Enlightenment for Idiots

"Enlightenment for Idiots' is my favorite novel of 2008. Much of it made me smile but the denouement was very moving. For those of us with a passion for yoga or for seeking alternative spaces; this is a must read. The characters were unique and the plot carried one along; wanting to know how it would all turn out. Initially, I was suspicious that the novel would be way too lite. I was pleasantly surprised and then some. The author, Anne Cushman, is well known to many of my friends who read Yoga Journal, Tricycle, etc. I was not familiar with her work but now I am.

I found this book accidentally at my local library, loved it, and recommended it to students in meditation classes that I teach. As the main character travels through India, she encounters virtually every spiritual tradition taught there, from hot yoga, to Vipassana Buddhism, tantric sexuality and complete renunciation. What I really love about the book is that it offers a real education on all of these traditions in an easy to read context. It actually reads like your standard chick-lit summer fare, but in the end, the concepts it is covering are more than a little sophisticated. It affectionately parodies many of the most famous (or infamous) contemporary spiritual teachers, such as Amma, Sai Baba, and Gangaji, and some of their more over-the-top devotees. It manages to do this in a way that doesn't diminish these teachers' spiritual lessons, but does pose important questions about what true faith and spiritual inquiry is. If you are interested in yoga, meditation, or all things India, check it out.

I found this book accidentally at my local library, loved it, and recommended it to students in meditation classes that I teach. As the main character travels through India, she encounters virtually every spiritual tradition taught there, from hot yoga, to Vipassana Buddhism, tantric sexuality and complete renunciation. What I really love about the book is that it offers a real education on all of these traditions in an easy to read context. It actually reads like your standard chick-lit summer fare, but in the end, the concepts it is covering are more than a little sophisticated. It affectionately paradies many of the most famous (or infamous) contemporary spiritual teachers, such as Amma, Sai Baba, and Gangaji, and some of their more over-the-top devotees (all of whom I think I have met!) It manages to do this in a way that doesn't diminish these teacher's spiritual lessons, but does pose important questions about what true faith and spiritual inquiry is. If you want a read my full review, go to http://mommymystic.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/book-review-enlightenment-for-idiots/ . In any case, if you are interested in yoga, meditation, or all things India, check it out.

I loved this book and am sharing it with all my friends, whether Yoga lovers or couch potatoes like me. It has wit and whimsy, combined with insights on life and love, and is a real page turner to boot. My twenty something daughter just read it cover to cover on a long distance flight and is now giving it to her friend as a birthday present. Better written than the non-fiction Eat, Pray, Love (which was loaded with grammatical errors!), it manages to be both escapist and thought provoking. Kudos to this first-time novelist.

I loved this book. Another book covered in less than 24 hours! It was definitely a page-turner. I ended up underlining and sticky noting on several pages. There were a couple of powerful passages. But in summary, I thought Ms. Cushman through her main character, Amanda, was trying to show the pain in identifying with the past and in trying to rush ahead to the future. You miss out on the important present moment. It is in the present moment where real life happens. (p 124 - "I wanted to run screaming out of the house and into my future... So why now - riding a train through India, inhabiting the future that was my fantasy then - was I suddenly filled with nostalgia?") Amanda tears all over India to research her book and in search of the best teachers so that she can find enlightenment. But she'll only find enlightenment within the present moment in stillness. Her best teacher comes along in the birth of her baby, who will keep her firmly rooted in the present moment. Ms. Cushman did a fantastic and sometimes realistic, sometimes fantastical job with this novel. It was fun and funny, and yes, insightful too. As I mentioned earlier, it reminded me of the Bridget Jones books through its humor, and because of the lead going off to research her work and getting in a bit over her head. I will recommend this book to friends.