Enlightened Living (New Edition)

Book excerpt: Most spiritual seekers have no real idea of what exactly it is that they are seeking even after having spent years chasing the chimera of Enlightenment. It stands to reason that if you want something desperately you would take great pains to find out what it did for those who have got it. So if you desire Enlightenment, it would make abundant sense to at least check out what the Enlightened ones have to say about the state of self-realization. That is what Enlightened Living does for you. In this book Ramesh Balsekar, arguably the most renowned exponent of the ancient philosophy of Advaita today and the author of 30 well-known books, presents you a clear perspective on the self-realized state, in his hallmark lucid style. If you have believed the sage to be a glorified vegetable, passionless and neutered to all pleasure and all pain, if you have believed that he is in a never-ending state of cocooned bliss or if you have believed that there is some- one out there to enjoy that blissful state, this book shows you just how mistaken you are. To make its point, Enlightened Living presents an impressive array of Masters from Adi Shankara to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, from Ashtavakra to Ramana Maharshi, from Jnaneshwara to Nisargadatta Maharaj and Sengtsan to share with you, in the simplest terms possible, the reality of the state of self-realization. Pointers are used, insights are bestowed and cobwebs vigorously dusted away till what you are left with is a deeply satisfying clarity which may or may not be intellectual.