Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hagen clearly carves out the limits of conceptual thought, February 22, 1999
By A Customer
Steve Hagen clearly emphasizes again and again throughout the book, through numerous examples, how the habit of the human mind to immediately conceive (package in terms of words, in terms of memories, in terms of the known) what it sees inevitably leads to contradiction in Reality. By proving Nagarjuna's tetra-lemma, the author demonstrates how conception of objects leads to an artificial, man made, mind made, separation of the object from the Whole and why this is the root of human misery. Hagen shows us that the assumption about "I", the individual ego that is distinct from the Whole, is the most deep rooted concept of all that the entire humanity suffers from. The discussions here echo the principles of Jnana Yoga from ancient Indian Upanishads. Hagen clearly shows how inspite of all the progress that science has made, we still remain distanced from the Ultimate Reality and also how no matter how much progress science makes, this will ever remain to be the case because science, by its very nature, is enmeshed in concepts. An absolutely enthalling book that I would recommend to all readers whose minds are ripe.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Steve Hagen's How the World Can Be the Way It Is, June 5, 2004
By A Customer
I think this is a great book. I wanted to write a review of it because I think a few of the other Amazon.com reviews are a little misleading. First, one reader questions "whether it is possible - through zen meditation or otherwise - to 'see the world the way it is'" and goes on to say that he doesn't believe it is possible. It seems to me that he is too quick to dismiss what Hagen calls "just seeing." Obviously, it is not something that can be believed or disbelieved, because it is beyond conceptual thought and therefore, doubt. This seems too important to simply write off as being impossible without giving it much consideration.Another reader says, "To be a little more blunt, the author sure seems to waste a lot of words and concepts trying to convince us of the uselessness of words and concepts." I don't think Hagen is trying to say that words and concepts are useless, in fact, I know that isn't what he is saying. It would be impossible to get by on a day-to-day basis without concepts and words. How could this book have even been written if words and concepts were useless? I think that Hagen is actually trying to say is that we tend to mistake concepts for what is Real and completely lose sight of what is directly in front of us. Words and concepts are very important, but they cannot be substituted for Reality without causing a lot of harm to us. "Just seeing" does not mean that one becomes completely free from all concepts, it simply means that one becomes aware of all conceptual thought and is not confused or misled by it. While this book may not be "groundbreaking" (in fact, it is simply a modern version of teachings that have existed for hundreds of years), it presents everything clearly and does not require a strong background in science, mathematics, or philosophy to appreciate. If you are interested, I would highly recommend reading this book.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
JUST SEE, September 25, 2003
Of all the books on Philosophy, Religion, Science, and their parts in the Big Picture, I have found this book by Steve Hagen the most helpful. Why? Because it puts into language I can understand--simple and to the point--the essence of Buddhism as exemplified in the story of the Eighty-Three Problems (qv) which is resolved by Gautama saying we all have all kinds of problems which he cannot help us with. But he can help us with the 84th problem: that we do not want problems in our lives. Everything depends on how you see things. That is the solution. Just see clearly. This book shows how. Not a slick and easy read, because it deals with the ultimate. But even at a first reading you can taste the truth in it.
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