In True Location of Heaven, a Japanese monk who has returned to the secular world describes the spiritual and physical healing he has enjoyed through his study and practice of yoga.
The book opens with author Joseph Osirian’s visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston as a young adult when “a roar like an earthquake sounded out, and some kind of energy surged up inside my body with great force.” It ends with descriptions of “[seeing] heavens in fragments” in his dreams.
In between, Osirian relates more of his spiritual journey. He glimpses some of the lower Buddhist heavens; argues that modern science wrongly denies the existence of “a body made of prana or qi—an energy fluid that carries life force”; and includes some instructions for specific asanas (body postures) and pranayama (breathing practices). The author offers an explanation of the chakras and nadis (channels throughout the body), as well as his experience with meditation.
While well-intentioned, the book suffers from numerous flaws. In his Preface, Osirian writes, “The content is structured to enable readers to easily grasp the basic essence of yoga….” The book, however, is erratically structured and jumps around, from his own experience to René Descartes’ philosophy to his belief that former U.S. President “George W. Bush…was not an ‘ordinary king’ but a ‘great king.’”
Most of the writing is unclear: “I suppose that the accelerated improvement in activeness is accompanied by the embodiment of the deepened mind, in the sense that the position of the ego within the mind has deepened.”
Additionally, four-color reproductions of classic Eastern and Western art don’t correlate to the text (except for depictions of the chakras).
One chapter settles down to state clearly how yoga can improve physical and mental health. But one chapter out of 12 is a poor ratio for those seeking to understand yoga’s history or its benefits. Ultimately, readers hoping for the latter would do best to consult other titles.
— BlueInk Review
This book review was first published on the Blueink Review website.