After the Absolute: The Inner Teachings of Richard Rose

by David Gold

Richard Rose was an unlikely Zen master: A rugged, plainspoken, ornery West Virginian, he scraped out a living raising goats, planting crops and painting houses. But Richard Rose had a secret: Having once vowed to "find the Truth or die trying," Rose experienced a cataclysmic spiritual awakening at age 30 that thrust him into "Everything-ness and Nothing-ness," or what he called "the Absolute." The experience left him with only one earthly desire: to do anything, for anyone, on a similar quest for Truth.David Gold was an unlikely student: An arrogant, ambitious and egotistical law-student, Gold only agreed to meet the "enlightened hillbilly" in the hopes of showing him up. But when Rose turned the tables by seeing right through Gold and painting a devastatingly accurate picture of the fears and obsessions that ruled his life, a humbled Gold found himself hungry to know more.Thus began a remarkable 15-year adventure—part spiritual odyssey, part legal thriller—in which death threats, corrupt politicians, and life-threatening cancer run parallel to glimpses of the divine and extraordinary manifestations of timeless wisdom.“After the Absolute is one of the most gripping, intensely interesting, dramatic, and indeed romantic-heroic-mythic, yet poignantly human accounts I have ever read. It would make a fantastic, if unbelievable film, and is a profoundly important document. This book throws light on the perennial what-and-why enigma of our species, reveals the makings of a “new cosmology,” and surely gives glimpses into as-yet undeveloped potentials we humans hold within us. That all this is found in an utterly absorbing narrative proves the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction.”—Joseph Chilton Pearce, author of The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, and Magical Child.

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Craig Hendry · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest and transparent account

Went through a range of all too familiar emotions while reading this. Rose definitely had some good things to say but in my perspective was a son of a bitch towards others. He even said the same of himself in the author’s recollection. Woe to those who would submit themselves to such abusers of others under the guise of helping them “become”. Trite self improvement nonsense. Having said this, it is worth a read to have a glance inside a community of seekers depending on a person to save and guide them.

[Linus · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and highly recommended tale of the ups and downs of an intense spiritual journey in the company of the late, great Richard Rose, Virginian farmer, hillbilly and ruthless Zen teacher: highly recommended to any serious spiritual seeker out there.

[Samir Deshmukh · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Richard Rose says in one of the chapters of this book, "I dont want to bring you peace of mind. I want to bring you trouble. I want to stir you, to shake you". This book will stir you and shake you if you really want to wake up.  After reading this book either you will shun it or walk in to the world knowing how you have spent all your life faking to be spiritual seeker, or seeking without letting go.
All this man wanted after his self realisation was to find people who wanted the Truth more than anything else in life. Richard Rose dedicated all his life living the truth and helping people to find it.
Highly recommend this book to any avid seeker of the Truth.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

fascinating

I heard of Richard Rose only recently, through Howdie Mickoski, himself an author and YouTube personality, whom I’d heard of thru Miguel Connor of Aeon Byte. Is there any Truth in this book? Sure, all over the place. Is it The Truth? Well, who even knows what that means. I do think that Rose had some kind of experience, as many do, and the way David Gold recounts it, is nothing short of intriguing. Really enjoyed the details, and profound spiritual honesty, especially pertaining to Gold’s irascible ego.