Customer Reviews

Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East (6 Volume Set)

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These books are my all-time favorites. Over the past 15 years I have purchased several sets of these books and tapes and shared these ideas with countless people. Some found them interesting, some inspiring, some didn't want to part with them, and some became obsessed with the ideas presented in these books as much as I have. What can I say, these books did change my life.

I understand that for a lot of people the ideas presented in these books seem totally outrageous and that some people try to discredit them looking for information that will prove that the adventures presented in these books are all fabricated. To a lot of people it is very disconcerting when their ideas become challenged and they'll fight to prove that their limiting beliefs are the sound ones even if those beliefs are actually crippling their lives and taking the joy out of it. Whatever we choose to believe, we'll always look for ways to validate our beliefs and we'll always find what we are looking for (proof).

Even though we may or may not be able to prove whether the stories in these books are factual, we call all apply the principles presented. The main idea of these books is that man is limited or unlimited according to the thoughts and beliefs he chooses. And even if your main goal in life is not to master the ability to walk on water, walk through fire, teleport, or spiritualize your body, you can still use the principles in this book to get as far as your imagination and faith will allow you. Then, if you ever get bored with the mundane life, if you ever begin to wonder if there's anything more to life, you can get ideas here that will keep you busy on developing yourself, growing, expanding and actualizing your potential as long as you so desire. And then, if you are really interested, you can find many other books that explore the same principles presented here to feed your mind, your imagination, and your passion for life.

If you choose to apply the principles presented in this book, instead of just reading the books once for entertainment, you will soon begin to experience events in your life that will serve as a proof that these principles are valid and applicable in your life wherever you are right now and your belief will grow stronger and who knows, maybe one day you decide to imagine for yourself what was previously unthinkable. Maybe one day you give yourself a chance to surprise yourself allowing the power that is locked within you to come out and express itself in all its glory. Then you'll feel grateful that you found these books - even if they seemed far-out when you first picked them up.

LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF THE MASTERS OF THE FAR EAST caused me to search into the deeper realities and meaning of Life. After reading these books, I realized that I was living in the mundane world of religious doctrine and dogma. I was given what I wanted to hear, not what I should be hearing. In 1966 I left the world of organized religion and I will never return to that again. I was a dedicated person to the church and the bible studies.

I have read the Life and Teachings six times, not just reading, but studying. What made me think that this is a truth? There is no scientific evidence to back this up? There is no mention of these things in the Wall Street Journal or in the New York Times? No matter where I looked none of these things were mentioned. Could it be a something within us that intuitively draws a searching person? The skeptics, critics, "unbeliever," that I knew did not stop my spiritual resolve and I persevered. For the first time was I thinking for myself.

In 1991 a book called "The Kybalion" and "Divine Pymander" came into my life and was a major puzzle in resolving the mystery of Life that revealed the laws and principles that enabled the Masters of the Himalayas to do the things they were able to do. My path in Life was forever changed because of the greater awareness that gave me mental poise and a firm direction in Life. For the first time was I able to live in the now and not be swayed by misinformation, skepticism, or even the malicious conduct of other people. I am not affected by political opinion. I can read and understand between the lines. Yet, I am able to maintain a flexible mind and not have to defend my opinions. My past was left to history and I was looking forward to the new teachings of Spirit. I am experiencing true freedom for the first time.

Why am I writing all this? It is not in the reading of books that a person will benefit, but what a person will do with it. Some people will read and life goes on in the usual manner, while others will take it to their heart and increase their Spiritual Knowledge and acquire true freedom and they experience true Spiritual development. They become changed persons. To the skeptic and "defender of opinions," Life will always be a mystery and they will always be stuck in their mundane world of materialism as a self made person and continue the struggle in their unawareness.

"LIFE AND TEACHING OF THE MASTERS OF THE FAR EAST" will give a person a reason to look into the greater realms of reality and if they will but "look," the answers will be surprising and refreshing. Scientific evidence and verification of these things is not possible at the moment because it has not completely unfolded in their field of awareness. However, science has made tremendous progress in revealing the structure of the Universe, which to the Spiritual aware person indicates that our "material" world as we are able to perceive it, is not as "material" as we think it is. In this view, we can understand why the Masters of the Himalayas travel effortlessly through the "invisible." They used a higher LAW that that for the most part escapes the collective race consciousness....

J. R. Seydel

Yes, it does seem that the practice of internal alchemy faired far better in the East than in the West. After all there are many more true masters living in India and China. One may add that the general world-view there (at least in China) is more supportive of the practices and life-style required for spiritual attainments.

In Taoist Alchemy, there is even classification of immortals, according to the levels of attainment:

- Human Immortals remain human, but though they eat, drink and dress like people, they can avoid the calamities of aging, sickness and death

- Earth Immortals remain on the earth, but they are not affected by cold or heat, hunger or thirst. Though they cannot project their spirits, they can avoid the bother of food, clothing and shelter

- Spiritual Immortals are capable of supernatural powers and transformations; coming and going at will; they can shed the physical shell to attain an ethereal independence. They can dissolve into energy or solidify into form.

- Celestial Immortals go even further in their work. They go beyond our human world to another world that cannot be imagined by human intellect.

Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East describes lives and provides teachings from what would in Taoist Alchemy be called Spiritual and Celestial Immortals.

Supernatural powers emerge spontaneously at certain stages of spiritual development, as a result of one's merging with the "All", with the Infinite, with God, with Tao.

Any person who has even meditated for any extended period of time would of necessity become aware of the spontaneous emergence of certain "powers".

It is only natural that as one meditates upon the Infinite Life, as one holds in his awareness the Infinite Life, that one becomes filled with more Life.

It is only natural that as one hold in his awareness that which is Infinite and Eternal, free of all limitations that the limitations would begin to fall off out of his own life.

It is only natural that as ones consciousness is filled with spiritual thoughts, spiritual energy begins to saturate his mind, emotions and body, spiritualizing the body in the process, re-arranging one's neurology and enabling the individual to do easily what he wasn't able to do before.

There is nothing unspiritual about using one's legs to walk, why would it be unspiritual using one's higher ability to teleport.

When ordinary people work at jobs using their intellectual abilities, it is no more or less spiritual then doing physical labor. So why would manifesting supply directly of the universal substance be unspiritual? Energy follows thought. All that these masters are doing is using their thoughts in a constructive way.

After all, the life on spiritual path becomes easier and lighter, as one progresses along.

People in Life and Teachings do not use their powers to boost their egos, but when the use of these abilities is necessary. They use their powers responsibly.

Ordinary people go to schools and universities to learn some skills and get degrees. That in itself doesn't make them either spiritual or non-spiritual. How they use their skills - to help people or to take advantage of them, their motivations for using them is what would make it spiritual or non-spiritual.

We all have the same amount of time and energy available and we choose how we're going to use them, whether we'll just waste our lives, whether we'll develop skills to just get by or whether we'll develop skills and abilities that will enable us to live meaningful lives.

Spirituality is not something we do in our spare moments - it is the cultivation of spiritual awareness in all that we think and say and do. And yes, bodies are necessary - that's why we're here and that's why we have them. Our bodies are our alchemical labs, the vessels in which the alchemical transmutation occurs. That is where we cultivate life, where we tend our spiritual embryo, until it is strong enough that the physical body is not necessary any more. As the spiritual embryo grows and matures, the spiritual powers naturally emerge - just like a kid or a man is able to do more than a baby. And there is nothing "unspiritual" about a man using the abilities that naturally emerged with his bigger and stronger body. It is not more spiritual to keep on crawling like a baby, when one can walk, so why should one live bound by limitations of those in "mortal consciousness" after he realizes that he is not a "mortal" and "limited" being, after he is realizes that he is still as God created him, in His image and likeness - free of all limitations.

In the early `80s I had for several years been a student of various spiritual teachings, including many concerning those who have variously been called the `White Brotherhood', the `Spiritual Hierarchy', and so on. These include great Himilayan masters, as well as other mysterious masters found throughout the world. Numerous reliable sources have stories and legends about them, including such books as 'Autobiography of a Yogi' (Babaji and others), and teachings from other traditions such as Theosophy, Sufism, Taoism and Tibetan Buddhism. So the concept of such masters was not unfamiliar to me. Thinking that the Spalding books must be another precious teaching about these masters, I tried to read these books (The Life and Teachings series). I found that I just couldn't get through them. I would tell myself that they purported to be about this great reality that I had faith in, so I must read these books also, but I couldn't get very far. I read fifty or a hundred pages here and there, also skimming most of the six books. They just didn't feel real.

Years later I was in a bookstore and I noticed a book called `Baird T. Spalding as I Knew Him', by a long-time friend of Spalding's named David Bruton. In the books he seems to confirm my instinctual (intuitive?) reaction. He claims that Spalding fabricated the stories - completely. He says that Spalding inherited a journal from his grandfather who had traveled in India and the Himalayas, studying with various yogis (not the one's portrayed in the books, who Spalding invented). Upon inheriting this journal of teachings Spalding had received, he commented one day to his friend Bruton that he had conceived of an idea of how to make some money. He intended to make up a story that he personally had travel to Tibet, inventing the masters that he met, and had adventures through which he learned the kinds of teachings - teachings that he had actually received from his grandfather's journals (and undoubtedly embellished for dramatic effect - so we don't even really know what to believe in these books). After the first book came out, he was surprised by all the attention and invitations to lecture. The money was good, and there was much demand for more books. So he kept writing to meet the demand and got in over his head. I don't know if this story is true. Bruton claims that he waited until Spalding passed over because he had no interest in ruining Spalding's `career', but that he did feel a responsibility to tell his knowledge of the true source of the books. As far as I was concerned, reading this account tended to make sense of the uneasy feelings I had about the books. They really don't have the ring of truth for me, and even less so now that 20 years later I have more reading and personal experience to draw on.

Recently I was reading in some of the extensive literature about the great Indian sage Ramana Maharshi. In this literature I came across a book (unfortunately I don't remember the title or author - although those interested could easily contact the Ramana Ashram and probably acquire the reference). One Westerner tells of his experience of living at the Ramana Ashram many decades ago when a group of Westerners led by Baird Spalding arrived at the ashram in India. Apparently, this group had followed Spalding to India to meet the masters who Spalding had written about, and whom Spalding claimed had telepathically guided him to bring to India. Many in his group had invested all their resources in this trip, being told by Spalding that they would not need money nor would they be returning home. Apparently they arrived at the Ramana Ashram in India after having traveled in India for many months, unable to make contact with Spalding's alleged teachers. Many of the group had become more and more disillusioned and disgruntled, and tension was mounting in the group. Spalding seemed confused and discouraged. Some of the members of the group found in Ramana a real master to believe in a chose to stay at the ashram, others left for Aurobindo's ashram, and so on until the group had fallen apart. The person telling this story felt sorry for Spalding. His impression was that he was a basically decent man who seemed to be very deluded. He concluded that he genuinely believed in his inner telepathic experiences, and was confused about why the trip had ended in failure. I believe his impression was that Spalding's life ended on this sad note.

Both of these accounts may be misguided or fabrications. In the second case I don't see what the motivation would be. The source simply (and rather compassionately) shared this account of happenings at the ashram in the context of numerous others. He said that he actually liked Spalding, in spite of his apparent delusion. In any case, do what you want with these stories. For me, the quality of these books never did seem anywhere near what I consider to be truly authentic teachings of real masters. But you might like to know that not only are these stories around, but these books are not embraced enthusiastically by many people (such as myself and many people I have met). Maybe I will have saved you the cost of the set (an expense I didn't manage to avoid!). Namaste.

Coupled with "A Course in Miracles" and a small handful of others, these are THEE most powerful set of books ever written. This is of course my individual perspective, but one must come to understand that we humans know close to nothing about the ifinite world of the absolute. In "fact," considering the "fact" that we exist in the physical realm in physical garments, it is virtually impossible for us to know anything other than the reality "within which" we have been conditioned. Being that is the case, it is difficult for us to believe anything beyond our limited objective experience and easy to discount these books as untrue or fabricated... About half way through volume one (when reading it way back when)I found that I could not get into it, but I later discovered that I simply was not ready for it. A person must be "prepared" to handle the Truth contained in these books and such preparation involves a process of time, patience and assimilating it little by little. More importantly, it should also be understood that as powerful as these books are, they only share Truth through the written word. Real Truth comes to us in the "form" of Light and again, we can only assimilate extremely brief exposures to this light at a time. In other words, Truth coming to us through the written word is powerful, but it is not even the tip of the iceburg when assimilated directly through our being, as filtered through our soul.
I found myself being compelled to go back again and again to these books and I wound up reading, studying and formulating affirmations from certain sections because they were so powerful. While there is no way to confirm whether these books are fabricated or not doesn't matter because the real Truth is found only within one's being. I for one do not believe they are fabricated, but I can easily relate to other people's reservations. We all have free will to believe what we will. Another important point here is that people have much fear imbedded within them, much more than they care to know or could even begin to imagine. That hidden fear envokes a entire inner system of non-belief. Think about it. Jesus is alive and well in these adventures. Millions upon millions want to believe that and believe in His return as well. When it comes down to it, however, a Spiritual Being carrying such "Light Power," creates fear in those who could not handle "True Light" because light brings out darkness that we all have within us. That may sound a bit convoluted, but nonetheless, it is True.
I highly recommend these books, but it also wise to accept the fact that the Real Truth, meaning Light, Love, Peace, whatever your definition, can only be found, brought out and expanded upon from within the soul, for that is where God's piece of Himself abides within us. It is the eternal flame within the heart.

It presents a timeless truth, divine laws in a very direct and impressive way. I can sincerely say that it gave me the conciousness and faith to feel my divineness. After years of reading many new age, metaphysical books, working on myself and meditating, this was the most powerful teaching which has succeeded this hard work I only feel the same power in Kryon's and Ramtha's books. And I feel they com from the same Truth level.

Also, as an answer to our friend "from Mount Shasta," David Bruton, who is the author of Baird T. Spalding As I Knew Him, is the person who has written an eulogy after Mr. Spalding's death in 1953. (Volume 6, pp. 162-164) In that eulogy, he was saying, "Few people who knew him ever caught a glimpse of the cosmic significance of his being here. His true life-mission lay in his writing the Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East. When his experience with Masters came to light, a New Age of spiritual understanding was born. Herein lies the cosmic destiny of Baird T. Spalding; and it is my firm conviction that in the past 30 years, Baird T. Spalding -and he alone- has contributed more to the enlightment of mankind than the sum total of individuals and organized groups have done in the past two hundred years. Mr. Spalding fullfilled his cosmic duty, and that duty was fulfilled as only he could have done it." And also, Bruton's book Baird T. Spalding As I Knew Him has been published by DeVorss&Company, which has published Spalding's books too. I also would like to give an example of what Mr. DeVorrs (owner of the company) says after Mr. Spalding's death: (Volume 5, pp. 9-10) "Whereever there is a flare of general interest in any personality or his achievement, such as has been evinced by the readers of The Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, you may be certain there is a flame of spiritual Truth accompanying it... The nature of Mr.Spalding, the manner in which his message has been presented, and the Message all bear living testimony of the Truth of his words and the honor and sincerity of the man. The countless numbers of letters received through the years from all over the world bear testimony of the tremendous assistance from the message contained in his books.....He seemed to have reached a point of attainment where material things were not of great concern to him. He never wrote or lectured for financial profit, and he was an open channel for any funds that came to him, distributing them immediately."

And one more thing: If readers take a look to pages 162-168 of Volume 4, they will read Mrs. Grace Hahn's letter (who was a member of the party with Mr. Spalding in India), they'll learn that the party was very fond of this trip.

Although I don't believe that Mr. Spalding has made up all these stories, if he has done, I don't care, because I feel the truth of the teaching these books present, within my heart. For me, and I believe for thousands of people whose lives have been changed by this teaching, that is what is important! Please, my friend, lets leave aside the shell, and see the pearl in it. Namaste.

When a friend of mine gave me this series of books as a gift, he made me promise that I would read them. He knew that I do not have much time to read. He also knew that these are rather "deep", and therefore could not be properly read in ten minute segments fit into a busy day. I waited until a recent vacation, and I took the set of books along. Once I started, I could not stop. It took me over a year to fulfill my promise, and I blame myself for losing this year of my life. These books are absolutely incredible. No matter what faith you have, or do not have, you will be inspired. Although the content is amazing and sometimes incredible, it is presented with such honesty and straightforwardness that it is believable. I found that I WANTED to believe it. And I NEEDED it to be true. All limitations have now been removed from my life, and I cannot fail in my renewed mission to serve others. Thank you, Baird T. Spalding. And of course, thank you, My God.

Baird T. Spalding has brought a wonderful series of books that focus on the inner journey and brings forth another perspective of true human potential. I have always felt we (Humans) were much more than hate,anger,and murder that is potraied by our media and our current world view and this series of books confrims that feeling.I love the rich dialoges that really gave me a feeling of presence. What is said is clear and has the feeling of truth. If i had to pick a few words to discribe these books, it would be TRUTH,LOVE and FREEDOM. I highly reccomend these books to anyone that is on their inner journey. For those who connect with the words of Jesus in these books you will really enjoy the Essene Gosple Of Peace book (1) by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely.If you are thinking of just buying book one of the Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East? Go for it! and buy the box set.I did and it was worth it!

I can see how western civilization readers may have a very difficult time accepting Life and Teachings as nothing more than black magic. It goes very deep. This is not a series of books that you sit down and read like the DaVinci code. Have you ever, as an example, opened up the King James version of the New Testament at your hotel room and tried to actually read it and take any of it in? Its tough. Not a page turner. Kind of boooorrring. No wonder we have sunday church to get us through it all. Life and Teachings has to be read in small bites people. Really. Yes, there is a message of sorts that comes out of it: Your religion is right. So is your neighbors and so is there neighbors. Yet it doesnt focus so much on "religion" as it does on the human potential. Thats where its at. And, thats where this read keeps going. This is not an easy book series to get through. Dont pick it up and expect "an answer" right away. You have to work a bit. Like a textbook rather than a Dan Brown Novel. It's laughable that people who read about "men that move mountains or part waters etc" can't comprehend it in anything other than magic. Life and Teachings is a thinker series. You read a bit. You stop. You think. Pick it up later and read some more. Not entertaining nor was it meant to be, but it strikes a lightning bolt at a few nerve endings you didnt know you had. And, no, you won't have to send any money to a special group or PO Box at the end. They dont have a Web site either. Baird Spalding is quite dead as are all the other scientists that went into those mountains in the late 1800's that resulted in this book series. Read it. Don't worry. You won't grow hair on your palms and it won't corrupt your 21st century thinking on modern christianity. The message of Life and Teachings is; Put down your swords. Everyone's right about why we "are". Buddah, Jesus, Allah, Mohammmed, everyone of you....YOu all came down the same road from the same hilltop and this is an excellent tutorial on how that could be and examples of the human potential. Its nothing new. No revelations. Millions of years have gone by and its all still the same except on-going arguments.

I first learned of this collection from my piano teacher of many years, who was a Baptist turned metaphysician, with strong attachment to the writings of Joel S. Goldsmith. Blanche would share tid-bits of insight from the set. This caused me to puchase a used set years ago and to read it only partially. Then this year I decided it was time to read through every volume. What a joy. I love the teaching aspect; it is so very clear and makes so much sense. Volume 4 is written in lesson format so it can be used with study groups. Volume 5 is a collection of talks by Mr. Spalding two years before his death in 1953. Volumes 1-3 set the stage for what follows. There's adventure and discovery galore. As a reader and thinker you are left to determine the validity of each book's content, which is what a master would do. No pressure to accept anything. But, if you are like me, you'll come away from the experience knowing a whole lot about mysticism and Truth than you originally anticipated.