Customer Reviews

THE MOST DIRECT AND RAPID MEANS TO ETERNAL BLISS

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There is no way that words can capture just how powerful and potentially life-altering this book really is.

We, as a species have been searching.

But we've not been finding!

And so we go from one idea to another, from one system to another, from one book to another, hoping that we will stumble upon some way out of the suffering and confusion.

If you are interested in ending this seemingly endless search, you must own this book. When discussing books dealing with spirituality, the phrase "this is the last book you'll ever need" is tossed around a lot. Well, take it from someone who has read nearly a thousand books which could be considered "spiritual", if you are reading this, you've finally found it! You've truly found the last book you will ever need! And I don't say that lightly.

Michael Langford has written a book which shows the way to Freedom. I would even go so far as to say that it is the ONLY way to Freedom. If there is another, I have not been able to find it!

After reading the book, you'll understand why the human race is in the situation it is, collectively and personally. And more importantly, you'll understand how to end the delusion, end the fear, end the conflict. It is a very deep and incredibly profound book. But it is written very simply. There are no fancy concepts here. There is only Truth.

You can get this book and save yourself years of continued searching, or you can look for yet "one more door". But I urge you from my heart to get this book, do as it instructs, and walk through THIS door.

It is the doorway Home.

From the Introduction chapter of the book...

"11.It is possible to be free of all sorrow and suffering
and to experience
absolutely perfect infinite eternal joy
here and now in this lifetime.
12.It is possible for all humans,
not just a few humans.
13.There is a rapid means to
infinite bliss.
14. That rapid means is taught in this book."

This book is unique contribution. It is an 'Instruction manual for enligtenment'. It contains extremely practical step by step instruction to the 'direct experience of reality'. The first three chapters are devoted to understanding the ego and tricks of the ego and how it keeps one from waking up. These chapters are extremely insightful and I personally found it very useful. One of the several ego's tricks which I Identified in myself after reading the book was a preference to engage in endless reading and discussion instead of devoting time for actual practise. Then there is a chapter on the importance of the 'desire for liberation' and how it can dissolve all obstacles to enlightenment. There is a chapter devoted to 'how to awaken the extreme desire for liberation' which is also very insightful. There are two meditation practises offered for daily practise as the 'most rapid and direct means to direct experience of reality'. The first one is the 'Awareness Watching Awareness'(AWA) method, and the second one is the 'Abandon Release Method' (ARM). According to the author AWA is the most rapid and ARM is the second most rapid method. These two methods alone are worth the value of the book. There is an extremely useful chapter on further clarification on 'Awareness watching awareness' method which addresses all possible doubts or questions one might have during the practise. The author gives very practical tips and pointers to address any questions which might cloud the meditator's mind during practise.

E.G. from chapter eight...

"10. Don't expect any type of experience.
11. If you are wondering if you will have some kind of spiritual experience,
then that very wondering means
you have added something to
awareness watching awareness.
12.Never add anything to
awareness watching awareness.
13. The key is to be content just watching your awareness and not to move from that and not to add anything to that.
.
.
165. Don't expect any of the experiences described in this chapter. Expectation will destroy the effectiveness of the practice.
166. If it seems boring
the first few times you try the
awareness watching awareness practice, that is OK. Continue to practice."

Initially when I started practising AWA, I found it to be quite difficult. Then I took the authors suggestion in the book and practised ARM first for a few months and then swithed to AWA. It has been more than a year since I started practising seriously and the results are amazing, I can definitely say that I am on the right track. The following quotes are from chapter 6.

"67. From the very first moment one tries this practice, one is abiding as awareness!
68. There is no waiting!
69. It is so easy.
70. One does not mean to imply
that from the beginning the ego ends.
71. It takes years of continuous practice before the ego meets its final end.
72. However, from the moment one tries this simple, easy to understand practice, one is abiding as awareness!""

There are also several supplementary methods which are not meant for daily pracise but can be pracised once or twise to get a deeper understanding of the primary method. There is also a chapter titled 'reminder' which is meant to be read everyday to motivate one to practise the methods every day.

Well how does one know whether this is infact the 'most rapid and direct means to liberation'? Quoting the author from chapter 6.

"123. The only way to find out if the Awareness Watching Awareness Method works for you is to practice it.
124. If without trying it, you come to the conclusion that it will not work, then you have allowed the imposter (thinking)
to rob you of a great opportunity
125. With thinking you have a conclusion, an opinion, an assumption
that may be correct or may not be correct.
126. However, with practice, you will know for sure if it works for you or not.
127. Therefore, consider giving it
a sincere, fair try."

In my case, the unconditional joy and bliss that is starting to fill my being and is deepening with each practise session is enough confirmation that the AWA method really works.

Very Highly Recommended!

(The quotes are from the 4th edition of the book)

I've been a spiritual seeker most of my life. Over the years I've been heavily into various spiritual traditions, Zen, Sufism, Yoga, Christian mysticism, Hindu mysticism and martial arts. I've also aquired an extensive library of books written by or about every "enlightened" person that ever lived. Honestly, all I really succeeded in doing was creating a much more spiritual ego. I had just about given up on the idea of realizing Truth, when at age 57 I finally came across The Most Direct and Rapid Means to Eternal Bliss. I gotta tell you, I wouldn't care now if all my other books burned!
This book is it! The author tells you exactly what the ego is. Exactly how it works, and all it's strategies and tricks. He tells you exactly what you need to do, (practice awareness watching awareness, which was the method recommended by Ramana Maharshi and Nasargadatta) and how to do it. Yes, you will be able to read this book and perform the method correctly!
I've read quite a few books where the "enlightened" author tells you over and over to just look out at the world as your True Self. Right... But they offer nothing as to a method for arriving at that level of understanding? Not the case here. Nothing vague in this book. Nothing to guess about. Nothing to interpret. The author even cautions readers to read the book literally. He tells you that yes, he really means exactly what he is saying.
If you're tired of dead ends, if you really thirst for Absolute Truth, this could be the last spiritual book you ever buy.
My eternal gratitude to the author.

I've read a lot of books by "enlightened" teachers but never one that gave me such hope I could be one too. After having meditated for years just reading the name of the book's main excercise "awareness watching awareness" got me excited. It sounded so intuitively correct. Most meditation techniques involve watching your breath or your thoughts or your body etc. But watching your own awareness works SO much better. You really start to believe that "it is possible for all humans to be free of all sorrow and suffering and to experience absolutely perfect infinite eternal joy here and now in this lifetime" as the author claims. Yes the book is that good. The author also makes a very convincing argument to meditate hours a day. I find myself in the middle of an activity at times and I drop everything and meditate for an hour or two! I never meditated for more than 30 minutes before this book. I find myself experiencing deeper and deeper bliss during and after meditating. Wow!
One thing I would change about the book and this goes for many books of its kind is the idea of an "ego" that's trying to trick you. These same authors would tell you the egos not even real and that its just a false identity. So why personify a false limiting identity and see it as against you. Its much more useful to realize you're simply idenitifying with a limiting self concept. Then you have no enemy in your head to fight against and you're simply learning to expand your sense of self (Self) and detach from false ideas. (sorry I just I'd throw that in there. LOL)
So in summary a book that may just guide you to eternal bliss direcly and rapidly. Wow! Buy it. Practice it. Live happily ever after.

Langford says, "Awakening the extremely intense desire for Liberation is the most important first step that can be taken towards being liberated now in this lifetime."

Michael Langford is intense. Perhaps no one in our current times has provided a more intense and concentrated teaching.

The intensity of this book could awaken or uncover the intensity of your desire for enlightenment.

Michael even places scriptural values on the book: "This book is a new doorway for humanity." "There are more than fourteen hundred sentences in this book. Those sentences describe a very precise formula. If the formula is changed, the formula will usually no longer be effective."

This book could be your guru. No teacher is necessary other than this book and the methods described, Langford declares. Doing exactly what the author says could get you enlightened.

Michael spends a lot of time telling you to remove all distractions in your life and to hold only to your natural commitments: washing, eating, making a living, raising kids, etc. Michael doesn't tell you at what point brushing your teeth becomes an ego preservation strategy. However, that will become clear to you as you follow the practices.

By virtue of its intensity, commitment, declarations of greatness, and specificity and concentration of instruction, this book is scriptural in nature. That means it could have an immediate and great impact on the reader.

Jerry Katz

I had read that there was a difference between the false self and the true self in books I had read before. But I never knew exactly what that difference was until I read this book,
The Most Direct and Rapid Means to Eternal Bliss. Because the difference was described so clearly in this book, now I can tell the difference between the false self and the true self in my daily life. I also can now see how the false self has fooled all of the people of the earth and caused all of our problems. This book is written in such a clear, easy to understand language that I can for the first time see all of that and so much more! The solutions for all the problems of all the earth's people can be found in this book. I wasted so much time reading hundreds of religious books, books about meditation and new age books. I wish I had read this book, The Most Direct and Rapid Means to Eternal Bliss, fifty years ago.
I would not have wasted all that time reading all those other books that have so many extra words and so many detours and so many false paths. This book, The Most Direct and Rapid Means to Eternal Bliss, is the greatest book I have ever read. There is nothing else like it.
I thought there was nothing new under the sun, and this book appears! There is something new under the sun. It is like thinking that the light of the sun is the most powerful light and suddenly the light of a million suns appears! This book is like that. I think this book is destined to change the consciousness of the earth's people more than all the religions of the past combined. The reasons why we have not changed in the past are clearly pointed out in this book. How we can finally change and know the eternal beauty is also clearly pointed out in this book. Do yourself and all of the people of the earth a favor and read this book. This book is written so clearly it makes all the other books I read look like mud. This book was written from the heart of reality. Every word in this book is a valuable precious jewel.

These are my favorite quotes from the book:

Introduction: 11. It is possible to be free of all sorrow and suffering and to experience absolutely perfect infinite eternal joy here and now in this lifetime. 12. It is possible for all humans, not just a few humans. 13. There is a rapid means to infinite bliss. 14. That rapid means is taught in this book.

Chapter One: 17. If you turn your attention towards the awareness that wakes up in the morning, instead of towards people, places, things, thoughts, etc., eventually you will discover that awareness is infinite-eternal-awareness-love-bliss.

Chapter Three: 78. If you really wanted Truth, you would insist on Direct Experience. 80. The extremely intense desire for liberation is the key to ending the ego's tricks, and the book you are now reading contains step-by-step instructions for awakening the extremely intense desire for liberation. 84. Your motivation while reading is very important. 85. The correct motivations are (86-89): 86. Extremely intense Self-honesty. 87. An extremely intense desire to directly experience the infinite-eternal-absolute Truth. 88. A willingness to let go of all the ideas you have accumulated in the past. 89. An extremely intense longing to be free of sorrow and to live in eternal-joy.

Chapter Four: 23. When the desire for Freedom becomes even more intense you can see all of the ego's preservation strategies. 24. When the extremely intense desire for Liberation is awakened you will marvel at how it was possible you did not see the ego's preservation strategies before. 49. What if your desire for Liberation were a million times greater and more intense than it is now? 55. After the extremely intense desire for Freedom arises all is made clear and you have no doubts! 56. After the extremely intense desire for Freedom arises, for the first time you can see!

Chapter Five: 37. The extremely intense desire for Liberation is like an infinitely strong grip that grabs hold of the absolute goodness that has never known falsehood with a hold so strong that nothing can weaken that grip.

Chapter Six: 85. The significance of the Awareness Watching Awareness discovery is one of communication. 86. A human could be told to focus on the I AM and even after one hundred million lifetimes, still not know what the I AM is. 87. However, if told that the I AM is the awareness that appears to wake up in the morning, the background of awareness that is there during all the waking hours, and given specific instructions in how to turn the attention away from thought, etc., and towards awareness watching awareness, one can end the ego and suffering in this lifetime and remain eternally in bliss. 88. Those specific instructions are in Chapter Seven.

Chapter Eight: 131. If you remain content with awareness watching awareness, your problems will start to disappear. 132. Your misery will start to disappear. 133. Peace will come unexpectedly. 134. Joy will come unexpectedly. 135. Infinite Love will come unexpectedly. 143. Watching thoughts is not looking inward. 144. Watching feelings is not looking inward. 145. Watching breathing is not looking inward. 146. Only turning the attention away from the observed and towards the observer is looking inward. 147. Only awareness watching awareness is looking inward. 148. Looking inward is eternal liberation. 149. Looking inward is eternal life. 150. Looking inward is eternal awareness. 151. Looking inward is eternal peace. 152. Looking inward is eternal joy. 153. Looking inward is eternal Love that is absolutely perfect and free of all forms of sorrow and misery.

Chapter Eleven: 30. That infinite space is your awareness. 31. That infinite space is infinite love. 32. That infinite space is eternal life. 33. See the infinite freedom of infinite space. 65. Never again imagine that space is just nothing. 66. Space is that which is truly valuable. 67. Space is eternal life-awareness. 68. Space is infinite Love. 69. One being, one space, one infinite Love. 83. You are not a thinker living in a body in a world. 84. You are infinite-eternal-awareness-love-joy.

Chapter Thirteen: 70. This book contains a unique step-by-step formula beginning from the Introduction, through Chapter 13. 71. All of the steps, from a detailed description of the imposter, to understanding how the imposter arose, seeing the difference between the imposter and the true Self, understanding the imposter's tricks, the methods used to see that thought has no real foundation, the importance of awakening the extremely intense desire for liberation, the methods to awaken the extremely intense desire for liberation, the Awareness Watching Awareness Method, The Abandon Release Method, The Eternal Method, The Infinite Space Method, and the Loving All method are essential for most people, due to the tricks of the ego. 99. Doubt is a very valuable tool in the process of awakening. 100. You could begin by doubting all of the religious and spiritual teachings of the past. 101. Then doubt every human belief in all fields including science and philosophy. 102. Then doubt the validity, sincerity and existence of the doubter. Find out: who or what is the doubter? 103. Then practice the most direct and rapid means to eternal bliss. 104. Then, eventually, sooner or later, experience the absolute perfection of Infinite-Eternal-Awareness-Love-Bliss. Then continue to practice. 105. For this to happen you have to begin to care. 106. Care about Truth enough to see that the human past has been a falsehood. 107. Care about Truth enough to drop the past ideas, beliefs, concepts and opinions. Then begin a new life.

Chances are, by the time you've come across this book, you've probably read dozens more like it. You may have even gone to seminars, workshops, satsangs, and the like. You just may have even -gasp- done a little meditation or self-observation here and there! :) But the questions keep popping up: If I want to know or be the Truth right now - then what's stopping me? What is ego? How does it work? Or you may have some beliefs about the path: I've read all about theories and accounts of experiences that ended the search. But I just NEED the instructions! The exact do-this-and-that. Never mind that these questions and beliefs are just part of the dodge: you've read the answers to all these things over and over! All those books, all those seminars - but you were looking for the distilled instructions!
But, if by some Grace-filled movement of the light and sound show, you encounter this book, you will quickly discover that the style of teaching herein is VERY straightforward. Langford here addresses each of the issues mentioned above. No more excuses! It can't be explained any more simply (besides silence itself). If you fancy yourself a seeker, or you've been living with that yearning to end suffering and separation, do yourself a favor and read this book. And in the way that Langford suggests. You asked for a book that gets right to the point. Here it is.

There are lots of great spiritual books out on the market today, and many great teachers of varying degree of "development." In my opinion, this book takes the cake (in fact, it is the icing on the cake), and is the Real Deal. Someone once said that the sign of a brilliant Teacher is their ability to boil down complex topics and make them simple. Michael Langford has done just that. He has taken the milleniums of spiritual teachings and broken them down into their distilled practical essence. What he has come up with are the following ideas:
1) The ego, otherwise known as our thinking, is the source of our problems. He shows us how to identify when we are acting out of ego, and shows us many of the tricks that the ego plays to stay in control.
2) The Soul is our underlying awareness; it is not found by thinking, it is found by meditating on awareness. As we do this, we increase soul contact and there is an increasing amount of peace, bliss, joy and expansiveness that we experience in our daily lives

If you are looking for just another book that will satisfy your intellectual curiosity, this probably isn't it. If you are looking for a book with practical exercises that will allow you to have a Direct Experience of your Divine Nature, then you have found what you are looking for. And, this may very well be the last book you ever need on the topic. Is is the BEST book I have ever read on the subject, and has my highest recommendation.

While I have read it through once only and not yet read each chapter 3x as mentioned in the book, this is the result:
I have a sizable collection of 'spiritual' books which now appear totally pointless. And I do not say this lightly, because i really thought i had the best books on the subject.

Whereas before I read this book, I hung onto the other books in the hopes that I would reread them someday, and find new meaning in them, now I finally find myself content to use this book and a few others on yoga practice.
I plan to eventually give away my entire collection.

Thank you. I feel a lightness and a great deal of relief.
I do not know yet what liberation feels like but I intend to do the practices, and what will be will be.

This is the most direct and clear spiritual book I have ever
read.....no nonsense ...no stories....just clear and precise
explanations and instructions. Thank you very much.