Customer Reviews

Look for Yourself: The Science and Art of Self-Realization

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Harding exceeds the remarkable clarity of even his own previous work with this gem of clarity and insight into our fundamental nature. A "must read" for anyone who want to really "get" what Zen, Buddhism, Christianity, etc. have really been about - and to get it in a moment, instead of at the end of a lifetime's effort!

At first glance Harding's "headless" approach looks more like a gimmic than a spiritual exercise. Pretending that one has no head seems like something for children to do. Harding's methods help one break through the subject/object duality of experience. All experience begins with the "I" thought. With Harding's headless method the "I" is no longer idenfied with it's customary location in the head but with what one experiences.

I admit I had a hard time with some of his language as there seems to be a slight communication gap (for me anyway) between British and American english. It wasn't until I actually has a headless experience that I saw the profundity of his work. With so many spiritual texts sounding like the other this is truly a unique work and perspective.

mr harding has for half a century traveled the world sharing his view of our ultimate identity. he has also found time to write some great books. this is one of his best. for that matter it is one of THE best. he simplifies the in-seeing into our truest and deepest identity. with that seeing and realization comes a great clarity of who and what and where we really are. you could sit in zazen for 10 yrs or read this book in 3 hrs. either method has a very good chance of helping you know yourself in a truly new and wonderful and freeing way. most problems will shrink into a manageable size once you realize WHO has the problem. most joys will be increased when you see the wonder of their SOURCE. this book is profoundly spiritual without being dogmatic, sectarian, or emotionally icky. there's no superstition here, just a clear sweet insight into WHO you are and what I AM.

Thank you Douglas Harding.
After years of 'see-king' via Buddhism, Taoism, and other 'eastern' concept spiritualites which simply didn't work for me, I now 'see it' and I am so thankful to Doug Harding for saving me years more of endless searching (but not finding).
Jung said eastern spiritualities are not the best vehicle for the western mind and Douglas Harding has proved it.
A couple of important notes:
Note 1: I came across Doug Hardings work a couple of years ago and didn't 'see it' - I have since learnt about nonduality, and now 'see' thanks to Harding - for me, the concept of nonduality was an essential primer (but not the journey).
Note 2: Also indispensable to my 'see-ing' was a visit to Harding's web-site and the viewing of the marvelous films by Richard Lang (available via web site). I hope amazon will include this note in this review because the films were indispensable to my 'arriving at the other side'.
Want to be enlightened today? Than buy this book!

I am truly grateful to Douglas E. Harding for this superb book, which is a collection of articles by Douglas over nearly four decades. Every one of these is a gem. Mr. Harding teaches you how to look inward and how you can come to the realisation that what you are really is an infinite capacity for love. The Advaita concept which is not that easy to grasp has been lucidly demonstarted by this articulate sage. This book is a must for any seeker.

Love and best wishes.

I got bored with books on philosphy and eastern mysticism a few years ago because of the sorry collection usually carried by bookstores. I ordered this one, along with "I Am That" by some Indian chain smoker with an unusually long name, from Amazon and these two books make a great combo.

If you have an interest in philosophy, Buddhism, Advaita, or just someone on a spiritual search of any kind - this book is a must have. I would consider "Look for Yourself" to be in the same vain as Alan Watt's "The Taboo of Knowing Who You Are" & "The Wisdom of Insecurity". It's every bit as intelligent as Watt's writing but more accessable for the the western mind to comprehend. "Look for Yourself" offers clear explainations on exactly HOW you have become disconnected from yourself and also gives you practical advice on returning to the true nature of who you really are that has always been right in front of you.

Someone not familiar with eastern thought might find this book a bit confusing at first. But this book is a great companion for those who already have an understanding of concepts like "emptiness" and "no-mind". It's a shame this book only has five reviews and is so hard to find. It's much better than most of the popular spiritual literature you'll find at your local Barnes & Noble.

This one's a dandy and get's my highest recommendation.

Spiritual seekers are chronically crippled by the belief that there is a definite, though vaguely defined state that can be reached only by an elect few. Teachers needing followers are disinclined to tell them different. Douglass Harding speaks with a fresh voice and a unique method of questioning that assumption. He tells us that awakening is nothing special but our common human birthright.

I'll leave it to the reader to judge for him or her self. I spent years laboring under the delusion that if I spent enough time and effort I would reach a state that could be called "enlightened." Harding's simple experiments turn attention to the reality that who I think myself to be emerges from a state that is perfectly clear and perfectly imperturbable. That simple shift in perspective makes a difference. And he writes without a whiff of piety.

This is an excellent book as long as you have some exposure to non-duality, and some of Harding's other writings. In this, his essays discuss many of the objections one is likely to have when you follow this path. As a result, this can be an powerful spiritual experience.

For someone who supposedly arrived at the "understanding" Mr. Harding writes about it in seriously inarticulate and hard to follow way. Why it received such good reviews from others is a mystery. Whenever I come across something whether a movie or a book that's as bad as this one my first response is to throw it away or give it to someone I don't like. However; because I spent nearly $15 I instead (against my better judgement) donated it to a library. Don't waste your time or money on this author. For a clear, concise, razor sharp presentation on nonduality get the Jean Dunn edited trilogy on Nisargadatta Maharaj.