Hidden Journey: A Spiritual Awakening

I give this five stars notwithstanding the author's subsequent and total falling out with Mother Meera. The book vividly describes the process of his moving from skeptical rationalism to still-questioning but devoted following of his female guru. As such, this book serves two purposes: one is to show the process of inward turmoil, visions, doubts, and joy that characterize the spiritual process of a gifted, intelligent person. The other value of this book is, paradoxically, that it demonstrates the risks of followership per se. Of course, the second lesson is only available if one takes into account the author's life after the writing of the book under review; to read this volume alone, one might think he had attained bliss and would forever after remain her devotee. It is worth pondering the spiritual journey itself, its pitfalls and seductions, in the light of a book such as this. There is real value here--not all of it exactly as intended by the author, but perhaps all the more refined, for that fact. Sometimes, truth comes to us despite or in the face of our determined efforts and intentions.

I love the detailed and specific ways in which Andrew Harvey writes about his experiences on a spiritual journey which appears to be aided by his guru, Mother Meera: but see the later autobiographical work, Sun at Midnight, to get another perspective on Meera. One of the refreshing features of both works is his extreme honesty about character defects, one of which is the tendency to overly dramatise situations; in Hidden Journey, he quotes in depth from a Frenchman he meets on a beach in southern India who makes sharply critical but also very amusing remarks about Harvey's tragic, operatic take on life. But it is this, plus a developed literary style, which makes his writing so readable (better than most novels I've read); and, to put it bluntly, we all have defects: and perhaps we don't see our own as clearly as Harvey sees his; and, to get metaphysical about it, it is by forgiving the faults we see so clearly in others (the mote in the brother's eye!), that we begin to release our own.

I really enjoyed this book a ton, but its message should be taken as only a small part of Mr. Harvey's spiritual journey since he eventually left Mother Meera (something that seemed unthinkable if you read "Hidden Journey")because she was intolerant of homosexuality. (This is certainly an aspect of an "enlightened" being which I totally don't understand! ) Still, this is a fascinating and unique story, and very well written.

Having read some of Andrew Harvey's later works, I was interested in this autobiographical account of an earlier period in his spiritual development. Harvey was born in the only place that could have matched his romantic spirit and spiritual imagination: India. At the age of nine, he was sent to be educated in the very different environment of England. Feeling abandoned by his parents and struggling with his own homosexuality, Harvey grew up to be a depressed college professor who one day decided to chuck it all and return to the land of his birth, in search of... he wasn't sure what. As a Christian with little background knowledge of Hinduism, I found Harvey's relationship with Mother Meera a bit problematic--but recognizing my cultural bias, I decided to read the book with an open mind. I found myself deeply moved by the story, recognizing in it my own struggles with spiritual surrender. Harvey's experiences may seem unusually intense to some readers, but those familiar with Harvey's work will expect nothing less from what they know to be an intense and passionate personality. This poetic book reveals the root of much of Harvey's thought that will deepen and mature in his later Christian writings.