality and fantasy, tenderness and bite, to illuminate some very troubling truths about America--truths no less pointed and accurate today than they were twenty years ago.John Nichols is the author of nine novels and six works of nonfiction. He lives in Northern New Mexico.

Customer Reviews:

Hell on Earth.......2006-03-07

Joe Miniver, an every-man type, living in the New Age community of Chamisaville, New Mexico, has a dilemma -- he dreams of purchasing a prime piece of land from an eighty year old native, the indomitable Eloy Irribarren, the only virtuous person in the town, and the only non-white (not a surprise, considering Nichol's negative attitudes towards white surburbanites). Unfortunately, other townsfolk, who are much more powerful and richer than Joe, covet the same piece of land as well, but Joe has one advantage: Eloy recognizes some good preservationist values in Joe that the other potential buyers don't share, and wants to sell only to him. Alas though, Joe, an educated garbage hauler with a wife and two children, has no cash, which is why he, and two of his friends, decide to purchase and sell uncut cocaine. Unfortunately it's the worst kept secret in a town full of gossip and innuendo, where every secret seems to be instantly known, and Joe finds that he has made a number of enemies set to destroy him and steal his cocaine. Along the way (the book takes place over about a week long period) he has affairs with three different women, each with their own bizarre issues and agendas, and, at the same time, has to deal with his difficult family.

And that's where it all gets really strange. Chamisaville is basically a town filled with new-age weirdos, calling themselves "Hanumans," who share some similarities to Scientologists, but engage in monkey worship and idolatry. In fact, one of the major characters of the book is a demonic monkey named Sasha, owned by one of Joe's lovers. The cast of characters, which includes people named Nikita Smatterling, Angel Guts, and Nick Danger, all have dealings and conspiracies with each other that are almost impossible to follow, and I highly doubt that the author expected the reader to keep track.

I knew something was particularly off-kilter about the story when Joe tries to escape the town, but can't get out because of various construction projects and other obstructions, which mysteriously vanish when he returns to the center of town. Similarly, wherever Joe seems to go, whether to the town diner, the hospital, or stuck in a traffic jam, he encounters a number of the central characters who just happen to be present at exactly the same moment. Many townsfolk take issue with Joe's attempt to buy the land, but no one seems to care all that much that he's selling cocaine to raise the necessary funds. And just when you think it can't get any stranger, it does.

"Nirvana Blues" is the third installment of a trilogy which began with "The Milagro Beanfield War," followed by "Magic Journey." I never read the first book, but I rated "Magic Journey" five stars, finding the writing to be extraordinary. Although there was a fantastical element to that book as well, this didn't dominate the story as it does here. Sometimes it just seems that the author couches his antipathy towards white surbanites seeking to escape the rat race, in supernaturalism and hyper-exaggeration.

With its flaws and all, "Nirvana Blues" still clearly demonstrates how well Nichol's can write. Plus, although I found many of the attempts at humour futile, occasionally Nichol's succeeded, such as when a Mafia-type capo tries to threaten Joe by shooting at a grapefruit in his pool with Joe's face drawn on it. Except he can't hit the grapefruit even through two clips of bullets. When he orders his bodyguard to retrieve it, the bodyguard, a non-swimmer, almost drowns and Joe has to save him.

I suppose as an allegory for Hell on Earth, "Nirvana Blues" works in some way. I just didn't think it was nearly as good as "Magic Journey."

An anticlimactic finish to a promising trilogy.......2000-07-17

Normally, I prefer not to be a harsh critic, but I feel compelled, given the very positive review above, to offer my own appraisal. I have found THE NIRVANA BLUES to be a disappointment. Nichols' THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR is a well-crafted novel, and worthy of the praise (and even the Steinbeck comparisons) that it receives. The novel's characters display idiosyncracies that are both intoxicating and revealing. THE NIRVANA BLUES attempts to duplicate this, and yet its idiosyncracies, in my opinion, become irritating: more hijinx without substance. Furthermore, the erotic element to the story seems more self-indulgent than necessary. If you have read THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR, and are looking forward to the same quality in the rest of the trilogy, you may be disappointed as well.

"Nichols is the best American author since John Steinbeck".......1997-09-15

A gripping American novel "The Nirvana Blues" captures the richness of the late 20th century. Nichols creates characters that nearly rival Steinbeck's Doc and the entire Joad clan. Nichols excels in both humor and human compassion. You don't know whether to laugh or cry. He is by far one of the best writers to come out in the last 30 years, "The Nirvana Blues" should be considered required reading for colleges and universities.

Book Description

In this long-awaited new novel in The Halfblood Chronicles, fantasy greats Norton and Lackey tell the enthralling story of the reclusive elvenlord Kyrtian, who emerges as a hero in a world torn by politics and war. When his cousin, Aelmarkin, tries to prove that Kyrtian is unfit to run his estate, the plan backfires, and soon Kyrtian, who doesn't share the venal, greedy nature of his cousin, finds himself with more power than he ever wanted.Like his father before him, Kyrtian has always treated the humans on his estate like servants, instead of enslaving them as other elvenlords do. His father's legacy also leads Kyrtian to learn ancient military skills long since lost to elvenkind through the carelessness of the elvenlords. Kyrtian's rediscovered knowledge piques the interest of the current elvenlords, and soon Kyrtian finds himself appointed the new commander of the army, to the relief of his ruling peers.For the sons of the most powerful elvenlords, the Young Lords, have rebelled against their fathers and are waging war. But by taking advantage of both the privileges of his new command and the help of some unexpected new friends, Kyrtian finally gains the resources to embark on his own, personal quest--resuming his father's search for the Great Portal, the magical doorway through which the original elvenlords entered this world.As war rages between some sons and fathers, Kyrtian searches desperately for his own lost father, hoping to uncover not only the mystery of his disappearance, but also the secret behind the origin of elvenkind.

Customer Reviews:

Good story, but I came out wanting........2007-04-11

This was a good story, but I came out of it wanting. There is a great big building up throughout this story for the main character, Kyrtian, to find certain ancient Elven relics that have been lost since the Crossing. What they did find only held my interest because of the wonderful mood-setting job the authors did to make the place seem spooky, with an underlying menace. They never tell how the things they find came to be menacing when they were originally meant to *help* the Elves. Why would it now kill Elves? These things, which I had the most questions about, were simply not explained enough by the end, as I'd been hoping - indeed, as I'd been *expecting* due to their impact on both the characters and on me as a reader.

The final glimpse at the end of something otherworldly, even to that world, was fascinating, but was not followed up which I found terribly disappointing given the lack of other explanation I'm been hoping for at the end.

Some of the ending was rather predictable, while others seemed to have been just thrown in there because the authors needed to wrap the book up.

It's not all bad news. This book definately help my interest, which surprised me since I'd read the reviews here before reading it and was expecting it to be somewhat boring. It was good to see Keman growing as a character, though Shana doesn't really share the same treatment. Kyrtian as a main character was not someone I found boring at all. In fact, I liked the way he pulled his double- and triple-crosses, making use of his reputation to seem boorish and stupid. That brand of subtlety is good, and just different enough to the other back-biting Elves.

I wished more had happened with Rena, who'd held most of my interest in Book 2 and whom I'd grown to like. I felt she was a little wasted, as was Mero.

This book was an odd clash between a good read and what could have been a brilliant story if it had been longer and the existing characters expanded upon more. I enjoyed it for the most part, though those unanswered questions annoyed me in the end. Someone here has mentioned there will be a fourth book. Maybe my questions will be answered in there. I hope so.

Four stars.

Elvenborn .......2007-01-19

Very Good. Another collaboration with Mercedes Lackey, with new characters developed and a continuation of the series.

I wish they'd hurry up and write a fourth one!!!.......2006-02-12

I loved the first two books in the series and then loved this one just as much! It reads well and the whole series is enjoyable for re-reading. It has well-developed characters and character-relations and I find myself lost in this world of dragons, elves and humans.

Now, if only they'd come out with the 4th one that's been (forthcoming) since at least 2003: Elvenbred.

Complex intrigues.......2005-04-27

This is book three in a series, and you should read the first two books to fully understand the setting. It can be read as a stand alone book, but you will lack some of the background. It is a complex plot involving elves (mages and not so magical), humans (free and slaves), halfbloods (who mostly seem to have wizard capability), dragons, and some really dangerous creatures that inhabit a particular forest, including an invisible ambusher.

The elves, who have invaded the planet through a magical gate, only occupy part of the territory. They have long lives, but a low birthrate. Considering the various intrigues and dangers, it is amazing that they could last as long as they have. Everyone seems to lust for power, but power corrupts. A revolt by younger sons (mostly somewhat inept), various slave revolts, halfbloods seeking their own power, attempts at assassinations, interference by dragons, and creatures that eat occasional wayfarers make for an interesting plot.

Some of the action seems to drag at points. It was not a page turner until it got towards the end. Various inconvenient characters are removed, not quite like Mark Twain's device of having people wander out into the yard and fall down a well, but by introducing various dangers they encounter, inserted into the story for that purpose (a large carnivore, a murderous machine, or just being carried off by a hungry demon looking for dinner). Some characters are nasty pieces of work, so one does not waste much sympathy on their plight. Somehow the white hats survive.

The hero, who is against slavery, has a couple concubines purchased from the market. He is a long-lived elf, and at thiry is still in his adolescence, so has not found a wife. He is living with his mother, and has not seemed to reach the maturity needed for a marriage (or maybe he is just overly picky).

Andre Norton.......2005-04-14

Died 2005. shame. Great Books and really wanted to read number 4. Who knows if it will happen now.

The Halfblood Chronicles: Elvenbane, Elvenblood & Elvenborn

Average customer rating:

The Halfblood Chronicles: Elvenbane, Elvenblood & Elvenborn
Andre Norton , and Mercedes Lackey
Manufacturer: TOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000W11DIK

Average customer rating:

ELVENBORN
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTHTJC

Average customer rating:

Elvenborn
Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey
Manufacturer: A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K0PNMU

Average customer rating:

The war that lasted two chapters

A Mission Against an Alien Intrusion

Good book that is incorrectly marketed by publisher

Rebuilding after World War III

The war between the evil and good

The Lizard War
John Dalmas
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Dalmas, John | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Helverti Invasion

The Lion Returns

The Regiment's War

The Lion of Farside

The White Regiment

ASIN: 0671698516

Customer Reviews:

The war that lasted two chapters.......2005-12-05

I won't narrate you the story since it has already been done in another review. This book is about the journey that some members of a brotherhood make to get to their enemies. The actual fight between the protagonists will take 15 minutes of your reading time.
I laughed out loud at some of the conversations that the leader of the aliens had with the main hero of the story, Luis. How to explain love to an alien sado-hedonist?
World war 3 is called the Shuffling and 1000 years after the fact, humanity is in the middle ages again. This is the main context of what you will be reading and M. Dalmas, uses his usual skills at writing good military type stories.

A Mission Against an Alien Intrusion.......2003-12-17

The Lizard War is the first novel in the Monitor Service series. It concerns an intrusion of a group of sado-hedonist offworld aliens, the Lizards, into an alternative history of the Earth. World War III occurred in 1983 and billions of people died in the holocaust of nuclear and biological weapons, of starvation from the subsequent famine, and from the fighting between survivors over the remaining resources. Then came the event called the Shuffling or Forgetting, wherein the Earth was restored to a pristine condition, but the surviving people were scattered throughout the planet with blurred memories as individuals or small groups not much larger than the population of villages.

The resulting society had few atheists, for everybody felt the hand of some god in the Shuffling. One of changes involved the relocating of the Pope to New Orleans, later renamed New Rome. Other changes occurred within the Church, including a renewed emphasis on loving God and his fellow men, leading to the formation of an Order of Saint Higuchi charged with keeping the peace among all men. The Higuchian masters and brothers were trained in the martial arts, covert investigation techniques, and military strategy and tactics.

In this novel, generations later, Luis Raoul DenUyl, of mixed Spanish and Flemish ancestry, is a Higuchian brother on a mission. He is traveling alone, with very little in the way of a briefing. In Galway Town in Connemara, Luis meets Jamila Smith and Paddy Glynn and joins forces with them after a fight with local soldiers. Later, Luis learns that Jamila is a member of the Order of Saint Higuchi, having been admitted as an experiment after she was raised as an orphan by the brothers and then demonstrated extraordinary talents.

The threesome find themselves being hunted by Lizards, but turn the tables and ambush one of the aliens and take his energy gun. After a night raid on their camp by Lizard dupes, Luis evades the attackers, but looses contact with Jamila and Paddy. Moreover, he is injured in the attack and the wound becomes infected. He is found unconscious with a high fever by Tom, who nurses him back to health and accompanies him toward his destination. Tom knows that Luis is a Higuchian brother, but Luis slowly learns that Tom is something entirely different.

Along the way, Tom and Luis meet Lemmi Tsinnajinni, another Higuchian brother of Navajo ancestry, but travel on separately. In North Allegheny, they find Paddy and Jamila in the army of the local Duke. Traveling on together through York, the Commonwealth of the Lakes and Adirondack, they finally arrive at the rendezvous with other brothers assigned to the mission and their Buddhist monk allies.

In this story, the Monitor Service is a branch of the Cultural Oversight Bureau, which is an agency of the Commonwealth of Homid Worlds. The Monitor Service is covertly protecting the Earth as a primitive world in the galactic community. Since the Lizards are inciting the Saint Lawrence People's Democratic Republic to attack its neighbors, the Monitor Service is determined to remove these intruders. The Order of Saint Higuchi and other local forces are cooperating with the Monitor Service in this task. The mission of the Higuchian brothers and the Buddhist monks is to infiltrate into the PDR and attack the Lizard ship outside the capital at Eisenbach.

This story has a fascinating mixture of cultures, languages and governments within the Northeastern region of the former United States. The first part of the book is a travelogue under fire, with Luis and various companions trying to avoid their pursuers while dealing with the locals, some of which are Lizard worshippers. While Luis knows about the Lizards, he learns a good deal more from Tom, the local head of the Monitor Service, during their travels.

This story presents an interesting theology of redemption by the survivors of the Apocalypse. The changes inspire the Church to active opposition of evil in the world, rather than to passively urge its congregants to eschew evil and do good works. Hence, the Order of Saint Higuchi actively seeks out evil and destroys it, on the assumption that the evildoers have already had their opportunity to repent their ways. In many respects, it is a reversion to an earlier Church, but with the emphasis on individuals rather than nation states. However, it is not a matter of kill them all and let God straighten things out, for the Order is charged with protecting the innocents from the evil acts of wrongdoers.

Highly recommended for Dalmas fans and for anyone else who enjoys martial arts and covert missions against a group of alien malefactors.

Good book that is incorrectly marketed by publisher.......2000-07-17

I really don't think that the description given to us by Amazon or those given by a few other reviewers is an honest representation of this novel. After reading the descriptions of this book I perceived it to be kind of a post apocalyptic thriller with humanity struggling mightily, in the form of a few hardy souls, against the evil lizard like aliens. Sounds like an interesting concept but it is not really the book you would read if you purchased "The Lizard War".

This book could more accurately be described as a quest novel. What I mean by this is that the main purpose of the story is for a few brave souls to get to a certain destination and perform a mysterious task. The purpose of the task is never made clear to the participants, as is common in quest stories.

I did not get the impression that the lizards ruled all of the Earth or even most of it. My impression was that they dominated a small portion of North America and terrorized a greater portion. From the story it seems that the technological backsliding humanity has experienced is of there own doing and not that of the lizard like aliens.

It is my impression that this story could easily have been told in a fantasy setting and probably would have come of as a better novel. The lizard alien aspects just didn't seem necessary to the way the plot was contrived.

This was a good book if read without any preconceptions. I think the cover art and descriptions do the reader harm in his or her enjoyment of the book. I do recommend this novel but suggest you not expect what it appears to be.

Rebuilding after World War III.......2000-03-03

"The Lizard War" (ISBN 0-671-69851-6) by John Dalmas, author of the Regiment series, has written another book that is exciting to read, in this story he has combined two plot lines together for a possible future path of the people of Earth. Earth had expanded to the stars, when a Third World War occurred resulting in the loss of contact with other worlds. Time and covert assistance by agents of our Star spanning civilization has restored the Earth to the level of the Middle Ages. The church is again the center of knowledge and has included how the world was before the war as part of the Bible. Luis Raoul DenUyl is the young man, selected by his Church Order to on go a mission with little information about a growing problem in a distant part of America. Luis' journey has several surprises that many readers will enjoy reading.

The war between the evil and good.......1998-12-05

This story is about a war between the humans and the evil lizards from outer space during after the WW3. The main characters, Luis, Jamila, Tom, and Lemmi are in charge to defeat the lizards with help from many other warriors This book is one of the best books i've read.

Gamma World Game Masters Guide (Gamma World)

Average customer rating:

Informative & Inspiring

Gamma World Game Masters Guide (Gamma World)
Bruce Baugh , Werner Hagen , Lizard , Doug Oglesby , Greg Stolze , and Chad Underkoffler
Manufacturer: Arthaus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1588460681

Customer Reviews:

Informative & Inspiring.......2005-04-28

This is an excellent companion to the Gamma World players guide. It provides a lot of useful information about how to run a game set in the dangerous future "Gamma World."

More importantly, it gives clear, lucid and useful advise on how to be a good Game Master (GM). The instructions for how to run a Gamma World are the kind of "How To" articles that apply to virtually any gaming experience, and will be useful for aspiring GMs from a variety of gaming disciplines.

Average customer rating:

Babylon 5: Free Mars (Babylon 5 RPG)
Lizard
Manufacturer: Mongoose Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Babylon 5 | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 190517618X

Product Description

The story of the insurgency on the Mars Colony forms much of the backdrop of Season 4 of Babylon 5, and the Free Mars activists reappear throughout all five seasons of the programme. As one of the major off-station locations in the series, Free Mars has become a focal point for fan interest, making this 128 page source book an ideal supplement to release.

Island of the Lizard King (Fighting Fantasy)

Average customer rating:

Island of the Lizard King (Fighting Fantasy)
Ian Livingstone
Manufacturer: Wizard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 1840464917

Ka-zar No. 5 Aug "The Ties That Bind" (Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

Ka-zar No. 5 Aug "The Ties That Bind" (Volume 1)

Manufacturer: Marvel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Ka-zar The Savage No. 24 Mar "On Death and Dying" (Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

Ka-zar The Savage No. 24 Mar "On Death and Dying" (Volume 1)
Bruce Jones
Manufacturer: Marvel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Ka-zar The Savage No. 25 Apr "The Dead Who Walk" (Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

Ka-zar The Savage No. 25 Apr "The Dead Who Walk" (Volume 1)
Bruce Jones
Manufacturer: Marvel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Ka-zar The Savage No. 26 May "Escape From New York" (Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

Ka-zar The Savage No. 26 May "Escape From New York" (Volume 1)
Bruce Jones
Manufacturer: Marvel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Ka-zar The Savage No. 27 Aug "Twisted Corridors" (Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

Ka-zar The Savage No. 27 Aug "Twisted Corridors" (Volume 1)
Bruce Jones
Manufacturer: Marvel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Average customer rating:

Ka-zar The Savage No. 31 Apr (Volume 1)
Mike Carl
Manufacturer: Marvel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Book Description

The author shares his deep understanding of Taosim--specifically the texts attribued the Heart, Diamond and Lankavatara sutras; and attributed to Cahn Buddhism as taught by Hui Neng, Huang Po, Hui Hai, rct.

Customer Reviews:

Editorial issues.......2007-04-12

This is a collection of meditations, musings and aphorisms by a cultured and somewhat awakened Westerner, one of the first wave to really encounter the non-dualist teachings. As such it depicts a number of classic themes and ideas, but in a very sketchy manner. It might have been groundbreaking 30 years ago, but now seems somewhat fragmentary. From the same vintage, Teachings of Ramana Maharishi, Alan Watt's Way of Zen, and Krishnamurti's First and Last Freedom are much better edited and written works. The insight is there, the sentiment is real, but as a book it leaves a lot to be desired.

Get some Tylenol!.......2006-07-02

Whenever I read Wei Wu Wei I get dizzy. You have to really be a thinker to understand a lot of what he writes. It's good stuff though. It's what The Buddha would've written if he was born in the scientific age. Get some Tylenol!

Am I Missing Something Here?.......2005-08-20

Okay...I consider myself a spiritual human being and I have been so enlightened by the Dalai Lama book 'The Art of Happiness' or Marlo Morgan's 'Mutant Message from Forever' or even "As It Is" (another great one by Tony Parsons); however, this one did NOT awaken me. If anything I wanted to fall asleep many times. It's a bunch of mish-mosh for some so-called person to think they're "enlightened" when (if you've read 'As It Is') one will realize that NO ONE can ever be "enlightened"--let alone "awakened". So, if you want to 'Ask the Awakened' don't bother reading this book. Instead, ask your ownself 'What is RIGHT for you'? There were a few lines that managed to grasp my attention. For instance:
"What we seek to describe by the word "love" is emotion experienced in certain highly personal channels, charged with possesiveness, shadowed by jealousy, with its counterpart "hate" ever ready to take its place."
OR
"Words can never transfer understanding: they can only open the way for pre-existing knowledge to rise into consciousness."
OR
"If the mind could be looked-at, it would then be an OBJECT OF KNOWLEDGE."
And so, I did take away something (but things I already knew--just not formulated in this manner). I was just turned on when I saw that every reviewer before me gave this book 5 STARS. Hello? I just don't see why. Read one of the three aforementioned books above and you'll definitely be "awakened".

Definitely one of the best!.......2004-02-14

This book is the single most amazing thing that has happened to my life! It is a book to read over and over again because what you get from it is very different depending on what stage of development you are at when you read it. Regardless of when you read it, it is full of inspiration! If you are searching for a book full of wisdom, look no further. If you are exploring the meaning of the non-dual, look no further. If you are exploring the nature of consciosuness and the subject-object differentiation, look no further. This book would benefit people best if they had a little background on Eastern philosophy. If you are not informed about Eastern philosophy, I would highly recommend the delightfully written book, "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. It is an excellent book that explains all of these things starting from a "Western" perspective but ultimately leading up to an understanding of non-dualism. It is quite amazing also. I truly think that these are perhaps the two best books on this topic.

When the Dreamer Wakens............2003-04-11

this is a rich and beautiful collection of short essays, quotes, and commentaries regarding the glorious "path" of nondualist realization. the mysterious Wei Wu Wei shares wondrous bits of the highest wisdom from his own understandings and insights but also quotes liberally from taoism, zen, vedanta, buddhism, and other more obscure sources. this vital collection includes over 100 short pieces, some a page or two, some only a paragraph. we know little about the "author". we know he spent time with the great ramana maharshi in india before ramana died. however, the author's own high realization shines through as he beautifully developes his "negative way" theme in this great book. for the reader interested in giving up his self in favor of his Self, this grand collection offers much to ponder, numerous fingers pointing at the moon. if we think, however, that finally these wise sayings will enlighten us while we retain ego and selfish interests, we will enjoy a good read but still not get the message: "there is no path. the image is misleading - for there is nowhere to go and no one to go anywhere. there is only looking in the right direction...no one does it, nor is anything done..." I highly recommend you get the book. its beyond the understanding of the rational mind, but these pithy koan like sayings may very well move us a little closer to the real. a little closer to seeing we are no thing. a little closer to a clear view of the void. a little closer to finding the key to the gateless gate. a little closer to realizing the greatest secret of them all.

Average customer rating:

ASK THE AWAKENED: THE NEGATIVE WAY
Wei Wu Wei
Manufacturer: Routledge & Kegan Paul London
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CLVT5

Average customer rating:

Ask the awakened;: The negative way
Terence James Stannus Gray
Manufacturer: Routledge & K. Paul
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books