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Title: Thinkers of the East

Author: Idries Shah

Narrator: David Ault

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-24-17

Publisher: The Idries Shah Foundation

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Religion & Spirituality, Buddhism & Eastern Religions

Publisher's Summary:

Thinkers of the East is a collection of anecdotes and "parables in action" illustrating the eminently practical and lucid approach of Eastern Dervish teachers. Distilled from the teachings of more than 100 sages in three continents, this material stresses the experimental rather than the theoretical - and it is that characteristic of Sufi study which provides its impact and vitality. The emphasis of Thinkers of the East contrasts sharply with the Western concept of the East as a place of theory without practice, or thought without action. The book's author, Idries Shah, says, "Without direct experience of such teaching, or at least a direct recording of it, I cannot see how Eastern thought can ever be understood."

Members Reviews:

Devisers of Substance, Exploits & Success

Great to see the reissue of Thinkers of the East magically appear on my mobile on 1 June 2016. The book itself is both as direct and elusive as the electronic delivery and it is, perhaps, typical of Shahâs work that the Preface, a piece that outlines the limitations of âsystemâ and âorganised thoughtâ, is followed by a type of index, headed âSubjects dealt withââ, which defies the logical organization of indexes and, in this way perhaps, betrays and displays the shallow, unconscious reactions, delusions, fixations of certain readers.

The book then proceeds with a number of stories and statements culminating in a tale in which a tinsmith, by recognizing a design, escapes from âthe tyranny of his captivityâ. This leads to a group of interesting essay-type pieces; Ghazali on knowledge and study, Zulfikar on âThe Rules of The Schoolsâ, extracts from the Testimony of Bahauddin the Designer, plus his 20 Counsels, âThe Legend of Nasrudinâ and how Nasrudin âbroke out of the netâ, and, finally âThe Sufi Questâ by Ustad Hilmi. In this last piece it is asserted that âManâ.. originates from far awayâ- [and] -âhas the opportunity of returning to his originââ; that the Sufis use language in a special sense; that ââSufism has two main technical objectives: (1) to show the man himself as he really is; and (2) to help him develop his real, inner self, his permanent partââ.

Thereâs a great deal more to be found both in that last piece and in this relatively short publication itself. While itâs always difficult to justify one book or author as being superior to another, taste being subjective, Doris Lessing refers to the many-sidedness, the depth, variety, the clarity of Shah compared with his imitators. And that, I think, is the case for Thinkers of the East. This book is an excellent example of why Shahâs work has lasted and why it is always more interesting than others in that unlikely, long-winded, often unhinged and pretentious world of so-called âSufismâ and mystical experience.

Practical spiritual advice based on Sufi self advancement wisdom

I think Idries Shah has many practical things to say about spiritual advancement. It's rare to hear someone say practical things

about the actual process of spiritual enlightenment. This process is first of all focused on man's ignorance, and Idries Shah is aware

of that deficit. Removing ignorance comes first, then advancement to the life of spirit can occur.

The Book. The Treasure.