Andrew Harvey has a beautiful voice and the stories that he tells about his childhood in India are fascinating. I was captivated by his stories. They are very spiritual and offer many insights and wonderful lessons for children as well as adults.

What a knockout cool audio. Andrew Harvey speaks from the heart. With beautiful music by Steve Gorn and Ty Burhoe. I was transported to another world. Get this right now.

This has got to be one of the best items available for children to delight in and think deeply about our world and their lives in it. If children can really accept the idea of a feather in their hearts as their own innate wisdom and learn to be in tune with and trust in that, they are bound to become confident and caring people. Andrew Harvey's voice carries the message with intensity and passion unequaled in today's audio market for children. A wonderful counterbalance to the speed and violence of computer games and TV!

This book is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It is equalled only by her second book, Sacred Poems and Prayers of Love. I am saddened to see that the book is out of print now, but am happy to see that the tape is available. The combination of Mary Ford-Grabowsky's selections, and Andrew Harvey's stunning reading should not be missed. I have given copies of this book and of the tape to some of my dying patients. They found it wonderfully comforting in their final hours. One woman also expressed to me how wonderful it was to have the book available to thumb through after her husband was gone -- she said it supported her through her immense grief. I anxiously await more from this author!

The author offers a path to real solace in a world, make that a country, where ethics just don't seem to matter. This book rekindles a spiritual connection that brings us back to a love for each other that will restore peace in our world.

A wonderful collection of prayers from all around the world and from a variety of traditions. Mary provides insightful introductions to each chapter. The book is beautifully printed and bound -- would make a great gift. Highly recommended!

Frankly I was stunned. I knew nothing about Kundalini, and little about ecstatic experiences, but after finishing Dorthy Walter's "Unmasking the Rose" I was both enlivened, educated and inspired. This book is a MUST for anyone asking the question, "Is it ever too late to connect with God?" Dorothy Walters teaches us not only that connection is only a breath away, but how, through her own remarkable journey your own path may be created. Finally, books of this kind can frequently be thick and inaccessible. I found Ms. Walters writing to be both "friendly" and a joy to read. What more could I ask?

I was so honored to be asked by Dorothy Walter's publishers to endorse this brave and wonderful book; How rare it is to read an account of a spiritual transformation that is both profound and very, in the highest sense, accessible. Ms Walters has made a unique contribution to the literature of the Spirit with an elegance, candor, humor and passion that will inspire all those who are blessed enough to read this book. In my blurb, I wrote "'Unmasking the Rose' is one of the most amazing and powerful books I have ever read". I have just read it again and I am happy and grateful to find it even more compelling than I did before.Do not hesitate to get this book and reflect deeply on what it has to say.Your life will be the richer for it.

I am so overwhelmed that I will be short in my praise : This book should be handed out free; It is simply a masterpiece of spirituality>Ms Walters shares with us her struggles to understand the amazing process taking place within her 'regular' life and the revolutionary leap it creates;
We all have to learn from Dorothy Walters; May God bless her and her superb work.

After reading two books by the Dalai Lama, I can honestly say I would rather meet this one person more than anyone else alive today. He is an incredible man who has gone through many hardships but continues to have a positive outlook on humanity and even the men who occupy his country to this day.

You do not have to be Buddhist or even religious at all to gain a lot of insight from Beyond Dogma. As the title of the book implies, he really is the prime example of tolerance. He suggests it might be better for some people not to get stuck up on ceremonies or tradition and focus on what is important instead. Most religions at the heart are found on kindness, generosity, and humility. In fact, he speaks of several priests who took Buddhist vows but remained Christians because in essence, these virtues do not conflict. So he reaches out to people of all backgrounds. Part of this tolerance is because much of Buddhism does not require the same leaps of faith as other religions. You can reason through most of his discussions; you do not have to immerse yourself in scripture to understand what he says. He describes Buddhism as the Middle Way - between faith-based religion and secular philosophy - making it accessible to everyone.

His most recent book, the Art of Happiness, was very popular for its life-changing aspects. In addition to his sagely advice, this work also deals with international relations amongst differing religions and governments. Not surprising since it was written shortly after the Dalai Lama won the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize and consists of interviews while visiting France in addition to narratives. He embraces the idea of a 'New World Order' like few other modern leaders have had the bravery to do.

The Dalai Lama is not a religious icon hidden away from the world; he discusses real-life problems in a modern society that is far removed from the mystical city of Lhasa. Meanwhile, he can still apply a wealth of knowledge from a vast amount of information from many fields. If you are anxious to learn more about Buddhism, Tibet, the East, or the Dalai Lama himself, this is a great book to own yourself or to give to curious friends.

Browsing through a bookshelf with only the most vague notion of what I was looking for, my eyes were caught by the simple and yet powerful title of this book. At the time, I had little idea of what Buddhism was, and yet the title itself conveyed to me everything that seemed wrong with the religon of my upbringing.

Beyond Dogma is an inciteful and well-written treatise. It is one of my favorites written by the Dalai Lama, and the translation provides great clarity to his words. The autobiographical background of the Dalai Lama and the last fifty years in Tibet is in excellent context with the nature of Tibetan Buddhism. An excellent and easy read that is light on the complex theory and heavy on warmth and understanding.

As a Westerner brought up in a culture that separates sexuality from spirituality, it had never occurred to me there could be gay mystics who could be identified. Quite frankly, I had never given much thought about any kind of sexuality of the mystics. I knew that St. Augustine regretted his profligate youth, and that St. Francis of Assisi was a notorious hoodlum, but the idea that they had had sexual desires never occurred to me. Perhaps I was naive, and probably the closest I came to such thoughts were from Nikos Kazantzakis' book, Zorba the Greek, (the movie starred Anthony Quinn), which underlined the conflict between flesh and spirit,
between Dionysus (sometimes called Bacchus) and Apollo. In his greatest film, Kazantzakis also carried this conflict into the life of Jesus called The Last Temptation of Christ. Those who did not understand this theme picketed the movie houses at the time of its release. Look at Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. You may remember that Sean Connery won a British Academy award for best actor in this story of 14th century monks in an Italian abbey where someone is committing many murders. Both of these stories have homosexual incidents in them. Yet, somehow, I could understand that; after all, these were sequestered men living alone without women, similar to military or prison life and homosexual tensions are unbearable for some.

The evolution of psychological theories since Freud, Jung, and Adler has moved to an "integral approach," linking body, mind and soul in balance as a holistic unit. In the past, spiritual and other psychologists have treated body, mind and soul as if they were separate entities, whereas, in order to reach the wholeness of spirit, the oneness of the universe, and we must include our bodies and minds. The desires of the flesh, the ideas of the mind, and the luminosities of the soul--all are perfect expressions of the radiant Spirit that alone inhabits the universe. Physical exercise, vitamins, if necessary, sufficient sleep, a time for relaxation, and a healthy sexual life for the body; good reading and challenging creative ideas for the mind; and the joy of the here and now for the soul as observer.

The word "mysticism" means a direct intuition or experience of God, what Abraham Maslow called a "peak experience." This will frequently happen to almost everyone who is taken breathless at a sunset, a soaring mountain, or just waking up one day feeling exhilarated for no reason at all. A mystic is a person who has had such a direct experience, not merely from accepted religious beliefs but from first-hand personal knowledge. There is no intermediary of priest, rabbi, or shaman. In addition, mysticism
need not be religious or theistic, but can express itself in art,
literature, music or poetry.

The other word, "gay," is slightly more difficult to define because it is understood in such a narrow and usually limited construct. Gay usually refers to a middle-class homosexual male living in the West in the late 20th century. "Lesbian" comes from the name of the island of Lesbos where Sappho, the poet, wrote her inspiring works. Cultural and historical evidence shows that not only has same-sex desire always existed and been known to exist, but that in many cultures those who followed this path were seen as connected to the sacred. To give only one example, the berdache, the cross-dressing shaman of various American Indian tribes, holds an esteemed and fundamental place in the life of a tribe.

The book, Gay Mystics, is set forth on the hypothesis that sin and sex do not need to be approved and that gay sexuality is as innately spiritual as heterosexuality. In the East, Tantra considers all seemingly lesser occasions (errors, stumbling blocks, sin) not as distractions from the Spirit, but celebrations of Spirit's exuberant, wild, overflowing, ever-present creativity. For there is only God, only Spirit, only Goddess, only Tao. More simply, every single thing and event in this universe, high or low, sacred or profane, has the same feeling or taste, the taste of the Divine.

Excerpting passages from 60 gay and lesbian writers--covering 20 centuries and at least a dozen traditions including classical Greek, Native American, Sufi, and Christian, Andrew Harvey explores a variety of religious and sexual experiences. He includes texts from Sappho, Plato, Vergil, Basho, Attar, Hafiz, Michaelangelo, Emily Dickinson, Jean Cocteau, Audre Lorde, and many others. His extensive research, empathetic perspective, and compelling grasp of spirituality make this book not only unique, but also vital to an understanding of contemporary theology,
religion and psychology.

Ken Wilber, psychologist, has said "Andrew Harvey has pulled together some of the most passionate and touching works in all of mystical literature, and as it happens, the authors are all gay. But the words speak for themselves: that is, the Divine directly speaks through the words in this volume, words that flowed through gay hearts and gay minds and gay love, but words which speak
profoundly, eloquently, gorgeously, to the same Divine in all of us. A mystic is not one who sees God as an object, but one who is immersed in God as an atmosphere, and the works collected here are a radiant testament to that all-encompassing condition. Harvey has given us a cornucopia of mystical wisdom, tender as tears and gentle as fog, but also passionately ablaze with the relentless fire of the very Divine."

At age twenty-one Andrew Harvey attended Oxford, and received England's highest academic honor, becoming the youngest Fellow of All Soul's College in its history. He is now a visiting professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He lives with his husband, writer and photographer Eryk Hanut, in Nevada.

A prolific writer, Harvey is the author of over ten books, including Journey to Ladakh. He collaborated with Sogyal Rinpoche on the best-selling Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Harvey is the subject of a 1993 BBC documentary, The Making of a Mystic.

Andrew Harvey has assembled an amazing collection of Gay mystics and their writings. His arrangement of mystics throughtout history and by culture is well suited to this type of study. I enjoyed the profiles of each mystic and sailed from one to the next. The writing of these ecstatics and enlightned ones was truly a blessing to find. I told a co-worker I was reading about gay mystics and she said "I didn't know there were any". The next day, I was able to show a deluge of them via the book and her own androgenous currents broke through. Thanks Andrew.

I was amazed how Rumi loved God. His example and perseverance is worth emulating in the now fast-faced world. This work is a must for every student of the truth. If a reader will read between the lines, he will realized the synthesis of things.

This is a beautiful, inspiring work, filled with passion, ecstacy, joy, and longing. The photographs throughout the book are both moving and meditative.

Pass' book is excellent, well-written, and comprehensive. It is one of the first books patients and family members should go to, though they should be cautioned that the book is written for a medical audience. Skip the first two chapters on mollecular biology which are far too technical, and go to some of the other chapters written in a detailed but comprehensive fashion. This book will prove exceptionally useful, but tough reading for many, so keep a medical dictionary and encylopedia nearby.

This second edition is an excellent, readable resource that makes few assumptions about the reader's familiarity with lung cancer, molecular biology, or cancer genetics. Contains many entirely new chapters as well as carefully updated material from the first edition. Geared to oncologists and researchers, but nonetheless a good foundation resource for patients and families who wish to learn a great deal about lung cancer and its management.

This is a very beautiful book..its worth much more than it costs...splendid collection of sufi wisdom.

This book contains some of the finest poetry from the literature of sufism; It is an awesome gift to the world; The photographs have something that reminds me of the young Ansel Addams;The best book on sufism i've read in years!

There's a lot of very interesting material in this book. I found descriptions of the human condition and basic tenets of Buddhism to be intelligently written, and to be inspiring at times. However, I'd like to issue a warning to skeptical people like me who have little interest in unproven or unprovable opinions and expressions of "faith" in their Buddhism. This book spends a lot of time on Tibetan ritual. It cites numerous examples of things the author has seen that seem to prove reincarnation, the possibility and power of enlightenment, karma, near death experiences, etc. When enlightened monks die, did you know that their bodies often don't rot? Or that their bodies disappear into thin air, or that rainbows appear thousands of miles away? That dead monks bodies stay warm for weeks? These things may or may not be true, but I'm just skeptical enough to not want to take the author's word for them. If you tackle this book, brace yourself to read about a lot of belief topics, and then prepare to be accused of being too cynical and capitive of your own ego for doubting it. I would categorize this book as religious Buddhism, as opposed to philosophical Buddhism. An aside: the author's reverence and love for his teachers and his faith is truly touching. His knowledge is great, his love is great, but I'm not sure that makes him the best possible reporter for those who are seeking truth instead of opinion.

After reading other reviews, I feel it might help to say this:

Yes, there is quite a substantial amount of Tibetan ritual encased in this book. But that shouldn't be a surprise, or a hindrance - it IS the "TIBETAN Book of Living and Dying", and not the "Generically Believable For Everyone, Book of Living And Dying".

With that in mind, I loved reading this book. From the first page, I was drawn into a world where compassion and mindfulness reign, and it's these tools that will help us face the inevitable truth that we *are* all going to die, at some point.

Rinpoche skillfully shares his own wisdom, that of many other masters, and anecdotal evidence of what may happen when we physically die, and the stages we may go through during the process.
Topics discussed include the Bardo states, reincarnation, the concept of karma, and fear of the unknown. The book is very readable, and covers the material therein with sensitivity and warmth. At times, it may be difficult to the average Western mind to grasp the concepts of such things are reincarnation - but as Buddha himself did advise, the goal is to read, absorb and take what YOU find important from the lesson...not to read blindly and accept everything blindly.

To anyone even vaguely interested in Buddhism, death and dying or simply becoming more aware of their own self, this book is an invaluable addition to your library.

Truly a classic.

This book should be read by or to everyone at some point in their lives. It not is not just for the buddhist. As His Holiness, the Dalia Lama explains, no matter what religion you practice the goal is the same: happiness. This book can be an inspiration at all times in life. Once you have read it through once, it is organized in such a way, so one can go back and read certain sections to help along the way. Sogyal Rinpoche captures the essence of his purpose of creating the book when he writes: "to learn how to die, is to learn how to live." That simple statement is a social commentary on the development of modern society and the direction it is heading in. The ageing and dying are quickly isolated and doctors are rarely educated in emotional or spiritual care. Sogyal Rinpoche's proposes a new attidute to those who are in a stage that we all will reach at some point. His beautiful writing style and comforting compassion radiates from the pages themselves. I do not associate myself with any one religion, but consider myself a wanderer following my own road in search for answers, for all those who feel the same, this book can illuminate some of the darkness that surrounds us all who have not yet awakened.

Andrew Harvey's 'The Essential Mystics' is subtitled 'The Soul's Journey into Truth'; this is a book which takes a broad approach to exploring the mystical side of religion, whatever cultural contexts it might take.

This is apparent from the basic listing of chapters:

Voices from the First World
Taoism: The Way of the Tao
Hinduism: the Way of Presence
Buddhism: The Way of Clarity
Judaism: The Way of Holiness
Ancient Greece: The Way of Beauty
Islam: The Way of Passion
Christianity: The Way of Love in Action

Drawing on the holy texts of the different traditions, and exploring the practices of the spiritualists, monastics and holy teachers of these traditions, Harvey has given us a concise volume that reaches to infinity. Harvey's ancient, native and cultural mystical experience has a choice example in the following:

'Sacred One,
Teach us love, compassion, and honour
That we may heal the earth
And heal each other.'
- from a Yokuts prayer

With regard to Taoism, Harvey says, 'This vision in its sanity, lack of pretension, depth, humanity, and wise, demanding humility offers, I have found, a marvelous touchstone by which to inwardly test both the truths and the imbalances of the later mystical traditions.'

In exploring Hindi mysticism, Harvey claims that Hinduism's chief attraction to us now is that it has kept alive a very full at once majestic and tender vision of God the Mother.

'Daily existence in the heart of my extended family
is the worship beyond worship
that perceives Mother Reality
as every being, every situation, every breath.'

The way of clarity in Buddhism is exemplified by the Buddha's statements, such as, 'Be a lamp into yourself! Work out your liberation with diligence!' The buddha awoke to clarity, and Harvey introduces the four noble truths and other enlightenment texts.

Harvey's exploration of Jewish mysticism explores an extraordinary postive vision of the divine and the human life.... Yahweh is both transcendent and immanent, thus giving blessing and goodness to the world. This follows the kabbalistic tradition with insight and sensitivity.

The chapter on Ancient Greece is one of the real treasures of this book, for it is a topic which is often overlooked. We are much more familiar with the philosophical, political, and historical writings, as well as literature, but a true mystical sense has often been discounted as a side-show to the mythology. But Harvey says, 'in the great pre-Socratic philosophers such as Heraclitus and Empedocles we find maters of fearless paradox who rival the anonymous seers of the Vedas and Upanishads in their awareness of the necessity of opposites and of the unity that uses, contains, and transcends them.'

Harvey's chapter on the mysticism of Islam follows a Sufi approach; there is passion in realising reality, burning like the Flame of Love, that sees all of creation as a reflection or even incarnation of the divine.

'O My servants who believe!
Surely My earth is vast,
Therefore Me alone should you serve.'
- Qur'a

In the chapter on Christianity, Harvey states, 'one of my hopes for this anthology is that it will deepen this wonder by helping people to see the truths of the other mystical traditions reflected in the depths of the Christian messages.' Harvey knows that the primary audience for this book is the western, Christianised (if not Christian) academic readers. He also explores his own journey which recognises the spirituality of Mary and Jesus as male and female subjects of mysticism.

These chapters provide a brief introduction to the wide range of mystical paths in history. They provide much meditation material, and the brief introductory texts to each section are gracefully enlightening and blessedly brief, so as to let the texts themselves speak. Were you to get only one volume of the Essentials series, this would most likely be it.

If I was to take one book along to an isolated beach or island this summer for a serious read and reflection this would be it. You'll end up feeling better about your self, because you'll end up feeling better about mankind. This book proves that people of all cultures and all times have had the capacity to transcend the commonplace and petty and know God. This is the "golden thread" that connects all mystical traditions, all true wisdom in the world.
Inspite of the extensive footnotes, I would not consider this to be a scholarly book. Rather, I would consider it a spiritual book- that is why it has value and is worth the reading. Here is the mystic heart of native cultures, Taoism, Hinduism, Buddihism, Judaism, Classical Greece, Islam, and Christianity all in one beautifully designed book of 236 pages. What better use could you find for your reading time?

This is a beautiful book that is really well put togetther. I love that it opens with "voices of the first world" - native american poems. It then moves into Taoist poetry from the Tao Te Ching, then into Hindu poems, the Judaic writings, then writings from ancient Greece, then Islamic poems, and finally christian passages and poems. The book is marvelous in the way that it shows that all religions are talking about the same things, just using different words/concepts to express them. Too bad more people don't realize this - there'd be fewer wars. Great book, really nicely pulled together. Glad I bought it.