If you click on the Book Reviews tab at the top of the page, you’ll see that I am now (gradually) posting my 300 + reviews that Amazon unceremoniously deleted. These (or at least 90+ % of them) should all be posted by summer of 2020. And eventually, I’ll edit them and also publish them as an inexpensive Kindle book.
I have finished writing two books—"The Power of Now Meditation Guide” and a Zen Book—and I will start the publishing process on them within the next few months. I am also 75% done with a Dzogchen book, and that should be published no later than early next year. To complete a Buddhist trilogy, I also plan to write a book on Original (Pali) Buddhism, but because I’m a little burnt out on Buddhism right now, before I write this book, I’m going to write a couple of others—a Qabalah book, and “A Letter to Sam Harris” (which I’ve already done some work on). After I finish the Harris book, I plan to start doing YouTube videos , which should prove challenging and fun, especially since I’ll be deconstructing clowns like Sam “the Sham.”
A Brief Update
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Mr. Gardner,
Can you please post your review of Anadi’s (Aziz Kristoff) book. I do not remember which book of his you reviewed. He makes a lot of sense in his talk about the personal ego. What did you think of his book and his message? It is a shame Rick Archer has deleted his interview at Batgap which I was looking forward to listen. Thanks.
IJ.
Mr. Gardner,
I just read your review of Anadi’s book you posted in the book reviews section. I also saw some of his postings in the internet and about what he says of the ego and he also says the same things like you say. Please let me know if you disagree in this matter. What did you think of his BATGAP interview if you remember listening to it? You may not since it has been a while. He seems very interesting, convincing and makes a lot of sense. Is he Jewish? The reason Rich Archer gave for deleting his interview of Batgap is very petty and childish.
IJ.
Hi IJ,
Why did Archer delete the Anadi interview? I agree, it was an interesting one. I don’t remember what exactly he said about the ego, because it’s been years since I watched the interview and read his book. I think he is an Israeli Jew.
Jesus christ, you’re a prolific man, I can’t even express how excited I am in reading this post. Fuck yea
Bill, honestly, I’m not that prolific. The forthcoming three books are pretty skinny, not tomes.
Mr Gardner, I’d also like to add: if possible, and if it’s not too much hassle for you, it would be nice if you made your further ebooks available through other mediums aside from Amazon. I noticed that the only book you have available through the barnes and noble’s marketplace as a nook book is Electrical Christianity. This is also available in the kobo marketplace. But, your other 2 ebooks are not. It would be nice for those who do not have kindles.
Hi Bill,
I understand your concern and appreciate your interest in my works. But I sold so few copies through Nook and Kobo, I didn’t bother to add other books. In fact, I don’t even remember my passwords for these accounts since I stopped accessing them years ago. So at this time, I don’t plan on taking the time and energy to add other works to these mediums. And I can’t even figure out how to get paid by Google, which owes me 70 something dollars. So if I can’t correct this problem (the phone reps couldn’t help me), I’ll forget about them, too.
I don’t have a Kindle reader. I read Kindle books on my PC (laptop). Did you know you can read Kindle books on your computer?
“A child living in an adult body, convinced by own self delusional world, over identified with his own idiocy, still can’t discern truth-falsehood.” Quote from ca_cicero.
This scummy, stinky, imbecilic cockroach is talking about itself all over again. LMAO! Hahahaha!! Thanks for making me laugh “stinky ca_cicero”. Lol!
IJ, yes, he’s guilty of projection, but too blinded to see it.
Mr. Gardner,
I have a question regarding this nuisance which you term as “cockroachman”.
How is it not possible for this vicious and relentless Amazon and cyber-stalking troll and cockroach “ca_cicero” to post comments in your Facebook pages by becoming your friend. He could disguise himself as someone else and become your friend without rousing your suspicions at least for a while. Can he not do that to you? Or has he tried it already and you caught him doing that?
IJ.
IJ, I can delete comments made on my personal page as well as my group page.
Dear Mr. Gardner,
I have a somewhat odd question to ask you today, but I hope you answer it. My question is this: how do you read? I have become hyper aware of how I read lately (what I do with my consciousness/intention), and now I’m trying to figure out how to do it ‘right’.
I greatly enjoy reading your writings. Not only for the content, but for the style. Truly, the style. It’s damned good, that’s all I can say. It’s a pleasure to read.
And I can only assume that you have garnered this style from a lifetime of good reading. So, I ask you, when you read, do you have a particular technique? What do you do with your consciousness when you read? Do you read quickly? Slowly? Do you ‘speed read’? Do you subvocalize? Do you remain rooted in the body?
I am sorry if that in asking this question, I somehow infect you with an unwanted bug of hyperawareness while reading. If this be the case, then feel free to delete this comment, and forget you ever read it.
Otherwise, perhaps you could oblige me
Cheers
Hi Clint,
I basically super speed read until I find passages that interest or challenge me. At that point, I intensely focus on the material, and read it slowly. Sometimes I’m rooted in the body and sometimes I’m not. I don’t subvocalize. When I encounter a writer whose style impresses me, I’ll read portions of his book just to study his way with language. A couple of spiritual writers whose style I appreciate are W. Y. Evans-Wentz and Alan Watts.
Namaste,
Ron
Thanks for the response!
Did you learn to speed-read from a particular source? Or did you just pick it up over time?
I just found that I was able to do it, and so I did.
Happy to hear that you have finished your two books. I am eagerly waiting your Meditation Guide book on Kindle.
Hi Ron,
A few years ago, I came across the Sufi teachings through Llewellyn Vaughan Lee and the Golden Sufi Center in Marin County CA. His teacher was Irina Tweedie who received the teachings from Bai Sahib in India in the early 1960s.
What drew me to Llewellyn was his love for God and humility. You know, on retreats, if he has to use the restroom, he uses the same one as the rest of us. No frills. No inner circle surrounding him and all the stuff so characteristic of gurus today. He holds satsang at the Center and when it’s over, he’s the one pulling out the vacuum cleaner and vacuuming the carpet. Satsangs in this branch of the Sufi tradition (Naqshbandi) consists of group meditation followed by dream work. Very laid back and informal.
Before encountering Llewellyn Vaughan Lee, I had no idea what Sufism is or was, and probably still don’t know that much about it today. We meditate on the feeling of love in the heart. The teacher assists in the transmission of spiritual energy that helps open the heart chakra. Evidently, in Sufism, tradition and lineages of teachers play a significant role in this transmission as well. Llewellyn once told me that Centering Prayer would help one realize the Self but could go no further. The transmission was needed to go beyond the Self toward God-realization. I’m also a practicing Catholic.
I have issues with Sufism in that all lineages lead back to Mohammed, whom they consider to be an enlightened soul. I disagree based on the crimes and murders he committed during his life. He appears to have been more of a thug than a saint! Perhaps Sufism existed prior to Mohammed and he is given recognition since Sufism develop within the Islamic Community. Some believe that the 3 wise men from the Middle East were the equivalent of Sufis today. Anyway, I’d appreciate your understanding of Sufism and the Golden Sufi Center. Much work in that Center today is on “spiritual ecology”.
The other thing too, Ron, is that I’m a bit of an oddball politically. Most people I know today in the US who are interested in mystical spirituality – be it Radha Soami, Sufism, or whatever, are hardcore socialist democrats. I’m basically a conservative who believes in the rule of law and in abiding by the tenets laid out in the US Constitution. I’m a Rand Paul fan but voted for Donald Trump in the last presidential election. Hillary just wasn’t an option. Bernie Sanders or any of them are not options either. Maybe you can tell why so many of these folks fall for the democratic socialist BS? I just haven’t figured it out.
Thanks,
Bob Russo
Hi Bob,
I’m not a fan of Sufism because none of the teachings I’ve read impress me when compared against other spiritual traditions such as Dzogchen, Kashmir Shaivism, Adi Da’s Daism, Ramana Maharshi’s teachings, and Christian Hermeticism.
IMO, the reason the heavy majority of those into Eastern spirituality are leftists is the failure of Eastern spiritual traditions to value rational, critical thinking on all levels. Hence, those into Eastern spirituality go with feelings over facts, evidence, and reason when it comes to sociopolitics.
Hey IJ, check out what the cockroach “ca_cicero” commented on his own review of Michael James’ book on Amazon. LOL!!
Ron, I like your reviews, too bad that Amazon deleted them. It’s nice to be able to access them here, it’s just less organized but it will do.
Roger, once I get them all posted, I’ll think about better organizing them, as well as editing them, which I’ll need to do if I want to put them together in the form of a published kindle book.
Roger,
Yes. I saw that but after you told me I looked again to see that the “cockroach ca_cicero” has even further edited his own comment at Amazon few days ago (under the name of Paul for now). He has also posted another idiotic comment on his own review of another book by Jean Dunn. ca_cicero /paul/Matt/Salazar/Raphael/Unknown etc. is a mentally deranged sociopath who seriously believes he can become a sage or already is one. Lol!
IJ.
Hi Ron,
I loved reading Electrical Christianity and have gained a lot from reading your helpful amazon reviews, thank you. I read you are considering making youtube videos, a great idea! May I kindly make a suggestion. There is a man named Jay Dyer, who has a pretty good youtube following, is an author and has had a show on gaia tv. He does many debates with various people on various subjects (theological, philosophical, political, films) on his youtube channel. He defends and represents the orthodox christian worldview in his theological/spiritual debates. He is scholarly and versed in the rules of debate. I’ve attached a debate with a young man who calls himself a perennialist, he is in over his head and while I was watching couldn’t help thinking I would love to see Ron Gardner debate him and represent your form of the perennial philosophy taking into account your knowledge and ability to synthesize aspects of Kashmir Saivism, Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity (especially in regards to the trinitarian aspects)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGgJFtTzZMc.
From your reviews I know you are not averse to debate, and this could possibly be a fun thing to do while growing your youtube audience, if you decide to do videos! I am a fan of Dyers as well but I don’t completely subscribe to his rigid orthodox stance, also I would like to see him bested when it comes to this subject 🙂
Apologize for the long note and if I am being presumptive!
Matthew
Hi Matthew,
No, your view is not presumptive but makes sense. Once I publish three books next year–one on meditation, one on Zen, and one on Dzogchen–I’ll be open to being interviewed and debating people. My strength is my writing ability, which I’ve refined over the years; but my oratory skills are mediocre, and since I’ve never worked on them, I might not do that great at first. Moreover, I’m a slow, ponderous thinker, not gifted at thinking fast on my feet, so that too could hinder me.
After I publish those three books, I’ll begin work on a Kabbalah text, and once I finish that, I’ll want to start doing YouTube videos.
Thank you for the kind words regarding EC and my book reviews.