other eastern religions

This book interprets The Gospel of Thomas for us and unlocks it's Advaita (All is One Substance)or Zen meanings. Dr. Powell very expertly breaks down the Gospel into more graspable explanations. Interestingly, the sayings bring out a whole new Jesus then the one we normally are exposed to, the religious leader who was the divine son of God and that came to condemn sinners that did not accept him as their savior--the Jesus Christ that we hear about in churches. This Jesus, is one who in this Gospel actually discards those religious type teachings and points us in the direction of Self-Realization of our True Nature.
If you're a Zen or Advaita enthusiast, I'm sure you'll find this a great read. One that shows us that the Truth ultimately is One teaching that all the great teachers have pointed to, as we see here, Jesus was no exception.
One slight disappointment I had with this book however was that considering that most people know very little or nothing about The Gospel of Thomas, for some reason Dr. Powell gives almost no historical background about it. Some solid details about where it came from? If it's a realiable source? What evidence is there that it's authentically Jesus' words? How do we know who the author was? I just think a little intro on the historical aspects would have been interesting.
This book is definately written as more of a spiritual guide into the Gospel of Thomas. Dr. Powell's commentaries are great pointers into the Absolute Reality using an ancient Christian based text that resemble the words and style of a Far Eastern Master. A fascinating read. Very recommended.