This complete guide to enlightenment presents the wisdom of the ancient science of self-inquiry, a time-tested means for achieving spiritual freedom. The author convincingly refutes the popular view that enlightenment is a unique state of consciousness and debunks a host of other myths. In his straightforward style he reveals proven methods for purifying the mind, and takes the reader from the beginning to the end of the spiritual path, patiently unfolding the logic of self-inquiry.
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
The Vision of Nonduality explains methods of Vedanta in his survey of spiritual techniques, pairing theory with practice and explaining the myths and realities behind an enlightened state. From reflections on moving to a larger living space and clutter to assimilating experiences, How to Attain Enlightenment is a powerful survey any new age library needs.
-The Bookwatch, May 21, 2010
About the Author
James Swartz grew up in Montana and attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin and the University of California at Berkeley before finding his niche in the world of business. He saw great success as a businessman, but in 1967 he experienced a major epiphany that turned him away from that path. Instead, he traveled to India on a spiritual journey, searching for the path to enlightenment. It was here that he learned of the famous Indian sage Swami Chinmayananda, whose knowledge and teachings proved to be the means to set James free. Now a disciple of the sage, James travels extensively to cities in America, Europe, and India to hold seminars on Vedanta, the science of self-inquiry. He provides resources for understanding non-duality through his website, www.shiningworld.com. James has previously self-published two non-fiction books: Meditation: An Inquiry into the Self (1998) and The Mystery Beyond the Trinity (1998).
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real Avaita,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: How to Attain Enlightenment: The Vision of Nonduality (Spirituality Religious Experie) (Paperback)
This is quite an honor to give the first Amazon book review for this Swartz book as it just might be the best Advaita/Vendanta (Science of Self Inquiry) written by a Westerner. I have read numerous Neo-Advaita books and 90% of them leave my head spinning with concepts that blow the mind (i.e. `You are no thing', `Just look, its right in front of you', `There is nothing for you to do, you are already IT' and on and on). This book will stop the spinning remarks and get you anchored in real Vendanta (knowledge). Swartz asks that `you become immersed' in the book and that is what happened in my case. If you think you have to drop the Mind, the Ego and the Intellect to become enlightened you had better read this book as these tools are the vehicle that will help you get there.
Why can't I see that `I am pure, unlimited Awareness'? Swartz will tell you exactly why and offers the proven methods to realize Awareness [Self]. These concepts are not Swartz's concepts; they go way back to the ancient Indian scriptures. They are proven, scientific methods of realizing the Self. Swartz has an excellent understanding of these methods and his presentation is easy to follow. I copied his triangular illustration of Self Awarness to keep handy as I read the book and I marked it up [as well as my book!] with notes as I progressed through the book. It summarizes quite well the condition of the 3 bodies all wrapped up in ignorance [Maya] through the 3 energies. There is so much more I can't begin to adequately summarize it. If you are serious about Advaita Vendanta, then you better get serious about getting this book. And don't forget his website at [...]. He has some of the key scriptures you can print off. Thanks James, I was getting pretty dizzy! Now I know what to do.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The complete and time-tested driver's manual of Advaita Vedanta,
By
This review is from: How to Attain Enlightenment: The Vision of Nonduality (Spirituality Religious Experie) (Paperback)
Although provocative, this book lives up to its title, as it unfolds the complete methodology of Advaita Vedanta, which purpose is to attain Self realization. I will not explain what Self realization is, as anyone slightly familiar with Vedanta already knows about this.
After some initial interest in some modern teachers of Non-Duality (namely Tolle), I decided to read a few classics, such as "Be As You Are" and "I am THAT", which moved me deeply but failed to provide me with day-to-day tools. I was then led to James' book, "How to Attain Enlightenment", after quite some consideration about where to go next. The author has learned from Swami Chinmayananda in India, former leader of a vast Vedanta mission. He has subjected his mind to the full teaching tradition, removed his self ignorance and went on to study numerous ancien texts for several decades. He walks the talk and is quite agile at delivering clear and down to earth explanations about anything related to the topic of interest. He isn't just throwing at you a few Neo Advaita half-truths, feel good methaphors or even his personal experience of the Self. The whole methodoloy is exposed in a practical, logical and meticulous way and all of it makes complete sense as you contemplate it. To me, this book is like my bible. I have read it multiple times and refer to it constantly. Since initially getting the book a year ago, I have made a lot of progress and my psychology has totally defrosted. This book helped me develop the qualities such as dispassion and discrimination. Following Vedanta's tradition, you find all relevant topics such as the limitations of object happiness, the qualifications for self realization, the three yogas (karma, bhakti and jnana), the gunas and so forth. The author's real life examples are quite entertaining too and the reader can easily recognize him or herself in them. At first it may be hard to grasp all the teachings, as it can get quite dense and everything is totally interconnected. Over time, if you expose your mind to it consistently, the truth will stick to it more and more and you will find yourself agreeing with what is taught, because your own experience and logic will point towards the same understanding. This book delivers the template from which to conduct your life if you are interested in developping a pure mind, one which will be able to understand and assimilate the knowledge that culminates in the realization "I am the Self".
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lives Up to Its Title,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: How to Attain Enlightenment: The Vision of Nonduality (Spirituality Religious Experie) (Paperback)
I hesitated on this book at first because of the title but, having read through it once I can say it does deliver on its promise. On going back through and highlighting my original highlights I can see how there are enough gems, and a wide sweep of valuable ideas, to make for an extended and valuable study.
As I began reading the first chapter or two I found myself feeling impatient for the author to "get to the good stuff." Having read it all I can see how the beginnings were laying the groundwork for a patient, in-depth and very thorough exploration and preparation for what is to come--and it does come. I don't feel like anything was held back; it's all right here. The last chapter explores what the author considers to be some of the shortcomings of "neo-advaita." The critique is thoughtful and insightful, and the body of the book as a whole furnishes enough in-depth background to understand the basis of his point of view. His occasional characterizations of seekers and teachers is delightfully snippy, bringing a smile and an occasional cringe when the snippy approaches the all too familiar. His website, shiningworld.com, is full of very good content as well. I had to explore the whole site before I finally bought the book. What always used to put me off about yoga and vedanta was the inferred exclusivity of it all, "only for the truly dedicated seeker," etc. And then there was the solace of a possible "payoff" if only one were willing to be patient for what might be just a few more lifetimes. I just never was a gung-ho "seeker-type." But the inner drawing, on the other hand, the mystery that has sustained my curiosity for all these years, has never diminished. Whatever IT is, I used to think, is certainly already right here, right now. And this eloquent book clearly seems to agree. "Neo-advaita" has brought the ultimate human issue into the immediate present for many of us, and in a language that westerners can relate to. So personally I really have no criticism of it. But in my opinion, this book provides the missing backstory. If you feel drawn to the promised payoff that the title infers, get this book. I'm sure you'll enjoy it and appreciate how James Swartz has laid it all out so beautifully. Clearly, a lifetime of heart went into this work.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
So You'd Like to...
|
|
