"Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East" (Buddha, Christians)

[Terryj]

This series of books were written by Baird T Spalding in the first half of the 1900s.
If you have read these I would be interested in your opinion about them. If you haven't read them, and desire to do so, then be ready to have your reality shattered.

A friend of mine gave me the series to read, his only advice to me, before you start reading these get rid of any preconceived ideas of Western religion and just read the book open minded.

These completely blew away my old ideas.

[joleenamoon]

I am currantly reading them and on the third volume. I am really enjoying them. They do put a whole new meaning on reality and I would love to hear from someone that actually experienced something that these books talk about.

[Wizard Bill]

I am very familiar with these books; my sister spent several years in the late seventies involved in a cult based in Denver Colorado centered on these books. They are, sadly, entirely imaginary and a hoax. Spalding first went to India in 1934, 11 years after publishing the first volume. Tibet was closed to outsiders for the entire 19th century and all attempts to penetrate by westerners are well recorded. Please do not fall for this.

[Saysef]

I have read these several times and am going through again after having been a student of the Course in Miracles for awhile. It is very interesting to now see how the similarities in Truths set down by Jesus and Buddha are expressed. As for the possibility that this was a hoax, there was no money in it in those days, but a lot of people since the 50's, nice Christians I'm sure, have wanted to discredit these books. Don't be misled by naysayers...just read.
I had a curious experience with these books in 1979. A doctor friend of mine had given me a set without Book 1. I put them on the shelf and they sat until I moved to Chicago. Packing my books I took down from the top shelf these then four volumes and cleaned an inch of dust off them. After pulling down the four familiar little books I noticed a fifth. I grabbed it, it was book 1...and it didn't have a lick of dust on it. I was flabberghasted. No one lived with me. Leonard was long gone from town. Yup, it manifested itself. And of course, I sat down and started the book right then and there. Once one starts it, the tale of wonder and spiritual ideas takes over.

[Terryj]

I think that it isn't so much about who wrote these books or when they were written, it's the content of the books and what you take away from them. I will agree that some of the things written in these books are hard to wrap your mind around, but that shouldn't detour you from reading them. I can think of other well know books that offer the same mystic.