How to Attain Enlightenment: The Vision of Nonduality Paperback – February 16, 2010

I’m only 40 pages into this 300+ page book, but already I can say, there is something very particular about the way this author deals with the topic of enlightenment. He is very very clever in communicating what is all but an incomprehensible idea, or at least has been so for me. I have been looking around for guidance on this everywhere, and reallly end up quite frustrated. Eckhart Tolle was about as good as it got for me, but still, end of the day (or week), I just wasn’t really noticing any lasting change in perspective. Really, there are many excellent writers on this, Watts, Rupert Spira, Peter Ralston, many. But somehow the words did not translate to comprehension. “Absolute truth”.....”pure consciousness”.... “non duality” .... “awareness”.....alll these lofty expressions, but what do I do about the rent, the wife’s complaining, the company, my body, her body, etc....it all seemed as though there was real life and there was enlightenment, and they needed to part ways. Which of course I could not do, as the rent, and the job, and the need to make money and interact with ordinary people or all kinds was not going to go away.And in comes this author. I have never had the experience before of seeing how mundane life reality and enlightenment could work together. They seemed to be, yes, the “ugliest” thing: a duality. This author is helping me pull it together. He has a supremely well honed BS filter....I am so interested to see where this book goes from here, and glad there’s some 270 more page to go.Paragraphs like this are what I’m referring to,“...the senses, mind and intellect—are not capable of knowing the self, because they require objects to function. To know sounds, ears are necessary. A heart or mind is required to feel emotions. Ideas can only be grasped by the intellect. But the self, awareness, is not available for objectification because it lies outside the scope of these means. A light bulb can illumine the objects in a room but it cannot illumine the electricity of which it is a transformation; the effect cannot comprehend its cause. When the heart tries to feel the self or the intellect know it, they come up short. It seems, then, that as we are created we are at a distinct disadvantage concerning self knowledge..”This is a quote from the beginning of the 2nd Chapter, where he starts to offer means for obtaining self knowledge. Note the empathy with the ordinary reader/seeker. He is explicating why we keep missing this, why it’s a that “pencil stuck over your ear you keep hunting for on your desk”. I feel as though he gets it, “it” being the challenge of comprehending anything at all on this subject enough to make life change.The 1st chapter is a run through on all the dead ends people follow in pursuing enlightenment as well as a “reality check” on what enlightenment even means, which is not a state of constant mental bliss, but rather, as he puts it, and I do paraphrase, a repositioning of the mistaken inversion of self (actually what we are, “subject), with ego, actually object, though mistakenly assumed to be subject, the portal by which we think we view the self and all else. How this inversion error occurs and what this phenomenon actually means (cause it’s no easy point to grasp) is at least rendered comprehensible, which is a huge leap for me. His approach is logical and instructive without the slightest effort to glaze over or sweeten anything.I notice in the Amazon profile of the author that he had his “Charles Bukowski” period, yes; you can feel that in the writing. This sounds like a guy who figured out a lot after screwing up a lot, and that’s really working well for me.Not sure why only 50-60 reviews, I hope it gets to 1000, this book deserves that much attention. It’s really a powerful book and might help you change your life. Imagine that.

I hesitated on this book at first because of the title but, having read through it once I can say it does deliver on its promise. On going back through and highlighting my original highlights I can see how there are enough gems, and a wide sweep of valuable ideas, to make for an extended and valuable study.As I began reading the first chapter or two I found myself feeling impatient for the author to "get to the good stuff." Having read it all I can see how the beginnings were laying the groundwork for a patient, in-depth and very thorough exploration and preparation for what is to come--and it does come. I don't feel like anything was held back; it's all right here.The last chapter explores what the author considers to be some of the shortcomings of "neo-advaita." The critique is thoughtful and insightful, and the body of the book as a whole furnishes enough in-depth background to understand the basis of his point of view. His occasional characterizations of seekers and teachers is delightfully snippy, bringing a smile and an occasional cringe when the snippy approaches the all too familiar. His website, shiningworld.com, is full of very good content as well. I had to explore the whole site before I finally bought the book.What always used to put me off about yoga and vedanta was the inferred exclusivity of it all, "only for the truly dedicated seeker," etc. And then there was the solace of a possible "payoff" if only one were willing to be patient for what might be just a few more lifetimes. I just never was a gung-ho "seeker-type." But the inner drawing, on the other hand, the mystery that has sustained my curiosity for all these years, has never diminished. Whatever IT is, I used to think, is certainly already right here, right now. And this eloquent book clearly seems to agree."Neo-advaita" has brought the ultimate human issue into the immediate present for many of us, and in a language that westerners can relate to. So personally I really have no criticism of it. But in my opinion, this book provides the missing backstory. If you feel drawn to the promised payoff that the title infers, get this book. I'm sure you'll enjoy it and appreciate how James Swartz has laid it all out so beautifully. Clearly, a lifetime of heart went into this work.

This book is a true treasure!!!Swartz eloquently condenses a whole lifetime of learning and studying the world's oldest wisdom tradition, a science of consciousness, in a straightforward manner that one can use and apply to one's life in order to realize our greater identity connected to the creator and gain a vision of reality that is wholesome, all inclusive, and not separate from anything.This is a book you read over and over again and apply to your life so that you can abide on a higher plain of reality. This book is one's ticket for true liberation for those who are ready! Step-by-step this book will show you how to transcend duality and abide in a state of wholeness, inner bliss and joy -- radiant friendliness, coming from your own being! I praise the author for condensing and presenting this highly-complicated teaching in a way that can bring closure to anyone's spiritual seeking quest!

An incredible book, and an amazing gift. I've been waiting 20 years for something like this! Truly, if I'd had access to the teaching before it would have avoided so much floundering and enticing side-paths that led nowhere.This book will not appeal to everyone, as evidenced by the mixed reviews here, but if you are ready and are open to questioning literally everything you've ever learned in the spiritual marketplace of the west (and probably now the east too, seeing as 'west' is everywhere), this may be the last spiritual book you'll need. It begins by outlining the necessary 'qualifications' you need to embark on this path...that might not strike the right chord with some, but clearly a certain foundation is needed to understand and assimilate the knowledge here. To the average person on the street, and even to many spiritual seekers, it will be meaningless and perplexing. I came to realise that in large part the obstructions that prevent us 'attaining enlightenment' are are misconceptions about what enlightenment actually is.Swartz is not a cuddly 'love and light' guru. I have absolutely no doubt that he is a fully realised being, but he is unafraid to tell it like it is and is quick to point out the flaws of lesser teachings. Frankly, this is needed. The notion that all paths are equal is a fallacy, for clearly many are more harmful than helpful. But this isn't Swartz's teaching - he draws upon the ancient system of Vedanta which is as close to a science of enlightenment as there is. There's a LOT of information here and it's important to take your time to deeply reflect on it and allow it to permeate your consciousness and overwrite all the dodgy software and coding we've acquired over lifetimes.Especially helpful and revelatory to me were the teachings of the causal and subtle bodies, the functioning of vasanas and gunas (so helpful - this should absolutely be worked into mainstream psychological understanding) and how to create the necessarily sattvic states of mind that allow us to reflect the pure, still, expansive awarness of Self/awareness/being.This teaching - which was, until recently, not even available to English speakers - is a gift to humanity. This is only the tip of the iceberg as well -- there are hundreds of hours of free audio and an immeasurable amount of written material on James Swartz's website that will enable you to fully assimilate the teaching. I am blessed to have found this.

The following is a quote from the author's guru, which appears right at the end of the book - "When will realisation of the self will be gained? When the world which is what is seen has been removed, there will be realisation of the self, which is the seer."As a student of vedic teachings for more than 30 years, this makes complete sense to me and did not require a further 2 pages of explanation from the author. Similarly, I found the book to be so overstated, going round in endless circles of bewildering explanation and repeatedly stating the obvious.I cannot claim to be given a totally true opinion as I found it impossible to read the whole thing.

Quite simply superb as a no frills introduction to Vedanta. Read this book side by side with James's presentations (of the same material but explained in person) and you are guaranteed to get a solid grounding in the principles of Vedanta. Beyond that it's up to you to be receptive to the lessons he offers. Enlightenment is no a quick fix. James is the real deal.

A lot of effort and intellect has gone into producing this book and it has some important parts to it. There are other equally valid practices leading to self knowledge but there is a lot of wisdom in this work.

I find this book goes in different directions too easily. It happens so often that it becomes hard to read. The message is good but....