Book review: The Illusion of “Truth”: The Real Jesus Behind the Grand Myth
by Thomas Daniel Nehrer
★★★★
Wanna meet the real Jesus? From page one, I was hooked by Nehrer’s jaded dismissal of believers and scholars alike, and his promise of delivering the real Jesus. Nehrer, the mystic, reveals Jesus, the visionary … and he does it entertainingly well.
Nehrer is not religious, and finds no value in the Bible (other than as a historical oddity) outside the parables of Jesus. No sugar-coating, here. But don’t let Nehrer’s self-aggrandizing style turn you off. He over-value...
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:) I didn't think so. Just figured you might want an answer from the horses's mouth.
Hi, John...One doesn't have to follow a particular pathway, eastern or otherwise, to see the inner-outer connection in life. My perspectives on eastern mystical movements -- as explored in my first book, The Essence of Reality -- were derived well after my own journey led me to perceive my personal, causal connection to real events and relationships I was experiencing.
Indeed, in my own way, I specify inner mechanisms that correspond to outer issues in life. By delving inward with various techniques (self-hypnosis, dream analysis, ideomotor responses, meditation) to find explicit inner roots to outer problems, one revises life patterns for the better -- and in the process becomes more aware of the connection.
The Advaita Vedanta school of Vedic philosophy, while seeking and promoting an awareness of life's Oneness doesn't get into the specificity of the Self-Reality connection innate to life. It has a considerable value to an adherent, but its ancient roots and limited scope also create restrictions to one's self-perception. It is inaccurate to think that any level of awareness must be derived by following ancient pathways...
My point is, no eastern practice, short of general meditation, formed a significant factor to my journey. Thus, while the non-duality movement, various offshoots of Gautama's teaching and many other movements and philosophies may recognize connectivity between Self and experienced Reality, I didn't use any of them as practices, nor were they significant elements of my own journey. So I could hardly list them as sources.
In fact my perspective is derived from life itself and my own inner journey, not from simply reading others' statements and blindly echoing them. I'm more likely to point out the shortcomings of Gautama's Four Noble Truths (e.g., suffering is not an inherent element of existence) and his Eightfold Path (which won't end suffering for specific reasons) than to quote blindly from them.
Hi Thomas,Yes, I agree that no particular path is needed. Paths promote identification with them, while loss of identity is what they are supposedly about. Like belief in paths, people identify with their own narratives but nobody is telling the story and therein liberation lies.
John
Hi Thomas,I neglected to add something. After reading your message, I didn't think you had any need to cite sources, as they would be academic, unlike your experience. Your inner journey, yes. Thank you for your earlier and interesting response. I appreciate it.
Sounds like he has been reading the literature of nonduality, aka advaita. I wonder if he gives credit to his sources.