CENTRE  THE TRUTH ABOUT EVERYTHING 
by Brian Taylor       

The Buddha’s intention was never academic but purely practical, in the sense of understanding quite basic ideas (dhammas) and putting them into practice in order to gain specific results in this lifetime. That still ought to be so today. But, over the centuries, this hasn’t always been the case, particularly today. So it is that ‘CENTRE’ acts as a revelation and practical guide book, fulfils the Buddha’s teaching, yet offers a new key to unlock the conceptual doors that bar us from direct experience of reality − essential for liberating the mind from suffering.

Brian Taylor is a former Open Scholar of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford.  As a result of his Zen-like experience (described in the Prologue) something bright arose in the centre of his body along with a sense of boundless integration. He saw that the whole world, together with the senses that contacted the world, were, and always had been, outside and were and always had been the source of every conceivable form of suffering and inconvenience.

Later he came to see that all beings had this luminous Centre at the centre of their being and were, for the most part, unaware of its significance or even its existence.

This original and scholarly book contains the results of some of his researches into the Centre, illuminated from a firm foundation in Basic Buddhism. One cannot but marvel at the author’s skilful, matter-of-fact sharing of discoveries and the method that opens up the way for anyone who follows the instructions to experience something true and remarkable.

The Centre has a physical location in the body, where the breath ends and begins. As a meditation tool it can be used to investigate everything and give rise to Right Understanding. The Truth of the history of the Universe is discovered to be one of devolution from the Centre, masterfully illustrated by the Universal Octopus image of Oneness and a series of simple drawings in the first eight chapters.

The author encourages continued practice of Centering Meditation so that the Centre may be entered at will and used to explore different realms (including Nibbāna) as a ‘tourist’. This may seem incredible today as many don’t believe that heaven and hell worlds actually exist, yet in the Buddhist suttas it was a common occurrence for brahmas and devas to visit the Buddha to hear Dhamma talks and for monks to report on visits to other realms. The author describes this as a wonderful lesson in karma.  He describes a method which makes possible meetings and communication with beings who have reached the stage of Santi, including non-returners and arahats.

A summary cannot do justice to this far-reaching work of wisdom, which covers birth, death, rejuvenation, healing, chakras, astrals, remembering past lives, the time track, kundalini, ethics... revealing the truth about what we really are. Read it. Resolve to locate the Centre, understand it, use it and discover that anything is possible, for YOU. Above all, peace and happiness.

Reviewed by Linden Brough    

CENTRE  THE TRUTH ABOUT EVERYTHING 
by Brian Taylor    Published 2011  
Hardback £14.40   
Paperback £9.99  
Pocketbook £9.99    Amazon Kindle 

Available from   Watkins, London   The Inner Bookshop, Oxford 

www.ariya-books.co.uk     Universal Octopus