Socrates and the Enlightenmente Path (Paperback)

by William Bodri (Author) "When people think of the great seminal cultures of the world, they typically think of the Indian, Chinese, Near Eastern and Greco-Roman civilizations..." (more)
Key Phrases: enlightenment pathway, true fundamental nature, cultivation path, Penguin Books, Shakyamuni Buddha, The Blessed One (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this text, William Bodri shows that Socrates had reached a spiritual stage called "samadhi", satisfying the requirements specified in the Buddhist systems of one who has attained enlightenment. Bodri points to the comparisons and contrasts between East and West, illuminating both Buddhist and Socratic thought. Using Socrates as an example, he calls for the broadening of our Western ideas of learning to encompass spiritual knowledge.

Product Details

• Paperback: 211 pages
• Publisher: Weiser Books (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578631912
• ISBN-13: 978-1578631919
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #969,504 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Convergence of Eastern and Western thought, February 24, 2003

By	Kevin Alford (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

Society has often divided the history of philosophy into Eastern and Western thought. However, in "Socrates and the Enlightenment Path," William Bodri presents a convincing argument that Socrates was one of the rare people to have blended the two genres. Bodri systematically analyzes writings about Socrates and the writings of Eastern philosophy (including those about the Buddha and Confucius) in an attempt to determine whether or not Socrates achieved the highest levels of Eastern philosophy's enlightenment.
Yet, this text is not exclusively about Socrates and his ideas. Rather, it is an informative text on philosophy in general and mankind's search for clarity. Bodri searches many different texts and disciplines to determine that the truly great thinkers of our world have defied the boundaries of East and West to discover the oneness of true reality.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eastern Wisdom meets Western Analysis, January 4, 2003

By	travis (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews

Bodri does an excellent job of discussing Eastern ideas in a way that is easy for Westerners to accept and understand. He uses the case of Socrates as a jumping point into a whole array of Eastern/Buddhist themes, including no-self and emptiness (dependent origination), impermanence, meditation (Samadhi), wisdom (Prajna), and enlightenment. While Bodri is not unique in discussing these topics, his discussion of them is the most useful and appropriate to a western audience. As Bodri points out, there are fundamental differences between the eastern and western approaches; ironically, Bodri takes a western, intellectual approach in criticizing western traditions, and pulls it off quite well. I found Bodri's writing to be much more attuned to my (western) mode of thinking. Bodri is much more understandable, and thus more useful, to the mainstream western audience. Granted, as Bodri would probably admit, intellectualizing about the differences between East and West, as Bodri does, cannot actually lead to wisdom. As he writes, "words are words until they are crystallized into actions." However, by showing the inadequacy of words themselves, Bodri more effectively inspires the reader to take the next step towards enlightenment than any other author I've read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Debunking the myth of enlightenment, March 9, 2005

By	David Farmer - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

William Bodri does a good job in comparing Eastern vs Western thought/practices in the human science of gaining freedom, peace, liberation, enlightenment or the several other names of this experiential state. He talks about Samadhi and explains that it is just not seculor to practioners in Indian and China. The myths and dogmas that have kept humans in check have also turned us from the internal truths. This is an excellent book and doesn't step on anyone's toes. Williams' straight forward writing style is only second to his keen eye and roaring heart. Anyone interested in cultivation should read this book.