8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nonduality with Clarity and Highly Energetic, May 27, 2008
This review is from: Free Spirit: A Guide to Enlightened Being (Hardcover)
I was looking forward to reading this book after attending an intensive with him in Toronto. Energetically, it was one of the most profound satsangs that I have ever attended and I have sat with many.
I loved this book for the energetic stillness that I sensed while I was reading and I also appreciated Sundance's ability to communicate the principles of nonduality with such clarity. I read a little of Nisargadatta's "I Am That" every day and it has been one of my favorites, although often I cannot understand what he is explaining. Sundance's insights are deep and profound, but he speaks in such a pragmatic manner that points us directly to the heart of awareness. He brilliantly demystifies the process of awakening to who we really are in a grounded and intelligent way.
I was especially helped by the section on Self-inquiry. In fact, it may be one of the clearest presentations that I have ever read. The chapter entitled "Realizing Freedom Now" was also helpful by making me more conscious of the root of all suffering in order to transcend this fear of the unknown.
Rather than conceptually telling us how to Self-realize, he asks the right questions and then points us where to look, so that we discover directly the deeper insights. Finally, he has a good sense of humor and in case you haven't noticed, this path can sometimes be quite strange.
I recommend this book for people who are interested in awakening and for those who are ready to go the distance and realize the Truth.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Deeply Inscribed Invitation, March 27, 2008
This review is from: Free Spirit: A Guide to Enlightened Being (Hardcover)
Free Spirit is a calmly breathed introduction to nondual teachings. Beyond that, it is a deeply inscribed invitation to inquire, ask questions, and simply see what is obvious. While there are notes of surrender, the dominant tone is that of self-inquiry.
Lots of questions:
There are entire pages filled with questions, and they culminate in the chapter entitled Realizing Freedom Now, which is about how to practice self-inquiry. "The direct inquiry is: Absent thought or any identification with its appearance ... Who am I? Living within this question is the opening to its answer."
The use of questions aligns with the book's purpose, which is "not to give you more objective knowledge about yourself, as you cannot know yourself as an object is known." We need to "deeply feel and witness our existence."
Theme - Beliefs:
Sundance makes it very clear that belief is not discriminative intelligence, rather beliefs are artificial and do not bear on reality. Beliefs leave us in a bad situation of limitation, fear, and inability to release them.
Theme - Suffering:
The author reminds us not to get attached to suffering since it is tied to beliefs and, like beliefs, suffering does not change reality.
The only hope for release from the grip of beliefs and suffering, it might be said, is hopelessness. I like how Sundance says it: "The beauty of hopelessness is that when we truly encounter hopelessness, we STOP! ... and settle into Self. We experience simply being. We are absolutely present and disarmed of all mental and emotional protection."
Twin Books:
While Sundance Burke focuses on questions and self-inquiry, his wife Katie Davis in her book,
Awake Joy, which is the twin to this one, is more inclined toward surrender. The books make a valuable pair.
Jerry Katz
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wonderful Reminder of the Truth of Who We Are, March 1, 2008
This review is from: Free Spirit: A Guide to Enlightened Being (Hardcover)
Sundance Burke in Free Spirit compassionately invites us to notice the Awareness in which everything is happening instead of being lost in the content of the mind and experience. He continually points us back to the place of Freedom, Peace, and Love, which is our true nature. It is clear that Sundance is intimately familiar with this place of Freedom, and reading Free Spirit brings us into it as well. His writing is clear, and his tone is that of a true spiritual friend--one who has the wisdom of experience and the joy that inspires him to share it. -Gina Lake, author of
Radical Happiness: A Guide to Awakening
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