Customer Reviews

Albigen Papers

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

How many books written in the 20th Century will still be as relevant in 100 years? In 1,000 years? The writings of undying value will prove to be, I believe, the collected works of the Indian sage Ramana Maharshi from the first half of the century and those of the American phenomenon Richard Rose from the second half. Why? Because they were great souls of the first magnitude, spiritual giants who have a timeless teaching for the small segment of mankind fortunate enough to have ears that can hear. For an introduction to Ramana Maharshi, see "Profound Writings, East & West" published by the TAT Book Service. For the flagship of Rose's writings, investigate this book -- "The Albigen Papers."

I don't want to lure you into a false euphoria, though. There are several reasons why you may not like this book. One is that the writing style is not what you're used to. Rose disdained conventional thinking, and this is evident even in little things such as his use of puctuation to reflect his speech patterns. Chances are these idiosyncrasies will be erased by future editors, eliminating the irritation produced by someone's refusal to kowtow to convention, but the loss will be the reader's. For adroit irritation was part of Rose's teaching style. Another tooth-grinder is the great conviction that inheres in every sentence. If your reaction is like mine when I first read the book, it will be "This guy thinks he knows everything, and no one knows everything." My own absolute, but unacknowledged, certainty was that all knowledge is tentative, and anyone who projects conviction is either deluding himself or trying to work some kind of scam. And then there is the fact that Rose's writing is not easy on the mind's ear. Believe me, there is no flattery, and no concern for reinforcement of the reader's ego. With the same type of benevolent humor as displayed by Ramana Maharshi, Richard Rose takes you, in the first half of the book, through the manifold ways in which our vision is obscured, both by others and, more importantly, by our self-deception. In the second half he then lays out a systematic approach for the seeker, based on the use and refinement of the twin tools of common sense and intuition. With great wit and compassion, Rose offers practical advice to anyone who is interested in traveling down the road that leads to self-definition. The opening of the chapter "The First Steps" provides an example:

"Of couse, in order to begin a work we must have an objective. And the objective need not be immediately negated by declaring that we do not know that which we expect to find, when we announce our objective to be The Truth. Such a stated objective actually means that we aim to come to a point of no-ignorance and being. Our objective is to find our definitionn, whatever the finding entails. Our objective is to find our origin and destiny, if we can do so, but these are secondary to self-definition or finding out who is doing the seeking. There is only one time to start and this is now. And we can expect to battle the urge to procrastinate from now on. The place is right where we are now, not in Tibet or some nebulous material land of magic. The manner of searching is to use the tools at hand until better methods are discovered. Now all of this above advice engenders no great arcane secrets, no magical formulae. It could be used in any research laboratory, or by any man building a shelter. The sad part is, - just that which the simple analogy implies, - that man can begin on any level, with any tools, yet he always hangs back, waiting for the electrifying Messiah or the more propitious setting."

The Albigen Papers is not a book to be read one time and then shelved or discarded, but an ongoing resource for guidance and inspiration. If I could recommend just one book to fellow-seekers, this would be the one.

The subject of Zen has become very popular in the 1990's. Recently there have been many translations of Zen classics and new books by contemporary writers. When Richard Rose wrote this book he was among the first to recognize the value of Zen as a way for the mind to look at itself and as a tool to discover both error and truth. The Albigen Papers is written in comtemporary language that is at once clear and to the point. It attacks and deconstructs much of what we know or think that we know. It is one of those books that once read is not easily forgotten or dismissed. It have the potential to change the way you look at the world or the way you view yourself. The last part of the book is concerned with the truth that Mr. Rose discovered after many years of meditation and study of many different religious systems. He communicates this truth in a way that is both direct and concise. I think that this is one of those few books that has the power to change your life.

This book might be summed up rather simply rather than reading the numerous pages: truth is the search for yourself, and you won't find yourself while looking outside in the world. This is as simple as it can be put. Rose analyzes numerous paths for the reader to demonstrate how they all fail to meet some rather common sense criteria. His criteria are primarily: "elimination of concepts", self observation, self remembering, respectful doubt, development of intuition, and knowing the Real Observer. For those who don't have any particular beliefs, he doesn't go very far to tell you exactly what you should do. But if you take his logical analysis and common sense criteria to the point of negating everything, you may discover that everything in the world crumbles away like an illusion. And when the world crumbles away, you may discover something rather important. In particular, you may discover the pointlessness of the current existence you are in, find shattering depression, and then some illumination. Or, you may just jump to the marvel of existence. They are both sides of the same coin, after all. Buy it and read it, or begin looking carefully to see who you are.

What I find unique about this book is that it provides a method of discernment for spiritual seekers. Over the past 30 years or so, there has been a vast proliferation of esoteric spiritual groups, each claiming to provide access to ultimate truth. The individual seeker may be confused by the various claims, unaware of the pitfalls, and uncertain of what particular method to employ in their own spiritual search. "The Albigen Papers" is a "handbook" based on Rose's own search and the problems he encountered as he participated in and investigated various metaphysical groups. His search culminated in an enlightenment experience beautifully described in the poem "The Three Books of the Absolute" at the end of the book. Rose provides a refreshing "no holds barred" overview of the contemporary social and spiritual scene, the competing claims and inadequacies of various esoteric and metaphysical groups, and obstacles along the path. Near the end of the book, there is practical advice towards attaining higher spiritual awareness, including conservation of energy, the development of intuition, and "stopping the mind." Based upon his writings, my impression of Rose is that he is a very intense individual, and has no patience for "feel good" spirituality. He does not mince words in criticizing groups that offer "courses" in higher awareness for a fee. At the same time, he is very compassionate, and dedicated to helping seekers realize enlightenment in this lifetime, believing that "time is of the essence."

It is obvious that Richard Rose spent his entire life searching for the truth of man's nature. When he finally found it, he dedicated himself to finding ways to give others the tools they need to conduct their own search.

Much of contemporary spiritual writing is speculation and wishful thinking. Rose writes about Reality and how to find it. Don't pass up this book.

What first struck me about this book, besides its immense practicality, was the sincere honesty of the author. After only the first glance, I knew this man had nothing other to sell than a genuine desire to communicate what he himself had found after a lifelong search for Truth. Further study of this volume led me to seek out Richard Rose in person, convincing me he was what he said, and he continued to live the life he wrote about. The book is divided into two parts, the first half being an expose', revealing how our minds keep us in illusion. The latter half then gives a step-by-step road map designed to lead the student towards a common sense path of self-discovery. This is all done with wit, compassion, and an appeal to the readers' intuition. If you're looking for help with life's everyday hassles, or embarking on a journey into the mind, this book offers a sure direction and steady compass.

The first time that I read The Albigen Papers was like a breath of fresh air. Here is an actual system that can be used to lead one out of the darkness, and into a more aware existance. There are very few books that are available that have the truth of human existance so deeply etched into the words that one is reading. Wonderful

The first time I read 'The Albigen Papers,' it was a tough read.

It was one of the first philosophic books I ever read on purpose, although I had read other genres prolifically.

Rose takes a black coffee (no sugar) look at religious and philosophic systems. He says to a seeker of truth, "I've been there," and addresses pitfalls on the path, offers yardsticks to judge movements, authors and gurus by, and outlines a common sense approach to discovering the ultimate answer.

The more I revisit 'The Albigen Papers' the more I recognize its value. I recommend it to anyone who's serious.

At the back of the book is a blank verse epic poem the author wrote to describe his enlightenment at age 30.

Any serious seeker of truth will benefit from this challenging but rewarding, and at times very humorous book. This synopsis of Richard Rose's life work, his disappointments and discoveries, can save years of searching by uncovering the very core of many different philospohical and religious systems (western & eastern) and overcoming one's psychological blocks to understanding. This book is a one-of-a-kind documentation of a lifetime of search and discovery. The writer obviously cared so much about truth that he vowed to make his very being a vessel for it, regardless of where that led. Many different kinds of people were attracted to Mr Rose's profound thought, his uncompromising spirit, and truly human warmth. And a number of them (known to the reviewer personally) turned their lives around, finding new meaning, after working sincerely with Richard Rose.

Richard Rose is an awakened teacher who has spent his life tirelessly pointing the way for others to awaken--and it has worked. Rose's plain-spoken, common sense approach to self-discovery laid the groundwork for several of his students--so far--to "make the whole trip," as Rose puts it. Rose, by his own admission is not a polished writer or speaker--"I'm a discoverer, not an orator," he has said on occasion--but "The Albigen Papers" is an excellent introduction to his teachings, and for the insightful student, it will provide a wealth of new and original ideas on the "ways and means" of Awakening.