Spacecruiser Inquiry (Almaas, a. H. Diamond Body Series, 1.) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ourselves, what do we experience?..." (more)
Key Phrases: optimizing dynamism, basic knowingness, optimizing force, Diamond Guidance, Diamond Approach, Red Essence (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Readers of Almaas' previous books will not be disappointed. This new work is intended as a practical guide to applying the methodology of the Diamond Approach to personal inquiry. The true power of this book lies in its ability to address 'a part of us that does not inhabit the words in our mind but lives disguised in the varied content of our life.'"— NAPRA Review

Product Description

Over the past twenty-five years A. H. Almaas—widely recognized as a leader in integrating spirituality and psychology—has been developing and teaching the Diamond Approach, a spiritual path that integrates the insights of Sufism, Buddhism, Gurdjieff, and other wisdom traditions with modern psychology. In this new work, Almaas uses the metaphor of a "spacecruiser" to describe a method of exploring the immediacy of personal experience—a way of investigating our moment-by-moment feelings, thoughts, reactions, and behaviors through a process of open-ended questioning. The method is called the practice of inquiry, and Spacecruiser Inquiry reveals what it means to engage with this practice as a spiritual path: its principles, challenges, and rewards. The author explores basic elements of inquiry, including the open-ended attitude, the focus on direct knowledge, the experience of not-knowing, and the process of questioning. He describes the experience of "Diamond Guidance"—the inner wisdom that emerges from our true nature—and how it can be realized and applied. In this process Almaas looks at many of the essential forms of Diamond Guidance, including knowing, clarity, truth, love, intelligence, compassion, curiosity, courage, and determination. Also included are exercises and questions and answers from the original talks by Almaas on which the book is based.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; 1st edition (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570628599
• ISBN-13: 978-1570628597
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,720 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for those already into Almaas' method, January 25, 2003

By	Alberto Gonzalez (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews

This book is very practical for those already familiar with Almaas' teachings. It describes precise and extensively his method of self inquiry, and I underline the word "method", since the book focuses on inquiry itself, on "how" to inquire, and not on "what" to inquire about. 400 pages about how to conduct your inquiry can be a bit too specific and overwhelming for those not into the Diamond Approach, but, on the other hand, it can be the most valueble for those familiar with previous Almaas' books (especially the Diamond Mind series). I really recommend it for the latter, but beginners should choose another one to start with.

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adventures in inner space., July 25, 2002

By	G. Merritt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"It can be scary, but it can be quite thrilling. Not everybody has the heart or the stomach for this kind of adventure" (p. 24). Using the metaphor of space travel that Joseph Campbell also used in his lectures, THE INNER REACHES OF OUTER SPACE, A. H. Almaas compares the exploration of our Being to the adventure of space travel. "The space we travel through is inner space," he writes, "our consciousness, our experience. And the vehicle for this journey is inquiry" (p. 30). Almaas sees a human being as a "multifaceted and multidimensional" universe of experience, constantly unfolding, and full of energy. "This is the very nature of what we call life" (p. 5). A life of inner inquiry, like space travel, offers a sense of mystery, vastness, and absolute spaciousness.

Almaas, or "Ali" as he is called by his students at the Ridhwan School here in Boulder, teaches the Diamond Approach to human potential, an integration of Sufism, Zen and Vajrayana Buddhism, and Gurdjieff with modern psychology. The aim of this Approach is that when we "learn how to invite our true nature to reveal itself, it will guide us toward realizing our own spiritual ground and, at the same time, actualize our potential in all walks of life" (p. xiv). SPACECRUISER offers its reader an excellent means to explore Almaas's glittering Diamond teachings.

G. Merritt

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical Support, June 24, 2005

By	Mike in the Middle (Midwest) - See all my reviews

The title of this book is, to be honest, a little silly. But after getting over Almaas' metaphor I found this to be one of the best spiritual practice books I have come across. Inquiry, when done properly, is an amazingly powerful practice. Almaas takes you step by step into a deeper understanding of how to do this practice. That said, this book is not for everyone. I would suggest that someone should have read Diamond Heart One and Two (for most people these are a better starting point than the Diamond Mind series) and also have at least a couple of years of sitting meditation experience before working with this book. Without that foundation, this work might only engage you at the psychological level. This is also a "workbook" with lots of inquiry exercises-take your time with it. I would suggest setting aside some time to work with it two or three times a week. The inquiries will take 15-20 minutes each and shouldn't be skipped if you want to engage this work fully.