Standing as Awareness: The Direct Path

By Greg Goode

Book Overview

Inspired by Sri Atmananda (Krishna Menon), the Direct Path is a "pathless path." It simply articulates the being of you and the world as loving, open, clear awareness. If this truth is realized as your experience, then nothing need be done. The path disappears, and life is lived in sweetness and celebration But if there are still questions or doubts, the Direct Path contains unique and powerful resources that stabilize this truth as your everyday reality. This is a revised edition of the book, expanded to add chapters on the Direct Path in addition to its selection of dialogs from a decade of "Nondual Dinner" gatherings. The first three chapters unfold the basics of the Direct Path, such as standing as awareness, being in love with awareness, and exploring awareness. Included are several experiments that help establish your everyday experience as awareness, always and already. The dialogs cover questions such as the desire for enlightenment experiences, the relationship between the brain and awareness, the question of "nondually correct" language, the belief in physical and mental objects, the idea of having a sage's experience, and more.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0956309151
• ISBN13: 9780956309150
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Non-Duality
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Highly Recommended!

This is one of a handful of modern non-dual books that I do and will recommend to friends or anyone interested in non-duality. Here are a few striking things about this book. There is no dogma in it. There is no absolutism of ideas or fundamentalism here. It never feels as if its being written from the position of someone with authority or from a center of knowledge. It never makes ontological assertions that can't be proven. It invites the investigation of its own words and pointers. That is simply rare! It never makes truth claims or claims about reality that cannot be discovered through direct investigation or present looking. It never gives you a word--such as awareness, consciousness, being, knowing, Oneness, God, Buddha--and leaves you there, as if the word is the final "word." It doesn't make the assertion that the word is the only and right word. This book is directed towards investigation itself. It's very clear and simple in that regard. This book reveals an awareness of post-modern philosophy. As such, there is an 'awareness in its words' of the slippery nature of views (even views about awareness and non-duality) and of holding tightly to one view as opposed to its opposite. This book never seems like it falls prey to the myth that language mirrors reality. It's more of a discovery into the very question of whether language is delivering truth. This is rare in modern non-dual teachings. There is a sweet interplay between opposites being pointed to in this book as well as a perfect stability as that which is unmovingly aware of both opposites and not separate from them. One field appearing inseparably as "two." This book uses language while deconstructing it. It uses the intellect as a tool. So instead of feeling as though concepts are being treated as something bad, this book uses concepts in a way that assists the reader in directly investigating how concepts create the appearance of duality (or separation). So it uses conceptual frameworks to reveal that the frameworks themselves give the appearance that things exist separately. As each pointer is given, it is not given as a "statement of final truth." It is given very lightly and lovingly, as merely a pointer. You can feel the lightness in the words. And each word allows the mind to take the pointer and then just look. And as the looking takes over, the pointer itself is revealed to be not needed anymore. This reveals that there is never any pointer that is in conflict with some other pointer. No teaching (including Greg's) has ever been truly in conflict with any other teaching. Pointers are just different words or frameworks that are helpful in different "spots" in the investigation. The pointers themselves are seen to be part of the play of duality. And this is exactly why there is no dogma here and no one-ups-manship in Gregg. No inner conflict here. No agenda. No shadow boxing. Just pure humble pointing. In this kind of l

Deconstruction is the superhighway to freedom, and Greg deconstructs deftly

Don't be deceived by the simplicity and utter succinctness of this wonderful book. Be ready to set aside long-held beliefs, "common sense", and the desire to acquire additional spiritual knowledge. And become ready to have the entire structure, content, and solidity of your world-view dissolved into the simplest of simple awareness. Added July 24, 2010: Also GET HIS NEW DVD "ILLUMINATION" (from non-duality press). It is enjoyable and effortless to experience this interview-style presentation of the basic principles in the book. It drives points home in a way the written word can't. Even if you have no interest in "spirituality", if you are just a curious observer of life, this DVD will astound you, in its simplicity, and its easily-followed deconstruction of everything most of us take for granted: There is a "me' and the "world" that are solid and independent. "You" are contained in the body. "You" are located somewhere, etc. It is simple and compelling, yet totally unravels the conventional view of reality and the suffering it brings. It will upset your mental apple-cart. The author pulls from Eastern wisdom and from western philosophy, presenting in an easy an entertaining way, clear plain-english insights that would otherwise be inaccessible to most of us. But this is not philosophy. It is the usage of our own direct experience (unadorned by any second-hand knowledge passd down by culture) to see that conventionlly defined "reality" is pure inference. It does not hold up to our own direct looking. Looking at our direct experience is something culture does not teach, but everyone has the ability to look at their direct experience. It's innate in us. There is nothing to learn. Our own direct experience is closer to us and more accessible than any second-hand knowledge. It is so close and familiar to us, it is overlooked by most people. Once you stop relying on what you have been told, and start relying on your own direct experience, life takes a liberating turn.

Grown Up and Intelligent

Dr Greg Goode's book is easy to read, extremely practical and highly intelligent. Unlike most books on nonduality these days, Standing As Awareness doesn't deny the value of thought, words, mind or the world up front. Nor does it leave the objective world standing while negating the psychological self. Instead Standing As Awareness offers a comprehensive "look-see" for yourself, using what Krishna Menon called "higher reason", applied to direct, empirical experience as the way to realize nondual awareness. Standing As Awareness uses experience as the path to nondual awareness with the confidence of knowing awareness is all there is. Included along with uncomplicated, profound and non-mystical "experiments" are: important cautions about some of the traps of this sort of teaching; addressing the very subtle aspect of dissolving the "higher witness"; the unmistakable parallels of identity between the "I principle" and awareness as well as what this implies; built in sublimation along the way (even of the teaching itself in the end) and the sweetness of "falling in love with awareness". This is followed by a series of insightful one on one dialogues. Greg's comprehensive nondual chops are obvious and his extensive background in both western philosophy and nondual eastern teachings can save the discriminating seeker loads of time and energy in their "treasure hunt". As Greg points out, "everything is awareness" has almost become a cliche today, but, if anyone would like to explore in an open, bright and visceral way where "everything is awareness" points, Standing As Awareness is a really smart way to go.

Standing As Incredible!

"Standing As Awareness," offers a most penetrating and original approach to spiritual realization. Greg Goode points the way toward dissolving a material, thought based view of reality using the direct path. However, his approach does not simply employ broad brush strokes. Pulling largely from Sri Atmananda and integrating this teaching with the transcendent wisdom of certain remarkable Western philosophers, Greg Goode leaves no gaps. His step by step inquiry method collapses the assumed object world into the boundless, loving presence of pure awareness, the truth of who you really are. For those interested in pursuing truth and in ending the believed cycle of happiness and sadness, security and insecurity, life and death, this book will speak to you and it will not leave you. For the spiritual seeker, it shows the way out of return visits into the powerful pull of the conceptual mind. If you long to know the joyful, fearlessness, beautiful truth, Greg Goode's, "Standing As Awareness" must be read.

A Major contribution.

Greg Goode's 'Standing As Awareness' is a major contribution in the field of nonduality.Greg explains in a practical,as well as a philosophical way, the true meaning of nonduality.With his background in the study of Western philosophy and Eastern traditions he also brings to the table a profound knowledge of the 'Direct Path' teachings of Atmananda,Ramana Maharshi and Nisagadatta.In particular he is an acknowledged authority on Atmananda. The first three chapters of this work are as clear a description of nonduality and its 'practical' application as I have seen. from chapter 1:'Awareness sees what arises.Whatever appears,appears to awareness.In order for form,thought,feeling,sensation,time,space,unity and multiplicity to appear to awareness,awareness it self cannot be limited or defined by these factors.Awareness is the single subject of all objects.It is the formless that sees all form.It is the unseen seer.' from chapter 3:'There is no difference between seer and seen,and no arising objects.Your experience as pure consciousness is unbroken in every way.Pure consciousness is full,radiant presence.Pure consciousness shines in its own glory.It is the being of you and the world.' This book takes you straight to the heart of the matter and a must read.