Rating: 
Summary: One (Snow) Flake's Journey
Review: The story revolves around this L.A. surfer-type who goes off to the Himalayas to achieve the ultimate snowboarding high. One day he snowsurfs right into this monk, Master Fwap Sam-Dup, the last Master of the Rae Chorze-Fwaz School of Tantric Mysticism and Buddhist Enlightenment. So he apologizes most profusely, and the monk assures him that it's perfectly alright since it's their karmic destiny to meet. "You can call me Master Fwap if you like." The rest of the book is basically the long and unlikely conversation that ensues. Not to downgrade the profound effect this book had on me, but one must ignore the quotable quotes on its covers. It is not "a magnificent journey to the mountain within," and much less a collection of "wise approaches to living a much happier life." It's closer to (but not exactly) Bill and Ted on a hilarious marathon trip to nirvana. The snowboarding guy is a confused (non-too bright) American politely asking lots of unenlightened questions about astral travel, auric repatterning, and the second attention. If you don't know too much about Buddhism, this is a pretty good introduction to the basics. For true believers, a fair and entertaining summary. A number of people have complained that this book subscribes to "the usual California school of new-age philosophy" and runs like "an interview with a 12-year old," but they obviously failed to see it in its original context. After all, Master Fwap does say that an outrageous sense of humor is the second sign of an enlightened Master and this, after all, is a very funny book. The absolute pure simplicity of it just knocks me out. Like The Tao of Pooh, it's a western text that casually demystifies eastern philosophy. But like a good koan, it whacks you on the head harder. The snowboarding-Buddhism analogy is cute but a bit of a stretch, and the first few pages get off on a slow start; nevertheless, all in all I highly recommend this book to all true seekers of meaning beyond the confines of this reality (i.e., escape). Either way, it has got to be the supreme spiritual fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful 'coming of age' story for spiritual seekers
Review: This is a phenomenal and funny story of a journey of self-discovery, with information in it that you will not find anywhere else. It's really engaging too! I've learned so much about life and the way things work from this book. I am now buying it to give it to my meditation students, because I can't say it any better. This book consistently enlightens, never losing its charm. I've gone to it again and again, having reread it half a dozen times or more over the past 5 years. Each time I've reread it, I've found a new topic, something that was too subtle for me on the last read or which I can now better understand because my meditation practice and understanding of life have deepened. Gratitude to the author for this gift. Top recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Great book fun for kids
Review: The main character surfs (snowboards) through different countries and learns things along the way. He is confronted by a Buddhists monk who teaches him the ways of enlightenment. A man who has been taught the ways of western culture is thrown into a world completely new and finds the good and the bad of both lifestyles. Throughout the book the main character learns the value of life and becomes an expert in the ways on Buddhism. This book gives you a glimpse into the belief of Buddhism. Using a unique edge the book is able to attract the younger readers. Using the sport of snowboarding people find the book interesting and learn a lot about the usually mundane ways of Buddhism. The book is insightful with lots of values. The book combines the culture of the snowboarding world and that of the surrounding Himalayan countries.
Rating:
Summary: This book is awesome!!!
Review: "Charged with energy, humor, and insight, this is the engaging story of a young American snowboarder who travels to the Himalayas seeking the ultimate high - but surfs into an experience more transcendent than he could ever imaged. In an accident of karmic destiny, the young man plows into a Tantric Buddhist monk named Master Fwap who takes him on as a spiritual apprentice. Using snowboarding as a path to enlightenment, the charming and learned Master Fwap shows how, by freeing the mind and challenging the soul, one can master any mountain - and master himself." Surfing the Himalayas is one of the greatest spiritual adventures ever written. It can be easy compared to The Celestine Prophesy, or any book by Carlos Castaneda. Master Fwap's enlightening humor takes your mind into a higher level of awareness at the turn of each page. This is an adventure that should be enjoyed by all.
Rating: 
Summary: Simplistic at best
Review: Lenz's book tries to outline Buddhism for a weekend reader. It's easy to read and quick too but, at times, it becomes so overly self-promoting and indulgent that it's hard to keep flipping the pages. Has a tendency to repeat himself - a lot. There are a lot better books for beginning Buddhism than this. It's mildly entertaining however.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent book
Review: This book is for people who believes that there is such thing as reincarnation, meditation, and finally enlightenment. It is not easy to understand what other dimensions(worlds) are or why there are other dimensions as mentioned in the book. If you don't understand something, it doesn't mean that they don't exist and that is false. It just mean that we are not as knowledgeable in all areas of life as we like to think that we are. People tend to think that they are the smartest being alive on earth. Viewers who thinks this book is a piece of junk is because to them if you can't understand or see or touch something, it means it doesn't exist. This book is absolutely not for people who only cares about the materialistic things in life and who only believes that the meaning of life is just enjoying and playing.
Rating: 
Summary: Surfing the Himalayas of Rama's Ego
Review: I've just finished reading Lenz's "Surfing the Himalayas of My Ego" book. The first part of the book read like a high school girl's diary, then the writing style tightened up and actually wasn't bad. So too, a bit of content was interjected that was reasonably decent. Then the sh** storm started, a storm that was so incredibly logically inconsistent that it was offensive. But still fascinating. And we're not talking about inconsistent with respect to external frameworks, we're talking inconsistent within the framework in which the tale is set. Buying into that load would require extreme gullibility and the complete suspension of all of one's critical facilities. One begins to see where mind-altering drugs were a necessary part of the Lenzian "gatherings in the desert". Seriously, the book has no depth and it not only ignores standard tenets of Buddhism, it occassionally contravenes them as well.
Rating:
Summary: This book was a hoot...
Review: I know the title is all wrong, it should read "How to Increase Marketshare in the New Age Community With A Fictional Account of an Ill-Flavored American Budhism that Will Make Me Lots of Money", but it was a hoot anyway. Its always good to check on the author's background ... but here's to Capitalism and loney Paranoia!!! I just wish he included a section on how to swim!!
Rating:
Summary: Spiritual materialism hits a new low
Review: For Lenz and the publisher to present this book as nonfiction is a crime. The so-called thread of truth running through this book is supposed to be Tibetan Buddhism, but not even the most basic Buddhist teaching is included. Instead, hype, fantasy, titillation, and distortion slide down the reader's throat in the guise of friendly spiritual insight and guidance. BEWARE! The naive reader is fed the poison of spiritual materialism by a glutton disguised as a cook.
Rating: 
Summary: Recommended with caution
Review: If you are looking for an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, or any real form of Buddhism, this is not a book for you. Expose yourself to the Buddhist system of thought somewhere else. If you are expecting some insight into snowboarding and care whether Lenz is a "world-class" snowboarder, stay even farther away. While I enjoyed the book, I was somewhat disturbed by the inclusion of some mystical allegory (or whatever) being thrown in and made to appear to be integral to Tibetan Buddhism. Like so many things... read the book and take with you what makes sense for you. There are a LOT of really good concepts laid out in understandable terms for the Western mind. This always carries the problem of losing something in the translation. Read it and don't worry that it ALL does not make sense... or even remain logically consistent.
|
