Awakening Into Oneness: The Power of Blessing in the Evolution of Consciousness

This is a beautiful book about a beautiful phenomenon. If you care about anything you MUST read this book. Arjuna crafted a wonderful and loving explanation of the complicated subject of awakening and the movement that intends to make it happen by empowering all of us with the experience of our true being. Even though I left the Oneness University with a newfound sense of stillness and awareness of the Divine, I was also left with many questions. Arjuna answered these, and questions I didn't even know I had. He did this in a clear, insightful and balanced song of words. He also captured the graceful flow of the atmosphere and the people at the Oneness University. This book not only reawakens our hope for a loving and peaceful world, but it shows us a way to help make it happen. Read this book and you will know we are loved and that JOY is our natural state.

I am already a fan of Arjuna Ardagh's books but his recent book, Awakening Into Oneness, is a must read for anyone interested in personal or global transformation. I am on my third read of this book and I find it as fun and thought provoking as the first. His writing style is accessible, light and humorous, and the many stories he shares from the hundreds of interviews are engaging. People from all over the world share their experiences of the Oneness Blessing, some of which are quite astonishing and transformative. I appreciate Arjuna's journalistic objectivity. He takes on what he observes to be "the fastest growing spiritual development in living memory" known as the Oneness Movement. Arjuna started off as a skeptic, reluctant to travel yet again to India to learn about what he suspected was another "Indian cult". He describes himself as feeling like "Michael Moore on his way to the Republican National Convention." As he plunges into his investigation he became more impressed with what he finds--namely, the harmony among the guides at the Oneness University, a powerful vision for global transformation, but mostly the power of the Oneness Blessing to change lives. Nevertheless he maintains an objectivity and addresses the most common criticisms of the movement. In a lengthy interview he had the opportunity to bring these concerns to the founder of the movement, Sri Bhagavan, and hear his responses. By some, the Oneness Movement has been characterized by exaggerated claims of quick enlightenment, but Arjuna provides a balanced picture. He writes that "the awakened heart is not a big dog jumping on you and enthusiastically licking your face". What counts for Arjuna is spiritual awakening that leads to a more compassionate and sane way of living. And for many people the Oneness Blessing precipitates very moving experiences: hearts opening and relationships healing, individuals growing in self acceptance, bodies becoming more healthy, the chatter of the mind becoming quieter and for some, the direct realization of their interconnectedness with all life. Something very beautiful is happening.

I have experienced receiving the Oneness Blessing and have found most of the profound effects have been in my day to day life. I could never relate to the profound experiences of oneness with everything or the "enlightening" experiences that I had heard or read about others having with the Blessing. This is not to discount what those people experienced as I am sure it was beautiful, I just personally have not found that to be true in my experience. What I have experienced receiving the Oneness Blessing is much more important to me. My mind has become much less monkey like. The chatter is still there, but it is considerably less and much more faint. My relationships with others have improved and my health and energy have never been better. My relationship with the Divine is beautiful and tangible and I feel totally and completely immersed in Divine wisdom. Things just seem to happen now, my next step is revealed at the perfect time without any struggle or effort on my part. It is so beautiful! My life is much more balanced and my awareness has increased in so many beautiful ways! I have experienced more oneness, but more on a subtle everyday level. I can relate to many of the experiences in this book. I am not so much interested in so called enlightenment, but I am concerned with less struggle and suffering in my life and the lives of all humans. The Oneness Blessing for me seems to allow me to live more in peace and more in joy. I love how Arjuna wrote this book. It was interesting and beautiful to hear from experts, everyday people and folks from the University where this originated from. I appreciated him addressing the criticisms of the movement in a fair and balanced way. I also loved how he describes in such a clear and practical way how this phenomenon is affecting people in their everyday lives in so many different ways all over the world. It is affecting people's relationships, businesses, creativity, health and overall happiness. It is all a bit mysterious, but beautiful at the same time. I also love the vision that the Oneness University holds for the planet. In a time where naysayer's and end of the world theories are running abound, it is refreshing to see a group of people that hold a much brighter vision for the planet. It was also crucial in my eyes that they have a plan that is somewhat simple and involves everyone on the planet from every race, culture, religion and belief system. It leaves no one behind and transcends all teaching and dogma. It does not encourage people to believe in a certain way, it asks for people to continue operating in their current belief system and continue their current spiritual practices. They say that experiencing the Oneness Blessing will just enhance whatever they currently believe and practice. To me that says it all! I fully believe that for anything to really change on this planet, that a shift in consciousness must occur and it must shift for all people everywhere. It

This is the first balalnced and level-headed account of the Oneness Movement I know of. Negative accounts that vilify the movement seem generated by armchair spiritual critics who haven't experienced the blessing, or fringe body workers/newagers calling the kettle black. Previous positive accounts read like a dangling-carrot of cosmic highs that make someone like me start to crave huge experiences - which is really kind of a disservice when a lot of waking up is about making peace with this world and yourself as you find them. Arjuna's account does neither, giving us a close look at claims and disclaimers, research and fringe "research", reports of spontaneous healings and situational resolutions, as well as the real intentions of the movement and people's experiences within it. The strength and weakness of the book is two-fold: one is that it was written in a flurry, consisting of hundreds of interviews and commentaries thereof accross the world in a very short period of time. It is rushed, but is also a fresh and exciting report. Second, it is like a snapshot of a race that tells you how things are up to the printing, and lets you clearly know things could very well be different tomorrow. This to me reveals a kind of integrity and beauty of the movement. As is the fact that the movement is seen by the founders as a temporary one with a specific purpose that will look completely different or perhaps not even exist after another 5 years. I think it is encouraging and important that instead of talking about non-definable terms like "enlightenment", the founders speak of brain functioning and how it is out of balance, which I've intuited is true in my own life, but is also pretty obvious if one considers how out of balance the entire race is with itself and the planet. They are dealing with the science of grace if you will - that a more natural way the brain could operate is available and can be activated through the blessing. The most curious part of the book is the disclaimer everytime the word "deeksha" is used, that somehow the right word for the blessing is really really important. The best parts of the book for me happen towards the end when Arjuna addresses criticisms of the movement, and then takes us through the 21 day process with beautiful commentary from the guides, along with people's accounts. It shows that something simple and subtle, and maybe perhaps incredibly profound is going on - more so than accounts of spiritual fireworks. It actually conveys an experience for the reader.

I read this book slowly, savoring its information...its a book one could go back to again and again . Ardagh says "anything when fully experienced, is pure joy and bliss."And I felt this when reading..and remembering. Having taken the 21-day Oneness Blessing training in India myself, I felt his words exactly explained everthing and MORE.. clearly,every question about the University' origins and workings was answered. The sweet memory of being there came back...esp. the love kindness that was expressed by everyone there,including the workers in the landscape, builders, drivers, cooks, and the brilliant monks who taught us... there was a high integrity of all who live there. This book is a MUST read, if you have a longing to learn how this planent and your personal life can be brought into oneness through this gift ... Oneness.... the heart's deepest longing... .Ardagh clearly reveals what it is all about.