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Rating: 
Summary: Whatever the message, it's lost in too many words
Review: "four book Diamond Heart series, and the three Diamond Mind series also by this obviously enlightened author".. Unfortunately, being enlightened doesn't insure that one is a good writer, nor that he is able to teach enlightenment. This writing is the most tedious, repetitious that I've read. It (7 books) could easily be condensed down to a single chapter or an article. Some good insights, but nothing worth plowing through all the words. At times it seems words are just flowing, just to fill pages and he ultimately forgets what his point was going to be and never arrives. The author should respect the reader's time a bit more, the point is not to fill enough pages to make a book. But ultimately I don't see what the other reviewers saw in these books, more worthwhile to read the clear and concise Huang-Po or Foyan or Krishnamurti or Nisargadatta etc. for more to the point direction.
"Almaas has answers unique".. for the mystic, there is only One answer, it's the method that a teacher must provide.
Rating: 
Summary: A psychological approach to "enlightenment"
Review: Almaas begins (in "The Elixir of Enlightenment") with the question: If so many people have been trying so hard for so many centuries to achieve "realization" (for lack of a better word), why do so few succeed? In this small work he outlines the problem and proposes an answer. Then, in "Essence: The Diamond Approach to Inner Realization," he outlines an approach to personal development that uses elements from the accumulated wisdom of older traditions as well as from the twentieth century's development of psychology as a Western science. This is one of the few books for the seeker that not only doesn't avoid the difficult questions but actually anticipates them, brings them squarely into the open and addresses them directly. This volume is excellent in itself and also as a springboard for further study. Almaas's thesis is that any teaching, no matter how valid it is in itself, will be ineffective unless it is relevant to the seeker's current situation. So Almaas outlines an approach whereby the seeker can work toward realization while dealing with the messy content of everyday life. One quibble: This reader found it more sensible to read "The Elixir of Enlightenment" before "Essence," though they are included in the opposite order in this combined edition.
Rating:
Summary: Essence is All There Really Is
Review: Almaas has provided us with some of the most sophisticated means of overcome egoic attachment in his most well known book, Essence. Using his knowledge of Sufism, Buddhism, psychology to describe the universality of essence and what we can do to reclaim it has earned him some well deserved recognition. Connecting with our essence,i.e. the core of ourselves that cannot be distorted, perverted, damaged, etc. is no easy task and really takes a lifetime (or lifetimes) of effort. Almaas describes the false shell of personality that we all have in various degrees and the importance of working through /dissolving this shell (which fuels narcissism, insecurity, defensiveness, the desire to control others, consumerism, etc.). Reading Essence will be a perfect introduction to this author's extensive body of work. Embarking on reclaiming your own essence should not be taken lightly at all-so please read this wonderful book before taking the first step towards genuine enlightenment.(...)
Rating:
Summary: Essence is All There Really Is
Review: Almaas has provided us with some of the most sophisticated means of overcome egoic attachment in his most well known book, Essence. Using his knowledge of Sufism, Buddhism, psychology to describe the universality of essence and what we can do to reclaim it has earned him some well deserved recognition. Connecting with our essence,i.e. the core of ourselves that cannot be distorted, perverted, damaged, etc. is no easy task and really takes a lifetime (or lifetimes) of effort. Almaas describes the false shell of personality that we all have in various degrees and the importance of working through /dissolving this shell (which fuels narcissism, insecurity, defensiveness, the desire to control others, consumerism, etc.). Reading Essence will be a perfect introduction to this author's extensive body of work. Embarking on reclaiming your own essence should not be taken lightly at all-so please read this wonderful book before taking the first step towards genuine enlightenment. (...)
Rating:
Summary: Remarkabe introduction!
Review: If you are seriously interested in a supremely structured avenue to realizing the truths to our existence, this is the place to start. I've read the four book Diamond Heart series, and the three Diamond Mind series also by this obviously enlightened author. Any doubts I had after reading the "Snorsville" review were squelched soon after understanding the experiencial and profound approach offered by this teaching method. Almaas is and should be revered by his spiritual peers as a true groundbreaker in this realm. There is no blind faith here. You only need to comprehend what's written so articulatly, and if you like myself are seeking truth about who and what we are, Almaas has answers I've seen no where else in my many years of seeking through books and teachings. If you make it through all of the "Mind" series you're understanding of the "work" will be profoundly enhanced to the point where you will be convinced that his approach is unmatched in it's teaching and truth. Update... Since I've written this review many months ago I have read all thirteen books on The Diamond Approach and my learned opinion still stands but ever stronger. I may not be a "former Monk", but through my sincere and intense study of this emense body of work over the past four years, and the integration of this profound teaching into my spiritual practice/life, what's been proven to me beyond any shadow of a doubt, along with countless other students of "The Diamond Approach", including Jack Kornfield, is that this should not be regarded as a waste of time. Although many themes are repeated throughout his teachings, I think we all need to be reminded over and over again of the deepest truths as we so often have the tendency to gravitate back to our condtioned patterns in our hectic lifestyles. Do not take my word for it, or anyone elses (with the exception of Almaas). Do your own homework and you will find the truth in these books and most importantly, within yourself as I have.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: In my opinion perhaps the most important book ever written about the most important of all subjects...the recovery and experiencing of the "essence." Brilliantly written, easy to follow. Wow!
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Summary: Personality must be embraced, not rejected
Review: The essence approach seems to be the same goal that many other spiritual paths strive for. The difference is the way to get there. The essence approach is to use the personality to understand itself, [how it was developed from the percieved abandonment in the first year of life]. If the personality is not respected, but seen as an enemy, as many spiritual traditions see it, then it will find ways to sabotage our spritual practice, or bend the practice to its own self important purposes. However, when the personality is shown, step by step, what it was created for, and how wonderful the change will be, it will gladly erase itself to allow essence to emerge.
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Summary: Essence - Snorsville
Review: This book rates at the top of the list...of the worlds most boring books. It belongs next to the bed, to be read on nights when you have trouble sleeping. You'll be off in ten minutes. Elixir of Enlightenment goes down a bit easier, but is very short, making me look for another book as heavy as this one, so I can have book ends.
Rating:
Summary: An "essential" read
Review: Truly fascinating book. Extremely useful and practical. This book had me repeatedly going "wow, wow, wow"!! due to the sheer intensity of the truths explained. A merging of many spiritual and mental traditions, in a culmination that explains how anybody can achieve enlightenment if they choose to. If you buy a book this year - buy this.
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