Customer Reviews

The Enlightened Mind

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In my opinion this is an excellent anthology of sacred prose. Stephen Mitchell has been very ecumenical in his selection process. Such a lack of bias is clear evidence of his own enlightened understanding where the universality of truth is concerned. I am reminded of the parable of the blind men and the elephant. No one, no cult, no philosophy, no religion, has a patent on the ultimate source of being, on God for lack of a better word. Or to paraphrase Lao Tzu, "The god that can be named is not the eternal God." It is hubris to think otherwise. All anyone can say where the ineffable Source of existence is concerned is what it is like, not what it is. Though arguably the greatest Advaita sage of the 20th Century Ramana Marharshi's favorite way of expressing the existential nature of the ineffable was "I AM THAT I AM", the self-existent one. Exodus 3:14. Many stars, one sky.

The bits and pieces of the Whole that are contained in this book are a tasty feast for the hungry mind. A veritable smorgasbord of heavenly and earthly delights. A little Heraclitus, Plato, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Rumi, Eckhart, Dame Julian, Blake, Chief Seattle, Emerson, Einstein, and others. A portion of the Upanishads, the Judeo-Christian Bible, the Hermetic Writings, the Diamond Sutra, and what we have here is truth, truth, and more truth. If you want an excellent sampling of universal truth as expressed by some of our world's greatest heart-minds then this is a good book for you. And for me.

Sampler:

Ramana Maharshi:

"If the mind is happy, not only the body but the whole world will be happy. So one must find out how to become happy oneself. Wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like trying to cover the whole world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes".

Dogen:

"Gaining enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon doesn't get wet; the water isn't broken... The whole moon and the sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass".

Einstein:

"A human being is a part of the whole that we call the universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical illusion of his consciousness. This illusion is a prison to us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for only the few people nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living beings and all of nature".

Rumi:

"The Love-Religion has no code or doctrine. Only Love".

I found this book on accident several years into my journey, and found it to be a most intriguing work. If you already claim to know the truth, the whole truth, and everyone else falls short, this book will no doubt offend your sensibilities. However if every day is a learning experience for you, and you listen to the " still, small voice within", you will no doubt recognize the transparent thread which connects all the passages in Gods love. No matter how many times I read and reread it, as my perspective grows, so do I find new teachings to inspire and motivate me.

Compiled to appeal to the masses it is a very impressive effort . The introduction given to each section seems to restrict the understanding and guide ones thought in a particular area, it is my humble feeling that this kind of literature needs no introduction. The way it has been combined have an out of the world effect.Best work.I love it

Now here is a book that will keep you pondering about the ultimate meaning of life itself - it is a compilation that extols the spiritual life. In its pages you will find the writings of the greatest spiritual luminaries, who have graced this world with words of immortal bliss. It brings together the essence of the minds of the mystic visionaries, and it makes one feel that we are all brothers and sisters in truth. No matter what your spiritual practice, preference, or inclination, this book has much to offer its readers.

i love this book. i read it every morning after i meditate. its deep and gives much insight into how much all understanding of God are alike. there are writings from all kinds of people. its fun and yet very deep. i would highly recommend this book to anyone who is unafraid to open their minds to other ways of seeing the divine..

This is one of my favorite books.
I have given it as a gift many times.
In my humble opinion, it is a compilation of some of the most wonderful spiritual teachings that have ever been recorded.
Only downside--no OSHO in it. I guess there's always the next edition...

This book is incredible for anyone who is ready to deepen their relationship with what is always here. It will bring up things in yourself you may of never known and thank goodness for our unconcious to become concious, its workable then! I have had a beautiful relationship with this book, it has really opened my mind to more than ideas and concepts. purchase this book and any other book by stephen mitchell.

A MUST HAVE for any spiritual seeker. Packed with insight, mystical and practical, on every page. I will never be without it.

In fairness, some of the chapters in the book explore deep wisdom. But so many others are fluff passing itself off as solid truth. The reason: Stephen Mitchell, who picked what would get in and what didn't (and did a fair amount of the translating), doesn't know the difference between enlightenment and dissociation. Sometimes he really does touch on truth and wisdom (at least insofar as I see it as such), but all too often he gets hooked on yet another "great mind" who's out to "rise above life's sorrows," "conquer the Self," and be "at one with Nature" without having done the hard work to get there... Nary a mention of resolving traumas, opening up the deep channel to the self by resolving the very things that block our connection with it.

He doesn't realize that dissociation mimics enlightenment. If you split off from your traumas and bury them deep you really can seem to be at peace, and have that ever-present Buddha smile on your face. One wonders if the Buddha's smile was borne of dissociation. Certainly no lack of his followers have taken that path---yet just below the surface are cannonballs waiting to explode.

At times Stephen Mitchell, with his knack for writing annoying, all-too-clever little chapter intros that thankfully are italicized so they're easy to root out and skip over, also gravitates toward "enlightened minds" who just write nonsensical mishmash. Take his chapter by Franz Kafka. Half the stuff in it is unintelligible---yet its cleverness clearly has Mitchell hooked.

Three last gripes:

1. Although I liked the chapters by the two American Indians, especially the Seneca chief, I didn't find them so enlightened. Also, I resented the ever-politically correct Mitchell telling me in the intro to Chief Seattle's chapter that as a white American I should feel deep shame for what happened to the Indians in the generation of my grandparents' great-grandparents. Should I also feel deep shame as a male human being for the fact that other male members of my species exploded an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico? Anger, yes, but not shame.

2. I'm tired of the idea (that Mitchell just loves) that all religions at their core are the same, and are seeking deepest truth. I don't buy it. In fact, I'm much more comfortable buying the argument that all of them are the same in that none of them are really seeking deepest truth.

3. Mitchell often writes as if he is the arbiter of who is enlightened and who isn't, and sometimes strays into a territory of implying that he himself is enlightened. That doesn't fly. (For example, I "love" when he comments how he knows for certain that Jesus would have approved of the religious sentiment expressed by the Seneca Chief.) Granted, Mitchell's a gifted linguist (though I'm not a big fan of his translations), but he's out of his league on the deeper stuff.

Of course, you might say the same about me. You decide.

This book is surely a monumental effort of showcasing the world's offerings of spiritual teachings. Like a smorgasbord of worldly offerings, it offers, what I believe is the "broad path" discussed by Jesus, not the narrow way which he calls the better way. So, I am surprised there is any talk of Jesus in the book at all. Jesus was not, in any sense, a Universalist. He invites us to follow Him, not a way of human wisdom. The idea that all paths lead to God, is the author's clear bias and religious belief. One can sense the dogma of Universalism which permeates the editorial and positive reviewers comments. For spiritual seekers, this smorgasbord will satisfy temporarily as it fills the Self with intoxicating delusional satiety that the more one feasts, the more full they become. However only one "spiritual teacher" offers Himself in living relationship as the perfect home for seeking souls. Those who hunger and thirst will be filled by Him and His precious spirit and not the ways of the world.