The Magic of Awareness

This book is written in clear and idiomatic english by a teacher with what I would guess to be a profound degree of realization. And yet the teaching is elegeantly simple and to the point. The chapters flow very smoothly and contain lots of useful metaphors and hints as to the nature of awareness. This comes from the tradition of looking to see the mind beyond conceptual overlay and fabrication. I found it very helpful. It points out many of the games that the ego will play that can obscure awareness. I particularly like the way it deals straightforwardly with the pitfall of how religious practice can be used not for transcendance, but for the agenda of the ego (the so called spiritual materialism).The book offers a gentle invitation to explore awareness, rather than a dire warning of the downfalls of samsara. I like that.I gave 5 stars because it deals with the elusive subjest of pure awareness in a cohesive and understandable fashion. It does not attempt to be a book about all types of Buddhist paths.

I have read many books on meditation and enlightenment in the last few years. This one is the best. It is often explained that the all of the teachings are just "fingers pointing at the moon" because in the end enlightenment must be experienced for oneself. Before reading this book I was lost in a forest of pointing fingers, but now all the fingers have dropped away and I have reached a new level of understanding. Great spiritual teachers are able to help their students through the phenomenon of "entrainment." Entrainment can happen when reading written materials and or watching/listening to DVD's or CD's as well as in person. I have felt this phenomenon when reading/watching/listening to Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Pema Chodron, and Eckhart Tolle, and now feel it strongly when reading this book. Anum Thubten must have an amazing spiritual presence for it to come through so clearly on the printed page. His writing is simple, elegant, and clear. My life has been changed. I'm back on amazon to order his earlier book, and can't wait to receive it. I think any searcher on the path, whether beginner or adept, will like this book.

I consider Anam Thubten a radical when it comes to separating core beliefs of Buddhism required to achieve enlightenment, "The Awakened State," from cultural accouterments that come from many traditions and that often serve to confuse the Western initiate in Buddhism, distracting from the basic information required to start a practice. Although cultural features of Buddhism are fascinating, essential for historical awareness, and essential for some forms of practice, such as Tantric approaches, they may distract or overwhelm the beginning student. Anam is repetitive at times, but this quality is often necessary for the beginner who may be seeking Gods and magic. The book is also relevant as " core versus culture" which is a hot debate in this era in the West. The english is straightforward and easy to understand, best for beginners to intermediate students, but may also serve as a good reminder for the advanced student lost in rhetoric.

What beautiful writing and the invitation to pause and think for a moment is powerful. I found each page an invitation to be more aware, drop my own story, and live. Thank you!

Anam Thubten provides readers with a straightforward guide to maintaining awareness which is fundamental for skillful living and living a life of wisdom. Life for us consists most often of carefully constructed stories that we've assembled over time, and we take these stories as being real. We define ourselves by these stories, even those these are illusions and do not reflect who we really are. Anam Thubten carefully takes readers through all the considerations necessary for dismantling these illusions by questioning these stories and come to terms with our true selves. "The Magic of Awareness" is an excellent enlightening read for anyone on the Path.

Easy to read, no fancy things to do. Anam Thubten is an amazing person. He is inspirational. If you live in the Bay Area he teaches at the Dharmata Foundation in Point Richmond usually once a month or when he is staying in the East Bay. He has a very busy teaching schedule and flies all over the world. He is a gift. Anyone can go to the Point Richmond location to meditate and listen to his teachings.

There is no magic! Its not metaphorical. Its not about magic, but a wonderful little primer none-the-less.As Thubten says, " if you want to go beyond the world of limitations, you must remember,that world is not "out there". Thubten is clear! In a society such as ours, where economic and political turmoil is the norm, learning to live skillfully in the maelstrom can be discovered and this little book passes on a teaching that's thousands of years old. With the amount of narcissism and emotional immaturity we see in our daily life its reassuring, that options are available in THE MAGIC OF AWARENESS. But don't believe me, discover for yourself. Buy this book. dogen

It was okay, I enjoyed it and especially liked the whisper net to listen and read, however, many points did not resonate with me. I have been reading books on Consciousness so part of the message I liked .... some parts not so much. It does show that we are pure awareness but then talked about the necessity to meditate.

Mindfulness is a subject that everyone is talking about these days, yet this great orator and teacher helps to make sense of a simple yet complex issue, being aware in each and every moment. I cannot rate Anam Thubten highly enough, and have had the great good fortune to be on one of his retreats. His way of expressing these time honoured principles that show us a way to live life with joy and happiness is remarkable. This book is one of his great expressions on how to do this.

I liked 'No Self No Problem' and thought this would be a good read. It is slightly different in content and has Thubten's positive slant towards Buddhist meditation. It can seem repetitive yet the same principles always apply and as always with meditation we strive to always see and let go.

Stimulating, refreshing, informative, a new approach and deeply sincere, and it works !!Had not read any of Anam Thubten's books prior to seeing him on a dvd which was brilliant too - would highly recommend.

Very Good

A very accessible and concise guide to experiencing our true nature, written by a teacher in the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. I have recommended this book to people who are relatively new in their exploration of such matters, and most have found it very helpful. Thubten writes very clearly, with a minimum of Buddhist jargon, and none of the detailed technical descriptions that make a lot of Tibetan Buddhism difficult for many people. He also cuts straight to the main subject matter without first making the reader wade through several introductory chapters of basic Buddhist teachings (a pet peeve of mine when it comes to many books on Tibetan Buddhism - if you're a Buddhist you already know this stuff, and if not there are plenty of introductory books available, so it's annoying to have to buy the information over and over again). This straightforward, non-specialist approach makes the book suitable for anyone who wants to explore the nature of self, mind, and awareness. Experienced meditators who are well-grounded in the non-dual nature of self perhaps won't find too many surprises here, yet they might still find the book an interesting and enjoyable read.You may also wish to read the author's previous book, 'No Self, No Problem'. It too is very accessible, and is an exploration of the illusory image of a separate self that many people identify with. The two books complement each other very well, but each can be understood alone.