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Seeker After Truth
https://www.audible.com.au/search?crid=NTOFCFG0L5MY&i=fe-audible-au&k=sufism&keywords=sufism&ref-override=a_pd_The-Bo_t1_header_search&sort=popularity-rank&sprefix=sufi%2Cfe-audible-au%2C409&url=search-alias%3Dfe-audible-au&ref=a_search_c1_sort_2&pf_rd_p=a762952c-5f84-490e-a7f5-1877df0e2a1e&pf_rd_r=MAYCBH3SCQ8WM075ARSA

By Idries Shah
337 pages
6 hours

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A treasure house of teaching materials, assembled in the Sufi manner.
Seeker after Truth contains both traditional tales and stories gleaned from contemporary sources, and snippets of table talk, discussions and teachings, letters and lectures by Idries Shah.
Taken together, it constitutes a handbook of materials designed to provoke a different kind of thought.



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Seeker After Truth
By: Idries Shah
Narrated by: David Ault
Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
Release date: 28-06-2018
Language: English
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Seeker After Truth: A Handbook
Author Idries Shah
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre Sufism, Religion, Psychology, Philosophy
Publisher Octagon Press

Publication date 1982
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback). eBook and audiobook
ISBN 9780900860911
OCLC 8968959


Seeker After Truth: A Handbook was written by Idries Shah, one of the foremost writers on Sufism. It was first published by Octagon Press in 1982.

Shortly before he died, Shah stated that his books form a complete course that could fulfil the function he had fulfilled while alive. As such, Seeker After Truth can be read as part of a whole course of study.[1]


Contents
1Content
2Reception
3References
4External links
Content[edit]

The book is constructed from a mix of classical teaching tales, letters, question and answer sessions, anecdotes and discussions from dinner meetings. As such it is part of the large corpus of material that Idries Shah disseminated over a 40-year period specifically for people who wished to absorb Sufi patterns of thought and behaviour in the way that he suggested was appropriate and effective for modern times. He described the process in this book in answer to the question, "What is the reason for the way in which your materials are projected in print? I mean, why do you translate some material, represent other portions, use Eastern similes in some and Western psychological terminology and insights in others?"

Idries Shah

He replied, “There are two criteria:

(1) What materials have to be projected at the present time to have the maximum useful effect, and

(2) Who can absorb them and in what format?

"Sufic materials are always presented in accordance with the possibilities. This is because Sufism is not archaeology or hagiography (however much it may resemble them to those who look no further) but effect. Eastern similes that are still viable both in the East and West are used because of this viability. Superseded materials are not regurgitated just because they have been used in former times. Materials are re-presented if this can be usefully done. 'Western' psychological terminology and insights are useful, so they are used.

"Look at the results. The published materials are read and accepted in both the East and West; by scientists as well as theologians, by ordinary readers in addition to specialists of all kinds. In a word, the presentation is effective.

"If there were no originating impulse from which the material comes and which indicates how it may be used, we would be forced to present Sufi materials like you would any other dead corpus of lore: you would rearrange, prune and present in accordance with subjective assessments. We do not have to do this, since the material itself provides the guidance to those who can descry it. The question, however, illustrates the mind of the questioner more than anything else; for it presupposes that Sufi materials are like those of any other pursuit, capable of being manipulated by rule or whim. Had the questioner taken into consideration the Sufi fact that the Teaching determines its method of presentation, he would not have needed to ask the question."[2]
Reception[edit]

The Literary Review wrote that Seeker After Truth was, "food for many different kinds of study - a book unlike anything our own society has produced until recently, in its richness, its unexpectedness, its capacity to shock us into seeing ourselves as others see us, both personally and as a society."

Robert Ornstein and Paul Ehrlich, in their book New World New Mind, recommend Seeker After Truth and other books by Idries Shah "... for the beginnings of a short course on changing your mind."[3]
References[edit]

^ Shah, Tahir (2008). In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams. New York, NY: Bantam. pp. 215–216. ISBN 0-553-80523-1.
^ Shah, Idries (1982). Seeker After Truth: A Handbook. Octagon Press. ISBN 9780900860911.
^ Ornstein, R; Ehrlich, P (1989). New World New Mind. Touchstone. ISBN 0671696068.
External links[edit]
Official Idries Shah website
Octagon Press website
Seeker After Truth at Google Books
Categories:
Sufi literature
Spirituality
Books by Idries Shah
==



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This collection of tales, discussions, teachings, letters and lectures is a handbook, inviting the reader to re-examine the assumptions of his particular culture; assumptions which are responsible for his conditioning and his outlook on life. It is precisely because of the unreliability of vision, of memory, of wanting to believe, of induced belief ... that the Sufis say that an objective perception must be acquired before even familiar things can be seen as they are. "Seeker After Truth" goes beyond the familiar "first do this, then do that" style of handbook, transporting the reader to new ranges of perception, according to his or her capacity. Among the many assumptions questioned are: the objective worth of deep emotional feelings; the superiority of man's social habits over those of rats, and the origin of those habits; the evils of deceit ... The magazine Literary Review said about it: "This book ... is food for many different kinds of study - a book unlike anything our society has produced until recently, in its richness, its unexpectedness, its capacity to shock us into seeing ourselves as others see us, both personally and as a society."
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Editorial Reviews

Review
"A major psychological and cultural event of our time." -- Psychology Today

"Extremely useful in teaching students about management and computers." -- Thomas Malone, MIT

"It presents a blueprint of the human mental structure." -- Robert Ornstein, Ph.D.

"One is immediately forced to use one's mind in a new way." -- New York Times

"The most interesting books in the English language." -- Saturday Review
About the Author
As the urgency of our global situation becomes apparent, more and more readers are turning to the books of Idries Shah (1924-1996) as a way to train new capacities and new ways of thinking. Shah has been described as "the most significant worker adapting classical spiritual thought to the modern world." Shah was educated in both the East and West, by private tutors and through wide-ranging travel and personal encounters - the series of journeys which characterize Sufi education and development. In keeping with Sufi tradition, his life was essentially one of service. His knowledge and interests appeared limitless, and his activities and accomplishments took place in many different countries and in numerous fields of endeavor. Shah was Director of Studies of the Institute for Cultural Research, an educational organization sponsoring interdisciplinary and crosscultural studies of human thought; a founding member of the Club of Rome; a Governor of the Royal Humane Society and the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables; and the founder of publishing house Octagon Press. Shah's landmark book, "The Sufis", invited readers to approach Sufi ideas and test them out. The evident and common sense made it clear that here was a sane, authoritative voice in the wilderness of the gobbledegookish mysticism of the sixties. The lively, contemporary books on traditional psychologies, literature, philosophy and Sufi thought that followed established a broad historical and cultural context for Sufi thought and action. These have so far sold over 15 million copies in 12 languages worldwide and have been awarded many prizes. They have been reviewed by The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Times, The Tribune, The Telegraph, and numerous other international journals and newspapers. University and college courses throughout the world are employing Shah's books, or works based on them, in a wide variety of disciplines including sociology, psychology and literature. In 1969, Idries Shah was awarded the Dictionary of International Biography's Certificate of Merit for Distinguished Service to Human Thought. Other honors included a Two Thousand Men of Achievement award (1971), Six First Prizes awarded by the UNESCO International Book Year (1972), and the International Who's Who in Poetry's Gold Medal for Poetry (1975). According to his obituary in the London Daily Telegraph "it is impossible to assess his influence, and his legacy is incalculable". He was, it is said, the Sufi Teacher of the Age.
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Octagon Pr; 2nd Edition (November 1, 1991)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 214 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0863040128
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0863040122
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #1,372,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#671 in Sufism (Books)
#8,857 in Medical General Psychology
#45,949 in Psychology & Counseling
Customer Reviews:
4.8 out of 5 stars 30 ratings




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Idries Shah



Idries Shah was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition and is considered one of the leading thinkers of the 20th century. He devoted his life to collecting, translating and adapting key works of Sufi classical literature for the needs of the contemporary West. These works represent centuries of thought – some call it “practical philosophy” – aimed at developing human potential. Shah’s literary output – more than three dozen books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and cultural studies – includes uniquely instrumental teaching stories, some of which he retold for children. His work is regarded as forming an important bridge between the cultures of East and West. It has been translated into dozens of languages and has sold millions of copies around the world. In his writings for adults, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predates Islam. Emphasizing that Sufism is not static but always adapts to the current time, place and people, he often framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. For more than 40 years, Shah sifted through oriental literature and oral Sufi tradition to bring his contemporary audience narratives, poetry, aphorisms and an enormous range of teaching stories that are appropriate for our time and culture. He pointed out that this work “connects with a part of the individual which cannot be reached by any other convention, and ... establishes in him or in her a means of communication with a non-verbalized truth beyond the customary limitations of our familiar dimensions.”



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Aubrey Davis

5.0 out of 5 stars THE LIMBLESS FOXReviewed in the United States on March 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
Seeker After Truth is stuffed with delightful tales old and new together with letters, lectures, and table talk. With an intriguing unexpectedness, it invites us and provokes us to stretch our perceptions and think in new ways. Here’s a taste:

Q: What is the first step in ‘learning how to learn’ A: It is undoubtedly to abandon the attempt to learn entirely through one’s own assumptions. Most people are trying to learn by means of concepts which they have adopted but have no suspicion that these will not work. There is a story told by Saadi in his Bostan, about people misdiagnosing their capacities and situation.

A man one day saw a limbless fox and wondered how it could keep itself alive, so he decided to watch it. Presently a lion came along with some meat, ate some of it and abandoned the rest. From this, the fox made his meal. The watching man concluded on the basis of this incident that he should do the same, since Providence would surely accord him similar treatment. He waited a long time, but all that happened was that he got weaker and weaker. But eventualy a voice said to him. ‘Do not behave like a crippled fox! Be like a lion, so that you can obtain something and leave some for others.”

Sufi teaching, unlike that which is followed by others, does not assume that you know how to approach something in order to learn about it. Sufis first make sure that the student approaches the matter in the right way for him.

3 people found this helpful

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39.48

5.0 out of 5 stars Part 8Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2018
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There are, of course tales of the classical masters, anecdotes and narratives, remarks at dinner meetings. All that stuff. But one of the most notable things about this book is Part 8 which contains 12 tales (plus a final Q & A session). These tales really are very good. They begin with The Skill that Nobody Has – the archetypal poor youth setting out, improbably, to marry the daughter of the emperor and who must, through baffling events, obtain the skill that nobody has. He does, of course. They end with The Son of a Story Teller one of those great underwater, magical imprisonment tales, where the hero is betrayed in his rescue of the princess by the conventional heroes, the warrior and the vizier, but triumphs in the end. And then there’s Milk of the Lioness, with marriage by lottery, magic stones that grow hot at critical times, the “Magical Charcoal (flying) Mare”, and disguised Emirs inheriting the kingdom. The stories you may have heard in childhood or, at least, wished you had.

3 people found this helpful

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WildResch

5.0 out of 5 stars New PerspectivesReviewed in the United States on August 29, 2020
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There are two stories in this book, “The Monster” (p. 61) and “Understanding” (p. 84) that are amazingly applicable to what’s going on in the streets of America as I write these words. This is not to say that these stories are limited to understanding current events in the USA, or that the other contents of the book are less applicable to the lives and concerns of post-modern Americans seeking to better understand ourselves, our times and our potential. It is only to point out something about the timeless power of the material Shah has compiled and presented in this volume. Whether in the form of fables, tales, commentary or observations, the collection beckons the reader to new and enhanced perspectives.


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benjamin guile

5.0 out of 5 stars Short pieces not too long for the modern attention span.Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2021
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This selection is quite on point I think for our current era. Good reading. One at a time, maybe once every week. Very useful thoughts.


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Mikael

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by Idries ShahReviewed in the United States on October 2, 2019
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Teaching stories, questions and answers, and a sharp tongue - if you liked Learning How to Learn you’ll have a great time reading Seeker After Truth.

One person found this helpful

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J. Almanza Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are lost...Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2009
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Idres Shah presents stories from the Sufi lore as well as questions from people who are curious, and doubtful, about the Sufi way into this wonderful collection. A book for anyone willing to learn to unlearn. A book that will leave you asking more questions about life, existence, the universe, and about oneself, which is precisely what this book is meant to do. If you are looking for easy answers from a guru with this book, then my friend you are buying the wrong product.

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Mnemosyne

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic book-unusual editionReviewed in the United States on November 27, 2013
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Awesome book- don't know if anyone realized however, my book is missing a few pages...they are not torn out, they are just simply missing as if they never made the binding or printing....nice introduction to basic thinking behind certain orders of sufic training...

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N S Ramshaw
5.0 out of 5 stars A handbook - does what it saysReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2019
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This fascinating book is one of a series of later books on the Sufi way that re-presents and expands on earlier material in response to feedback from readers of earlier books. In so doing as much of the Sufi path is encoded in written materials as is possible.
The first account in the book, ‘Praying for Rain’ had some considerable impact on me. If ever I thought that the search for truth was about escape from difficulties, it corrected that assumption right away.
The book continues in this way of describing what the search for truth is not, and giving some direction as to what it is and what it entails from the seeker. You won’t take away ‘12 easy rules to find the Truth’ from this book. Much of the material holds up a mirror to our current limited thinking and readers are given a good opportunity to look at themselves and will need to do so. You will be left with questions to pursue.
A few examples of this that illustrate for me a strikingly different way of approaching truth:
Things nominally opposed may be working together. Yes and they may also may not. Further that co-operation of seemingly opposed things may or may not involve you.
You fear tomorrow; yet yesterday is just as dangerous.
But why is there no way of seeking Knowledge without opinion, Truth without obsession, fact without personal attachment to it?
The level of greed and fear, because these emotions disturb the learning and ‘digesting’ process, must be reduced to tolerable proportions.
There are twelve intriguing stories at the end of the book that are given without commentary. It has been suggested by an acquaintance that one may benefit if they are memorised. Then, when you have the experience, the symbolism can be recognised.
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Seeker After Truth

by
Idries Shah
4.58 · Rating details · 118 ratings · 13 reviews
This collection of tales, discussions, teachings, letters and lectures is a handbook, inviting the reader to re-examine the assumptions of his particular culture; assumptions which are responsible for his conditioning and his outlook on life. It is precisely because of the unreliability of vision, of memory, of wanting to believe, of induced belief ... that the Sufis say that an objective perception must be acquired before even familiar things can be seen as they are. "Seeker After Truth" goes beyond the familiar "first do this, then do that" style of handbook, transporting the reader to new ranges of perception, according to his or her capacity. Among the many assumptions questioned are: the objective worth of deep emotional feelings; the superiority of man's social habits over those of rats, and the origin of those habits; the evils of deceit ... The magazine Literary Review said about it: "This book ... is food for many different kinds of study - a book unlike anything our society has produced until recently, in its richness, its unexpectedness, its capacity to shock us into seeing ourselves as others see us, both personally and as a society." (less)

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Mar 16, 2019Aubrey Davis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Seeker After Truth is stuffed with delightful tales old and new together with letters, lectures, and table talk. With an intriguing unexpectedness, it invites us and provokes us to stretch our perceptions and think in new ways. Here’s a taste:

Q: What is the first step in ‘learning how to learn’ A: It is undoubtedly to abandon the attempt to learn entirely through one’s own assumptions. Most people are trying to learn by means of concepts which they have adopted but have no suspicion that these will not work. There is a story told by Saadi in his Bostan, about people misdiagnosing their capacities and situation.

A man one day saw a limbless fox and wondered how it could keep itself alive, so he decided to watch it. Presently a lion came along with some meat, ate some of it and abandoned the rest. From this, the fox made his meal. The watching man concluded on the basis of this incident that he should do the same, since Providence would surely accord him similar treatment. He waited a long time, but all that happened was that he got weaker and weaker. But eventualy a voice said to him. ‘Do not behave like a crippled fox! Be like a lion, so that you can obtain something and leave some for others.”

Sufi teaching, unlike that which is followed by others, does not assume that you know how to approach something in order to learn about it. Sufis first make sure that the student approaches the matter in the right way for him.
(less)
flag6 likes · Like · comment · see review



Apr 14, 2019John Zada rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This is a fascinating collection of anecdotes, fables, stories and dialogues, and Q&As encapsulating an ancient form of thinking that sheds light on our deepest and most hidden flaws.

'The Literary Review' wrote that 'Seeker After Truth' was, "food for many different kinds of study - a book unlike anything our own society has produced until recently, in its richness, its unexpectedness, its capacity to shock us into seeing ourselves as others see us, both personally and as a society." (less)
flag4 likes · Like · comment · see review



Jul 18, 2014Kevan Bowkett rated it really liked it
A collection of tales, anecdotes, and teaching-narratives, this book by Idries Shah is a fascinating tour through dimensions of existence many of us don't suspect exist. Well worth much more than a glance. (less)
flag4 likes · Like · comment · see review



Mar 16, 2019Neil Ramshaw rated it it was amazing
This fascinating book is one of a series of later books on the Sufi way that re-presents and expands on earlier material in response to feedback from readers of earlier books. In so doing as much of the Sufi path is encoded in written materials as is possible.
The first account in the book, ‘Praying for Rain’ had some considerable impact on me. If ever I thought that the search for truth was about escape from difficulties, it corrected that assumption right away.
The book continues in this way of describing what the search for truth is not, and giving some direction as to what it is and what it entails from the seeker. You won’t take away ‘12 easy rules to find the Truth’ from this book. Much of the material holds up a mirror to our current limited thinking and readers are given a good opportunity to look at themselves and will need to do so. You will be left with questions to pursue.
A few examples of this that illustrate for me a strikingly different way of approaching truth:
Things nominally opposed may be working together. Yes and they may also may not. Further that co-operation of seemingly opposed things may or may not involve you.
You fear tomorrow; yet yesterday is just as dangerous.
But why is there no way of seeking Knowledge without opinion, Truth without obsession, fact without personal attachment to it?
The level of greed and fear, because these emotions disturb the learning and ‘digesting’ process, must be reduced to tolerable proportions.
There are twelve intriguing stories at the end of the book that are given without commentary. It has been suggested by an acquaintance that one may benefit if they are memorised. Then, when you have the experience the symbolism can be recognised.
(less)
flag3 likes · Like · comment · see review



Apr 17, 2018Peter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
'Seeker After Truth' is a wonderful compendium of stories, answers to questions, remarks and anecdotes. This new edition (2018) from ISF Publishing, is, like their other publications, a delight to look at and to hold. But the essence is in the content, which is profound.

"Most people have no idea that the most trivial-seeming actions may have extremely far-reaching effects."

" ... because of the unreliability of vision, of memory, of wanting to believe, of induced belief: ... the Sufis say that an objective perception must be acquired before even familiar things can be seen as they are."

And the thought I find perhaps the most difficult to accept,
"... the world is coming to an end, and that the people who believe that they are doing good, and who lack perception and understanding, are the ones who are bringing it to its end..." (less)
flag3 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review



Dec 19, 2014Chris Petrakos rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Packed with stories, illustrations from the news, sayings, questions & answers along much more, Seeker After Truth is not only one of my favorite Idries Shah books, but is, along with Learning How to Learn, a very good launching point into his work.

What’s fascinating about the content is how it opens a window into the various “selves” inside each of us. This geography of the self is important to know because unless we understand and are able to see the patterns of our inner nature, personal development may be difficult or limited. As Shah emphasizes throughout, the desire for spiritual development can be genuine, or it can be the expression of a more shallow impulse, such as, for instance, the need for attention.

I think these are really important distinctions to make and Seeker After Truth helps create a basis to do that in ways that are intriguing and often entertaining. It’s one of those books that should be read, put aside, read again and again until the wisdom of all that content starts to become absorbed. As always with his books, it’s hard to choose a single example, but for me one of the most memorable is this short question and answer:

Question: What is a fundamental mistake of man?
Shah: To think that he is alive, when he has merely fallen asleep in life’s waiting-room.
(less)
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Jun 03, 2018Ita Marquess rated it it was amazing
'Without the night, who would know of the day? Bitter peaches are spurned, yet it is those which help in the acceptance of the sweet.'

This is a powerful and prophetic book. Truth exists, not only in the world of the senses but also in the invisible realm beyond. It can shock you to the core, but also allows you to glimpse, in the hope of one day experiencing, an uplifting reality the existence of which is unsuspected by mainstream culture. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review



Dec 07, 2015John Handforth rated it it was amazing
An entertaining and epic 'handbook' of sorts for seekers of truth and what the Sufis term higher development. Filled with stories, jokes, quotes, short essays and question and answer sessions, the book illustrates the tendency of the mind to assumptions and its tendency to automatic responses. Fascinating and stimulating. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review



May 08, 2019Leonard Robichaud rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This is another collection of teaching stories and other assorted material intended as a specialized teaching instrument (but it also makes for engrossing entertainment!); prepared and presented for the contemporary seeker after wisdom. Like Shah's other works, it repays careful attention and repeated reading. What else can I say about this book that others have not already said so well? (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review



Sep 15, 2013Toni rated it it was amazing
Seeker after Truth
This book is a mountain range and one is an ant.
There is a story called Sweets for the Wise. The entire/whole book is sweets for humanity. Can not be recommended enough.
Sweets for the Wise Page One three seven. Octagon Press hardback.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review



Apr 15, 2019John Bell rated it it was amazing
This odd collection of stories, lectures and commentary is a composite that adds up to a mirror for any sincere seeker of greater understanding. Like many of Shah's books, it is also yet another facet of a full corpus of understanding. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review



Apr 30, 2014Robs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shah insists that stories such as those found within this book, can store and convey many things, and that despite their popularity or un-popularity they remain pertinent - durable. One of these 'things' could be a historical record for instance the following tale, told of the 11th century mystic Al-Ghazali (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ghazali) as an example it seems most relevant to current events...

The Heretics

It is related that Imam al-Ghazali was invited one day to an assembly of jurists, whose chief said to him:
'You are a learned man, as we are also from among the learned. Therefore humbler folk come to you to seek interpretations of the Sharia,the Holy Law. It has been reported to us that you have advised some of these people not to observe the fast during the month of Ramadan. You are also said to have stated that certain people should not make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Others have averred that you have reprimanded people for saying ''There is no God but Allah''. Such mischievous words, if true, are proof to us of infidelity. Only your reputation has so far protected you from death for apostasy. The people have a right to be protected from such as you .'
Ghazali sighed and answered:
'The Holy Law of Islam itself says that people who not a a full understanding of the Law and what it means are not culpable under that Law, nor subject to its rules. These include children and imbeciles, but must also include those bereft of understanding. If a man does not percieve the inner reality of fasting, or goes on a pilgrimage only to suffer, or says the Confession of Faith and has no faith, he is bereft of understanding, and should not be encouraged to continue, but must be put on the road to understanding. The people, in your words, have the right to be protected from such as you, who would reward them for no merit and persecute them for no crime.
'If a man cannot walk by reason of having a lame leg, do you tell him to walk, or do you him a crutch or heal his affliction?
'It is due to his foretelling of the appearance of people such as you that the Prophet has said: ''Islam came as a stranger and it will depart as a stranger.'' Understanding of the meaning of things is beyond your intention, your training and your capacity. That is why there is nothing left to you but to threaten people with death for apostasy. And yet it is not I who am the apostate, but you.'
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Dec 12, 2019Dan Sperling rated it it was amazing
Idries Shah’s books rank among the most interesting and thought-provoking I’ve ever read, and SEEKER AFTER TRUTH did not disappoint me in that regard. As is the case with most of Shah’s books, what’s important here is the effect on the reader rather than meeting expectations, provoking admiration or adhering to hoary tradition. A collection of teaching materials that range from the traditional to the contemporary and from stories to excerpts to table talk, SEEKER AFTER TRUTH differs from most books in that it was put together in the Sufi manner (something that’s not at all what most people might think) and was designed to provoke thought of a different kind and quality from what the reader is likely to be used to. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in increasing their understanding – of themselves, of other people and of the world around us. (less)
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Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi: Orientalism and the Mystical Marketplace : Rose, Arjana Sophia: Amazon.com.au: Books

Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi: Orientalism and the Mystical Marketplace : Rose, Arjana Sophia: Amazon.com.au: Books
Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi: Orientalism and the Mystical Marketplace

Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi: Orientalism and the Mystical Marketplace

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From jewellery to meditation pillows to tourist retreats, religious traditions – especially those of the East – are being commodified as never before. Imitated and rebranded as ‘New Age’ or ‘spiritual’, they are marketed to secular Westerners as an answer to suffering in the modern world, the ‘mystical’ and ‘exotic’ East promising a path to enlightenment and inner peace.

In Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi, Sophia Rose Arjana examines the appropriation and sale of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam in the West today, the role of mysticism and Orientalism in the religious marketplace, and how the commodification of religion impacts people’s lives.




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Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi: Orientalism and the Mystical Marketplace Paperback – 4 August 2020
by Arjana Sophia Rose (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars 9 ratin

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In our consumer capitalist society, it should surprise no one that religion is for sale as never before. From jewellery to meditation pillows to tourist retreats, Eastern religious traditions are imitated, rebranded as 'new age' or 'spiritual', and marketed as an answer to suffering in the modern world. For the secular individual, the 'mystical' and 'exotic' East is offered as a path to enlightenment and inner peace.


In Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi, Sophia Arjana asks what happens when different cultures and religious traditions are turned into products to be sold for profit. How does it affect our conception of the peoples and places these ideas are taken from? And can we ever reconcile the individual's virtuous pursuit of self-improvement with the lucrative colonial project that is the commercialisation of mysticism?

272 pages
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'Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi highlights the hidden costs of what would appear to be positive stereotypes about Eastern religiosity. In doing so, Arjana interrogates cultural colonialism, i.e. the borrowing of other people's cultures and religions without giving credit to actual persons and institutions... With its comprehensive theoretically informed approach and exciting case studies, I would especially recommend this book for use in undergraduate classes.'-- "Religion (Liz Wilson, Miami University)"

'A fascinating and wholly engrossing exploration of how "mysticism", as we know it in the West, circulates as a modern-day product of colonial structures of power.'--Sylvia Chan-Malik, Associate Professor, Departments of American Studies and Women's and Gender Studies, Rutgers University

'A wide-ranging overview of the ongoing power and cultural significance of long-standing Western Orientalist tropes about "the Mystic East". This is an important work for anyone working on Asian traditions and their contemporary appropriation, transformation and commodification.'--Richard King, Professor of Buddhist and Asian Studies, University of Kent

'Both scholarly and readable, Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi deepens our understanding of the way the West appropriates Eastern religion.'--Jeffrey H. Mahan, Ralph E. and Norma E. Peck Professor of Religion & Public Communication, Iliff School of Theology


Book Description
How Eastern religions are commodified in the modern world, and why it matters
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oneworld (4 August 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages


Customer Reviews:
4.9 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5


Top reviews from other countries

tamarrivka
4.0 out of 5 stars 
Scathing Indictment of Western Engagement With Eastern Religion that Goes Too Far
Reviewed in the United States on 14 October 2020
Verified Purchase

A fairly well written book on an engaging topic. I was interested to read it as I think there are some salient points to be made about commercialization of Eastern traditions in the West; yet this book goes way too far in its indictment of Western forms of spirituality to the point of nihilism. While I agree that exploitation and appropriation do happen, I see all of the world’s religions as fluid traditions shaped by historic cultural forces that have always included exchange and inquiry. The author seems to posit that white westerners and the spiritual practices they engage in cannot have real connectedness to anything authentic and holy; while adherents of the Asian religions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam are the only people authentically capable of experiencing Eastern spirituality through the fixed canon of the religion they were born into. What this leaves out is the reality that spiritual experiences can happen for everybody and each Eastern religion and Eastern nation has its own problematic elements and internal conflicts and will always be continuing to change and evolve.
In the end, the author describes her perspective as “cynical” which she associates with her role as an academic. Scholarship does not necessitate cynicism; if anything it feels like this author has such a strong bias against the West and white people that she is not able to approach what she observes from a nuanced perspective.

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars 
Must Read in Modern Spirituality
Reviewed in the United States on 3 January 2021
Verified Purchase

Dr. Sophia Rose Arjana has written a masterful evaluation of the ways Eastern spirituality has been commodified in Western culture. From the appearance of what she calls "muddled orientalism" in films to the creation of retreat cultures like Burning man, the author shows how "Western", mostly American people, have used parts of "Eastern" spiritual traditions to create marketable, profitable, products. This is a book is a perfect theory text for university classrooms, but truly should be read by every yoga studio owner, retreat director, and practitioner of modern spirituality. Truly insightful!

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JR
5.0 out of 5 stars
 The Mystical Marketplace
Reviewed in the United States on 16 February 2021
Verified Purchase

Drawing upon research in multiple contexts, effectively demonstrates how the orientalist marketplace functions, commodifies traditions, and appeals to particular "consumers" of mysticism. Important for those interested in religious pluralism, spirituality, and interreligious relations.

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Yusuf
Oct 05, 2020rated it really liked it
This is an excellent book to explore the commodification of "the wisdom of the East" from Buddhism to Sufism. The writer uses the concept of "muddled orientalism" to capture the process of making a hot-pot of non-Western religions, practices and concepts. Yet, the book suffers from repetition, and it also makes a lot of effort to fit things into its narrative, sometimes too much.

To begin with, the main idea is that the Western consumers of mysticism distort religions and beliefs originating from the East. The problem is fixation to this idea ignores the fact that throughout history, all these beliefs and practices have been continuously evolving. Therefore, the current process can be considered as a part of ongoing evolution.

The author almost accuses new-age cults of being "fake" or "not real", as if "traditional" cults have the key for eternal truth. What makes a new age group less real than a traditional cult group? The author exposes the problems, such as sexual misconducts and charlatanry, of the modern cults, but ignores the fact that these problems are also widespread in traditional ones.

The problem of repetition is probably also related to the problems of academic writing. It is expected to develop a concept and revolve around this concept throughout the book, like an upward spiral. However, this also makes books hard to read and a bit dull.

I feel like I have mistreated this book because I really liked it. So, I do not want you to think that this is not a good book. I enjoyed it, and I think you should definitely read it, especially if you are into any kinds of spiritualism.
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Lumturi
Jan 17, 2021rated it it was ok
I was excited to read this book as the commodification and consumerism of religious traditions is a timely and interesting subject. However, I think Arjana's book has not done this topic adequate justice.

As others have said, this book suffers from disorganization and repetition. The same examples of cultural appropriation – the retail website Goop, white immigrants to Bali, the fetishization of Tibet, the book "Eat, Pray Love,”, Oprah, several spiritual festivals – are cited continuously throughout the book. One page of the book may deal with five to seven topics from multiple religions. Sentences and paragraphs feel like they have no connection to the sentence or paragraph that came before them. Arjana cites excessive examples of "cultural colonialism" throughout the book with little to no analysis. Despite the book's cover and title indicating it is about religion, it includes discussion of non-religious cultural colonialism like interior decorating in restaurants and belly-dancing. It also includes some examples of cultural appropriation of non-Asian cultures such as African-American, African, Native American, and Ashkenazi Jewish. The book would benefit from more organization and fewer, more generalized, more focused examples with deeper analysis. The only deep analysis provided is in the final chapters. These are much more engaging and readable than previous chapters, but confusing if you have never seen Lost or Star Wars.

She continually quotes various academics who are usually thrown in with no introduction to who they are, what their work is, or how it is relevant. The quotes are typically not analyzed. The reading experience is, therefore, cumbersome and disjointed as the voice is constantly changing. The reader is expected to be intimately familiar with numerous cultures and religious traditions as well as critical theory, critical race theory, sociology, critiques of capitalism, and American pop culture. At times, I found myself having to look up what book a particular author wrote, what a "heterotopia" is (not a mythical land of straight people), or what the film "Crazy Rich Asians" is about. She introduces and uses terminology without defining nor explaining it. For example, referring to "Eat, Pray, Love as "priv-lit" which I did not realize until significantly into the book is a word-play on privilege and a prior existing critique of this book after googling this word.

As the book stands, the author does not include discussion of examples that would enhance her argument. She talks about the "performance" of Islam by white scholar Hamza Yusuf but omits Abdal Hakim Murad. She completely omits writing about Romani people. However, she repeatedly talks about the Bohemian fashion style derived from the French term for Romani people, Bohémien, but never included this information.

Surprisingly, she doesn't talk about the biggest propagator of Fake Hafez, Daniel Ladinsky. She includes some discussion of racial fetishization in skincare but altogether forgoes discussing the new Western obsession with Asian skincare with its apparent exotic ingredients that keep Asian women perpetually youthful. I think about the brand Tatcha started by a Taiwanese-American woman but is marketed as the secret beauty recipes of Japanese geishas, fake Korean beauty brands, and the brand "Rituals of Karma" selling beauty products off of Hindu theology. She misses this entire trend of Asian skincare, which would be a rich well to draw from in criticism of orientalism mixed with capitalism.

One of the book's most bizarre aspects is that the author will sporadically point out if a group of people or a particular person are white (ex. Coleman Barks) and then implicitly or explicitly attribute their behavior to being white. Yet she mentions people of color (ex. Deepak Chopra) doing the same thing and never mentions their race and provides no analysis. She analyses these people as if they are white. How can we attribute this behavior to someone being white then and not the general trends of consumerism and capitalism in modernity? Some of the non-white people she brings up (ex. Osho) did far worse things than other whites mentioned, but ideas of non-white spiritual authenticity and inherent white inauthenticity (ex. her discourse on Hamza Yusuf), which Arjana implicitly promotes the entire book, can lead to extreme harm and abuse by capitalizing charlatans. In my view, this is a source of tension and dissonance.

Arjana seems to position herself as uniquely self-aware and enlightened above her many subjects of criticism – white conservative Muslim converts, pseudo-Sufis, perennialists, yoga practitioners, American Buddhists, ex-pats in Asia, Oprah, etc. She shifts from viewing the subjects with sympathy to contempt and disdain. I question why Arjana, self-professedly white, positions herself as a voice speaking on behalf of billions of people. At one point, she quotes a scholar who notes how mixed-race Peruvians will follow indigenous traditions, but on what basis can Arjana criticize and dictate the religious practice or racial identity of Peruvians as a white American woman? She is as subject to the forces of modernity and capitalism as her subjects are, but she seems to broadly disagree with every practice of Eastern religion by Westerners asides from liberal academic versions, which go uncontested. Arjana unintentionally promotes a monolithic view of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. There is the true, traditional, authentic Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam and the false, bastardized modern versions in conflict with them. Only brief lip service is provided to mention of sects or diversity.

I think Arjana is excessively critical of what I would see as cultural exchange and what she calls "cultural colonialism." I believe aspects of cultural exchange are simply inevitable in a globalized world. I am particularly concerned with condemnations of Buddhist-inspired psychotherapy as I don't see an alternative, nor is this a racist or superfluous appropriation. For example, dialectical behavioral therapy is Buddhism-inspired and the primary treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. I'm not comfortable with the massive generalizations made about certain groups on very little information, such as her anecdote about how she knew someone who went to a Nur Ashki dhikr and saw someone fall asleep. I think we should differentiate between offensive and harmful appropriations versus those that are positive or benign. She sort of touches on this in her positive analysis of Lost and Star Wars, but if those are an “okay” form of cultural appropriation, then I don’t see why at least some of the myriad other things she lists aren’t then.

The title and cover are very misleading to the actual contents of the book. Rumi is discussed only briefly and on a surface level. I feel she should have discussed the construction of the modern American Buddhist movement. This book is entirely unapproachable to those who don't have an academic background in religious studies and related fields. It's also excessively broad and simply trying to cover too many religions with too many topics at once, leading to a lacking analysis. The book ends abruptly, and the conclusion is insufficient.

Ultimately, the author had a very different vision of what her book is then I imagined it, but overall it suffers from flawed analysis, disorganization, inconsistency, too much quoting, and too many examples covered. It feels like there is no conclusion and no direction to go from here.
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Jen (Remembered Reads)
Sep 12, 2020rated it really liked it
An overview of religion-as-mystical-product in the United States (and to a certain extent Western Europe). There’s a strange combination of repetitive notes (a particular poor translation of Rumi is mentioned so often that I wished I’d kept a running tally) alongside such a broad scope that we don’t get much depth into any single element. Still, overall it was an interesting read.

For a general audience, the repetitive bits mean it’s not as readable as the blurbs would suggest, but if I were looking for a textbook to assign excerpts to for a class on the subject, some of the chapters here would be perfect. 
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Gowaart
Dec 21, 2020rated it it was ok  ·  review of another edition
This book is a mess. It deals with a highly interesting subject matter -- the ways in which orientalism, commodification and disenchantment have come together in what Arjana calls a "mystical marketplace" -- and brings a lot of great material to the table, but approaches it in such a broad and chaotic way that I have come away from reading this without feeling like I learned much that was new to me at all. Arjana's writing style is extremely dry and for most of the book she eschews analysis in favour of endless namedropping, the cataloguing of various examples, and superfluous direct quotations of earlier scholars. Usually these examples and quotations are only very basically contextualised, and important theoretical conceptualisations are discussed exceedingly briefly. Deeper analysis is only present in the last three chapters (which redeem the book somewhat), but even then tends to be fairly superficial. The reader is expected to be broadly familiar with many aspects of various religions, mystical traditions, critical theories, as well as modern popular culture, as Arjana tends to provide very little in the way of context. For example, to fully appreciate the final chapter, the reader will need to have seen both Lost (about which major spoilers are given) and Star Wars. As someone else noted here, the book is also extremely repetitive, often signalling more extensive treatment of certain examples in other chapters. All of this gives me the impression that a different book structure in which examples are more exclusively relegated to certain chapters where they are then dealt with more deeply would've been much more satisfying. As noted, the last three chapters do a better job at this and could've served as a blueprint for a more tightly argued book.

Aside from bad writing and messy organisation, I felt the book's attitude towards much of what it describes is also somewhat problematic. The many new religious and mystical movements or practices discussed are contrasted with those parts of traditional religions they are derived or appropriated from. By doing so it sometimes seems like Arjana implies that only the latter can lay claim to authentic religious experience, while the former are too mixed up with (post)modernism and capitalism to have any real value. Arjana does seem to be aware of this tension and addresses it more directly in the very short postscript, but she never really provides a satisfying solution. Much as these new religious movements are dominated by charlatans and rampant with problematic appropriations, is it not important that we still try to understand their appeal and the meaning many people find in these practices? Again, Arjana is not insensitive to this question, but her book does not present much in the way of an answer.

I came across this book out of an interest in modern appropriations/bastardisations of Rumi via Coleman Barks and others and the witty title of this book seemed to suggest that it would provide some helpful context to understand it. As it turns out, this single article is still more informative and vastly better written than Arjana's whole book:
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-...
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Clarissa D
Nov 06, 2021rated it really liked it
It's impossible to not be outraged by this book. It invokes white guilt over the cherished practice of yoga and all our favorite movies among other things.
I like how the book calls out religious freeloaders sampling the buffet of world religions, skimming the surface and leaving the substance. I hate how the book skims the surface of popular world views and leaves the substance, and the implication that pure religions exist needs a whole chapter.
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C
Sep 03, 2021rated it did not like it
This book had a lot of potential but sadly lived up to none of it. It was incredibly sloppy, lacked knowledge of the religious traditions it was examining and most irritatingly, despite claims otherwise, repeatedly treated Asian religious traditions as unchanging and unaffected by interactions with the publics around them. While it seems to be written for poplar audiences, the constant theoretical citations make me wonder who exactly is the intended audience for this text. In the end, I just couldn’t “buy” into any of the arguments put forth in this book and ended the book annoyed at the time I lost on reading it. (less)
Nitesh Singh
Feb 05, 2022rated it really liked it
A fairly well-written and researched book but the content could have been better. Many of the repetitive things. Those who want to understand interreligious relations, how spiritualism has been made a commodity in western culture can read this book.
Andrew
Oct 14, 2021rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
a great topic and fine arguments throughout, but the writing/editing made the book feel redundant and distracted from those fine arguments