$26.95

Paperback

I Am That

Nisargadatta Maharaj

This book has been my all time favorite spiritual text for the last several years. It is the book I would choose, without hesitation, if I could only have one for the rest of my life.

I Am That is deep and profound, yet simple and accessible. The text is 400+ pages of personal interactions between seekers and Nisargadatta Maharaj, one of the great Advaitans of the 20th century. Amazingly, I can read this book over and over and over, and discover new and important knowledge every time. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Review by James Braha

I Am That, subtitled Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj is acknowledged by many to be one of the greatest spiritual treasures of the 20th Century. We have included this book in our short list we call Books You Can't Live Without. It is an incredibly rich feast of wisdom that's best read a few pages per day over an extended period of time. Most serious seekers of Truth will want to read this book over and over again.

Review by Len Oppenheim

I Am That is the Operator's Manual for the serious Post-New-Age seeker. If you have had enough of bells and whistles and are ready to move out of your spiritual comfort zone, perhaps after several years of studying and practicing techniques for personal growth, this is the book for you.

Sri Nisargadatta himself is a study in the co-existence of opposite values. He is at once focused and expansive, wise and irreverent, compassionate and cantankerous. But no matter what his mood, his teachings are always supremely bold and energizing. Along with Sri Ramana Maharshi, he is considered the foremost proponent of Advaita Vedanta of the twentieth century. This collection of questions and answers is his seminal work.

Page for page, I Am That is the most engaging book I have ever read. I just finished reading it for the fifth time and continue to be amazed. On almost literally every page is at least one "mini mahavakya", one great idea that challenges the way we are taught to think about spirituality. For example, opening at random I find Sri Nisargadatta saying, "Abandon false ideas, that is all. There is no need of true ideas. There aren't any." His ability to use just the right bold-simple turn of a phrase to drive home an abstract point is unparalleled.

I Am That definitely says something different than the last hundred spiritual books you may have read. As the radical teachings of Zen are to the rational teachings of orthodox Buddhism, so is the ancient philosophy of Advaita Vedanta to orthodox Hinduism. That is, it represents the culmination and fulfillment of the system of thought of which it is a part, and at the same time, the complete antithesis of all that has been said before.

In a nutshell, rational, or "first stage," philosophies tell us that we are not a body (physical, mental or otherwise), but formless pure consciousness. Radical, or "second stage", philosophies (such as Zen and Vedanta) start from there and tell us that, ultimately, we are not even consciousness, but the absolutely still 'ground state' in which it manifests. An image often used is that, if consciousness is like pure energetic light, then our true nature is the still and silent vacuum of empty space through which light travels.

Though very direct, the path of knowledge may be experienced as difficult because its theory and practice are, counter-intuitively, quite different in some aspects. In this regard, Sri Nisargadatta dispels a very subtle and prevalent misunderstanding about Vedanta (and second stage philosophies in general): that mastery is easy. Simple perhaps, he says, but rarely undemanding.

The theory of Vedanta asserts that "All is One" and, since we know that we exist, we are that One. The good news is that no effort is required to claim one's status as the Self of all. Especially for those who have spent many years toiling at spiritual practices, this is good news indeed and, upon discovering Vedanta, many are tempted to stop all practice and simply rejoice in their "newfound" status.

However, Sri Nisargadatta points out that, "words describe words", and even the elegant statements of Vedanta are mere words until one has realized their truth for oneself. For the serious seeker, he says, effort is still required in the form of constant vigilance to consciously remember one's true nature at all times. Specifically, the practice calls for rigorously engaging a single thought before transcending the realm of thought altogether. At first, this process requires a good deal of effort.

This subtle distinction between effortlessness in theory and effort in practice is extremely elusive, especially if one is, perhaps unconsciously, seeking a break from the spiritual grind. It is here that the perspective of a teacher with laser–sharp discrimination is vital. Sri Nisargadatta is just such a teacher and this critical point is a good example of what distinguishes I Am That from any number of traditional and New Age titles available in the market today.

And what is this single thought which we are to "rigorously engage"? According to Sri Nisargadatta, it is nothing other than the familiar thought "I am". As the "I"-thought is always intimately accessible at the heart of every other thought, he says, it serves to link who we think we are to who we really are, the immortal Self. As he says in literally hundreds of ways in this book, all that each of us really has and really knows is this prime datum at the core of every experience: "I am". He says, for example, "The only true statement is 'I am'. All else is mere inference." Therefore, he says, holding onto "I am" is the key.

Who would have believed it? The one thing that it seems we've all been able to agree upon is that the ego is the enemy. Yet here is a very hard to dismiss teacher telling us that it is the key to heaven, brahmaloka, the whole works. Clearly defining the exact role of the "I am" as the witness in theory and the key in practice is Sri Nisargadatta's great gift to us.

I rate I Am That near the very top of my list, in fact, tied for second place among my favorite books of all time. (I have more to say about these two unique books in a joint review.) It is a true transitional classic, reminiscent of Be Here Now in its shocking potency. Its one hundred and one short chapters are perfect for reading right before falling asleep. By the time the book is finished, you may well find that your thoughts about spirituality and how it may be most directly advanced have changed, never to be quite the same again.

Review by Michael Baxter

$45.00

Paperback: 3 Volume Set

Nothing Ever Happened

David Godman

This 3-volume biography about Papaji (H.W.L. Poonja) is truly as entertaining and informative as can be imagined. It is a book I used to read every night until I could no longer keep my eyelids open. Papaji was a gnani who lived a life of daily miracles and was able to transmit realization to others. The book is similar to Autobiography of a Yogi, but is (in my view) far more uplifting and fascinating. It is also more topical since Papaji lived during our time and speaks about many of the spiritual teachers and movements that have arisen since the 1960's.

The book is jam-packed with detailed accounts of peoples' miraculous experiences and instantaneous awakenings at the feet of this Advaitan master. The only drawback is that for several years after reading it I could not escape the fact that Papaji was alive until the late 1990's and I did not hear of him until after his death. After my first reading of the 3-volume set, I immediately went back to volume one and started over. It is that good.

Review by James Braha

$14.95

Paperback

Heart of Awareness : A Translation of the Ashtavakra Gita

Thomas Byrom

In my opinion the most beautiful translation of The Ashtavakra Gita (the bible of non duality). The beauty of the translation lies in its poetic simplicity. No Vedic Literature library can be complete without this precious book.

Review by Tony Kainauskas

$21.95

Paperback

Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing

Jed McKenna

Jed’s words lead the reader to the edge of the abyss and then his deft writing nudges you over the edge.

Jed’s books totally demystify truth realization, peeling away the layers of falsehood to reveal the real, unadorned truth within.

McKenna writes with cutting edge insight and a sense of humor that makes his teachings easy to digest.

His basic premise is that truth realization is just that. Realizing you are an actor in a part and seeing the drama that really is "of no real consequence," one begins to just relax and watch the show unfold. Truth realization is not mystical experiences, being blissful 24/7, or even moral… it is just plain seeing the illusion and not being caught up in it… it has nothing to do with diet, giving to charities, or saving dolphins.

I highly recommend this title… truth presented without all the window dressing.

Review by Tony Kainauskas

$19.95

Paperback

Silence of the Heart

Robert Adams

All true knowledge comes from the transmission of silence. Words can confuse and are subject to various degrees of interpretations. Opinions justify the ego structure… they lead from truth to ignorance.

Robert Adams, a direct disciple of Ramana Maharshi, is a powerful conveyer of truth, not because of the words but for the underlying transmission of silence that occurs between the written word.

Robert’s main theme is that "all is well."

This is a powerful book. Reading it had a powerful effect on the state of my consciousness… there are many passages that cause tears to flow and the heart to open. I highly recommend Robert Adam’s book for any Spiritual seeker.

Review by Tony Kainauskas

$14.95

Paperback

As It Is

Tony Parsons

The content of Tony’s book is expressed perfectly by its title. His basic message is that all suffering is due to resistance, and freedom from suffering is a direct result of total acceptance of the present moment. The many words in this delightful book all point to that one truth… at times phrasing the same truth in many different ways helps to imprint it in the consciousness of the reader. Sometimes for me it may take a particular set of words to hit deep inside. For you it may be a totally different set of words. But once the words lead you to that awareness, they drop off as meaningless and all that you are left with is present moment awareness, total surrender to life AS IT IS.

Tony’s book took me on a nice journey to that place of surrender. I may have left it temporarily, but I know I’ll keep coming back to visit, to one day surrender and call it home.

Review by Tony Kainauskas

$16.00

Paperback

Duet of One

Ramesh Balsekar

This is my favorite book by Ramesh Balsekar (a direct disciple of Sri Nisargadatta.) I have read it and re-read it. Balskekar’s commentary on The Ashtravakra Gita (The Bible of Non-Duality) to me, offers wondrous insight into the preordained drama that we call life. The Ashtravakra Gita and Ramesh's commentary bring into sharp view what is real and what separates the real from all else. At first there may be fear created by this reality, but through acceptance it brings much peace, as all happens and unfolds as it should, and all action is predetermined. The main theme is that we are dreamers (in actuality there is only one dreamer), the dream being this life. When the time is opportune we awaken to the one reality. This awakening is inevitable and the time and place already set… all we need do and can only do is just carry on in the drama of every day life until that day when the drama becomes a comedy and the laughter begins to flow.

Review by Tony Kainauskas

$14.00

Paperback

The Power of Now

Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart's book may have hit the main stream big time but it still remains a wonderfully innocent book. Eckhart's words are a wonderful introduction to the power of present moment awareness… it gives any seeker, whether a long time meditator or a novice just starting down the path, a wonderful easy-to-grasp description of Being and the freedom that comes with Self Awareness. As I read The Power of Now it brought to mind the old lectures of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi during the early 1970's… the simple loving innocence of the words that carried with them a very deep spiritual message. If you are one of the few who are not familiar with The Power of Now, you are now in for a wonderful treat.

Review by Tony Kainauskas

$14.95

Paperback

The Ultimate Medicine, as Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: Dialogues with a Realized Master

Edited by Robert Powell, Ph.D.

Unlike I Am That which has gained cult status, this book seems to be relatively undiscovered. The master is the same, the teaching is the same, and in fact, I think, this book is far more easily read and absorbed. (Maybe I think that way because the print is much larger and my eyes are getting weaker as I age.) In any event, the message is the same and the personality of the master comes through just as well. The following, taken from the editor's note is a pretty good choice for getting to the root of the Advaita teaching as revived by Nisargadatta: "Jivatman is the one who identifies with the body-mind as an individual separate from the world. The atman is only Beingness, or the consciousness, which is the world. The Ultimate principle which knows this Beingness cannot be named at all. It cannot be approached or conditioned by any words. That is the Ultimate state." —Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

It's easy huh? Just understand that short paragraph and you will have it all. Good luck and enjoy!

Review by Len Oppenheim

$16.95

Paperback

Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj

Ramesh Balsekar

This is included in this section as well as the section under Ramesh, because Ramesh claims in the preface that the material written in this volume "emerged spontaneously, dictated, in a fine frenzy that surcharged my being, by a compulsive power that could not be denied." Ramesh goes on to explain that not only did the book really spontaneously write itself, but that its publication kind of "just happened", through a series of "coincidences." It is very important to note that the writings and publication both took place while Ramesh was still continuing to attend satsang and before Ramesh himself attained "guruhood status." Nisargadatta authorized the publication saying: "I know that you both are aware that all writing originates in consciousness, that there is writing but no authors."

Both Nisargadatta and Ramesh teach that nothing happens and that there is no doer. Therefore, neither of them outlines a path. In fact both teach that enlightenment cannot be achieved, it just happens, as much as a leaf falling off a tree just happens. When I attended satsang with Ramesh in 2004 he made this point rather graphically. He was trying to drive home this point that enlightenment just happens. He said, "It can happen at any time. It could happen while you are seated on the commode. In fact if it should happen at that moment you might get up and even forget to wipe your ass."

This attitude, that nothing happens, results in many levels of paradoxical traps for the seeker. If there is nothing you can do to get enlightened, then why bother attending satsang? In fact these great teachers say the choice to attend or not attend satsang is not yours to decide. If you are at satsang it is merely because you were destined to be there. Most seekers have trouble with this concept. If we consider ourselves seekers, then we must feel we are involved in the volitional act of seeking. What I like best about this book, Pointers, is that despite the view that there is nothing you can do, this books gives some practical advice or "pointers" which these masters feel may help one to have enlightenment happen to the seeker. If you can figure this out and explain to me in conceptual terms how this makes sense, I would be eternally grateful. Anyway, I loved this book and think it is clearly a must read for the serious student of Advaita.

Review by Len Oppenheim

$7.50

Paperback

Slaughterhouse-Five or the Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death

Kurt Vonnegut

Spiritual knowledge can come to us from surprising places… We may search for it in the Bhagavad Gita,the Bible, or at the feet of a wise master. But we also may find it in a young child's innocent question, or a lover's harsh word, or even an unexpected novel.

A friend just recently turned me on to this 60's anti-war cult classic. He considered Slaughterhouse-Five a great novel with a surprising spiritual depth.

After reading it myself I have to agree with my friend's assessment in spades. Vonnegut's novel is in fact Advaita philosophy with an Alice In Wonderland twist. What we think of as reality is twisted and turned in unreal ways in this masterpiece.

The main character's universe is very unstable, dancing from one point in the past, present, and future continuum to another. His reality is never very sure footed: the future is known, the past relived, and the present not always so.

The action takes place over the main character's lifetime. His central life altering experience being the devastating bombing of Dresden Germany during World War II (an event that Kurt Vonnegut actually experienced first hand). The plot is not a straight line but a loop of past, present, and future with a side trip to outer space. The main character is abducted by aliens for the sole purpose of being turned into an exhibit in their zoo. The aliens also have my favorite lines in the novel. The main character is agonizing over why he was captured, why is he on this spaceship, WHY ME!!! The aliens reply, "Why us? Why anything?" Advaita philosophy in a nutshell.

I suspect that out of the many of my generation who experienced this novel in the 60's and 70's a few were stirred by its message to take the first steps towards the all encompassing void. And now, dear reader, if you have yet to read this book the time is now ripe for you to enjoy it. Or maybe not. Oh well, so it goes!

Reviewed by Tony Kainauskas

$13.95

Paperback

Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi

Edited by David Godman

This is the best book for introducing serious spiritual seekers to the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, the foremost exponent of experiential Advaita Vedanta of at least the last century. It is also the finest job of book editing I've ever seen.

Prior to compiling this book, Godman had been the librarian at Sri Ramanashram for several years. He has arranged the material in such a way as to present the most important ideas first, as was Sri Ramana's own style in teaching. So carefully has this been done that I am tempted to believe that if a Vedantic principle is not presented in the first half of this book, I probably don't need it in the long run. The questions and answers which form the bulk of each chapter have been taken from many sources and assembled in such a way as to give the appearance of a smooth and continuous conversation. The brief prefaces to each chapter are also very clear and informative.

The most impressive aspect of the book, however, is its emphasis on the practice of self-enquiry to re-establish one's identity with the unbounded Self. While some form of this technique, sometimes referred to as atma vichara, has existed since antiquity, Sri Ramana prescribed it in an innovative form designed for the modern world, to be practiced during both silence and activity. He recommended this technique so often and so vigorously that it is regarded as the most distinctive motif in his teachings.

Godman presents Sri Ramana's instructions for self-enquiry in three chapters, placed second only to the presentation of the concept of Self. Although the practice itself is very simple, much has been said about it by Sri Ramana and others over the years, with potentially confusing results. The questions and answers in these three chapters greatly clarify these issues.

In addition, Godman's summary of the mechanics of the practice is completely lucid, indeed in a class of its own when compared to other discussions on this topic that I have come across. I have been in correspondence with Godman on this point myself, and have found his clarifications to be invaluable.

Sri Ramana taught that different spiritual paths are appropriate for different individuals according to one's temperament and qualification. He has said:

Self-enquiry is the first and most important step. The I-thought is traced to its source, which is the final goal. However, if the aspirant is temperamentally unsuited for self–enquiry, he must develop devotion. If neither enquiry nor devotion appeals to him, he can gain tranquility by yoga techniques. If he is unsuited to the first two methods by temperament and to the third on account of age or health, he must try karma marga, the path of good deeds and social service. He thus, in course of time, comes to be suited for one of the three former paths.

Sri Ramana preferred to teach in silence. If requested to speak, he would usually recommend self-enquiry unadorned with theoretical discussions. If pressed further, he would occasionally discuss related topics of a theoretical nature, always in the language of purest Advaita Vedanta (lit. 'non-dual end-of-knowledge'), a language spoken in the very heart of Gyan Yoga, "the path of knowledge."

Similarly, Sri Ramana taught the Vedantic perspectives on Bhakti Yogafor those with a devotional nature and Karma Yoga for those much inclined to action. Godman has done an excellent job of presenting Sri Ramana's teachings on these topics, as well. One cannot help but notice that the section on "Theory" is presented last, as is consistent with Sri Ramana's emphasis on practicality at all times.

Overall, I feel that this is the best introductory book written about the most respected teacher of modern times, and that the fifty pages devoted to self-enquiry present the most practical advice I have ever received. Although there are several other excellent modern–day books on experiential Advaita Vedanta, I could not recommend Be As You Are more highly. This is the one I would take to the proverbial desert island.

Review by Michael Baxter

$26.95

Hardcover

Talks With Sri Ramana Maharshi

T. N.Venkataraman, Sri Ramanashram

This long but very easy to read book is regarded as the "bible" of the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, the highly regarded 20th-century exponent of Advaita Vedanta. Its 600-plus pages contain nothing but questions to, and answers from, Sri Ramana on a wide range of topics, recorded during the period from 1935 to 1939. The material is presented in roughly chronological order, with no attempt to organize along topical lines. It thus offers a glimpse into the natural flow of conversations at Sri Ramanashram during this four-year period.

Sri Ramana always preferred that both teaching and learning occur in silence, rather than on the basis of verbal discussion. From his side, he preferred simply to sit and radiate a current of pure consciousness with which seekers could effortlessly align. From the aspirant's side, he encouraged actually engaging in the practice of self-enquiry, rather than posing questions to satisfy the mind while keeping it active on its surface level. Fortunately however, he did answer a few questions each day.

According to the interests of the his visitors, many topics are discussed here, including all of the favorites of spiritual aspirants throughout the ages, such as the nature of enlightenment, states of consciousness, the role of the witness, knowledge versus devotion, effort versus grace, etc.

At some point while reading this book one begins to notice that, while addressing various questions, Sri Ramana's replies all seem to follow a similar pattern. Intellectual understanding, initially in the foreground, gradually gives way to an intuitive recognition of this pattern as being somehow very personal to the reader himself.

This is because Sri Ramana persistently brings one's wandering mind back to its true purpose, the recognition of its own source. He does this by pointing out that every question asked is actually an extrapolation of the primal question, "Who am I?" and then by offering an experiential answer to this all-important question.

In this way, even "horizontal" theoretical discussions are used as opportunities for experiencing "vertical" self-enquiry, thereby coming full-circle to Sri Ramana's eternally practical purpose. This persistent switch from fascination with external objects (in which frame the question is posed) to fascination with the subject of enquiry (in which frame the answer is experienced) is Sri Ramana's special gift.

With its comprehensive scope, great depth, and reader-friendly style, Talks, as it is known by its many fans, is my second favorite book of all time. The journal-type entries are all very short. I recommend reading one or more of them each night right before falling asleep. An added advantage to this approach is that the calm, settled feeling one gets from the readings may well continue throughout the night and result in a wonderful rested feeling of inner wakefulness.

Review by Michael Baxter

$18.00

Paperback

What's Wrong with Right Now Unless You Think About It?

Bob Adamson

This book is one of the finest Advaitan texts ever. I spent five weeks living with Sailor Bob, and the difference between his teachings and other Advaitans is that he teaches only non-duality.

As one who awakened while with Nisargadatta Maharaj, (author of I Am That), Bob's teaching is absolutely pure. He leaves no room whatsoever for dualistic thinking. He offers the student nothing to attain in the future—no carrots, no falsehoods. All is right here, right now. His book directly and powerfully points students toward Presence Awareness—what he describes as the "natural state," which is non conceptual, ever present, self shining, one without another.

Bob was told by Nisargadatta that the best thing he could do was to "take others beyond the need for help." For those who are ready, this book accomplishes that.

Reviewed by James Braha

$24.00

Paperback

Consciousness Speaks

Ramesh Balsekar

Ramesh has written more than a dozen books. Each one is worth reading. In talking to fans of Ramesh, I have found that very often a single book resonates most strongly for a given individual. For some it has been Sin and Guilt, for others A Duet of one, and for other individuals it has been one of the other titles. For me, it was Consciousness Speaks that somehow opened my mind and heart to the full appreciation of this wonderful teacher. The brief introduction by Wayne Liquorman sets the tone for the book. In fact, I believe that reading the eight-page introduction is worth the entire price of the book, and in this seed is contained the wholeness of the teaching. Although Ramesh is a brilliant and skillful writer, I believe he is at his best when teaching and responding to questions from seekers. This book uses the question and answer format and that is why I believe it is his most effective book, and certainly it has been his most popular book at our bookstore. When my sons became interested in Ramesh, it was this book that I provided for them to read first.

The book is very comprehensive, covering all subjects, including mind, intellect, emotions, biology, creation, etc. All the answers are straightforward and simple. Ramesh pulls no punches and allows the knowledge to flow through him, as the title of the book suggests. This is a book to be cherished and read over and over again.

Review by Len Oppenheim

$16.00

Paperback

Acceptance of What Is: A Book About Nothing

Wayne Liquorman

Liquorman begins chapter one with this caveat: "Buyer Beware: Truth disappears in the telling of it." Liquorman was acknowledged by his guru, Ramesh Balsekar, to have "gotten it", in other words to have realized the Advaita Teaching and to be a gyani. So, this is a book about nothing. At the same time it is a book about everything. The book uses a question and answer format, which I find to be very easy to follow and understand. Liquorman has a great sense of humor and a zest for life, both of which clearly come through. Liquorman has the kind of mischievousness and charm I find irresistible. I find it refreshing to get the story of how a Westerner, a businessman, and former substance abuser, achieves realization and how this grace just happens. This is clearly a must read, and if you like the book as much as I did you will take the next step and go to see and hear Wayne, live and in person. Seeing Wayne is a treat, as is reading this book. Although the book is simple, something about the style and presentation resonated so deeply with me that I consider it to be one of the dozen or so books I have ever read that have profoundly influenced me and changed the direction of my life.

Review by Len Oppenheim

$45.00

Hardcover, Paperback

Special Set: Two of the Greatest Spiritual Books of All Time

T.N. Venkataraman, Sri Ramananashram, Nisargadatta Maharaj

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi

I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Reading either one of these books may well change your life. If you're ready for a change, reading the two of them together almost certainly will. I'd like to tell you how reading them together changed mine.

Please don't be put off by my use of specialized terminology. If you encounter terms that you are not familiar with, I invite you to do what my wonderful wife, Intesar, does. She tells me that "truth rings its own bell" and listens with her heart.

I've been a seeker all of my life. I was bitten by the "spirituality bug" and started mantra meditation in 1970. At that time, I felt sure that I'd be 'enlightened' within ten years. Just to be on the safe side, I gave it twenty.

On my twentieth anniversary I quit meditating, telling myself that I must have internalized the spirit of it by now. This felt like the right thing to do, but it left an enormous feeling of emptiness inside. It was then that I discovered experiential Advaita Vedanta, although at first I didn't know it by that name.

One day I had an interesting experience. I had been considering the thought process from two points of view and then comparing the subjective feelings of veracity between them. The first way of thinking had to do with adding up a number of parts to create or recreate a feeling of wholeness. The second way began with this feeling and moved toward the parts without ever quite losing it. On this particular day, the scales in my mind tipped quite suddenly and decisively in favor of this second way of thinking.

I don't think of this as any kind of realization. After all, it was purely mental. I think of it as a sort of "intellectual inversion," a sudden abandoning of one governing paradigm for another. I simply found myself looking at things in a new, upside-down sort of way. I now had a new batch of questions, or rather, a feeling of having some new answers to questions that I did not fully understand, questions like:

• Is meditation something I do or something I am?
• Is it even possible to stop real meditation?
• Does transcendence occur within "normal" awareness or vice versa?
• Is it meaningful to try to evaluate one state of mind from within another?
• Is sleep really dull or do I just think so afterwards?
• Does memory really work or do I just have what I need in my mind right now?
• Are my thoughts actually connected to each other in any way?
• Do thoughts that govern others develop differently than "garden–variety" ones?
• Can I really claim to have personally crafted even a single thought?
• When I think, who am "I" talking to?
• Is my sense of presence a subject or an object, and where does it come from?
• and above all, who is the real protagonist of this story?

I found myself re-evaluating things that I thought I knew. It occurred to me for the first time that the term "spiritual knowledge" might be something of an oxymoron, referring to something better divested than acquired. And I knew, like a child first hearing the truth about Santa Claus, that I could not go back to my previous way of thinking even if I wanted to.

All of this transpired so vividly that, scooping up all of my ready cash (about $250), I literally ran to The 21st Century bookstore to consult with my friend, Tony, as to how best to explore this new perspective. My plan was to buy the seminal work of each of the great masters of the east and see which of them were speaking this new language, as I felt sure some of them must be.

Two teachers jumped out at me, Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Everything they said seemed to make perfect sense, but only in this new way. I later found out that they were the two main proponents of the ancient school of thought known as Advaita Vedanta (lit. 'non-dual end-of-knowledge') of the last century.

Enter the books

I had bought one book by each of these great teachers. They were, Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi and, I am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Each is about 600 pages of questions and answers and has (or had) a yellow jacket. I thought of them as my "yellow pages," because I felt sure that anything I really needed to know could be found between their covers.

Each book presents the theory and practice of gyan yoga, the "path of knowledge." Each has a strong emphasis on the technique of atma vichara, or "self-enquiry," to locate and stabilize awareness in the unbounded Self that we are told is within us. But this is where their similarity ends.

Although I believe both of these men to have been enlightened sages, or jnani's, they could hardly have been more different in personalities and teaching styles. Where Sri Ramana was a gentleman, it seems that Sri Nisargadatta was a bit of a rascal. Where Sri Ramana preferred not to speak much, Sri Nisargadatta appears to have enjoyed heated discussions. Where Sri Ramana was an ascetic who led a very pure lifestyle, Sri Nisargadatta was a family man who earned his living selling strong Indian cigarettes. Where enlightenment had dawned unbidden on Sri Ramana at an early age, Sri Nisargadatta appears to have earned it through sheer courage and strength of will, perhaps even stubbornness.

I decided to read these two books together, right before bedtimes, in the hope that the feeling of their teachings would permeate my sleep. First, I would read about fifteen minutes of Sri Nisargadatta. I found his style to be supremely bold and direct (not to mention entertaining) and therefore perfect, I thought, for a "spiritual warrior" like me. He pulled no punches and protected no egos.

I deeply appreciated Sri Nisargadatta's directness. I felt that I was finally being treated like an adult, like someone who could digest facts unmixed with fiction. I also felt just a little bit beaten up by the end of the quarter hour, so rigorous were his demands on me as a reader. I would then read about fifteen minutes of Sri Ramana and he would somehow, while being equally direct, manage to soothe my mind and send me off to sleep on a settled note.

Within about three months I had finished reading both books. I enjoyed them immensely and especially admired the fact that both teachers began with the feeling of wholeness and never left it, no matter what detail was being considered. I felt vastly enriched and much more clear about my path.

You may want to find out for yourself what the current interest in experiential Advaita Vedanta is all about. This bookstore has prepared a special discount when you buy both of these books. I encourage you to get them for yourself, or for someone you love, and read them together as I did. Have fun with it.. Honestly, I envy you the adventure!

Review by Michael Baxter

$14.95

Paperback

The Wisdom of Balsekar: The Essence of Enlightenment from the World's Leading Teacher of Advaita

Ramesh Balsekar
Edited by Alan Jacobs

Ramesh Balsekar is generally regarded as the leading living exponent of Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of Non–Duality. Born in 1917, educated at The London School of Economics, a householder with children and grandchildren who retired over twenty years ago having risen to President of the Bank of India, Ramesh, now eighty-seven years old, holds satsang seven days a week in his Mumbai apartment. His spiritual quest was inspired many decades ago by his interest in the great saint, Ramana Maharshi. However, his "awakening" occurred after his retirement, as he sat with his guru, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and in "real time" translated Nisargadatta's talks from Marathi into English.

Ramesh has written over twenty books and is known and loved by seekers from around the world. He has been teaching Advaita since 1982. I have read more than a dozen of his books, have been uplifted by attending his satsangs in Mumbai, and have thoroughly enjoyed selected videos and DVD's about Ramesh. I would recommend all of his books, going to see him, and viewing the videos. However, suggesting to someone where to start reading Ramesh has always been difficult. This book solves that problem, because it is an anthology.

This anthology is organized by subject, or theme. The editor has done an excellent job of selecting both the right themes and best passages from Ramesh. You can't go wrong reading this book, as it will either enliven the best parts of Ramesh's teachings for those of us who are familiar with them, or introduce them to the novice.

Ramesh is personable, witty, and knowledgeable, on the mundane or relative level. On the deeper level, he is awakened, a gyani, one who has pierced the illusory veil of duality.

Wayne Liquorman, acknowledged by Ramesh as his only awakened American student, very succinctly sums up the value of this book, in his foreword: "Throughout these pages are to be found countless pointers to a profound Truth, a singular Truth… a Truth that is vast and Unknowable and yet as familiar and intimate as our breath."

I recommend this book without hesitation to any and all interested in the pursuit of Truth.

Reviewed by Len Oppenheim