Journey of Awakening: A Meditator's Guidebook

As funny and insightful as any number of Ram Dad's lecture.

What can I say it's Ramm Dass. Many times when I read what he writes it is as though he knows my questions before I know them myself. He'll address an issue that i'm just becoming aware of and then he provides guidence as what to do and expect next. He has a great deal of experience in this area and that really pays off when human beings are so similar at the core. Which is what it is all really about, getting to know yourself at your core. Also, by experience I mean that he has done a lot of deep thinking himself and has many years of experience with talking to various people around the world about this same thing. In this book he also demonstrates various kinds of practices which you can do. I think the main point of this book and any book on this subject matter is to follow your heart. The problem then is how do you clear your mind enough to be able to hear your heart. This book is the next best thing to having guru, atleast that is my two cents about it.

All the reviews here are right on target. This book states some HUGE truths in a very simple, elegant manner. The talk about the ego and the mind chatter echos A Course in Miracles, Hiduism, and probably many other spiritual paths. His understanding of the human mind in general and meditation in particular drips from the page. I especially like that he doesn't "sell" one particular style of meditation but gives a fair introduction to all. Many roads, same destination. A must read for both the interested and the experienced.

Most books I've read about meditation have come up short. The directory in the back is extensive, and I'm sure very helpful to many people. Ram Dass is a wonderful human being (not to mention a little far out) and he's a good inspiration to people who feel as if they are trying too late in their lives to exerience life fully.

Journey of Awakening: A Meditatior's Guidebood by Ram Dass was a complete surprise to me. I had been looking all over for a book that gave you meditation techniques rather than places to go and pay to learn meditation. This was the first such book I found. Since I found it in the New Age section of the bookstore I expected to be weeding through a lot of mumbo jumbo and new age nonsense. Instead I found it to be a very practical guide to meditation techniques.I was also pleased to discover that it taught how to use meditation within several religious practices including Muslim, Christian and Judism as well as Eastern traditions. This makes this book appealing to persons of any faith.At the end of the book there is a listing of places around the country where you can go if you want more instruction or group meditation. But it is not neccessary as the book is a complete guide to meditation.

Please send me the written text of the piece about forgetfulness - it was a gem and I would like to share it with my friends!