How to Awaken (with Book recommendations)

[Aware Wolf]

How to Awaken (with Book recommendations)

 

On Actualized, Leo Gura has a sticky where he recommends one do self inquiry, hours a day, until one finally breaks through. 

 

Self-inquiry was made famous by Ramana Maharshi. It can work. But Ramana, while an inspiration, wasn't a teacher (He never said he was either). People loved sitting with him, but few awakened. Ramana left behind very few teachers.

 

Trying to power your way to awakening through months of ruthless self-inquiry is not likely to work. It's liable to lead to frustration. And even if it does work the realization needs stabilization and integration. 

 

Plus different methods work better for different people. 

 

Books are available either on Amazon (paying) or on Libgen (free). 

 

Here are some of the best methods I've found across a few different wisdom traditions:

 

Note: Try to relax and have a sense of humor on the Path. 

 

Waking Up App might be a good start for beginners. There's also series on the app for more advanced people. It costs, but if you can't afford it, they are generous in offering a free subscription. 

 

1) Lojong. Simple, powerful, and profound. What's not to like? See books on Lojong by Pema Chodron and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Watch Tenzin Palmo Youtube lectures on lojong. 

 

2) Metta (Kindness) & Equanimity. See Karen Armstrongs Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. For Equanimity, study Stoicism. See books by Donald Robertson. Practice kindness and equanimity in your daily life. A metta and equanimity practice works well for busy people with jobs (and stress) as there's plenty of opportunities to practice. As the lojong slogan says, Use all obstacles as the Path to awakening. 

 

3) Satipathanna. This was described by the Buddha, the Maestro of Meditation, as a direct path to liberation. See Bhikkhu Analayo's trilogy of books on the Satipathanna and his guided meditations on YouTube. 

 

4) Mahamudra & Dzogchen. The pinnacle of Tibetan teachings, direct pointing to the true nature of mind as it is.  

Reggie Ray has a CD series, Mahamudra in the Modern World, available from Sounds True. Great series. 

Samaneri Jayasara on Youtube is a fantastic channel. Direct pointings abound. A favorite are her Longchenpa Dzogchen readings. 

 

5) Direct Path. Stephan Bodian's book, Wake Up Now. Greg Goode also has some direct path books. 

Ilona Ciunaite has a book Gateless Gatecrashers. It's a great book for grokking No Self. 

 

6) Advaita Vedanta.  Advaita Vedanta can be pretty philosophical but has a good track record going back thousands of years. 

See Arsha Boda's Introduction to Vedanta youtube and podcasts. 

After Introduction to Vedanta, listen to:

Atma Bodha 
Drg Drsha Viveka 
Tattva Bodha 
Bhagavad Gita
Mandukya 

 

For a book, see Dennis Waite's, Back to the Truth: 5000 Years of Advaita Vedanta. Swami Sarvapriyanananda also has a good podcast. 

 

I hope this helps someone. If you have any questions, feel free. 

[James123]

The Book of Not Knowing.

[MetaSage]

Dogen

 

Heidegger

 

Immanuel Kant

Edited April 1, 2023 by MetaSage

[MetaSage]

On 3/31/2023 at 5:39 PM, Aware Wolf said:

3) Satipathanna. This was described by the Buddha, the Maestro of Meditation, as a direct path to liberation. See Bhikkhu Analayo's trilogy of books on the Satipathanna and his guided meditations on YouTube. 

 

Nice. That guy Gotama knew a thing or two!