Customer Reviews

Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom (Large Second Volume)

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"Genuine happiness, or enlightenment, is already within us; we have only to reveal it. As spring water rushes through open earth, so happiness flows through open lives." -Taro Gold

Taro Gold has spent much of his life living overseas. He has traveled to over thirty countries and has lived in Australia, Spain and Japan. This is the second book and larger edition of "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life." The author has also written extensively for international Buddhist publications and is currently living in California.

Quotes have always intrigued me because they contain condensed wisdom. In just a few words of a good quote, you see the big picture or universal truth. This is a collection of Eastern Wisdom and contains quotes by Buddhist and Eastern thinkers such as Nichiren, Lao Tzu, Confucius, and Mahatma Gandhi.

Taro sees these quotes as "guideposts." He believes in having an open mind and in illuminating your life's path with wisdom from great thinkers.

Taro also includes:

The Buddhist concept of the Ten Worlds

Short Allegories

Short Biographical paragraphs of Historical Figures quoted in this book

Longer passages for reflection

Common Sense Quotes

Universal Truths

Eastern Wisdom

An Iris represents Faith, Hope, Wisdom and Valor. Not only is the cover beautiful and filled with flowers, the entire books is beautifully illustrated in an ornate fashion. Almost every page has a beautiful border and then the quotes are in black ink and easy to read on white paper.

Some of the quotes do not have sources and are probably sayings passed down through many generations. These include Japanese, Buddhist and Chinese proverbs.

I've been contemplating the reality of how we become what we think. Lately I've been watching how my own thoughts change my behavior. Some of the quotes deal with the inherent nature of mankind or ask: "What is truth?"

Taro Gold has included a quote from Mahatma Gandhi:

"Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive, because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive, because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny."

This beautiful mini-book will have me contemplating "thoughts" for a long time! An enjoyable collection of quotes to reflect on in moments when you want to think more deeply about life and your own journey to lasting happiness.

A book you will love adding to your inspirational quote-book collection.

~The Rebecca Review

I had a dream a few months ago in which I discovered that I had wings. Big ones, too, with feathers and everything. There was no question that I could fly. The only problem was learning to _use_ them; I kept forgetting where the appropriate muscles were.

Well, okay, you don't have to be Sigmund Freud to figure that one out. I mention it here because it's vaguely relevant to one of my favorite lines from this little book. It's a Mongolian saying: "Eagles don't chase flies."

(Pause for a moment and roll that one around in your mind. "Eagles don't chase flies." Grows on you, doesn't it? Now see if you can remember how to flex those wings . . . )

This little book is full of stuff like that -- some original to Taro Gold, some collected from many centuries of (mostly) Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist wisdom, all of it designed to give you a stimulating poke right in your atman-which-is-also-Brahman.

Some of the sayings will hook you right away. Others will look, at first reading, like outtakes from a motivational seminar. But read it twice: even the ones that didn't look so interesting on the first pass will _change_ a little the next time through. At any rate, you can skip the ones that don't grab you; there are plenty that will. (Do you like Thich Nhat Hanh? Then you'll probably like the flavor of this collection, which partakes very much of the same gentle spirit.)

It's a nice collection. And it makes a nice gift: I gave a copy each to my two daughters for Valentine's Day this year.

This richly illustrated book is filled with great insights. I've been interested in various Eastern philosophies like Buddhism, Taoism, Confucius and so on for many years now and I especially enjoy collections of wisdom and rare quotations. This is the best I've ever found.

'Open Your Mind, Open Your Life' is the best collection of wisdom I've ever found. The enlightening theme is that 'true happiness is within us all; we have only to reveal it.' This book is filled with hundreds of simple and inspiring guideposts based on the timeless wisdom of Eastern thought, including my personal favorite: 'The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud.' It's compact size allows me to carry it along for those times when I need a little extra inspiration and guidance. One of the most valuable books I've ever bought for such a low price.

My son gave me this a book as a gift. My first impression was how beautiful it is. The wisdom it contains speaks to everyone, so although it is technically "eastern" I believe anyone would gain much from it. Truth and wisdom are universal, after all. I have learned so much and been so inspired by this book of wisdom, it is a real treasure. I am buying extra copies to give away to all my friends and family members.

This is a brilliant little gem of a book. I have studied Buddhism for 25 years, mostly Tibetan Buddhism, and although this book is obviously not from the Dalai Lama it also captures much of the spirit he teaches - compassion, wisdom, courage. In fact, these virtues are universal and common themes of all humanistic philosphies. Another aspect I like about this book is that it speaks to anyone of any belief system, Eastern, Western, Buddhist, non-Buddhist, everyone. I believe nearly everything in this book even the most devout Christian would enjoy reading and probably agree with, too. Wisdom is wisdom - truth is truth - both wisdom and truth are universal, after all.

There are approximately 350 entries in this book, which is the larger volume, all of which I found profoundly inspiring or thought-provoking. Many are subtle yet deep. All are easy to incorporate into one's daily life. About 70% of the entries are from Taro Gold and 30% from great Eastern philosophers such as Shakyamuni Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Confucius, Lao Tzu and others. There are also some wonderful and rare Chinese and Japanese proverbs.

I was having the worst day at work and went to see a friend who also works in my office and he took this book out of his desk and gave it to me to read. it was the best thing he could have done to cheer me up and give me hope and confidence that I can live happier. whenever I feel down I always open this book up and read a page or two and I feel better right away.

I bring this book with me wherever I go, in my car or in my purse. I have an extra copy in my desk at work. I love it so so much -- makes me feel a lot better just to read one thought from it or one page from it now and then in the day. My husband keeps a copy by the bed to read us a thought before we get up each morning which often makes for great conversations.

I belong to a reading group in my local neighborhood library, and one of the folks in the group suggested Taro Gold's books of wisdom to us. Since then, we always open and close our meetings by reading a thought from Open Your Mind, Open Your Life. I keep a copy at work to start my day off on a positive note as well. Taro Gold's books have become my favorite gift to give to friends for birthdays, graduations, and any time I want to uplift someone's spirit.

I'm a peace officer in NYC and everyone in my precinct loves this book. we keep copies of this book in our station and even in our cars. reading thoughts from it now and then throughout the day always lift my spirits and help me focus on positive ideas. it is a priceless book to me.