Customer Reviews

You Are Not: Beyond the Three Veils of Consciousness

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I believe that this is the clearest exposition of not only the philosophy (for lack of a better term) of Wolinsky, but of Nisargadatta as well. Like other Wolinsky books there is no talk of love or of God's love or seeing with love, or cultivating awareness, or any love, etc., etc. Rather this book follows in the footsteps of his previous works, namely a thorough deconstruction of the concept of self, of body, and even of aware-er. This is profound philosophy and possibly, for some, a path to the deepest Self-realization. I do believe that at times Wolinsky, in his near desperate search to put the ineffable into words, trivializes his topic with some of his examples. But there is a lot of terrific material here...and, after all, who knows what combination of words will trigger insight?Liberation from the Lie: Cutting the Roots of Fear Once and for All

I've read 3 of Wolinsky's books including "Quantum Consciousness". I started thumbing through "You are Not" at the bookstore and ended up ordering online. Although I found Nisargadatta's "I Am That" to be one of the most incredible spiritiul texts I've read, but I really don't get "You are not". The first thing that struck me odd was his conclusion that the "I Am" is a by-product of the physicial nervous system which sounds very much like the materialistic viewpoint.

It seems Wolinsky is trying to bring you to his conclusions via his path to the conclusion. The problem for me is that I'm not starting from the same place he did and it's not working for me.

Another thing I really disliked as extremely repetitive were his Wolinsky/Student "Enquirys" which takes up at least half the book throughout. The text for all can be summarized as:

-Wolinsky: "How does the concept called "my consciousness" which believes in the concept "I Am" feel about X"?
-Student: It feels like "A".
-Wolinsky: "If "A" was a concept of the concept called "my consciousness" which believes in the concept "I Am" are made of the SAME underlying SUBSTANCE including the awarer and had nothing to do with anything?"
Student: _____ (Silence)

Another thing "I" found distracting was Wolinsky's quoting of "I" and "my" and "my" etc...throughout the book. It's almost as bad as trying to read Adi Da who also decides to make his own use of punctuation.

The one section I really liked was the beginning of part II where he talks about Ego Yoga and in part III something miraculous...AN ANALOGY! And a really good one about the ocean of consciousness. I guess I was spoiled by "I Am That" and the divinely delivered analogies Nisargadatta gives us which, for me anyway, go a long way toward explaining the unexplainable.

The reason I read this book was in hopes of furthering my understanding of Nisargadatta. I think toward that end I was better served by reading the words of Aziz Kristof (from his .org website). His writing rivals the clarity of Nisargadatta without the learning curve of the Wolinsky "system".

How do I recommend a book that concludes that I am essentially not a real person, a figment of some cosmic imagination? This is not a self-help book; it is an inquiry into our "true nature". Based ultimately on the advaita, the teachings of nonduality (everything is one), Wolinsky approaches this subject as he has done in his previous books by drawing from the teachings of Buddhism, western psychology and quantum physics. Be prepared to have your most basic assumptions about yourself challenged! In a culture that places a high value on individualism this is a tall order! The promise is that if you take on this point of view, then you open yourself up a space for a greater understanding to emerge. This writer at the time of this writing doesn't claim to have mastered this material, yet I am inexplicably drawn to this subject.

The argument is that consciousness (which is all there is according to the advaita) emerges out of "nothing". It manifests itself as everything (all objects, information and organizing principles like evolution). Consciousness also emerges and identifies itself as "us" but fools itself into thinking that it is separate, like droplets from an ocean that believe that they are separate from that ocean. Part of the package is that "we" are given egos and minds whose purpose (or illusion) is to survive. The "problem" is that the survival mechanisms and intellect, on a daily basis, limit us. The "I", mind /ego creates a lot of chatter in its' ongoing quest to understand life and in chasing "security" that "it" believes will protect us. In doing so "it" draws us further from the truth. (Read the book!) Dr. Wolinsky spends many chapters outlining why he thinks this is so. The other parts of the book demonstrate a process of inquiry aimed at getting past all of the ideas of the mind. I think that it is ultimately aimed at quieting the ideas, concept, and chatter of the mind so that a different understanding is allowed to emerge (thus the subtitle - BEYOND THE VEILS OF CONSCIOUSNESS). You can't chase and capture it; "it" comes to you once "you" are ready. (Read the book!)

If you are unfamiliar with these teachings, the advaita or are new to Dr. Wolinsky's works, then my personal opinion is that you are going to find this a difficult book to read. He builds his case on concepts from Buddhism, systems of psychology and quantum physics that are not all explained here. They have been in his previous books. As an introduction to this author's work I recommend "Quantum Consciousness: The Guide to Experiencing Quantum Psychology" which does a better job of walking someone through, who is unfamiliar with this kind of complex materials that may seem on the surface to initially make no sense. It would be a shame to miss out on what I believe is the equivalent of the internal Seven Wonders of the World, like taking a trip to the Grand Canyon but internally (not easy for most of us as we have no frame of reference for taking trips inside).

These teachings initially can leave one feeling like one has been left out in the cold with no direction home, like finding out that you been operating off false information all along and now what's next? I also recommend Ramesh S. Balekar's "Consciousness Speaks" which comes from the same basic teachings as Wolinsky's. Balekar not only has a gift for explaining these ideas in a simple and direct manner but he does so with a sense of humor. He also explores what all of this means on a daily basis as we deal with the "real world". Both authors were students of Nisargadatta Maharaja's who from my delving had one heck of an understanding of all of this. He was a shopkeeper in Bombay that drew people from all over the world like Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer to hear him.

A fellow mirage wishes you happy reading.

This book goes far beyond the popular spiritual concepts and points out the traps on the path that come with them.
This book is written from a non-dual (Advaita)perspective. Dr Wolinsky, in this book, basically goes into how ALL concepts, ideas, mantras, gunas, spiritual virtues, Devotional practices, ideas of enlightenment go back to THE VOID or ONE SUBSTANCE. When that is truly apperceived, many of our conceptual traps begin to dissolve. It is the essense of what Buddha said "emptiness is form and form is emptiness".
The title YOU ARE NOT is pointing us towards apperceiving that the "I", the mind made egoic self is not you. Beyond that lies what Wolinsky calls the NOT-I-I....The Self prior to mind made consciousness.
If you find this book stimulating, you will also enjoy I AM THAT I AM by Dr. Wolinsky also.

This is a pretty freaky book. I only gave it a 3 star rating cause it's difficult to read. Basically, our brother Stephen states the entire Universe is just smoke and mirrors. There is only ONE SUBSTANCE and everything is made of this one substance. There is really no meaning to the entire manifestation, it's just a film running, there is no good or evil, everything apparently just happens. There is no God (at least as an entity), there is nothing important nor special. Anything you "say" about the manifestation/Universe is just an ultimately meaningless concept without any metaphysical status (a dog barking U.G. Krishnamurti would say). There is nothing you can really say that holds any validity in any way about the manifestation, as "who" can objectify the Self - all there is is Self (the One Substance). This exceedingly radical "philosophy" -there is no spirituality- is certainly not for the meek. It definitely falls under the category of Nihilistic thought. My friends ask me why would anyone choose to follow such a philosophy, I tell them that if you really understand this stuff you'll find it impossible to find a reason to hate anybody or anything ever again as all there is is Consciousness or Oneness and that's pretty good from nobody's standpoint.

Morpheus of this reality, open yourself to the wisdom of Nisargadatta Maharaj. One of the most important book I have read since "I AM That." Dr. Wolinsky lead us skillfully and corageously beyound the three veils of The Matrix (Consciousness)his work is must-read for all people who are ready to take responsibility for their own destiny.

This is a pretty freaky book. I only gave it a 3 star rating cause it's difficult to read. Basically, our brother Stephen states the entire Universe is just smoke and mirrors. There is only ONE SUBSTANCE and everything is made of this one substance. There is really no meaning to the entire manifestation, it's just a film running, there is no good or evil, everything apparently just happens. There is no God (at least as an entity), there is nothing important nor special. Anything you "say" about the manifestation/Universe is just an ultimately meaningless concept without any metaphysical status (a dog barking U.G. Krishnamurti would say). There is nothing you can really say that holds any validity in any way about the manifestation, as "who" can objectify the Self - all there is is Self (the One Substance). This exceedingly radical "philosophy" -there is no spirituality- is certainly not for the meek. It definitely falls under the category of Nihilistic thought. My friends ask me why would anyone choose to follow such a philosophy, I tell them that if you really understand this stuff you'll find it impossible to find a reason to hate anybody or anything ever again as all there is is Consciousness or Oneness and that's pretty good from nobody's standpoint.

Stephen's book, You Are Not, is a pointer directly back to what you are, and what you are not.

This is a very "technical" approach which attempts to break down the "layers" of consciousness - the fact that what you take yourself to be arises AFTER the actual event occurs.

If you're technical-minded, needing to analyze and break everything down, this is a good book for you.

The Neti Neti Films DVDs are actually much clearer than this book, but it can be a good accompaniment.