The Dice Game of Shiva: How Consciousness Creates the Universe Paperback – November 3, 2009

Face it. Everything that Smoley writes is good. He is an experienced author and his writing style is above average. I didn't understand every point he made in the book, but he handled the subject very well.The basis of the book, at least as I understood it, was that the backstory of the dice game between Shiva and his consort Parvati provides insights into how the noumenal world affects our daily lives. In the game, no matter what his strategy Shiva (who represents consciousness) always loses to Parvati (who represents experience) and yet in losing he still wins by keeping his own integrity. This leads into an examination of the mystery of consciousness and how it can be understood on a human level even though we can never really understand the "thing in itself" described by Kant.One aspect that I really liked is that the author looks at a lot of different religious perspectives on the subject of consciousness and only very slightly favors christianity, but not in an intrusive way. He doesn't quite stray into actually discussing the idea that consciousness has actually created the universe, but I think that anyone who reads the book who has also done extensive reading in the area of metaphysics could easily allow their mind to drift in that direction - if only because the idea of the akashic records would allow for that notion.If this is the first Smoley book that anyone has read, I'd recommend any of his other books. He is a gifted author and never strays into fanaticism the way other authors sometimes do.

It's about time!! Finally, someone, i.e., Richard Smoley, has done an excellent job putting together a book about the very heady topic of consciousness, made accessible for everyone (yet not simplistic), regardless whether one is a novice or journeyman. From start to finish, Smoley uses easily understandable language to explain various theories of consciousness down through the ages, including questions of how and why, and sums up the essence and what it means to modern man and his world.Throughout the book, there are two intertwined threads, that of discussions from: 1)the world of philosophy (including references to Plato, Kant, and Schopenhauer), and, 2)the world of spirituality -- with detailed explanations from the Samkhya (dualism) and Advaita Vedanta (nondualism) schools of thought, and references to Esoteric Christianity and Buddhism. Additionally, there are references to science and its stand on issues. I particularly liked the explanation of the myth of the Dice Game of Shiva and Parvati as an explanation of consciousness, nature, and realization.Smoley's presentation is a breath of fresh air -- I have spent years reading books about the details of various topics he brings up and have not come across as clear a presentation as his.

I like that this book kept weaving back to the title. At times some sections seemed to throw in too many references to digest, but overall the point was made. I found stopping to underline key ideas made it easier to digest than reading like a novel.

COMING SOON.OVERALL DIDN'T SAY MUCH OF ANYTHING AND HAD MORE TO SAY ABOUT CHRISTIANITY THAN ITS OSTENSIBLE TITLE WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE.

Excellent book for the seekers as Dice Game of Shiva clears many doubts of the seekers. This book not only helps us to realize how ignorance shields us from seeking but also exposes dogmas and conditions (stumbling blocks) created by the religions. I got this book yesterday, Opened the envelop and started reading till it was completed this afternoon. Very interesting and very light to read. I would read this book few more times as I practice Vipasna Meditation regularly one hour morning and evening every day. I practically experience during my meditation many of the things narrated in this book. Richard is very knowledgeable and he knows what the world needs.Capt.

I purchased this book for members of my Sunday class. It has stimulated very interesting and thought provoking discussions. It not an easy read and I sometimes have trouble keeping up with Smoley's train of thought. However, I would recommend it to anyone seriously seeking a better understanding of consciousness and spirituality.

Prompt delivery, nice goods. Thanks.

This book is an attempt to explain the importance of consciousness for the future of mankind by using a Hindu myth as the basis of his argument. Smoley ultimately paints a negative picture for the future of humanity and manages to alienate all the disciplines and faiths that might champion his cause. For example, his opinion on justification for faith is that religion is "the stupendous human capacity for self deceit" (143). Karma is a "shadowy entity" that sometimes works and sometimes not with punishments and checks and balances that are beyond his understanding(132). His view of comtemporary psychotherapy is "prone to fads and absurdities" (168). Astrology, reincarnation and past life regression are held in contempt by quantitative analysts according to Smoley (124). This may be true but they ad to the search for human consciousness and should not be discounted as invaluable in the search for spirituality.I was terribly disappointed as I had hoped the book would be a valuable addition to my research on consciousness. Smoley states that "the world civilization is moving toward the aim of exploring consciousness, whether this manifests through psychological introspection, neurological research, or work with artificial intelligence." Then he tells us that it may never happen because we "are only creatures who seek knowledge for it own sake," not because it might improve the human condition (175). Bummer.

Somewhat short of its grand title, this book nevertheless speaks with elegant precision about the relationship between "I" and the world, avoiding, however, a deeper investigation into the meaning of either (the terms "the world" and "the other", for example, appear to be interchangeable, with little attempt to establish if that is indeed so). Written from the syncretic position of mystical Christianity-cum-Theosophy, it presents proposals such as intelligence of all matter (at sub-atomic level) axiomatically, as self-evident. Having said that, one also must point out that the book is a treasure-chest of keen observations ("real" and "reality" in English are close to thingness is one of them) each of which could lead far, far into the unknown. The author, however, prefers to stay on safe ground throughout, and that is not necessarily a bad thing in a book as informative and as beautifully written as this one.

Libro di grande interesse, anche per chi giá conosce altri libri di Smoley.

An interesting weave that presents new insights.