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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timeless piercing wisdom!, April 10, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Soul Sword: The Way and Mind of a Warrior (Paperback)
I read this book straight through in one sitting: It's that good and thought pro- voking; one of the things I really liked is he gives you methods which can help you to develop your spirit. The book gives you great understanding of yourself,religion,martial arts and eastern western traditions and how they all come to- gether to help us to grow. I would recommend you give a copy of this book to anyone seeking to understand the way to truth and enlightenment. It's fascinating because you feel truth coming "thorough" vernon and you are not so focused on him. He is not the message but the messenger. When the student is ready; vernon is the teacher. Yet he lets us know in reality we are vernon and he is us. I absolutely cannot wait to read all of his books. I am just stunned. Reading the book was like reading the bible,tao te ching, koran and all great spiritual books; yet his booked seemed to unlock the teachings of all these books. I truly feel if you understand the message in his book it will bring forth the greatness in you and therefore all of us. Many things which I intuitively knew were expressed; yet it was light in a dark room to have someone validate what is truly in your heart. Every teacher needs to assign this book as read- ing for every student as soon as they are capable of reading; for in it,like all great books is the key to self understanding and universal peace. thankyou...vernon for being the instrument of a message we all need to hear. I know I can now get my life back on track. By the way I saw an article about you in Enlightenment magazine which is what made me buy your book. And for anyone else reading this he has a website too. Search for him through his name.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Illuminating, June 19, 2000
This review is from: Soul Sword: The Way and Mind of a Warrior (Paperback)
I have not only had the pleasure of reading Soul Sword and recommending it to my friends but I have been touched by its message. ...The author is a Dharma successor of a master and Truth is universal. Many Zen masters, ancient and current have no problem quoting the Bible. Soul Sword reveals that the author's Zen and Christian experience progressed seamlessly and without conscious design or internal conflict. He helps us to become aware that the divisions that we see are only because mind and spirit are split apart. Christ underscored this dichotomy as strongly as did The Buddha..."The mind and spirit are enmity to each other." we are told. In Soul Sword Kitabu outlines the path he took to warriorship,both physically and spirituallly, a path which brought his mind into submission to the Divine Spirit. This is what the biblical warriors, David, Joshua and Sampson also did. No one can prove that the Shaolin and Zen inspired samurai did not embrace that same Spirit in the silence of their meditation. That is their secret. Soul Sword is not talk. When "What is Enlightenment?" magazine did nearly a 20 page aricle on the author, many people became curious and wanted to see or test him out. I witnessed an incredible demostration at Aikido of Fresno where he took on all comers in a peaceful loving manner. It was an open forum with masters and experts from any style invited to come. The author came alone. In one demonstration he knocked down six practitioners with a single finger while they resisted with all their strength. He was fluid, graceful and inspiring to all. Now that was Zen action. Religion is in the head, Soul Sword reveals it comes alive only after we put it into personal practice. By definition, when one can act from The Spirit of Heaven that is Zen. Zen is not a religion, per se. It is a word used to indicate athe methodology of taming the mind, and the activity which results from illuninated mind. D.T. Suzuki/Roshi said that Zen can be practiced by those of ANY religion. Vernon Kitabu Turner/Roshi and Soul Sword proves that it is so. Those of us here need American masters to help us understand and recover our Original nature. Who knows us better. Soul Sword is a bold step in that direction. I sincerely hope the author gives us more to digest.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You made me think Kitabu, and I thank you for it!!, January 2, 1999
This review is from: Soul Sword: The Way and Mind of a Warrior (Paperback)
When I was living in Virginia Beach I met a most wonderful man, that man is Vernon Kitabu Turner. We met each other in September 1998 at a coffeehouse that he frequents. During the time that I was in Virginia, and even now as I sit out in the Gulf on the USS Carl Vinson, we talked about everything and anything. He helped me realize that there was more than one way to look at life, and many more things to life than what I know. When I bought his book I started reading it the moment I got home. Every night I would read it until I couldn't keep my eyes open. I just finished a few weeks ago, and I plan on reading it again and again. The teachings are very insightful and make you look at your life and re-evaluate the way you deal with things. I miss the face to face conversations I had with this great man. The joys of being able to communicate with him via e-mail will have to do. He makes me look at what life is, and what it could be. Thank you very much Kitabu, I wait for the day we are face to face again! Beth Ann Charlton
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