Customer Reviews

You Were Never Born

5 star:		(9)
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If you're looking for a book with nothing but direct pointers back to your true nature, this book is for you. It makes no claims to make you like your job more, be better with your relationships, or manifest a million dollars. Just unrelenting pointing back to the presence/beingness/awareness that is the ground of everything. Which also happens to be what you are.

It has three parts. The first part, which is the bulk of the book, contains short dialogues between John and random "seekers". Most of the dialogues are 2 to 4 pages long. About a third of the way through, I started to get a little frustrated because it almost didn't matter what question the person was asking, John would just revert back to his pointers. But I kept reading, often just a chapter or two a night and grew to really enjoy it.

The second part of the book contains writings from John, sometimes just a paragraph long. I'm not sure if he wrote these, or if they were transcribed from recordings. Probably a mixture of both. There is some high quality stuff in this section.

Finally, the book ends with a long interview with John. There was a smidgen of personal stuff in there but it mainly contained, you guessed it, direct pointers!

I've been visiting John's website for about a year now and I recognized bits and pieces of this book from past postings. That was fine by me. This is good stuff. Especially if you've already studied and experimented with lots of self help and/or self annihilation teachings. This is the real deal, no fluff. Enjoy.

The following is a review of another of John Wheeler's books, "Right Here Right Now." I am awaiting delivery of "You Were Never Born," I'll update this after I have spent some quality time with it.

Regarding "Right Here Right Now:"

I have read hundreds of "Spiritual Books," from Advaita to Zen. From Ramana Maharshi (Who Am I?) to Nisargadatta Maharaj (I Am That) ... with all manner of practices, and Gurus (like Baba Muktananda who I still love,) as well seminars, therapies, and meditations ... which went on for over 30 years.

Meeting John Wheeler was the beginning of the end of all that seeking, confusion, mistaken identification, and the attendant suffering. It's that simple and that real, what John points to.

I had a long struggle with the uncompromising nondual pointers John shares, until awareness began to dawn, and the suffering began to lessen, then subside as the Truth revealed itself. This cannot be attained, as the brute fact is that the one who wants to attain is a phantom. This is made crystal clear in John's sharing. But it is not something John gives a seeker - that very dualism is what is false and as John reminds the reader over and over, only through our OWN rigorous and committed investigation can this Innate Truth of our Aware Presence be seen to be the ground of all being and then the seeking evaporates, along with the seeker-identity. All is clear then and it is as obvious and bright as a sunrise that what we are IS this presence of awareness ... simply, Being Itself. It was never absent - so the search itself was the real problem!

I have known my now very good friend John Wheeler since November of 2004; we met first through his writings and website, and then through in-person meetings and e-mail exchanges (John may well be the most generous and forgiving human being I have ever known; I was a hard case and never once did he give up on me!)

In my view only one with a sharp sense of self-awareness can point to That Truth of Timeless Being in ways that the seeker can see for himself or herself. This sharp clear loving energy comes through between, and before, the `words' in the book. I was totally skeptical that words could lead beyond words ... but when the words are viewed not as "the truth" but rather as "signposts" or Arrows that show us, stop and look here! can there be a dawning of the innate intelligence-energy that lies at the heart of all creation.

I'd suggest to not dismiss this as merely a book! Take it up with a commitment to discover what the words are pointing to (NOT describing or representing, but indicating the direction for our own looking) and you will be amazed at the resonance and heart-felt affinity for your own true Self that arises.

Over and over we are reminded by the ancient sages and saints, the great word: "You Are That." That - Sat - Chit - Ananda, which can be translated as Being, Awareness and Pure Love - THAT is what you are.

Some call this Awareness-Presence God. Know this as you look in the ways John suggests: As the great Word - the "Mahavakya" - states: That, Thou Art. That, I Am. All That Is, Is That.
With love and respect for who you are, I humbly suggest that you read this book, as well as others by John, and follow the pointers back into your True Self. That Self is eternally free, Self-knowing, and brimming with affection and respect for all that is, as it is.

Five stars ain't enough!

In love and Gratitude, to The One appearing as Mr. John Wheeler,

I Am.

As the other reviews indicate, this is straight forward pointing to what is. It's one of my favorite books on this topic because of this fact. I've read most of the books on nonduality, and this is one I keep coming back to. Highly recommended!

I wish I began reading advaita books with one of John's.
He takes the whole confusing enlightenment conversation and breaks it into two simple truths or questions you have to investigate for yourself. I own all four of his books and re-read them often. His books are all saying the same thing, but each is a fresh read. His website is also very helpful and updated often.

I stumbled upon this book while shopping for another book and bought it based on the reviews and I'm very glad I did. After many years of searching through the "Spiritual Maze" and getting lost in the complexities, I felt stuck in the idea that "enlightenment" was out there in the future and was only attainable by the few via the direct guidance of a Master, preferably of Indian or Tibetan descent. The non-duality teachings were new to me. I had heard brief references to Bob Adamson and the lineage to Nasargadatta Maharaj and Sri Ramana Maharishi. I had read Gangaji's book "A Diamond in your Pocket" some time ago and didn't "get it", seemed too simple. I think many of us in the West have been led to believe that the path to awakening is long and full of complexites and requires sacrifices most are not willing to undergo.

John Wheeler's writing took a while to sink in through the "filters" and pre existing ideas and judgements the "me" (ego) applies when it is threatened with data that may cause it's extinction. It quickly changed as I continued to read, the writing is so compelling and irresistably real on would need to be brain dead to not "get it". A great book and one that can be reread anytime one reverts to the old ideas and habits
which keep one from being fully present and conscious.

In a world where so much of the "spiritual culture" has become cliche. John Wheeler stands out as a refreshing, pure and simple pointer to the truth of being. The frills and frivolities of the "new age" are put aside, in this book which has no spiritual trivialities.

John is a true advocate of the simple and direct pointing to your original nature. Following his pointers can lead anyone to freedom from suffering. The secret is to come to a "full stop" as one sees his or her true nature. Adding anything to that diffuses the message John brings and leads one back to the dream world of suffering.

John's books are true pointers to the place you always abide. Merely, drop the distractions the mind creates. The illusion of the personal self are left far behind. Truth stands alone! You are free! Nowhere is there a better pointer to reality then in John Wheeler's books.

John Wheeler writes very clearly about non-duality. I ordered about 20 non-duality books from Amazon by various writers, and John Wheeler's books were definitely the ones that impressed me the most by using the clearest and simplest language. I highly recommend John Wheeler's books if you are interested in non-duality.

John Wheeler is consistent. His students present him with a plethora of scenarios and issues. The ego is never at a loss to provide a distraction from the truth - I hear myself clearly in many of the questions asked of John. John deftly cuts through their/our stories and brings our attention back to the only thing that we can know. He shows us over and over again how simple, how direct and how present the truth is.

This book is written such that if you have 5 minutes between doing things and want a reminder of who you are, open this book to any page and start reading. John's preciseness and directness is unfailing in its ability to inspire. For me this is a book to keep by that favorite chair or nightstand for a quick shot of "juice".

There are numerous books on "oneness" or Advaita. This will not disappoint.

John brings a potentially complicated topic into easy to understand concepts for people like me who try to make things harder than they have to be. Not everyone knows this, but John is pretty easy to get a hold of and setup time to speak. I took advantage of the opportunity and got even more out of the book. It isn't free, but it isn't expensive either. I consider myself fortune to have found the series of books by John, and to spend time speaking with him in person.