Sam Harris

Just finished the book.  While there is a lot in Mr. Harris' very exciting book that bears re-reading, one thing I will take with me is his chapter on "Experiments in Consciousness".  The most useful sentence is this one:

"In subjective terms, the search for the self seems to entail a paradox: we are, after all, looking for the very thing that is doing the looking."

While I hesitate to compare Mr. Harris' work to anyone else's, this idea seems to me to reflect some ideas of Jiddu Krishnamurti, e.g. his "thinker and the thought".

How about:  “That Which You Are Seeking is Causing You to Seek”  By Cheri Huber.  A neat little Zen book.

Pete

How about keeping those recommendations on good (Westernized) books on Eastern mysticism coming?

I’ve been interested for some time, but I’ve only found books like “The Tao of Pooh” (and a very few others that don’t come immediately to mind) very meaningful to me. I’d really appreciate help in removing this blind spot of ignorance I have right now.

Byron

Bernard Baars advances a nice analogy of the theatre as a means for understanding the neuroscience of the mind.

His book “In The Theatre of Consciousness: The Workpsace of the Mind” (1997), Oxford University Press is well worth the read.

Barry

another good book would be “The Zen Teachings Of Jesus”  :D

This theme was also a favorite with Alan Watts, often credited with popularizing Eastern philosophy and conveying it to the West.  I believe that he was personally acquainted with Krishnamurti

Illuminating ideas on the power of faith and the tragedies that might occur from medieval beliefs. Thankfully, there are the Sam Harris’ of the world to call for reason and sound thinking. Thanks for writing the book - I was beginning to feel very alone in this country.

I’m gonna go out on a limb here, and say…

How about, “I think, therefore I am.”

And if that doesn’t settle it, how about, “I think I thought, therefore I thought I was.”

I was beginning to feel very alone in this country.

Same here.  I still haven’t met anyone face to face who sees the importance of these ideas.  The closest I’ve come to is my ex-wife (very New Agey and PC) who sees my “I’m right - you’re ignorant” absolutism on religious issues as kin to the problem with fundamentalists.
Oh well.  I’m right, shes wrong.

bah tom !!

the woman is always right !!

= )

Yes indeed!