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About | What is Nonduality? | Contact Nonduality
Highlights Issue #3158 updated May 6, 2008 Teachers/Gurus Blogs | Email Forums | Meetings/Satsang with nondual people Books Received | Book Reviews | Questions? Order through Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk If you are curious about what non-duality
has to offer, look no further. A great addition to the written Advaita tradition! -Charlie Hayes A fascinating read from beginning to end and
every step along Before reading your book, I was not as aware or awake as I am now. I'm running into knowledge at an ever increasing rate and this is a very unusual state of being for me. -JT This is without doubt the finest collection of Nonduality-flavored writings available today. -Jeff Foster "If you wish to be reminded how Oneness delights in the variety of its myriad expressions, look no further than Jerry Katz's wonderful book, in which the message of Nonduality shines as brightly from contemporary science fiction movies as it does from ancient Buddhist teachings. This is without doubt the finest collection of Nonduality-flavored writings available today, arranged in a coherent and highly accessible manner, and I would recommend it highly to anyone interested in finding out who they really are, beyond name and form, beyond religion, beyond belief. It is a love letter from Oneness to Oneness, and it points - so very clearly - back home. -Jeff Foster The editor is knowledgeable in all of these areas and weaves together the extracts well. All disciplines are unlikely to appeal to everyone equally. Personally, I found Ibn Arabi a revelation and Steven Harrisons piece on Education excellent. The introduction too, by David Godman, provides a superbly concise summary of Ramana Maharshis teaching. But I found Bernadette Roberts incomprehensible and the Native American piece overly mystical. There is a review of the Matrix films that is thought-provoking and an essay by an artist that serves to reinforce a long-standing view that writing by artists is invariably unintelligible it seems that it is because what they want to say cannot be said that they have become artists in the first place. Chacun à son goût, as they say all of this merely reinforces the view that there is something here for everyone. If you are curious about what non-duality has to offer, look no further. -Dennis Waite What can I say .. love the book. It explains everything I "feel" in regards to nonduality but can't quite articulate to family and friends. In my business, (I have sixty staff) Ive introduced some of the principle and triggered a thirst for more .. I think your book and especially some audio will lay a solid foundation for my friends. A big thanxx from Australia. -WMT Thanks Jerry for your website and book. Having traveling many paths, I appreciate the way you weave the thread of Truth throughout the various traditions mentioned in your work. -Randy Allen The book is dedicated "to everyone I ever met on the Internet", and as one of those people, I reply with a bow and a Namaste...for you have enriched my life. -David Hodges Those who attempt to express the Indescribable Inescapable Isness of Nonduality are often awkward and inarticulate as the baffling of words fails always to point to this Naked Awareness that IS the True-Nature of this appearance. Jerry does this startlingly well: "Nonduality Is The Experience Of Your True nature." That is a great pointer, and as the natural seeing develops from that, it is ultimately seen to NOT be a "personal experience" at all (!), but rather the impersonal choiceless "experience of immortality" as one sage titled this Absolute Being-Aliveness. This is a great addition to the written Advaita tradition! -Charlie Hayes Surprisingly, in view of my earlier rather negative comments about her earlier contribution, I found Bernadette Roberts summary one of the most convincing. My differences or negative reactions are mismatches with some of the contributors, not with the author. My overall reaction to the book is very positive. I think Jerry Katz has done a great service in bringing these strands together and presenting them in such a coherent and accessible fashion. In reading his book I have focused on the aspects which relate to my condition and undoubtedly this has given a rather lopsided view of a very balanced and inclusive approach to the difficult subject of Nondualism. I think it is a fine work, comprehensive and well presented. It is both an excellent introduction to Nonduality and a useful reference. -Alan Mann, The Nowletter, Capacitie.org You're the best 'editor/compiler' on the nondual topic I know of, which is no mean trick Jerry - it's like taking a bunch of biographies, testimonies of 'truth', thousand year old translated texts, person to person talks, etc. and not only make a coherent whole but to bring them to life, get them to mean something to the general public. --Omkara Datta To bring [nonduality] down to public consciousness is in many ways an absolute gift. Thanks for writing ONE. ... Thanks for opening my eyes to nonduality ... We hope to talk to you again. --Rollye James, Coast to Coast AM In One, Katz presents various perspectives -- including writings from Sufism, Judaism, Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism, and Native American tradition as well as the essential teachings of Ramana Maharshi and a discussion of The Matrix Trilogy -- to guide us toward recognition of the essential oneness of reality, the truth of our Self. Shift magazine: The Institute of Noetic Sciences. A very readable overview. True freedom arises through the discovery that separation is an illusion and that everything is, quintessentially, only One. This book can be an opening. Very well done and highly recommended. -Chuck Hillig ONE is a clear and concise guide to the most universal truth of all: that the world between our ears that we call "me, myself, and my story" does not actually exist. When we see this, when we actually realize our true, nondual nature, conflict and suffering leaves us, and peace and joy prevail. -Jim Dreaver "Highly recommended for religious and spiritual philosophy shelves." -Midwest Book Review If I were to suggest a book on Nonduality, I'd say: First have a look at "One" by Jerry Katz. You'll find all direction you need in there. -Hans Schulz Katz has brilliantly drawn on lively
passages from major traditions such as Buddhism, Taoism,
Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. This unique
selection of writings paints a vivid picture of
nonduality for the reader; bringing an ancient philosophy
into the modern world with striking relevance. A
fascinating read from beginning to end and every step
along the way. Best reference guide
to nonduality on the market today What can I say .. love the book. It explains everything I "feel" in regards to nonduality but can't quite articulate to family and friends. In my business, (I have sixty staff) Ive introduced some of the principle and triggered a thirst for more .. I think your book and especially some audio will lay a solid foundation for my friends. A big thanxx from Australia. -WMT It is somewhat challenging due to its depth, but then when one sits back, is it true depth? Or is it so simplistic that it takes awhile to assimilate only because we are not taught this skill in life and we just don't think this way, or don't think... I am seeing how one's language changes when we speak of nonduality. <smile> -Adrien "Shows beautifully how ... ancient traditions have pointed RIGHT HERE." -Greg Goode Clearly written, highly accessible, and extraordinarily insightful. -James Braha Jerry Katz had me from the first sentence. -Alice A. Chestnut I am grateful for words which help me
remember what we all are. An "I can't put it down" book that is the best single collection dealing with Nonduality that I have ever found. -Bob Rose Beautifully written, well crafted, literary experience. -Dr. Stewart Bitkoff A major step in increasing our understanding of Nonduality. -Gary Crowley I especially like how the questions most readers might already be asking are used to provide continuity and bring the focus back to just how all this matters to us. -Gloria Lee Goes straight to the heart of the matter. -Dhyan Dewyea I love the title and the simplicity of the book's design. The simplicity extends itself throughout the text. -Vicki Woodyard You will find a language of the spirit which points beyond language itself, which points to the deep heart of all understanding - deep in the realisation of ONE. -Roy Whenary ONE: Essential Writings on Nonduality |
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Nonduality Books Received (the most recently received book listed at the top)
A Commuter's Guide to Enlightenment, by Dr. Stewart Bitkoff. This is a beautifully explicated work founded in Sufi tradition, which instructs on how to be free from the control of your thoughts. Bitkoff communicates on many levels, from the most obvious and practical to the utterly divine. Prayer, positive thinking, therapeutic meditation and breathing, surrender to God, are all weaved into this story in such a way that you don't always know that you are being instructed. Whether you are looking for some peace of mind to get you through your daily commute, or if you are pursuing a much deeper understanding of life, this book will serve you outstandingly. Because Bitkoff instructs on many levels, keep this book around for a long time. You never know when some portion of it will begin to make new sense to you. I suggest reading the entire book now and parts of it every 3000 miles. -Jerry Katz
Living Deeply: The Art & Science of Transformation in Everyday Life, by Schlitz, et. al., editors. Living Deeply transcends any one approach by focusing on common elements of transformation across a variety of traditions, while affirming and supporting the diversity of approaches across religious, spiritual, scientific, academic, and cultural backgrounds. Each chapter in the book ends with "Experiences of Transformation," exercises drawn from wisdom traditions or scientific investigations meant to enhance your direct experience of the material. Opportunities to actively engage in your own transformation and that of our world are woven into the fabric of your everyday life. Learning more about the terrain of consciousness transformation can not only give you a map, but can help you become the cartographer of your own transformative journey. Research over the last decade at the Institute of Noetic Sciences has systematically surveyed hundreds of people's stories of their own transformations, as well as conducting over 50 in-depth interviews with teachers and masters of the world's spiritual,religious, and transformative traditions. -from Amazon.com
The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore, by Deepak Chopra. The theme is separation or duality and how to overcome it by knowing Jesus as God-consciousness or self-realization or Truth. The theme is supported by scores of quotations, with explanations, from the New Testament and the Gospel of Thomas. Chopra calls these texts the gospel of enlightenment. Excellent chapters on practice in which Jesus is secondary and Chopra's universal teaching expressed throughout his books is primary. Social commentary regarding Christianity and gay rights, abortion, and women's right, finish the book, but who is listening? The fundamentalist Christians have long discarded this book. -Jerry Katz
The Sanskrit-English Philosophical Wordlist is a compendium with about three thousand five hundred terms compiled in order to help the author (Christopher Freeland) read and study Shankaras Kevaladvaita system of philosophy, which logically enough refers to terms employed by other Hindu and Buddhist philosophical systems, as well as some inevitable mythological references. There is a definite bias towards non-dualistic thought and in the interpretation of the terms. Entries are in Devanagari script with a romanised transliteration, where possible the Sanskrit root word has been included with the entry to satisfy curiosity or aid further investigation. For etymologists concerned by historical setting, textual reference is often provided in which the expression appears and thus the time of its use can then be deduced. The wordlist is intended for students of Indian philosophy and language. Foreword by Professor J.Gonda of Utrecht University. 432 pp, quarto hardback bound edition, price 50 euros. Payment by PayPal, available at thaitoff@gmail.com
The Yoga Vasishta Ramayana (YVR) is an eleventh century (CE) text and probably the earliest extant treatise on Vedanta. As is common to the Indian tradition in such matters, it is in dialogue form. Unlike the Gita, which albeit very inspiring and wonderfully enriching as it meanders in a more worldly and human context, the YVR goes directly to the point and repeatedly drives home what is required for mans salvation an end to mentation, for everything in any world is just ideation. As fresh today as it was no doubt when Valmiki wrote it a thousand odd years ago, the message is simple and compelling. For the first time, I think, a free rendering of pertinent selected sections from the original Sanskrit text was translated and edited by Swami Pranav Tirtha and Swami Chidananda Tirtha (aka Christopher Freeland), as part of the latters apprenticeship. 165 pp, quarto hardback bound edition, price 35 euros. Payment by PayPal, available at thaitoff@gmail.com
Imposter, by Richard Beymer. A fictional autobiography of a self-obsessed Hollywood actor's failed attempt to find out who he is in the midst of madness, murder, mayhem, masturbation and meditation, while secretly making home movies of the girl next door with his 1950s wind-up Bell and Howell 16 mm camera. [from Amazon.com]
Beyond Awakening: The End of the Spiritual Search, by Jeff Foster. This is a book about the utterly obvious. It's about the spiritual search, and the frustrations surrounding it. It's about those ultimate goals we set ourselves: enlightenment, awakening, liberation, and how those goals can never actually be reached, because - and here's the great discovery ¿ the person who seeks them has no more reality than a presently-arising belief. That is to say, "you" are just a thought, happening now. A sequel to the bestselling " Life Without A Centre: Awakening from the Dream of Separation", this book is packed with clear and vibrant expressions of nonduality. Time and time again, the text gently points back to the futility of both the spiritual search, and the "search to end the search" (another game the mind loves to play). With great humour, compassion and clarity, the book will draw you into a direct confrontation with your own absence, an absence which, paradoxically, is also a perfect presence. This may be the last book a spiritual seeker will ever need. [from Amazon.com]
The Great Undoing, by Stuart Schwartz. Some of the aphorisms are presented from the first person perspective of the individual who at times exults in new found freedom and at others awakens only to a new found appreciation of his or her awful predicament as a body/mind. Others bespeak teachings directly from the mouth of the Impersonal Itself. Whatever the form, these Western sutras are uncompromising in their spirit and message. Characteristically, when asked, Stuart describes them simply as 'disarming.' They are both a map of Advaita's 'pathless path' and a statement beyond fact. "The Great Undoing is a remarkable book, tender and fiercely direct, it feeds discernment! Thank you, Stuart." Pamela Wilson [from Amazon.com]
We Are All One, by J. M. Harrison. This powerful, transformational book of consciousness will benefit all spiritual truth-seekers. Written from an enlightened perspective of oneness following a near death experience, it provides not just a feeling but a potential realization that we are all part of something far greater. 'We Are All One' indicates signposts to the space beyond ordinary conscious thought, awakening the reader to the interconnectedness of all consciousness ( the Source of all being) via the use of innovative descriptions and concepts. [from Amazon.com]
Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, by Michael Gluckman. "Making Your Wisdom Come Alive" points to the source of timeless Wisdom, the place of enlightenment. This is bliss that does not depend on what you do or what you think. It is free from the ups and downs in life. This is the Wisdom that spiritual masters, such as Christ, Shankara, and Buddha want you to understand and to experience. This book takes you step by step from your everyday experience to the essence of universal spiritual experience, which turns out to be the surprising source of happiness. It also points to the meaning of the famous aphorism: Know Thyself. For more information go to www.light-up-your-life.com/wisdom.html. [from Amazon.com]
Awake Joy, by Katie Davis, is a unique and comprehensive guide to awakening and enlightenment. It points to the joy that is beyond the thinking mind, the separate sense of self, its idea of separation and identification with form. Katie Davis takes the mind-identified reader through their personal growth strategies to awakening. She then deepens to Self-discovery or what we might call the realization of the Heart. Awake Joy is designed to be your companion throughout your lifes journey to enduring fulfillment. This A-Z handbook points pragmatically for those who are ready to surrender suffering for themselves and the world.
Free Spirit, by Sundance Burke, speaks as freedom, which is our Consciousness, the sweet essence of our lives. The freedom spoken here is an inner knowing. We cannot realize this liberation by catering to our bodies, emotions or minds. No, this freedom is spiritual; an altitude of perception that only arises when we are lighter than our surroundings. We can realize this lightness of being if we are willing to abide as Awareness and let go of the ego, the one who suffers mind. For this enlightenment to happen, a quiet mind is all we need and Awareness is our way. A guide to simply being.
The Voice for Love, by DavidPaul and Candace Doyle.
Teaches how to hear the Voice of God described in A Course in Miracles. In the book, DavidPaul and Candace ask
the Holy Spirit over 100 questions about hearing this Voice
within. They also share their personal experiences of hearing
God's Voice and receiving the many gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Doyle's nonprofit organization, The Voice for Love Foundation, also offers a number of prayer related
resources, such as an online prayer requests page and a comprehensive serenity prayer page.
2 + 2 = Reality, by William Samuel. There is a simple and gentle Light within these pages that will change your life and make all things new. It can! It will! But it is a message only the Heart can find. Search with the Heart and you will find it.
The Child Within Us Lives, by William Samuel. If one thinks his religion, his philosophy, or his theology is the means to finding the FINAL Answer, he is mistaken. The Child of Light and Love is the pathfinder, the guide, the wayshower up the mighty mountain in Kwangse Province. Science, religion and philosophy can take us a great distance, but the Child takes us to Dominion. It is absolutely essential that we actually get in touch with the eternal Child. How do we do that? Now we are coming to reason for this book.
A Guide to Awareness and Tranquility, by William Samuel. This volume is intended to prove to the reader that the awakening to Reality is nearly effortless. Tender, childlike simplicity and honesty are the hallmarks of Reality's Tranquillity. The nearly effortless practice of the tender precepts spoken of in this work will open the reader's door to a tangible, practical, down to earth bedrock, unfluctuating Tranquillity such that nothing the world has to offer can prevail against it! Such is the scope of this book. Make of it what you will.
The Awareness of Self-Discovery, by William Samuel. A companion to A GUIDE TO AWARENESS AND TRANQUILLITY--- It will expand the themes presented in that book and permit a degree of insight into the not always easy, but requisite living of them... this book is intended for those who want peace of mind and are prepared for it. Those who are prepared are those who are willing to leave old landmarks--willing to forsake ego and intellectuality. Those who do will find these words instantaneously effective.
Boom: Poems from the Deep, by Yosy Flug. BOOM contains the mystical magical musings of an old soul. A marvel of enlightenment and freedom. The poems in this book will forever change you linger like jasmine a spring nighttime or a distant wailing flute with full lingering heat on the tongue. Come to the deep and then emerge. BOOM! [from Amazon]
The Secret of Letting Go, by Guy Finley. Guy Finley filled his book, The Secret of Letting Go, with examples and stories that illustrate his concepts of how to let go of all the emotional baggage that drags down our spirits and often makes life a painful journey. Finley says that we "don't need strength to let go of something. What you really need is understanding; and that's how this book will help you accomplish your lifelong dreams of being truly strong and independent." He explains that our inner selves are like hot air balloons, always trying to soar, and we hold them down by not letting go of the "angry attitudes, wasteful wishes, [and] harmful habits" that offer false promises of strength. [from Amazon.com review]
Roadsigns on the Spiritual Path, by Philip Goldberg. The essential guide to navigating the paradoxes of the spiritual path, whether you've been on it for 30 days or 30 years. Full of travel trips for those who think for themselves, this book helps readers come to grips with their spiritual dilemmas and arrive at fresh insights through the best kind of guidance--that which springs from their own self-awareness. Regardless of their chosen paths, readers will discover their personal spiritual truths with the aid of this guide. [from Amazon.com]
Earth Mind Spirit Mind, by Ishtahota (Greyeyes). The bible calls fear evil; of the dark side. The warriors face theirs and walk through it to follow their heart. The coward runs from fear. We create our heaven and our hell right here, by the choices we make. [from Amazon.com]
Yoga of the Ancient Kashmir Tradition, by Jay Rossi. The practice of Kashmir Yoga is designed to return you home to the heart of what is natural. This ancient form of Yoga, derived from eighth century Kashmir teachings intertwined with functional anatomy and the latest insights into our nervous system has a magical effect on mind, body and heart, using imagery, explorations in asanas and spacious breathing, you may find yourself awakening into your 'light open free state'. [from the website]
The Holy Longing, by Connie Zweig. What is the urge that
drives people to search for God, to join religious movements, or
to undertake a spiritual practice? In her counseling work with
clients from every religious denomination, Connie Zweig found
that this universal yearning-a secret feeling with many
disguises-often lies hidden at the source of our life stories.
The obscure object of desire calls us to follow it, and we
respond, even unknowingly. We pursue a romantic union, imagining
that it will finally meet our deepest needs. Or we long for the
light of God and undertake a demanding religious practice or
discipleship, hoping that it will quench our thirst.
But sometimes our religious yearning goes awry. We may attribute
it to an authoritarian personality who abuses us, leaving us
feeling shocked and betrayed. Or we may direct our holy longing
to another world, devaluing the pleasures of human life. Or
worse, like cult members or fundamentalists, we may mistake death
for transcendence and sacrifice our lives for paradise.
If you feel a gnawing yearning beneath your other yearnings no
matter how many desires you satisfy; if you feel disillusioned
with traditional religions but seek spiritual values and
practices elsewhere; if you or a friend or family member suffer
from religious abuse but long to rekindle the flame of faith,
then this book can guide you from spiritual innocence through
loss to spiritual maturity. [from Amazon.com]
Life Beyond Belief, by Alice Gardner. Alice Gardner's personal touch creates a bond with the reader. She leads you from exactly where you are -- physically, emotionally, spiritually -- through layers of beliefs, programming, and conditioning, to a place of greater freedom. Gardner says you find the truth of your existence regardless of the context in which your life is currently being live or what your mental conditioning is. You don't have to go to a monastery. You don't have to get divorced. You don't have to go on a diet. You don't have to do anything other than look where Alice Gardner points you. -Jerry Katz
Non-Dualiteit, by Jerry Katz. Dutch translation of One: Essential Writings on Nonduality.
Back to the Truth: 5000 Years of Advaita, by Dennis Waite. Back to the Truth is an extensive overview of Advaita, a teaching whose source is the Upanishads. Advaita is the philosophy and teaching that reality is "not two." Dennis Waite quotes nearly 150 teachers of Advaita, about half of whom are living, and 378 sources are cited as references. -Jerry Katz
The Book: On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, by Alan Watts. Alan Watts was the Carl Sagan of nonduality. That is, he spoke eloquently, plainly, quotably, and memorably about the essential truth of his sphere of interest, which could be called nonduality, truth, IT, That, or This, or Who You Are. -Jerry Katz
Beyond the "I": Notes on Waking Up to Oneness, by Dhyan Dewyea. "Beyond the I" is a story of a life in which spiritual strategies were implemented and none worked. The author's life fell apart. Perhaps you realize that your spiritual strategies brighten and improve a false self, leaving you feeling incomplete. Maybe you sense, intuit, feel, something deeper, vaster, the "indescribable dimension of reality." Or maybe you don't intuit any of that and you simply feel imprisoned. Either way, if these statements fit you, then let this book guide you beyond yourself. -Jerry Katz
Consciousness is All: Now Life is Completely New, by Peter Francis Dzuiban. Consciousness Is All is a book on Absolute Reality, sometimes called Infinite Reality. It shows clearly why only Consciousness Itself - also known as the One Self, I Am, Love, Life, the Divine, God, and other terms - is being conscious right here, now. Consciousness is absolutely all there is of all there is. Simply nothing exists outside of, or beyond, Consciousness. As Consciousness is All or One - It thus is not a higher Self, but the only Self. It precludes there being another, lesser consciousness that has to or can become anything. No transformation is necessary or even possible. This shatters the myth of a would-be secondary self struggling to get at-one with a vague "god." Read this book as if It were Consciousness, the One Self, talking to Itself. [from Amazon.com]
Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment, by Deepak Chopra. The purpose of this book is to communicate, through the story of Buddha, what it means to be aware. The author presents an awake person, Buddha, and shows that he is not different than you. Buddha is you. You are Buddha. At one level this book is a beautifully written, entertaining, moving novel. I was captivated by Chopra's storytelling. At a deeper level we find the teaching of Buddha set forth: the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. At the deepest level, this book is about you, a you that is illusory. -Jerry Katz
Like a Splinter in Your Mind: The Philosophy Behind The Matrix Trilogy, by Matt Lawrence. Leads readers through the myriad of philosophical themes within the Matrix trilogy, helping them to gain a better understanding of the films and of philosophy itself. [from Amazon.com]
From Here to Here: Turning Toward
Enlightenment, by Gary Crowley. Breezy and usable, this is one of
the best introductory books in mainstream nonduality. This book
is a very accessible remedy to the gnawing intuition that there
is something beyond an existence in which we struggle and suffer.
The subtitle, "Turning Toward Enlightenment," expresses
the idea of the book. We can turn. We can see things in a new
way. This new way will help us develop the intuition that there
is "something more," more real than the life most
people call "reality."
So how does Crowley go about getting the reader to turn toward
enlightenment? He starts with neurology and shows that there is
no conscious will and therefore no suffering. In other words, he
shows that you are not. That's the first half of the book. In the
second half he takes what's left, which is "what is,"
and shows how to live in the this-here-now.
This book reads very clearly, with many stories and examples and
8 or so graphics showing optical illusions. Gary makes the
difficult understandable. -Jerry Katz
The Way of Knowledge, by cee. The book covers pre-inquiry considerations: the nature of Advaita, nonduality, and enlightenment; the sense of your existence; the nature of oneness, searching, and happiness. Cee then instructs on inquiry without compromise; how to inquire until every iota, every vestige of identity is eliminated: "You cannot hold on to your identity and inspect it at the same time. The ego is not going to come out triumphant. An earnest aspirant will diligently root out the actual ideas that make up his or her persona, inspect them thoroughly and understand the illusory nature of ego." -Jerry Katz
Radiant Mind: Awakening Unconditioned Awareness, by Peter Fenner. The purpose of Radiant Mind is to turn the reader's attention toward cultivating unconditioned awareness in the midst of everyday experience. Peter Fenner is a well known teacher, writer, scholar, and counselor. In the world of nonduality, Radiant Mind is one of the few all-encompassing, structured nondual teachings for students of the early 2000s. If your current involvement with nondual teachings is unsatisfactory, you may be very pleased with the breadth and depth of Radiant Mind. I recommend investigating it. -Jerry Katz
From Archaelogy to Metis: A Walk to
Nonduality,
by James M. Corrigan
James Corrigan writes on his website, "I have not
studied with any particular teacher, although I
have researched, and continue to research, many different
philosophical and spiritual systems. ...
[I] went back to school to get a PhD at age 50 so that I could
engage people on a philosophical
level -- for that after all, is what I am talking about."
Corrigan studies in the philosophy
department at Stony Brook University in New York. His prior full
time work was designing and
developing computer software for Fortune 50 companies.
The purpose of this book is to turn the reader's view of
reality toward the nondual. The author
says, "There is a fundamental assumption behind this work:
that our difficulties are all indirectly
caused by the way we view ourselves and the world around us, and
that this must change if we are to
survive, prosper, and find happiness once again."
This book is a philosophical presentation of the teaching
of nonduality. James Corrigan uses a
refined language to describe Awareness, one that establishes a
position of strength from which to
make judgments about world and self. The terminology includes
archaelogy (not archaeology),
apodictic, animadversion, omnific, surjectivity (and
subjectivity), and others. These terms are
available in a glossary, a wise and very useful inclusion at the
back of the book.
Even the term "is" is included in the glossary and
discussed within the book in a way that
demonstrates the author's sharpness of consideration:
"Thus the statement `Awareness is real' can be interpreted
as meaning: That which is necessary and
non-contingent is presence for that which arises from it. The
pitfall in this way of thinking is,
as always with Awareness, to find some implication of separate
existence in the above statement for
Awareness. The difficulty with the copulative verb `to be' points
up a very significant problem in
delving deeper into Awareness. Language and discursive reasoning
are inapplicable beyond a certain
point. It is fine to talk abstractly about the concept of
awareness; it is an error to do so about
the real Awareness."
Further description of this book can be given by showing how this
terminology comes together:
"Our habitual dichotomization of the mind and the body does
not hold in the surjective view of
reality in which Awareness animadverts, bringing into being and
giving rise to consciousness of,
that which it animadverts upon. It doesn't matter if this focus
is a thought or a rock." ...
"Awareness animadverts the world, including the framework
and structure of it, spatially and
temporally." ... "It is disconcerting to hold that the
phenomena upon which Awareness animadverts
exist, but have no separate reality and are not founded upon some
substratum apart from Awareness."
Not disconcerting to those with Understanding, but to those who
have lost happiness, who see things
materialistically or physicalistically, and create lives and
communities of difficulty and
essential poverty. Ultimately, this book addresses ethics
and reformation of consciousness, and
calls for understanding the wholeness of reality.
While this book is pure philosophy, Corrigan makes note of the
limitations: "Philosophy has been
little more than a propagandizing of positions for at least the
last two thousand years because
each philosopher had an end-point in mind when they began the
construction of their system. That is
the nature of reasoning itself. It is always goal-directed.
Poetry is therefore a much better
vehicle for the `Love of Wisdom' that philosophy purports to be.
How then, do we find the truth?"
How do we find truth? Well, answers are found throughout
the book. In words that are relevant to
philosophy itself, Corrigan points to the discovery of truth:
"...thinking is a type of phenomenon
that arises due to the activity of Awareness and not due to some
phenomenal aspect of the world --
that which Awareness gives rise to. That is, it is not something
that supervenes upon some aspect
of the world. Nor is there any foundation for positing something
separate and apart from Awareness
itself. If we assume the form of the world in which matter and
mind are two separate and distinct
classes of being, then we must deal with where and how Mind
arises. If we do not make any such
assumption, but instead attend to what it is that does occur 'in
reality,' and what the source of
these 'occurrences' are, then we have no such dualistic
problem."
An Introduction to Awareness is a philosophical walk
toward an understanding of nonduality.
Energized by metis, this book will fully change the world view of
one who feels contained within a
dualistic reality. From Archaelogy to Metis: A Walk to
Nonduality,
by James M. Corrigan
Mystery Not Mastery: Groundbreaking Non-duality, by Guy Smith. "...combines exquisitely detailed and diverse exposition with linguistic artistry for the most comprehensive and literary of non-duality texts. It is groundbreaking too in several different ways. For instance, it charts the evolution of dualisms right from womb-sentience through to death, it details what its like beyond death, and it exposes the outrageous trickeries of language: how even as words say words cannot tell the truth, they speak as though they are telling the truth (and the mind-blowing implications of this for non-dual discourse). As an appendix, it also includes a luxurious 55,000 Word Coral Reef of Correspondence: a teeming ecosystem of email exchanges on non-duality from all around the world "
The Metaphysical Intuition. Seeing God with Open Eyes: Commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita. Swami Siddheswarananda. Translated by André van den Brink. Excerpts may be read in Highlights #2616 and #2619. "In these last writings of Swami Siddheswarananda, the former head of the French Ramakrishna Order, the Swami sought to convey an experience of intuition beyond logic, outside the play of opposites, through which we will be better able to understand the nature of reality. To elucidate his meanings and make them accessible, he draws on the writings of others including Meister Eckhart, Ramana Mararshi, Shankara, Hubert Benoit, Ramakrishna and Vivekananda."
The Sublime Homecoming, by Mukesh Eswaran. "An American scientist struggles to reconcile the theory of evolution with the claims of spirituality. The novel traces his arduous odyssey to self-discovery in a secular life, ending in a crisis that decidedly resolves his doubts about the compatibility of spirituality and evolution." The teaching of nonduality in the form of a carefully structured and well-written novel.
Who Am I? The Sacred Quest, by Jean Klein. "A beautiful and penetrating series of dialogues with Jean Klein which, uniquely amongst his published works, have been loosely organised by subject. Topics include: Relationship; The Nature of Thinking; The Art of Listening; A conversation on Art, etc."
Be Who You Are, by Jean Klein. Be Who You Are is one of the earliest published books of dialogues with Jean Klein. Written in the lucid and eloquent style which characterises his work, each chapter is composed of an introductory discourse followed by questions and answers. Excerpt: "The 'eternal present', our theme in these meetings, lies within the depth of ourselves. It is the eternal awareness of the Self. Seen from the Ultimate, the world projected by the mind appears and disappears, in other words, it "becomes". When we talk of time and space, it must be thoroughly understood that their reality is relative, it is a reality in the world of becoming. But beyond space-time is that stillness which knows no becoming."
A Non-Duality Press Sampler. Selections from the writings of various authors published by Non-Duality Press. Included are short biographical introductions to the authors and extracts from each of their books. A short book of 77 pages.
Enlightenment for Beginners: Discovering the Dance of the Divine, by Chuck Hillig. This classic, praised by Deepak Chopra, Dan Millman, Ken Wilber, and many others, has been re-published by Sentient Publications. The book has a fresh new look and feel to it. "Enlightenment for Beginners is the simple account of how and why youve been imaging yourself to be only a