Paradise and Promises - Andrew Cohen

[marlowesand]

I would like to introduce my memoir, Paradise and Promises - chronicles of my life with a self-declared, modern-day Buddha. 
My understanding of that time, has evolved over the ten years that I have been working on the book. I am now ready to share this time of light and dark in my life. I am hoping that this story and my commentary on it will be useful others who are interested in evaluating the risks and benefits of association spiritual teachers. 

By Marlowe Sand

Riveting, eye-opening, deeply honest, and really showed the intricacies and complexities of the entire guru/cult phenomenon which are clearly never black and white, and only succeed BECAUSE there is often enough powerfully positive events to draw people in and keep people in to balance the negative. Eliezer Sobel, Author of The 99th Monkey

Sand draws you into her experience from the first page. She deftly relays her journey, from the initial seduction by Cohen. Her frank self-reflections reveal the ecstasy and joy, coupled with doubts and disillusionment. This is a book not to be missed. Janja Lalich, Ph.D., author of Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults

It is a beautiful book! You describe the evolution of your inner workings clearly, honestly, courageously. I am very touched by your book, reading your story, re-entering with you that arena of mad/impossible/so hard to figure out contradiction that we lived. Harry Dijkshoorn - a former student of Andrew Cohen

Sand 's writing is both brave and vulnerable and even for someone not thinking of pursuing such a life themselves, the questions she touches upon are very human and relevant. A former student of Andrew Cohen

Gripping reading! I am amazed at how impacted I was by your story, and it is written so well in my opinion, that it goes really deep. Gripping reading! A former student of Andrew Cohen.

Well-written, utterly heart-breaking. A remarkable testament to the unquenchable resilience of the human spirit. Larry Culliford, Author of ‘Love, Healing & Happiness’, ‘The Psychology of Spirituality’

Chilling, bracing, edifying, not for the faint of heart, it's a amazing book for anyone who is curious about what it might be like to belong to a cult that with the best of intentions produced the worst of results. Tim Ward, author of “What the Buddha never taught”

Available on Amazon

Visit the Facebook page: Paradise and Promises

Attachments:

press release jhp561f69718d8b31.docx (170.95 KB)

[bluey]

A former fifteen-year devotee of Andrew Cohen offers a well- written memoir! This is a well-written book, thoughtful and honest, about her experiences with the cult guru Andrew Cohen. It is remarkably insightful and shows she has done quite a lot of honest soul-searching and personal work. The book deserves a wide audience of not only former members but also anyone who is interested in embarking on their own spiritual journey which involves a teacher. ~ Steven Hassan, author of Combating Cult Mind Control and Freedom of Mind

[laughter]

Sounds like a really fascinating read, I'll definitely put it on my list.

[marlowesand]

Hi Laughter,
Great song!!!
I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Do let me know when you have read it.
www.facebook.com/Paradise-and-Promises-868700129865299/


Hi Bluey,
Thanks for adding that review. I was totally delighted to receive Steven's endorsement.

Marlowe

[bluey]

Your book and books like yours are important they definitely have a place especially around the trappings that teachings can create for seekers, they can present themselves in many forms and disguises for June Campbell author of travellers in space she highlights her experience in the Buddhist tradition and a request to become a sexual consort to a high ranking lama of the Kagyu lineage. You can see how these experience can be both negative and positive where it can hinder many but for some it can be real knowledge as a living experience. And if you can look at it with more heart and wisdom of knowing you will come to a right teacher if the search is still on. And he or she could just be unknown sitting at a table or on a bus. They may hold down a normal job but the meeting will take place.

One trapping of highlighting or punishing people who have wronged us is also knowing where the measure is met In order to create a space to free both us and them at the same time. Take the idea of punishing people in hell in some traditions for a sinners years of wrong doing to an eternal lifetime punishment. The sinner will end up being the victim of the punisher themselves if we take that as an ideal of reform. Like freedom fighters become dictators when they overthrow the last man. He ends up acting like or worse than the one he was held under.

Your inner light is surrounded by your many scripts you fall in to as we are many characters in the human form not just one person a father to a son, a boss to a worker, a truth seeker to a guru, a friend to a victim and the whole gang acts as a beacon within and without. Each script has trigger points both good and bad. Even for an awakened person those scripts have to be managed and seen through literally as they get up and interact with life. The June Campbell scenario may have been some script activated in the high ranking lama that needed to be understood. How he managed it may have been wrong he may have felt going to his celibate followers may come as a shock to them. Another script may have been triggered he may have felt my followers will go if I say I want to make love to this woman. It doesn't take away the state of the teacher on his realisation as it is making itself known but it takes away points that should be made to his students as a teacher of awakening, the process and it's inner movement. As they will come across these types of things as an experience when they awaken. And it's much easier to see through and be more of That if you just put over the truth of what's happening and what's being let go of seen through in that moment. You may not get the crowds as a teacher but you will get the better thirsty seekers who are just at the waters edge.

[laughter]

Feb 28, 2016 20:33:23 GMT -5 marlowesand said:

Hi Laughter,
Great song!!!
I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Do let me know when you have read it.
www.facebook.com/Paradise-and-Promises-868700129865299/


Hi Bluey,
Thanks for adding that review. I was totally delighted to receive Steven's endorsement.

Marlowe

Ordered it. While I'm not a fast reader, I hope you check back here.

[marlowesand]

Happy Reading, Laughter
I look forward to your comments,
[e-mail]

[marlowesand]

Happy Reading, Laughter
I look forward to your comments,
[e-mail]

[laughter]

Mar 24, 2016 9:12:55 GMT -5 marlowesand said:

Happy Reading, Laughter
I look forward to your comments,
[e-mail]

Got the book a few days ago -- I'm a slow reader but my wife is also really interested in the material as well. We're already joking with each other about which one between the two of us is the cult leader of the house. I promise both an Amazon review and a tome here on this thread within a month anyway.

[laughter]

Started a discussion thread on the book here.