Beyond the Broken Gate

Rating:
Summary: You can't learn without an open mind!
Review: "Beyond the Broken Gate" is the story of a man who, by using "creative" meditation techniques, managed to connect with his spiritual guides in a very unconventional way: speaking to them face to face while in a meditative state. These guides then answered all his questions, and explained to him the meaning of life.

There will be people who will read the book and curl their lips. The idea of it seems preposterous, and therefore is "fanciful", or simply the author's attempt at getting attention, or making money, or putting himself in the egotistical position of speaking for God. These people will discount the idea that the author actually had these experiences, and will lose his message: love and compassion, and acknowledging a God-source comprised of unconditional love so intense it would kill us to look directly into it. It is a message that each of us is a part of that God-source, we are all important, and we are all looking for a way back to it. Christianity calls it "heaven".

I am not going to argue how "legitimate" the author's methods were - or that he actually had these encounters - because it doesn't matter. "Beyond the Broken Gate" contains lessons, observations and advice that are timely and important - and certainly worth considering. The book contains nothing that would send people hurling themselves like lemmings off a cliff in the spiritual sense. The message is sound: we are here to learn lessons, and every situation we encounter each day, every finger-flicking hostile driver on the highway who cuts us off, is a lesson on the long road to learning how to become more loving and compassionate toward everyone - which, incidentally, is the primary message of Christianity and every other religion. Instead of railing against God and the people who wound us, our energy would be better spent figuring out what the lesson IS: learning patience, perhaps? Tolerance? Sensitivity? As each of us becomes more compassionate, it works in a ripple effect by changing the people around us, who in turn are more compassionate to others.

If you are uncomfortable reading this book as "non-fiction", I would recommend you read it as "fiction". The message it contains will remain intact. If you prefer to view his "guides" as simply "metaphors", do that. Mr. Graybar does an exceptionally good job at articulating concepts that are extremely complex and difficult to convey so, if you are at all inclined to introspective self-examination no matter what your belief system, you are bound to take away something from it.

Nell Gavin...

Rating:
Summary: Really Interesting Book...
Review: All that I can say about this book is WOW! The book certainly is different. Although I don't agree with all of what the author said, I did get some very valuable insights out of Beyond the Broken Gate. I can understand that some people may feel the book reads as fiction and if one is not comfortable with the ideas the author presents then read it as fiction. It is still an amazing piece of work.

The author a former executive using a meditation technique is able to enter another place and is given some really good (at least I feel that many are possible) information on what some of the worlds problems are. Interesting enough the author is now teaching this style of meditation at workshops according his web site.

All I can say is have an open mind and you'll certainly get answers to some of the questions that may be troubling you in life.

Rating:
Summary: Insights Indeed
Review: Before I bought the book I was a little skeptical on whether this book was going to be worth my while. I read a great deal of books in the new age genre, and originally thought this was going to be narrow about a particular religion with no real themes. I was certainly wrong. The themes are so universal, that no matter what god you believe in, you can relate to the experiences in this book. Without a doubt this is one of the best books I have read in years and highly recommend going on the journey... Beyond the Broken Gate.

Rating:
Summary: An Independent Book Reviewer from India writes.....
Review: From: "S.V.Swamy" <swamyreviews@y...>
Date: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:35 am
Subject: Beyond the Broken Gate - A review

Recently I had the pleasure of reading a beautiful Spiritual/New
Age/Self-Help book, "Beyond the Broken Gate" by Charles Graybar,
Chuck to his friends. I am giving below my review of the book.

Beyond the Broken Gate
by Charles Graybar Published by Serenity Hill Press

Category: Non-fiction / Self-help
360 pages; ISBN: 0974062522

Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Swamy

Review

"Beyond the Broken Gate - An Ordinary Man's Extraordinary Journey In Learning Who We Are, Why We Live, And Where We're Going" by Charles Graybar is a Spiritual book. The author had questions which trouble many seekers, viz., what is the purpose of life, where are we going spiritually etc., and got answers from advanced spirit guides. In about 360 pages, Charles or Chuck as he is referred to in the book,shares with us his extraordinary journey into some advanced spiritual realms and the answers that he got. Obviously his spiritual encounters have affected his career and personal life very extensively, so that his prsent life is in better tune with the original purpose.

To many westerners, the ideas presented in the book may be new and may thus challenge their beliefs. To eastern believers, much of what Chuck describes is already known. The Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita and of course Buddhist teachings (which Chuck is aware of slightly), present similar teachings. However, his attempt at explaining esoteric concepts is laudable and will appeal better to he 'rational' minds. Chauck comes through as an extraordinary man. In fact, since each individual is unique, no one is really ordinary.

There is an interesting perceptional block in Chuck's understanding. While agreeing that the life on earth plane is similar to a dream and thus all events that take place here, good or bad have no real significance in the higher planes, except for their value as educational lessons, Chuck is still distressed about the negative atmosphere prevailing on earth in his life time. Chuck seems to have missed one important spiritual lesson that life has several cycles and the world too goes through several cycles of war and peace. A great war always cleans up the atmosphere and love, peace etc. start
growing. But again as the decay keeps piling up, as the negativity keeps building, another war or earthquake, a flood or some other natural disaster comes up. In Hindu philosophy the Trinity of Creator, Preserver and Destroyer are three different aspects of the same Source. Much before the Crusades and the World Wars, two major wars were described in detail in Ramayana and Mahabharatha. But since Chuck's lessons to be learnt include compassion, empathy etc., his feelings are as per the programmed script.

The book has a fair number of editorial glitches, but thankfully the message comes through quite well. The book is strongly recommended to all spiritual seekers.

http://blether.com/blether.php?id=8543




Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: Graybar has challenged me to wonder even more why we are here, and where are we going. This book goes into amazing details on how one should live their life. I agree with some of the others reviewers when they say this book is really a life changing experience. Some may consider to read this book as fiction, however, even in that case lessons can still be learned. After attending one of his lectures I know he speaks from the heart.

Rating:
Summary: An unexpected gift.
Review: I bought this book on a whim because it was suggested along with another book I was looking at. I thought "what the heck" and bought it. Well, I was amazingly surprised and uplifted by this book and couldn't put it down. I find Graybar's writing to be easy to read, yet intelligent and inspiring. Everyone would benefit from this book.

Quite honestly, I keep thoughts of what I read in the uppermost corner of my daily life. I was amazingly relaxed, confident and peaceful after I read it. I felt like I never had to worry about anything, ever again! It all made perfect sense to me. I did share it with a friend who found it to be "way out". For me, it became one of those books where you need to ponder what is said and say to yourself "what if..." It was a reminder and a remembrance that we are all connected. Love, compassion and tolerance is something that is innate.

Rating:
Summary: An unexpected gift.
Review: I bought this book on a whim because it was suggested along with another book I was looking at. I thought "what the heck" and bought it. Well, I was amazingly surprised and uplifted by this book and couldn't put it down. I find Graybar's writing to be easy to read, yet intelligent and inspiring. Everyone would benefit from this book.

Rating:
Summary: 5... Maybe 6 Stars
Review: I for one loved this book. I would consider it to be in my top 10 list any day. As I read the book, I felt as if I was on the journey with the author. I couldn't put this book down. I considered calling in sick to work, just to finish it. I can't wait for his next book.

Rating:
Summary: 9 Stars!!!
Review: I have read many spiritual books over the years, this one affected me very deeply. I loved this book. I goes on my top 3 list. As I read along, I journeyed to the familiar astral planes with the author. If you want to have many questions answered and be motivated to change for the better, read this book!!

Rating:
Summary: Beyond The Broken Gate
Review: I just recently purchased this book from Amazon. I have just finished chapter two. It reminds me of the Conversation With God books by Neale Donald Walsch. The reason I'm writing this
before I finish reading it is because of the few bad reviews that I read on Amazon. I believe that anyone who would write a bad review (like the one that says if you believe this, they want to sell you a bridge)is afraid to open their mind to the possibility that it just might be true. I can't say this is true nor can I say that what Neale Donald Walsch writes is true. However, I love to read them and I open my mind to the possibility that they just might be the way it really is.
I have never believed in a physical burning hell or a personified devil. I believe that there is good and bad and we have a choice. I believe that love is the most powerful energy in the whole universe and that it can overpower even the worst
evil. I believe that there is a strong possiblity that this book is pretty close to how it really is.
Read it with an open mind. Open your mind to the possibility.