Gateway to Eastern Philosophy and Religion

Reviewed by Ann Rutherford

Justin often says, “I tell everyone that they should practice T’ai Chi Chih, but I don’t recommend meditation for everyone.” Whereas everyone benefits from the circulation and balancing of the Life Force, not everyone came into this life seeking Truth.

When Justin prepared and delivered the Oriental Philosophy Lecture Series to his audience in Albuquerque in 1990, he knew the material would only appeal to serious seekers. Many people would consider his insights, such as, “The world of matter is only another form of consciousness,” as mere babble, or speculation on things that can never be proven. But for those who are discovering who and what they are through T’ai Chi Chih practice and/or meditation, his summary of Eastern Philosophy is a reflection of their own quest. When I rented the video lecture series from Good Karma Publishing many years ago, I immediately became overwhelmed by the depth of the knowledge densely compacted into the lectures. I knew I could not possibly aurally digest the thousands of years of Eastern Philosophy which Justin had so painstakingly interpreted and summarized. He seemed to predict this difficulty at the time when he told his audience, “I hope some day someone transcribes this material.” We are delighted to announce that finally the lectures have been transcribed. They retain the original flavor of Justin’s informal talks, while providing the reader with the advantages of a text. Not only can the reader digest the material at her or his own pace, but s/he can also use it as a framework for deeper study into any of the particular subjects introduced: Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, and Japanese Buddhism; The Six Darshanas of India; Yogic Teachings; Shinto; New Japanese Religions; Poet Monks; and Kashmir Shaivism. Furthermore, the book contains an extensive bibliography, brought from Justin’s own library.

Part of Justin’s hesitancy in having his lecture series transcribed is his wish not to be remembered as a scholar. Whereas his other books are almost all experiential in nature, this book is an academic endeavor pulling together what he’d mostly studied in books and matching the material with his own experience. But his sharing of his personal experiences and insights on Eastern philosophy and religion is exactly why this book is so fascinating. Taking us on a whirlwind tour through Japan and India, we get a deeper sense of his life’s passion: the quest for Truth. Since many of the words he uses are Sanskrit, the classical language of India, the book also includes a substantial glossary.

Justin acknowledges the time and effort it took to create his lecture series when he told his audience, “If someone steals my car or clothes, they can be replaced. If someone took these lecture papers, and the papers from which the came, there’d be no way for me to replace them.” The book will be available for sale at the 2006 T’ai Chi Chih Teachers Conference in Minnesota.