Customer Reviews

Surfing the Himalayas: A Spiritual Adventure

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I write as a Roman Catholic trained in philosophy and theology. I recommend this delightful read as a true spiritual journey. From the first pages, Dr. Lenz surfs the reader right into a wonderful spiritual ambience. Agree or not with every point in his doctrine, one cannot escape a heightened sense of the divine. That is a big gift to our secular culture. Dr. Lenz's work will undoubtedly help bridge a gap, and East will come closer to West and vice versa. That is true development of doctrine, a great accomplishment indeed.

Marvin Bordelon
President, American Conference on Religious Movements
Washington, DC

"Charged with energy, humor, and insight, this is the engaging story of a young American snowboarder who travels to the Himalayas seeking the ultimate high - but surfs into an experience more transcendent than he could ever imaged. In an accident of karmic destiny, the young man plows into a Tantric Buddhist monk named Master Fwap who takes him on as a spiritual apprentice. Using snowboarding as a path to enlightenment, the charming and learned Master Fwap shows how, by freeing the mind and challenging the soul, one can master any mountain - and master himself."

Surfing the Himalayas is one of the greatest spiritual adventures ever written. It can be easy compared to The Celestine Prophesy, or any book by Carlos Castaneda. Master Fwap's enlightening humor takes your mind into a higher level of awareness at the turn of each page. This is an adventure that should be enjoyed by all.

I have studied over 40 different texts on meditation and metaphysical concepts from very complicated Tibetan texts to the Celestine Prophesies and I have yet to read a book as good as "Surfing the Himalayas" at introducing very complicated subjects in such a clear and simple manner. I found myself breezing through this clear, simple, well written book and then suddenly halted and had to re-read the section because of its profoundness. Well done! It's about time someone de-mystified the mystical. By the way, it also gave me hope.

As a Theology graduate, I am always on the look-out for contemporary works of literature that treat ancient subjects, in this case Buddhism. I can't believe I only just came across this brilliant little book!

While its author describes it as a work of fiction, do not be deceived - this book is a condensed modern handbook of the first and much of the second cycle of the Buddha's teachings. What makes it so unique is the clarity and joyous ease with which the subject matter is transmitted to the reader. It is a wonderful story and a great read!

I have felt energized and inspired ever since completing 'Surfing the Himalayas' in a way I haven't felt for years - maybe ever. This is a book I will read and reread many times. Having spent years digging through the ancient texts, it is such a joy to find a book that brings Buddhism into the twentieth century, in a context to which we can all immediately relate.

Surfing the Himalayas is a delightful story, both entertaining and profound. Author Frederick Lenz transforms his real-life experiences into a thoughtful work of fiction.

Snowboarding becomes the vehicle for bringing to life Master Fwap's explanations of such deep subjects as karma, opening the third eye, the secret of the Rae Chorze-Fwaz, earth's cycles and auric patterning, astral travel, and more.

Surfing the Himalayas will stay with you long after reading it, and you may want to underline parts to return to again and again. Though its impact is profound, the reading is fun and moves at a steady pace. Read and enjoy!"

I picked up the Surfing the Himalayas audio tape before heading out on a trip from Boston to D.C. I didn't know anything about it, but it looked interesting. I didn't expect much, but the next thing I knew, a couple hours had passed, the tape was over, and I hardly even noticed the traffic and the non-stop construction crews on the 95. This guy is coming from a high place. It sent my mind flying. A couple months later I bought the book, and it was a more in-depth perspective on enlightened consciousness. It's cool how he modernized these ancient truths.

The story revolves around this L.A. surfer-type who goes off to the Himalayas to achieve the ultimate snowboarding high. One day he snowsurfs right into this monk, Master Fwap Sam-Dup, the last Master of the Rae Chorze-Fwaz School of Tantric Mysticism and Buddhist Enlightenment. So he apologizes most profusely, and the monk assures him that it's perfectly alright since it's their karmic destiny to meet. "You can call me Master Fwap if you like." The rest of the book is basically the long and unlikely conversation that ensues. Not to downgrade the profound effect this book had on me, but one must ignore the quotable quotes on its covers. It is not "a magnificent journey to the mountain within," and much less a collection of "wise approaches to living a much happier life." It's closer to (but not exactly) Bill and Ted on a hilarious marathon trip to nirvana. The snowboarding guy is a confused (non-too bright) American politely asking lots of unenlightened questions about astral travel, auric repatterning, and the second attention. If you don't know too much about Buddhism, this is a pretty good introduction to the basics. For true believers, a fair and entertaining summary. A number of people have complained that this book subscribes to "the usual California school of new-age philosophy" and runs like "an interview with a 12-year old," but they obviously failed to see it in its original context. After all, Master Fwap does say that an outrageous sense of humor is the second sign of an enlightened Master and this, after all, is a very funny book. The absolute pure simplicity of it just knocks me out. Like The Tao of Pooh, it's a western text that casually demystifies eastern philosophy. But like a good koan, it whacks you on the head harder. The snowboarding-Buddhism analogy is cute but a bit of a stretch, and the first few pages get off on a slow start; nevertheless, all in all I highly recommend this book to all true seekers of meaning beyond the confines of this reality (i.e., escape). Either way, it has got to be the supreme spiritual fantasy.

I think both this book and Snowboarding to Nirvana are fun introductions to Tantric/Vajrayana Buddhism, although overall I prefer Snowboarding, as I think the writing is better in it. I have studied Buddhism both academically and personally and feel that some of the criticisms written about this book are from people that have only studied Therevada Buddhism. Tantric/Vajrayana forms employ esoteric and mystical tehcniques, and that is what this book tries to introduce. It does throw in some New Age ideas, but I think this is mostly to make it more palatable in today's market.

As for the particular quote that a couple of reviews criticized regarding the energy influence of the Himalayas on regaining enlightenment and the astrological power of the age 29, neither of these are foreign to Tantric traditions. Tibetan astrology is part of many branches and this does include the relevance of the Saturn return at age 29. Also, the energy of different places, and the 'termas' planted in them, is an important part of the tradition as well, especially regarding sacred places such as Mt. Kailesh.

So my advice it to read this book as a creative - and fictional - intro to Tantric Buddhism and then go and explore other sources as well.

As a Greek Orthodox Christian, I have had perhaps more of mystical slant to my spiritual education than most westerners, however, there have been many topics, questions and experiences that my religion has not been able to answer for me. Dr. Lenz's book has provided me with a profound yet entertaining introduction to Tantric Buddhism, and I can't wait to find out more about it. After reading this book, I felt unbelievably good, and the feeling is still with me. I highly recommend it, especially for intelligent people dissatisfied with the answers that western religions provide to life's deeper mysteries

This is a wonderful tale of a young American's encounters with a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Through the author's eloquent writing I wished I was on those Himalayan peaks. This book reminded me that there is magic! I recommend it to all of my friends who are interested in the mystical. (It's also a subtle but poignant reminder of China's activities in Tibet.