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schinko94's reviews
106 reviews
Handbooks for Daoist Practice by Louis Komjathy
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
This is a VERY in-depth scholarly overview of some selected Daoist texts including the Daode Jing. I certainly appreciate Komjathy's thoroughness and I think his translations are excellent, but it's definitely not light reading. Additionally, some of the introductory sections to the individual texts repeated the initial introduction to the entire book--I see why he did this, but for this reason, I would not recommend reading this book cover-to-cover. Read the texts first and then read the introductions to the texts so that they make more sense afterwards. I found myself itching to read the actual text while wading through 20-30 pages of introductions and notes, so reading the texts first might alleviate that feeling a bit.
Mo: The Tibetan Divination System by Jamgon Mipham
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Another invaluable divination resource. I just ordered a beautiful set of obsidian mo dice, and I can't wait to use them. I will certainly be using them alongside all my tarot readings from now on, and also for divination about personal matters. The guide is very thorough and the translation seems very accurate--Jamgon Mipham was a famous polymath from Tibet, and was a student of Patrul Rinpoche. I have no doubt that his interpretation of the various dice combinations are reliable.
The Tao of Craft: Fu Talismans and Casting Sigils in the Eastern Esoteric Tradition by Benebell Wen
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
This book is absolutely invaluable. I'm a huge fan of Benebell's youtube channel and this book proves the profound extent of the knowledge that she has gained through her experience as an occult practitioner.
If you're a westerner and you're looking for a very effective way to execute spellwork, look no further than this book. It contains literally everything you need for starting a magickal practice. I myself am a Tibetan Buddhist, and Fu sigils are so compatible with Buddhist practice that I may have to give them a try myself. They seem like a very effective esoteric method for alleviating the various sufferings of samsara.
I haven't even looked through all of the appendices in detail yet, but they comprise the latter half of the (616 page!) book. So, if you're keeping count, that's around 300 pages of appendices, not including the rest of the footnotes. They are full of relevant information, explanations, and correspondence tables, and they will guide you through the nitty-gritty of Fu sigils with precision.
Again, I just cannot speak highly enough about this book. If you're engaged with esotericism in any form, this book stands to enhance your practice in a way that few other resources can. I'm also looking forward to reading Ms. Wen's translation of the I-Ching at some point in the near future, which I'm certain is just as informative as this manual was. Daoism has a vast scriptural corpus, and we in the west are very lucky that we have someone so knowledgeable about the tradition who shares her knowledge with an open hand.
If you're a westerner and you're looking for a very effective way to execute spellwork, look no further than this book. It contains literally everything you need for starting a magickal practice. I myself am a Tibetan Buddhist, and Fu sigils are so compatible with Buddhist practice that I may have to give them a try myself. They seem like a very effective esoteric method for alleviating the various sufferings of samsara.
I haven't even looked through all of the appendices in detail yet, but they comprise the latter half of the (616 page!) book. So, if you're keeping count, that's around 300 pages of appendices, not including the rest of the footnotes. They are full of relevant information, explanations, and correspondence tables, and they will guide you through the nitty-gritty of Fu sigils with precision.
Again, I just cannot speak highly enough about this book. If you're engaged with esotericism in any form, this book stands to enhance your practice in a way that few other resources can. I'm also looking forward to reading Ms. Wen's translation of the I-Ching at some point in the near future, which I'm certain is just as informative as this manual was. Daoism has a vast scriptural corpus, and we in the west are very lucky that we have someone so knowledgeable about the tradition who shares her knowledge with an open hand.
Delog: Journey to the Realms Beyond Death by Delog Dawa Drolma
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This is an interesting little read. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of Zangdok Palri and Yulokod.
I'm not sure how particularly believable I found the accounts of the hell realms to be, because some of them felt like morality tales. Which, fair enough, morality is a cornerstone of Buddhism, but would you really get sent to hell for flicking a flea into the snow? I don't know, that seems a bit extreme to me. Same thing with some of the lamas and monks residing in that realm--They were sent there for some relatively minor offenses, and they had an ostensible connection to a lama or other virtuous monastic, so why are they still there if it's a bodhisattva's mission to save those who have a connection to them from the hell realm?
Then again, people are also routinely saved from this realm by people in the pure lands, and this happens several times throughout the story. So maybe it isn't wildly unrealistic to be sent to hell for something small if you also have a good chance of being saved by a bodhisattva. In any case, I have no doubt that Dawa Drolma actually went through what she says she went through. Chagdud Tulku was a preeminent master of meditation and if he says it's true, then I believe him.
I'm not sure how particularly believable I found the accounts of the hell realms to be, because some of them felt like morality tales. Which, fair enough, morality is a cornerstone of Buddhism, but would you really get sent to hell for flicking a flea into the snow? I don't know, that seems a bit extreme to me. Same thing with some of the lamas and monks residing in that realm--They were sent there for some relatively minor offenses, and they had an ostensible connection to a lama or other virtuous monastic, so why are they still there if it's a bodhisattva's mission to save those who have a connection to them from the hell realm?
Then again, people are also routinely saved from this realm by people in the pure lands, and this happens several times throughout the story. So maybe it isn't wildly unrealistic to be sent to hell for something small if you also have a good chance of being saved by a bodhisattva. In any case, I have no doubt that Dawa Drolma actually went through what she says she went through. Chagdud Tulku was a preeminent master of meditation and if he says it's true, then I believe him.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
5.0
This is a book about everything in life, and it's absolutely no surprise that it won a Nobel Prize. Garcia Marquez was truly the greatest author of the magical realist movement.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
5.0
Isabelle Allende truly takes after Marquez, capturing the great style of Latin American magical realism. A must read, especially before travelling to South America or Chile.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
3.0
Really 2.5 stars, from me. I certainly see the appeal of this book-- It contains vivid scenes of Americana, and it gives readers fantasies of wild road trips. However, aside from the scenery, I hate everything else about this book. Dean Moriarty is probably one of the most annoying characters in literary history, aside from being completely psychotic. The book captures the vacuous and contemptuous feelings of the generation after WWII, but only because Sal Paradise is so easily emotionally manipulated and dependent on Dean. Apart from that, you can definitely tell that the book was written in one sitting, and subsequently heavily edited. Certainly not a book I would recommend if you want a good or cohesive story line.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
4.0
This book is such an interesting examination of ethics. In Russian, the verb "to commit a crime" literally translates into English as "to cross the line," and the entire book centers around the question of when it is okay to do just that. On top of that, Raskolnikov is a complete madman, and I LOVE it. Such an interesting character. The only reason I give it four stars is because literary analysis from a professor or teacher is helpful while reading this book (thus making it difficult to read on one's own).
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
3.0
Not a huge fan of stream of consciousness. In my opinion, Faulkner's prose is hard to understand, and therefore it was hard for me to read. Other people might like it though.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
4.0
A stunning portrayal of African American life in the South, and a fascinating exploration of themes like homosexuality, domestic abuse, and oppression. The themes may be heavy, but this is not an unhappy book. Would highly recommend.