The Last Barrier: A Universal Search for Self Discovery

by Reshad Feild

Here is a rare journal of one man's struggle towards true freedom. An exciting story, it carries the stamp of undeniable authenticity.

Genres: Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy, Nonfiction

181 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1993

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading over and over again. Changed my life.

[FiveBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writer Alon Hilu has chosen to discuss Reshad Feild’s The Last Barrier: A Journey into the Essence of Sufi Teachings , on FiveBooks  as one of the top five on his subject - Israel and Palestine in Art, saying that:

"I read many books about Sufism and this one is a personal journey of a student with his mentor who guides him into the world of Sufism. The main insight is that to live you have to die, and by dying they mean that you should abandon your ambitions and everything that you want to achieve."

The full interview is available here: http://www.five-books.com/books/interviews/alon-hilu

[Art Fazil · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first few books on self discovery via Sufism that I've read in the mid 90s.

[Mandeep Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book is written in awestruck manner, I couldn't control myself from projection my emotions to what was being narrated in story. I felt sorry for the Protagonist whenever he thought and did things which he felt were good and how his teachers reactions were.
Book is beautiful introduction to Sufism, its essence and centring thoughts of it. This book created curiosity inside me to visit all those places in turkey. Being a North Indian, I know the name "Rumi", but didn't know what he basically was. I think I will be reading more about this and like to include this serenity in my life too.
Totally recommendable if you can allow your perspective to be kept aside, and listen to Sound of universe and its ways.

[Noah Enelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is best described by the subtitle: a journey into the essence of Sufi teachings. It is a well-told and sometimes gripping travel story, an example of a seeker's first baby steps down a long and difficult spiritual path. These steps are intentionally depicted as unique to Feild's experience and in no way typical of a spiritual seeker in the Sufi tradition, since the notion of a "typical" path towards mastery is roundly dismissed via the author's teacher, Hamid. The book will not teach you "how to" become a Sufi, thankfully; in fact, it shows that the Way of Sufism cannot be reduced to a formula. I read this book while I was (and still am) reading Ouspensky's In Search of the Miraculous. The relevant quote from Gurdjieff here is "One must learn from one who knows." In other words, the Sufi tradition is passed down from master to apprentice, not learned via books or academic study. An armchair Sufi is essentially an oxymoron. One must live the path in order to attain the state of self-annihilation / ego-dissolution that is the mark of the true Sufi master. Feild gives some quite vivid descriptions of what being on the path might be like. It is nonlinear, non-logical, and sometimes appears non-sensical. The author passes through tests in which he often does not know he is being tested, and in those instances when he knows, he has no idea of the criteria for passing the tests. He spends most of the book in a state of bewilderment bordering on despair, until the end of the book, when the path opens up rapidly in front of him and becomes full of joy and devotion. I would recommend this book for anyone with an interest in spirituality.

[Nas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The complete recount of the true story a man went through in the journey of self-discovery. It;s simply amazing due to the fact that he starts out as a simple man like you or me and the change is so apparent towards the end. There are also certain concepts and experiences described in this book, that I, personally haven't forgotten for years - they keep me intrigued and coming back to re-read a passage or so forth. Great read.

[Seth Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had a couple months to reflect on this book and - not to be a hater or anything - but my lasting impression is, "Man, that alleged guru guy was a total dick!" If being made to feel bewildered, belittled, and abandoned is the true path to 'enlightenment', count me out.

[Titik Musyarofah]

full spiritual.... tapi susah cari bukunya

[Romolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult one. I understood that this novel is about Sufism only at the surface; on a deeper level it is about Allah, about letting go of Reason and opening yourself up for the great mystery that lies beyond - a secret place so hardly accessible for the Western mind. Interestingly, Reshad Feild (or the protagonist he recreates) fails miserably in letting go of his preconceptions and he maintains a fetishistic attraction for "the mysterious" world of the dervishes. When Dede teaches him the "turn" (page 149), it hardly feels more than a simulacrum. Only at the very end, there is a moment of enlightenment, but it doesn't convice.

I felt like there's something interesting going on "in between" the lines, namely that Feild remains very (!) British in his thoughts and actions. Turkey never really ceases to be a set design for his exotism and mystical fetish. He never really lets go of his Western superiority. It is a paradox to see an adult man on his path to self-discovery displaying such a colonial attitude! Even at 100 pages and several months into his journey, he is surprised to find a 'modern' bus station in what he had imagined to be the 'very primitive' town of Konya. The buses and roads are 'uncomfortable', the meals are 'simple'. Not once did it cross his mind to maybe study some Turkish (at least soms basics, so that he could haggle with taxi drivers): "yok", he knows, means no, so when the guard of the (closed) holy tomb tells him "yok", he replies bluntly: "yok what"?

His mentor Hamid on the other hand, plays with him like a cat with a blind mouse. He sends his pupil on improbable tasks and missions and his impredictable reactions are borderline neurotic. You can never know whether he will laugh, cry, yell, slam a door, or just give a silent nod. The plans always change last minute and the pupil just has to adapt. His role made me slightly uncomfortable. Yes, the student should trust the process and "let go", but that doesn't give the teacher the privilege to behave as they please. A fair example is the car drive over the mountain to reach the temple of Apollo (a place, as so many, that they will eventually never reach). Following the advice of a local, they take a shortcut, but of course the promised road ends up being nothing more than a cart track. When they miraculously make it down the other side, the Englishman shouts "we've made it!" and in that moment they hear a tremendous crunch beneath the car. Hamid is furious and blames him that this is his fault, that he didn't trust God. "You are nothing," the teacher fulminates. "You are going to have to learn humility." I understand the logic behind this outburst, but hadn't it been nicer of Hamid to just laugh at this cosmic irony?

[Omar Misdaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unforgettable journey. This account of Feild's spiritual unfolding at the hands of a Sufi master touched something deep within in an uncannily familiar, intimate way. It's awakened something, too. A very important book on my own spiritual journey. I'm definitely looking forward to learning more from Feild, or should I say, from the same place where all his learning comes from.

[Allison Bodin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this book in my twenties and finally finished it 20 years and 2 months later haha! It was slow and a little boring. Had a few pieces of wisdom and insight into the Sufi religion, but overall, meh.

[Sara Dalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that changed my life. Highly recommended for those who are searching

[Tom Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is actually the fourth or fifth time I've read this. Every few years, it pops into my mind; I track down a copy & read it again.
The first time I read it, I was totally taken by it. I wanted to reproduce Feild's path in my own life, which is of course not at all what it is about. Since then, I've learned that I can apply some of Feild's experiences & insights, but on my own path. Still, even after so many years & so many readings, this book is always a source of inspiration & energy to me, to help me as I continue onward on my own quest.

[Gita Madhu]

Read it long ago...

[Aswil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helped to open my mind of various things which initially I perceived as a mystic. An interesting story about a journey to understand yourself.

[Netanel Miles-Yepez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent modern memoir of an Englishman's introduction to the Mevlevi Order of Sufism in Turkey.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. read in one sitting. powerful reminders.

[Fatih Gökmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read!

[Keleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth and brilliance.