The Ten Thousand Things

by Robert Saltzman

When I imagine speaking to a person who for the first time opens the pages of this book, I think of telling that person something like “You are about to read an authentic and incredibly lucid account of what it is like to live in this world as an awakened being while simultaneously functioning as a personality with all of the usual habits and peculiarities of an individual self.” Robert’s way of describing his understanding of the human existence from the point of view of an awakened personality is a revelation. His book is a fresh look at the questions that occur to anyone who thinks deeply about these matters, questions about free will, self-determination, destiny, choice, and who are we anyway. I believe this is a “breakthrough book.” Robert’s style of writing about such ephemeral and difficult subjects as awareness and consciousness is honest, concise, and accurate. His ability to describe his experiences of living in a reality quite different from conventional ways of thinking is brilliantly unusual. On first encountering Robert Saltzman’s work, I am reminded of the same feelings of discovery, delight and excitement that I remember from meeting Alan Watts’ “The Wisdom of Insecurity”, Krishnamurti’s “Freedom from the Known,” and Chögyam Trungpa’s “Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism.” His clarity of mind shines brightly through every sentence in this book. His skill at making clear the most difficult ramifications and subtleties of awakened consciousness is so free of conventional cluttered thinking, so free of habitual phrases, so free of the taint of religious dogma and the conventional ways of speaking of such difficult matters, that this book stands out for me as an entirely fresh and illuminated exposition of awakened an awakened understanding of what it is to be human. —Dr. Robert K. Hall

Genres: Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Psychology

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 16, 2017

About the author

In the midst of his career as an artist and photographer, Robert Saltzman experienced a sudden and profound awakening—a deep vision into the actual nature of “myself.” That abrupt change in point of view, along with a subsequent long illness and slow recovery, changed the course of his life. He left the art world, obtained a doctorate in Depth Psychology, and began his practice of psychotherapy, a work he describes as "days in a small room, face to face with pain and suffering."

As an adjunct to his therapy practice, Robert established a website, www-dr-robert.com that featured his replies to questions about psychology, consciousness, and ordinary problems of living such as relationships, personality disorders, sexuality, mental illness, death and dying, etc. That site became the most popular ask the psychologist webpage on the internet, and has welcomed over four million visitors.

In 2012, Robert moved his question and answer work to a Facebook page where it continues to this day. The Ten Thousand Things is a book of words and images about awakening, consciousness, philosophy, and spirituality. Forty chapters--each beginning with a photograph--based upon Robert’s replies to questions posed to him on Facebook and in private correspondence.

Reviews

[Jj Lothin · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘My words are not spiritual teaching at all, but a pointing to the uncertainty of conjecture, and the foolishness of credulity vis-à-vis anything to do with spirituality. In the face of impermanence, the vanity of claiming “self-realisation”, or, even worse, claiming to be able to teach it, seems unmistakable. After all, today’s “self-realisation” might be tomorrow’s “what the hell was I thinking?”’

The Buddha, amongst others, famously said, ‘Be a light unto yourself’, and if that’s a message that makes sense to you as it does to me, there’s an obvious irony in quoting from any source other than your own direct, immediate experience. However, if I were the sort of person who likes to underline pertinent passages in books I read, my copy of The Ten Thousand Things would be heavily marked. (Not that I agree with absolutely everything he says, but then I guess he wouldn’t want me to!) In the often vague and woolly world of ‘spiritual’ (dreadful word) writings, Robert Saltzman makes the case for ‘Kill the Buddha!’ in a really clear, radical and uncompromising manner.

He is never going to accept something on someone else’s say-so, whether that someone be Nisargadatta, Ramana Maharshi, Jesus or the Buddha, and he will have no truck with what he describes as ‘magical thinking’, where we gullible seekers blithely swallow ideas such as those often found in modern non-dualist circles: that consciousness isn’t generated by the brain, for example, or that ‘everything is consciousness’.

‘You know nothing about ultimate matters,’ he tells a questioner, ‘and no one else does either.’ And: ‘No one knows what really exists, or even what “really exists” means or entails.’

He talks about ‘attaining enlightenment’ or ‘realising your “self”’ as ‘the carrots of fantasy’ - a fairytale which tempts the seeker into thinking that, when the day comes, ‘I will be special. I will be different from ordinary people. I will not suffer as they do, and as I do now.’ However, he is far from being a nihilist or a materialist. ‘I’m not a materialist,’ he writes. ‘I’m an “I-don’t-know-ist.”’

To quote again from this beautiful and challenging book: ‘You do not have to believe anything in order to be alive. Like the stars in the sky, this aliveness is present whether noticed or not, and when the contraction called “myself” relaxes sufficiently, the aliveness feels obvious and indisputable. That relaxation of the clenched “myself” feels like having been roused from a dream to find oneself alive and aware … What is, simply is, and cannot become anything. Each moment feels fresh, different from any other, and entirely unspeakable. The future never arrives. Enlightenment is a non-issue - not worth thinking about. One simply experiences what living human beings experience from moment to moment, and that’s it. And that is sufficient.’

[chris elam · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are expecting a book on non duality and oneness,then you are in for a surprise.
The author lacks a certain humility,and is very judgemental on other masters,who in his mind are limited humans .
His training as a psychotherapist has obviously influenced his scepticism on all things advaitic.
A let down,give me the heart teachings of nisahadatta,ramana anyday.

[Al · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh... where to start. Take a look at some of the one and two star amazon reviews. I'm in complete agreement with them. He constantly drones on that no-one "knows" anything, but miraculously, he himself "knows" HE is awake!:
"I am awake and I know it" (good God what b.s.!)

I'm in agreement with one reviewer that noticed he simply has Narcissistic personality disorder. I'll let the brilliant psychotherapist, and author Stephan Bodian do the talking:

“Spiritual awakening can also fuel narcissistic tendencies when it’s distorted, misunderstood, and co-opted by the ego. In a genuine awakening, “I am enlightened” is clearly seen to be an oxymoron, since enlightenment entails the realization that the separate self that would claim enlightenment for itself doesn't exist.”

[KARL JAMES STOTT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your thoughts will love this

I have read a great majority of the famous spiritual books and studied the so called gurus. Robert Adams, Nisargatta Maharaj, Ramana Maharashi etc, so many books. Robert’s book surgically removes all those books from your head, rips them all up and throws them into the incinerator. What a relief! I don’t regret reading all those books because I love reading, but part of me wishes that I’d read this much sooner. I’ll still carry on reading spiritual books because I enjoy it, but no longer will they have the effect they once did; sending me down a new path, clinging to their words as “ultimate truth”, only to end up disillusioned and disappointed. For those who are spiritual junkies, this is the antidote. Completely Stripping away beliefs seems scary but you must rip off the sticking plaster. From whence these words have come from I don’t know.

[gordon baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raw Comments

Robert Saltzman is a rare person, in that he says what he sees, and often not what you want to hear. And he doesn’t care. He does not intend to offend, he simply is honest with himself, and shares that honesty with you. If you are looking for a guru keep moving. If you are looking for warm spirituality you have made a wrong turn. There is only the now you experience. Seeing that will not prevent you from suffering, aging or death. You will simply be aware you are alive in this moment, all the other questions will be unanswered, and have no significance to this moment to moment seeing what is in front of you. It could only be as it is.
Only read this book if you want to be challenged about everything you ever thought you knew.

[Sukanya Viswanathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very thought provoking and practical. But seems like this person is more on the path to being awake than actually awake. If this is the way an awake being feels, there is no use in searching for it - for all he talks about is acceptance of the present moment - which is a basic prerequisite of being awake but not the end in itself. His words lack the serenity and loving compassion which speak to the heart, they seem to be coming rather from his ego mind which hasn't progressed beyond abidance in the present. Perhaps he will write a better book once he is further along in his journey.

[Beth Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have extra socks on hand when the ones you’re wearing get blown off. In truth, it’s not really a book. The advertisements are wrong. The Ten Thousand Things is an experience. It’s also not a ‘read it once, love it or hate it, put it down’ experience. It becomes part of your life, and will continue to shake you in places and in ways you least expect long after you put it down. Saltzman’s black and white photos at the start of each chapter, including deeply compelling portraits of ordinary people in scenes of everyday life, seem to beckon the reader in: Here we are, in all our humanity and raw beauty, welcome to these pages. . .

[Shelagh P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep and thought provoking

This is one of those books that gets under your skin. You are not sure whether you agree or disagree but you are awestruck by the profundity. What if the author is right and really does have it all figured out?
What would that mean for all of my previous beliefs and understanding?
This and his other books have shaken me and possibly helped me to see more clearly…

[Susan Kapla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Razor sharp

I usually lose interest in books "like this" after a few chapters, usually after the introduction of hypothetical constructs that are introduced to explain, well, unexplainable things. They were not here. Read this if you really want a kick in your conditional butt. Otherwise, maybe wait until you do.

[JB Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Invisible

The writing is clear and direct just as in "Depending on No-Thing." The simplicity of the views and ideas is so stark that you may notice that they are obvious and wonder why they had never been noticed before.

Perhaps the explanation is simply seeing while awake?

[Michael Polliack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I read and re-read and just lived it.
I would recommend reading and let it meet you where it does.
Nothing

[Samir Deshmukh]

The author is on a Big Ego Trip!

[Anton Mohorčič · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bloody charlatan!

If you don't believe, watch this:
https://twitter.com/i/status/12723201...

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, what is this? Who am I? Same question, same answer.
Just this.

[Abhishek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very little of value here, and what is, is elsewhere less abrasively articulated.

[Cherno Bah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!

Awesome!!!! The greatest book ever written by a human soul. It is inconceivable to think that such a one walks the earth and is readily available to humanity. This book will deconstruct and untie all the knots and shackles of human conditioning as well as the unbearable burden of religious beliefs and dogma and the infantile fantasies of spiritual transcendence and perfection. With honesty, compassion and lucid clarity, 'The Ten Thousand Things' takes you in a journey of self discovery without the prescriptive and injunctive paths of both Western or Eastern metaphysics and established you in your original nature as you are, as you will ever be - awake in each moment as the totality of all that makes us human.

[Keith Stretchko · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and challenging book that has changed the way I view life. I've read this book twice already in less than a year and it has changed the way I look at life. Read this book now.