Customer Reviews:
 Great Insights into Spiritual Wisdom December 13, 2004
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
The Secret Teachings of the Vedas is a great book to look into the lofty spiritual insights of the Vedic literature. I rarely write any such reviews, but I've been reading Knapp's books for some years now and have always found them easy to read and understand the uplifting nature of the Vedic philosophy. I also wanted to say that I don't understand how Henry Booth wrote in to say he was disappointed. It's as if he took a few points he had problems with and forgot all the other significant things in the book.
Like he says Knapp believes you only go from one physical birth to another. This is absolutely untrue since the book spends many pages dealing with the spiritual realm, along with heaven, hell, subtle realms and subtle beings. If that is not life between physical births then what is? Maybe he just didn't get that. Or did he really read the whole book? He also says that Knapp doesn't buy the Big Bang theory, which he says is a proven premise. But that depends on who you talk to. Some scientists are already saying that the Big Bang theory does not uphold the law of matter and energy, and does not properly explain how various elements could have been created. Others feel that the superclusters in space are not what would be expected from an explosive model like the Big Bang, nor would the smooth nature of the background microwave radiation that is detected. So these and other factors point out that there has to be some other explanation. So maybe there is good reason why the Vedic literature does not support what some think is the Big Bang.
So these theories are changing, as is always the case in science. But the Vedic literature does say that the universe is expanding, which is the premise from whcih the Big Bang theory was developed. So it perturbs me when someone writes a review of something based on their own lack of information. So let me conclude that this book on the Vedic viewpoint remains a great source of spiritual wisdom and insight. There are a lot of other points that this book deals with. No one will go wrong with buying this book.
AT LAST November 28, 2004
10 out of 12 found this review helpful
I HAVE READ A LOTOF BOOKS OVER MANY YEARS BY VARIOUS PHILOSOPHERS (EAST AND WEST), PHYSICISTS, MYSTICS,ETC. ALSO, ON SUBJECTS SUCH AS CONCIOUSNESS, VARIOUS RELIGIONS, DEATH, THE AFERLIFE, THE OCCULT,ETC.
RAISED CHRISTIAN, I NOW FAVOR THE EASTERN RELIGIONS, ESPECIALLY HINDUISM. AFTER READING TEXTS ON THE VEDANTA, UPANISHADS, ETC., I WAS LOOKING TO FIND AN AUTHOR WHO WOULD CONCEPTULALIZE THESE BELIEFS IN A SIMPLE WAY. I CAME ACROSS "HOW THE UNIVERSE WAS CREATED AND OUR PURPOSE IN IT" AND STEPHEN KNAPP. I FOUND CHAPTERS 17, 18 AND APPENDIX 3, PARTICULARILY ENLIGHTENING AND THEY SUMMARIZED A LOT OF IDEAS I HAD BEEN READING ABOUT IN MORE DETAILED PUBLICATIONS.
HIS WEB SITE "STEPHEN-KNAPP.COM" ALSO HAS NUMEROUS ARTICLES THAT CAN BE VIEWED ON-LINE OR FREELY DOWNLOADED. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH.
 Disappointing September 15, 2004
9 out of 25 found this review helpful
Virtually all the reviews on the Amazon.com site gave this book 5 stars so I had high expectations of this book. The book can't be faulted in its style of writing which is easy to follow - the issues I had were with the theology and "science". For example, Knapp rejects the idea that the universe started with the "big bang" which has pretty much been proven by scientists & nobody except a few fundamentalists rejects this any longer. The idea that the universe is bounded by a layer of earth & water is also pretty ridiculous. Knapp's argument against evolution of the eye is also pretty old and has been refuted by biologists such as Dawkins.
Regarding the theology, I can't accept the idea that after death you are immediately plunged into a new physical body (animal or human) without having the chance to review your life & have some kind of input about what happens next, as has been explained by Michael Newton, Robert Monroe & various others. The idea that having sex outside of marriage will mean that you have to embrace a boiling hot body as punishment after death is barbaric and belongs back in the dark ages. But if this is what the Vedas teach then I can't fault Knapp's explanation of it in the book.
On a positive note, Knapp's writings about detatching yourself from the material world are quite good & worth reading. The section on seeing spiritual India is good and there are lots of photos of temples which really makes one want to visit India at some point.
Amazing walk through spirituality and the meaning of it all August 8, 2003
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
This book oozes truth. Knapp is absolutely fantastic, if somewhat detailed. It's one of those books that takes a long time to read - you just have to chew on it bit by bit.If you are searching for meaning and the answers to the deepest questions, begin here. If you've "decided" on your spiritual views, you should still read this amazing book. It will change you for the better, no matter what your beliefs.
Amazing walk through spirituality and the meaning of it all August 8, 2003
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This book oozes truth. Knapp is absolutely fantastic, if somewhat detailed. It's one of those books that takes a long time to read - you just have to chew on it bit by bit.If you are searching for meaning and the answers to the deepest questions, begin here. If you've "decided" on your spiritual views, you should still read this amazing book. It will change you for the better, no matter what your beliefs.
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