good for the general readerAugust 2, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
i'm not a specialist in hindu thought nor have i read the bhagavad gita. i read the book to get a feel for ram dass, his interpretation of the gita and to get a different viewpoint from the christian, materialist worldview that has surrounded me most of my life. i think the book does a good job of getting the reader a glimpse of a very different reality experienced by people that are much more intuitive and in touch with a reality of a network of human spirits rather than a mass of flesh and desire. there are also some nice tie-ins showing the universal truths that are shared by all the major religions. I've been reading the book on and off for about a year now. There's plenty of competition for my attention so I think there's some meat here to get you to think in a different way.
Helpful, Inspiring and Another Gift from Ram DassFebruary 20, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I like the teachings and the person of Ram Dass. And, having read the Gita in seven translations, most with commentary --- I was very pleased to find both Ram Dass and the Gita in one book.
However, it is not what I expected. It exceeded my my preconceived expectations. For me Ram Dass uses the Gita and its teachings as a takeoff point to help the reader find his/her own path to God. Glancing through the book as I write this brief review --- I can tell how much it meant to me by my ubiquitous underlinings, check marks, arrows and comments.
It has been a source of real benefit in my spiritual path.
Great Teacher = Greater StudentNovember 14, 2007 4 out of 5 found this review helpful
For anyone remotely interested (esp. in the West) in the Gita, Hinduism, and the Actual definition/acknowledgment/application of Karma, I HIGHLY recommend this back. Ram Dass shares four decades of his own experience with/without his Guru, his ruminations/contemplations on the Gita, and his own results of this life. Beautifully written, worded for us 'mere mortals', this is one the best, most direct, commentaries available on truly living Spiritual Principles.
Good if you like watered-down HinduismNovember 12, 2007 9 out of 20 found this review helpful
The twelfth canto of the Bhagavata Purana describes how, in the present age of Kali Yuga, irreligion replaces religion. This does not occur overnight; it is a gradual process. And one catalyst of the process is the "watering down" of religion.
Just as when acid comes into contact with milk, the milk is transformed (into curds and whey), similarly, when beatnik and hippie philosophy mingles with Eastern thought, you get the watering down of Hinduism (and Buddhism).
Such is the case with this book. I started reading this book with an open mind; after all, even the Bible has a few pearls of wisdom in it.
However, one only has to read a few pages to see how shallow and hollow this book is.
The clincher for me was in Chapter 7 ("Renunciation and Purification"). Here the author discusses the concept of ahimsa (non-violence, particularly towards animals). In a nutshell: the author says that he gave up being a vegetarian so that he would not be proud of being a vegetarian.
This type of thinking is absolute nonsense, and can be shown by following similar logic: "I should become a thief so that I will not be proud of not being a thief". "I should become a murderer so that I will not be proud of not being a murderer." The author should just admit that he can't control himself, and his taste buds are controlling him. So much for him being a teacher of transcendence!
The person who has no knowledge of Hinduism, and is sincerely inquisitive of it, will walk way with the dismaying impression that Hinduism is a happy-go-lucky, "do your own thing", "everything goes" pseudo-religion, with no real substance. But Hinduism has schools of thought (for example, the Gaudiya-Vaishnava school) that is nothing short of the science of religion and philosophy par excellence.
The bottom line is, I am very sorry I bought this book. I don't want to donate it to the local Public Library or sell it on eBay (as I usually do with unwanted books), because I do not want to be a party to spreading nescience. If I had caged birds, you know what I would do with the pages of this book. But I don't, so it looks like this book is heading for the recycle bin.
Thank You Ram DassMarch 25, 2007 5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I am very happy that I purchased this book. It is essentially transcripts from a series of classes that Ram Dass taught at Naropa Institute with appropriate changes made for a book format.
As mentioned in the book, the material presented can be approached many different ways. I am taking it slow with the book and have used certain teachings and instructions to study on my own and go back to the book when I have completed this "independent study".. So it is as if I am taking my own course and not just ready a book of lectures.
Instead of being a book about the Gita, you really are presented the means by which the Gita will come alive for you..Ram Dass presents some wonderful tools here and there is suffcient Grace to transform anyone's life..
