Looking from Within: A Seeker's Guide to Attitudes for Mastery and Inner Growth [Paperback]

A.S. Dalal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1995

A seeker's Guide to Attitudes for Mastery and Inner Growth. All of the many approaches for the attainment of mastery and inner growth involve the cultivation of certain attitudes which are related to inner or psychological states from which we look at and react to everything in life.This book deals with such basic attitudes in the light of Sri Aurobindo's Yoga. .

Editorial Reviews

Review

The book draws mainly from the teachings of the Author's master Sri Aurobindo.A write-up on Sri Aurobindo follows. Sri Aurobindo (Aurobindo Ghose) (Bengali: Sri Ôrobindo) (15 August 1872 5 December 1950) was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, major Indian English poet, philosopher, and yogi.He joined the movement for India's freedom from British rule and for a duration (1905 10), became one of its most important leaders,before turning to developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and spiritual evolution. The central theme of Sri Aurobindo's vision is the evolution of life into a "life divine". In his own words: "Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the logic of Nature's process". The principal writings of Sri Aurobindo include, in prose, The Life Divine, considered his single great work of metaphysics,The Synthesis of Yoga, Secrets of the Vedas, Essays on the Gita, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, Renaissance in India and other essays, Supramental Manifestation upon Earth, The Future Poetry, Thoughts and Aphorisms and several volumes of letters. In poetry, his principal work is Savitri - a Legend and a Symbol in blank verse. --Wikipedia

Product Details

• Paperback: 185 pages
• Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publications Department (July 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 817058406X
• ISBN-13: 978-8170584063
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,771,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, October 5, 2010

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zplum - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Looking from Within: A Seeker's Guide to Attitudes for Mastery and Inner Growth (Paperback)

The inner journey is a very private one so what works for one may not work for another. With that said this book has been an incredible guide with helping me to reorient my spiritual life with more focus on inner mental and emotional attitudes. I was familiar with Sri Aurobindo's work and so I understand some of the references made that a newcomer might not. Even so, some of the suggestions seem universal enough in application and understanding that a familiarity with Sri Aurobindo's work isn't entirely necessary to appreciate and follow the guidance offered.

If you're looking for guidance about how to understand, direct and potentially master attitudes and emotional orientation within yourself from a sound spiritual perspective I can't recommend this little book enough. A.S. Dalal has put together other compilations of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and I have found each one to be well crafted and organized for the topic chosen and always a great help.

The book contains among other things, explanations of different types of attitudes, which to cultivate, which to discourage and how to discern among them. There is a great deal of forward direction in helping to understand how to reorient ones attitudes towards deeper faith, sincerity and trust in the indwelling Divine. It doesn't come across mushy or sentimental in any way and is not psychologically oriented even as it may occasionally refer to psychological states.

I will add that if you suffer from a great deal of skepticism and cynicism this book might be hard to read even as it may offer direction. I know from experience that attempting to encourage and nurture more faith and trust in myself while remaining hardened by skepticism and cynicism made the journey very slow and rocky. But if you're ready for something beyond that, that doesn't necessarily negate the helpful aspects of skepticism you might be able to read this book without too much reaction.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff, not Ken Wilber, August 28, 2010

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Sacca7 (New Mexico) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Looking from Within (Paperback)

I bought this book to understand Aurobindo a bit more since Ken Wilber mentions him in his works. This book is a collection of pieces of work from Aurobindo and The Mother. Aurobindo's passages are clear and interesting, The Mother's are also clear and interesting but don't seem to be coming from the same place as Aurobindos.

If interested in Aurobindo or the subject of the book, buy it.

If interested in what Ken Wilber sees in Aurobindo, don't buy it.