ELEVEN MEN embarked upon a journey in 1894 with one objective: ...to find the great spiritual teachers of the Far East and witness their uncommon abilities. NOTE: The publisher's description below is followed by a review of the books, which says, 'I have searched for books and scientific reports by other members of the research team of 11 scientists but have not been able to find any such works. In fact I have not been able to find any record of the research party or the expedition.' Volume 6 contains photos and letters from the expedition. I read these books in 1970, barely remember them now, and feel drawn to read again. The reviewer goes on to say, 'Since it is not the habit of truly spiritual men to pass off works of fiction as genuine scientific research, we are forced to conclude that Mr Spalding himself had not developed a very great degree of spiritual awareness; caution is therefore necessary in accepting his words.' Aha. Well, it is an opinion. I include the review because it does in my view have some valid points. Also in 1970, I was reading the books of T. Lobsang Rampa, who claimed to be a Tibetan occultist. Most likely, he was a plumber from the U.K., with genuine psychic abilities. That discrepancy troubled me, until someone said, 'what he was doesn't matter. His books stirred me, and for that I am grateful.' PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION Since these Masters were scattered over a wide territory that covered a large portion of India, Tibet, China, and Persia, they knew it could take years of searching many secluded villages and hidden mountain communes. Planning each step of the journey became a challenge knowing that countless miles of rugged terrain separated the remote and isolate locations that were imperative to the exploration. Even though they could plot their route on a map and see where they were headed, the destination deep within the souls of eleven scientifically trained men remained uncertain. Baird T. Spalding and the others were practical in nature and the thought of spiritual masters performing miracles seemed impossible. Despite these suspect thoughts, something compelled them to move onward. So they did. Volume 1: Introduction of the Master Emil. Visit to the "Temple of Silence". Astral Projection. Walking on Water. Visit to the Healing Temple. Emil Talks about America. The Snowmen of the Himalayas. New Light on the Teachings of Jesus. Volume 2: Visit to the Temple of the Great Tau Cross. Visit with the Master Jesus. Jesus discussed the nature of hell; the nature of God. The Mystery of thought vibrations. Jesus feeds the multitude. An account of a healing experience. Jesus and Buddha visit the group. Volume 3: One of the masters speaks of the Christ consciousness. The nature of cosmic energy. The creation of the planets and the worlds. The trip to Lhasa. Visit at the Temple Pora-tat-sanga. Explaining the mystery of levitation. A doubltless convinced of the existence of Jesus. Volume 4: First presented as "The India Tour Lessons." Each chapter has text for study as well as guides to teachers for developing and interpreting the material. Among subjects covered: The White Brotherhood, The One Mind Basis of coming social reorganization Prana. Volume 5: Lectures and articles by Spalding; also a brief biographical sketch. Partial contents: Camera of past events. Is there a God. The divine pattern. The reality. Mastery over death. The law of supply. Volume 6: Thirty-five years after the appearance of Volume 5 of Life & Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, ten dusty cartons were discovered in the DeVorss warehouse, some of which held Spalding manuscripts, paper, letters, photographs, and other materials related to this man whose name has been a legend in metaphysical and truth circles. The New Volume 6 includes: Articles previously omitted from Vol.5, Photographs, The 1935 India Tour and correspondence, Rare letters, Personal recollections of BTS, Spalding's last days, Spalding biography and memorabilia. BOOK REVIEW A most incredible account of a research trip to India in 1894, meetings with unprecedented spiritual masters, and spiritual knowledge resulting from these meetings. I have searched for books and scientific reports by other members of the research team of 11 scientists but have not been able to find any such works. In fact I have not been able to find any record of the research party or the expedition. There are some very good insights in this series of books, suggesting that Mr Spalding did indeed meet some very spiritual people at some point in his life. Sadly there are also some gross misunderstandings of Eastern philosophy. Tragically several of these misunderstandings can be found reproduced and expounded upon in many subsequent new age books. I would therefore urge the serious seeker of Indian spirituality to consult authentic literature. Many of the topics in this series are covered in Swami Rama's book 'Living with the Himalayan Masters'. For insights into Buddhism I have found the Dalai Lama, Matthieu Ricard and Lama Yeshe to be very reliable and inspiring sources of information. Satish Kumar, in his book 'You are Therefore I am' gives delightful multi-faith insights into Indian spirituality. An exhaustive list would not be possible here. I do not suggest one should not read Mr Spalding's books, only that they are better understood as fictional tales with some valid spiritual insights but also some incorrect and very misleading assertions. Since it is not the habit of truly spiritual men to pass off works of fiction as genuine scientific research, we are forced to conclude that Mr Spalding himself had not developed a very great degree of spiritual awareness; caution is therefore necessary in accepting his words. I wish you all success in your search and hope this review may be useful to some degree. NOTE: Some images below were randomly collected and are not necessarily related to the post.
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