Customer Reviews

The Secret Gateway: Modern Theosophy and the Ancient Wisdom Tradition

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Theosophy and ancient wisdom are fascinating subjects. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of good introductory reading material in the field aimed at the armchair philosopher/theologian. The few introductory books I have explored through the decades seem to presume both previous knowledge and the readers desire to decode a lot of arcane thinking. Or the subject is downgraded into New Age self-help.

"Secret Gateway" is a book I suspect many have been waiting for. It is by far the most clear and practical introduction to theosophical theory I have seen. Using illustrative examples that are easily grasped, the author gives a no-nonsense introduction to esoteric principles reflected in worldwide wisdom traditions, and demonstrates many possible connections to modern scientific theory as well. Chopra is probably more marketable, but for clarity and accuracy "Gateway" is as good as it gets.

Members and friends of the Theosophical Society have long benefitted from Ed Abdill's lectures and classes. With this book, his perspective on the inner tradition as presented in Theosophy is finally available to a wider audience. In his accessible style, Abdill ranges across topics from the metaphysics of Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine to the founding and history of the Theosophical Society to instructions for meditation. For anyone interested in Theosophy as a spiritual path, Abdill's book is an ideal place to start.

The book is an easy read upon the concepts of Theosophy, which is a complex subject, indeed. The author's personal way of writing conveys the material in an easy to read, but correct and direct way.

Excellent book!

One should watch the video production from the theosophical website as a company product for this book. That is how I have started it. The book is just a hardcopy version as a reference to the wonderful production. The problem is with Madame Blavatsky's books and other esoteric works is the Oxford English used that most ill educated Americans either have hard time reading and/or understanding.