Book Reviews

Tibetan Magic and Mysticism

J.H. Brennan

Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota; 2006

Tibetan Magic and Mysticism offers us a unique and appealing introduction to a vast topic. The book is well-written and author J.H. Brennan has arranged it in an easily understandable form. It is not a textbook but a broad overview of Mahayana Buddhism for those who wish to explore this particular belief system. Brennan is a seasoned authority and prolific writer on both Tibetan and Western spirituality. The magical and mystical elements of Tibet have fascinated him for a long time. He has investigated facets of them in earlier books, and the fact that the results have appeared in over fifty countries suggests that there is a hunger in Europe and the Western Hemisphere for the wisdom of the East.

There are two goals in following the Mahayana path. The first is liberation from Samsare, the wheel of repeated returns to physical lifetimes. The second is the attainment of Enlightenment or the Clear Light so that reincarnation becomes unnecessary.

As part of the magic and mystery of the title, we are introducued to gurus and chelas (novices), comparative chakra systems, strange powers, thought-form entities, Tibetan Yoga, and dreaming. Added to these are insights about illusion and reality, prayer, the many faces of meditation, and mantras.

Brennan moves us into the realm of energy vibration that can be used in unusual ways. Anecdotal accounts of building activities using sound are riveting, and we learn that the phenomenon described has been duplicated in France in modern times. These resonances which are beginning to be studied and used in our contemporary world are able to move, to harm, or to heal, all of which has important implications for the growing field of vibrational medicine.

The bibliography contains a stellar cast of writers. One of the most fascinating is the French writer Alexandra David-Neel whom Brennan describes as an intrepid explorer of the Himalayas who became the first woman ever to be granted the title of “Lama.” It would be intriguing to follow more of her adventures in Tibet than are provided. However, Brennan uses David-Neel’s accounts to report some of the rites and customs she met with.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, two of whose books have been reviewed in Vitality (March 2005; May 2006), briefly appears in connection with meditation. Followers of Carl Gustav Jung’s work will also recognize familiar territory in the section on Mandalas.

Advanced meditation may prompt sensory cross-referencing including such concepts as “the sound of red” and “language may be experienced as having its own texture, sound and shade; every note of a recital may evoke its own taste and smell.” All this is pretty heady stuff and presents an exotic spiritual context that begs to be explored in greater depth.

Three chapters are devoted to dreaming. Tibetan Buddhists believe dreams are a blend of energy and mind. For them the level of consciousness in a given dream is determined by the energy of a specific chakra which activates a particular karmic influence. In practice this implies working on one’s spiritual growth while asleep, not just while awake. Brennan interprets the process as an opportunity to work on some aspect of one’s accumulated karma by either discharging, or laying down fresh karmic traces. This is very different from the more familiar dream work of Westerners such as Edgar Cayce and Jung.

The book concludes with the Tibetan perspective on death. As with dreams, it differs widely from European and North American viewpoints. For one thing, reincarnation is widely assumed across Tibetan culture.

By addressing the reality and inevitability of death head on, Buddhists champion much more than merely the end of one’s life. They prepare individuals for the chain of incarnations for eventual liberated enlightenment leading to the Clear Light. As Brennan observes, preparation for death is the work of a lifetime. Drawing comparisons between Tibetan and Western attitudes towards the subject, he adds that death is not an event, it is a process. After death the entity moves into the bardo, a fascinating world between lives. Interestingly, there is a theory that the bardo may not be a world at all but rather a state of mind in which one encounters projections that have been created by oneself.

While profoundly deploring China’s invasion of Tibet, the author believes it was part of the unfathomable work of the spirit, serving the cause of enlightenment. No longer barricaded behind its Himalayan ramparts, Tibetan Buddhism broke through and flowed out around the world. Brennan describes this as a development beyond price for the rest of us.

Review by Gerry Shepherd

 

Be the Change You Want To See In the World

Julie Fisher-McGarry

Conari Press, San Francisco; 2006

As the most recent G-8 summit proved, world governments are still unwilling to support the necessary actions which could help solve the critical problems of climate change, world hunger, AIDS and so on. It is enough to make any sensible, caring person throw their hands up in total despair. In response, environmentalist and activist Julie Fisher-McGarry would suggest we adopt, as she has, the attitude of Dr. Jane Goodall and “stop leaving all the decisions to the so-called decision makers, but take matters into our own hands, realize that each one of us makes a difference, and that if everyone who cares acts in a way that is ethical, then the world would be changed very fast.” To regain hope, and overcome her own despair over the future of the planet, Fisher-McGarry started a daily journal of her thoughts, ideas and discoveries which ultimately became the book Be the Change You Want to See in the World – 356 Things You Can Do for Yourself and Your Planet.

In journal entry fashion, Fisher-McGarry offers a variety of ideas and suggestions on how to live an ethical and environmentally responsible lifestyle. The book is full of personal stories, inspiring quotations, health information, environmental facts, and tips on recycling, pet care, shopping organic, and cleaning green. She even includes some very scrumptious-sounding vegan recipes with each month’s entry.

Starting in January, with the expected ‘Awakening to the New Year’ theme, we learn that the origin of the name January is from the Roman god “Janus”, the patron of endings and beginnings. So like Janus, Fisher-McGarry says “we should look back on the past year and be prepared for the next year.” Some of her advice on how to prepare includes cancer-proofing your diet by going vegan. To help achieve this, she throws in tempting recipes throughout the book which are appropriate for each month. January includes hearty, simple soup recipes that are a “cure for a cold winter’s day.”

Other January tips cover fitness, recommending that this year we get a “move on and make time for at least twenty minutes of cardio five days a week.” January is also a good time to get energy smart by turning off the lights when you leave a room, or using the economy setting when doing laundry. While we might not necessarily think of air pollution in the winter, Fisher-McGarry points out that we can still do our bit and save the air by avoiding harsh chemicals, driving less and by supporting political actions for clean air. And finally in the January section, we are reminded that because the harshness of winter plays havoc with our skin and our senses, we need to keep our skin hydrated with an appropriate moisturizer, to use a gentle exfoliator to get rid of dead skin cells, and to stimulate our senses with aromatherapy.

From political activism to physical fitness, pampering skin to giving up meat, this little book has a range and scope as interesting as it is varied. Much of what Fisher-McGarry speaks about may be familiar to the reader, but certainly bears repeating given the current state of our planet. Her thoughtful commentaries and realistic suggestions and advice will strike a chord whether you aspire to be an eco-warrior or just want to live a healthier lifestyle. Here is just a sampling of some of the monthly entries that hit home with me:

*February 26 - Be proud to be green.

*April 21 - An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory (Friedrich Engels).

*June 13 - Let’s prioritize children over weapons, (13 million children are hungry or at the risk of hunger in the United States while billions are spent on wars).

*August 24 - Every major decision that Native Americans made, nature was considered, they did not over hunt, destroy unnecessarily, or pollute. We must follow their example to transform our decaying world.

*September 24 - Embrace the known and the unknown. Appreciate your energy and value and nurture the life around you.

*December 2 - We worry so much about terrorism, yet AIDS is the most intimidating terrorist in the world, orphaning over 14 million children to date.

Be the Change You Want to See in the World is timely, provocative and very informative. If each of us realizes the power of one, and acts on just some of the ideas and suggestions Fisher-McGarry has put forth, then humanity, and the world we live in just may have a chance at restoration.

Review by Susannah Kent

 

Higher and Higher

Jost Sauer

Allen & Unwin, Australia; 2007

Jost Sauer’s Higher and Higher is part drug memoir, part new age self-help book. And although that may seem to be an odd combo, it works quite well. Sauer is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), lecturer, and former drug user. He tells the story of how he went from his youthful hippie days of smoking pot in Germany in the 70s to turning to ‘harder’ stuff when the buzz got harder to achieve.

He also explains the effect of different drugs on the body from the perspective of TCM so readers get a cause and effect view of what happens to your body after extended drug use.

In his view, everyone in the world wants to feel good and with this end in mind will do whatever it takes to achieve this. He believes that a ‘freeflow’ state, in which the body’s natural energy flows through the organs without blockage, is attainable through a ‘body-mind-spirit workout’, without the use of drugs. This is what people should strive for in order to attain a sort of natural high.

One of the great things about this book is that instead of taking the typical alarmist “drugs are bad” view, he delves into the mindset and lifestyles of drug users in a non-judgmental way.  He does this through describing many of his own experiences and also through several case studies of those he’s treated – from bikers to computer programmers to corporate executives. He interweaves the two effectively in a way that keeps you interested as he is a talented writer with an interesting story to tell.

Starting out as a teenage hippie in the repressive German society of the 70s, Sauer describes the great experiences he had smoking pot with his friends as they all dreamed about changing the world. It wasn’t long, of course, until idealism turned to cynicism and their cravings turned to acid, mescaline and other drugs.

And as the 70s became the 80s, he and his friends graduated to speed, heroin, punk rock, and often violent political protest. He describes the harrowing experiences of battling police, living in squats, and eventually being asked to join a terrorist organization with designs on smashing the state.

From there, he escapes to sunny Australia, of all places, with the help of his parents who decide to move there. And what seems like a fresh start soon goes south as drugs, alcohol, and other troubles beset him.

Although all the case studies he writes about are interesting, one he mentions near the end has broader implications. He talks about a professional woman who, while at the top of her game, winds up depressed. She is prescribed anti-depressants and things go better for a while but of course this isn’t a real cure.

As he works through a solution with her, he thinks about how even though they come from totally different backgrounds, he being a former heavy illegal drug user and she not having used illicit drugs at all, they wound up at the same place. It’s a subtle nod to the hypocrisy of condemning illegal drugs while extolling the virtues of pharmaceuticals for their alleged ability to ‘cure’ those with mental health issues. As simple as it sounds, if these drugs really could cure, then patients could take them for a moderate amount of time until they weren’t depressed, then stop. But given the rise in the number of anti-depressant prescriptions worldwide, this clearly isn’t the case. Sauer’s abilities as a practitioner of TCM help to bring the woman out of her depressed state into a freeflow state in a drug-free manner, something more valuable than a lifetime of anti-depressant prescriptions.

He offers tips on how readers can achieve this same freeflow state themselves through a combination of exercise, diet, meditation and chi-training exercises like yoga or tai chi.

Despite the adversity he describes, be it addiction to drugs and later his own career or being haunted by the demons of his past, Sauer slowly makes his way towards a balanced body, mind and spirit and his journey makes for a truly compelling read.

Review by Rob Ferraz

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Sleep:                           Dr. Colin Shapiro

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