The Book of Enlightened Masters: Western Teachers in Eastern Traditions

Rating:
Summary: fine piece of scholarship
Review: An outstanding work. Well balanced between critical scholarship, and thorough research into the subjects. Overlooks a few teachers, but that's inevitable given the vast scope the book tackles. There is no book like this anywhere in the field of post-modern study of Western spiritual teachers and the phenomenon they represent. Dr. Rawlinson is very fair and impartial in his observations about the personal difficulties and challenges faced by many of the gurus, and how these challenges shaped their work, or in some cases detracted from it.

Rating:
Summary: Why Johnny can't think......
Review: Another book on comparative religions so filled with bias and self-centered sarcasm one can hardly read from cover to cover. What has happened to our educational system that this sort of thing passes for intelligence? No wonder "Johnny can't read". If you want to learn about the influence of the East on the West from this perspective, skip the cost of the book and simply search the internet for dirt on the particular religion. What a complete disappointment. Andrew Rawlinson never seemed to come close to the lofty title much less most of the religions he criticized.

Rating:
Summary: good and necessary sourcebook
Review: As close to being complete as could possibly be expected, well and honestly written, and at times even entertaining, this book should simply be accepted for what it is: a biographical encyclopedia, not a fine-capture examination of the lives and teachings of hundreds of so-called "teachers" or "gurus". It will surely lead even the most seasoned reader of the western mystical literature down some interesting new rabbit trails.

Rating:
Summary: A few examples of unenlighteded wanna be's
Review: i know in detail about how bogus two of these people pictured on the cover-the others i dont know but.......

Rating:
Summary: entertaining in parts, but not that well researched
Review: I looked forward to reading this book, but as time progressed I felt increasingly that the author had a great deal of preconceptions about the subject. The detail about some of the "masters" was sketchy at best and the book did little to shed light on the substance of what they purported to be teaching. All a bit of a shame when this book could have been a valuable research tool. I also understand that the author lectures in Buddism which may account for a "less than neutral" account of some of the teachings!

Rating:
Summary: Why Johnny can't think......
Review: I read this having seen some previous reviews, but unfortunetely found it to be a tad dull and self indulgent. Now I have no doubt that the original intention was good, but the author seems to fixate on dtail that is not alltogether useful!

Rating:
Summary: 650 worthless sheet (of paper)
Review: The mixture that Mr. Rawlinson makes on this book is everything but "enlightning". The encyclopedic style is just on the surface, since the author focuses more on the personal details of the lives he choosed to write about, than on their specific spiritual standpoints. That makes this heavy book more a gossip than an academic work. It's tricky too, because it seems to put an impartial span of spiritual liders of the West, but, what he really wants is to advice about the deviations of this people. Which is not bad at all, if only he had the tools to do it. Instead, Mr. Rawlinson puts all in one bag and you get truly interesting perspectives (like Frithjof Schuon's Religio Perennis or "trascendent unity of religions") paired with plain crazy people.
So, this book is not a help at all; the charts are not clear and have some mistakes here and there.

Rating:
Summary: fine piece of scholarship
Review: The mixture that Mr. Rawlinson makes on this book is everything but "enlightning". The encyclopedic style is just on the surface, since the author focuses more on the personal details of the lives he choosed to write about, than on their specific spiritual standpoints. That makes this heavy book more a gossip than an academic work. It's tricky too, because it seems to put an impartial span of spiritual liders of the West, but, what he really wants is to advice about the deviations of this people. Which is not bad at all, if only he had the tools to do it. Instead, Mr. Rawlinson puts all in one bag and you get truly interesting perspectives (like Frithjof Schuon's Religio Perennis or "trascendent unity of religions") paired with plain crazy people.
So, this book is not a help at all; the charts are not clear and have some mistakes here and there.

Rating:
Summary: good and necessary sourcebook
Review: Writing as one of Dr Rawlinson's former students at Lancaster University who remembers him as a charismatic, inspirational and controversial figure, I was delighted to find this book displaying these very qualities for which he was renowned. Although scrupulously fair to even the most dubious of the allegedly 'Enlightened' Masters, this does not turn the book into a turgid, non-judgemental exercise in academia. Instead the style is refreshingly readable and full of perceptive observations.Dr Rawlinson used to set us examination questions like, 'Vishnu is to Shiva as snooker is to all-in-wrestling.Discuss', and, 'God loves naughty boys (and naughty girls).How fair is this a summary of Tukaram's theology'. The same playful irreverence is also at work in this book but be sure about one thing:behind both of these seemingly flippant questions lay real academic issues, and Dr Rawlinson illuminates for you the relevant issues in the world of gurus,mystics and spiritual teachers in this comprehensive and wonderful guide. I would recommend it not simply as an outstanding book in its field but also as one of the best Religious Studies textbooks ever written, the perfect antidote to all those dry but efficient articles and books you have to wade through as a student.