Why Souls?: A Mirror to the Universe

By Dennis Waite

Book Overview

Believe in your soul and discover its benefits.

In Why Souls? A Mirror to the Universe, author Joshua R. Farris carefully examines some of the best-laid arguments for the soul, ultimately advancing his own, claiming that embracing the concept of the soul allows for a more coherent and satisfying explanation of human consciousness and personal identity. By bringing together philosophical reflection and scientific inquiry to argue that the soul is a vital part of understanding human consciousness, Why Souls? is a balanced exploration of our ensouled nature and what that means for the universe in which we live.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1903816416
• ISBN13: 9781903816417
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Iff Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.6" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Highly Recommended Book on Advaita

The Book of One is a masterful, comprehensive and pragmatic guide to non-duality. Dennis writes in an intimate manner, which makes it a joy to read. I especially enjoyed his skillful use of parables and metaphors. His accurate study is well documented and referenced, with excellent appendices, which serve as a fine resource for readers. I highly recommend The Book of One to those who are open to the Unknown. ~ Katie Davis, Awake Joy: The Essence of Enlightenment

Swami Abhayananda reviews "The Book of One"

Advaita Vedanta has been examined and explained by numerous sages and philosophers over the past three thousand years; and each writer on this theme does so with his own style and signature. Dennis Waite has written "The Book of One" in an admirably reasoned and contemporary style, producing one of the most cogent and methodical expositions of Advaita Vedanta yet written. Understanding and Self-realization are not the same. However, there is an indelible link between the two. Intellectual understanding opens wide the consciousness of a new and wondrous perspective, and sets the stage for direct apperception, for clarity of awareness, for re-cognition of eternal Truth. It is understanding which awakens the subtler faculties of awe and intuitive knowing. As Mr. Waite points out, hearing or reading the words of the enlightened is essential for an awakening of consciousness, and Mr. Waite's "The Book of One" is carefully crafted to provide one of the most excellent sources of understanding available. I highly recommend it to the contemporary student requiring a thorough introductory guide to the philosophy of Advaita (Non-Dualistic) Vedanta. Postscript: I am struck by both the similarities and the dissimilarities of this book with my own book on the same subject (The Wisdom of Vedanta, first published in 1991 and to be re-released by O Books in July, 2006). The similarities appear in our common understanding of the basic principles of Vedanta, and the dissimilarities appear in our temperaments: his being predominantly that of a jnani (or knower); and mine being predominantly that of a bhakta (or lover). In nearly all of my writings, I have discussed the fact that, while it is necessary to develop both sides of one's nature, everyone is predisposed to a predominant temperamental inclination toward one approach to Reality or the other; either jnan or bhakti. One of the best examples of this difference in temperaments is found in Sri Ramakrishna (a bhakta) and his esteemed disciple, Swami Vivekananda (who was a jnani). One may cite also as exemplars of this temperamental opposition Paramahamsa Yogananada (a bhakta) and Sri Ramana Maharshi (a jnani). Mr. Waite acknowledges these two "paths" as dependent on temperament, but seems to relegate the bhakti "path" to a position inferior to his own "path" of jnan, and gives it very short shrift. From my observations, it is usually the bhakta who acknowledges both "paths" as valid, and the jnanis who maintain their own path as superior. I suppose that is only to be expected. Whether love or knowledge is viewed as superior, again, seems to be linked to one's own temperamental preference, neither having that status in any absolute sense. My thought is that, in the most perfect circumstance, the two blend together to form a sweet but unnamable state of being. S. Abhayananda (Author of History of Mysticism, The Supreme Self, The Wisdom of

The 'textbook' on modern-day advaita

There are many books on the market that focus on the theme of advaita (nonduality). However, what separates Waite's book from the others is his meticulous and yet practical approach to its theory and practice. Many modern schools of advaita advocate the `nothing to do, nowhere to go' approach - this is fine in itself but can be greatly misunderstood to be a form of hedonistic fatalism. Whilst acknowledging that, ultimately, the ego is a non entity, Waite offers useful techniques and delineated steps along the path to freedom. Written in an elegant and accessible style, 'The Book of One' is, in my opinion, the standard `text book' for modern-day advaita. Highly recommended.

The first or the last

I just read this book recently after a long and torturous 40 year search for the "truth." It is like I have dogged Dennis' every step to finally arrive, in my understanding, at what he so simply expresses in this charming book. His list of references looks like the line up in my bookcase. As I read the book I witnessed myself sighing a series of quiet "yeap, yeap,..., yeaps." I was neither elated nor frightened by what I read, rather I was overtaken with an attitude of resigned recognition of the undeniable and blindingly obvious - like it or not, how else could it possibly be? I wondered what I would have felt if this were to have been the first book that I had read on this subject. I can't say for sure but my guess would probably have been either total dismissal or recoiling fear - in both cases my ego would have been running for its life. I think this because about 20 years ago I had both reactions when I first started to understand the real implications of realisation or enlightenment - no ego, no future, no past - no me! So what can I say to you about it? I don't really know, but if this is the first or the last book that you read on your search, what I can say is that you will, sooner or later, if you are serious, be forced to sigh in total resignation. As you go around and around the block you will have no choice but to finally admit that you will have to leave the block to parts unknown to ever have a hope of satisfying your insatiable thirst, and it will be the very last thing that you would have expected or hoped for but there it is - neatly and clearly summarised in Dennis' book. Do yourself a favour and just read it all the way through even if you then drop it and turn away from it for the next twenty years, you will be back one day and you will be glad. And then you will need and want to read, "I AM THAT" by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.

"Best of Show" for the Lover of Advaita

I discovered this amazing book only a few weeks ago and have been happily enthralled by its clear and timely wisdom. For the nondualist contemplative seeker, the lover of Advaita Oneness, there are very few other books as valuable and important as this one. From cover to cover its all here: the insights, the systems, the sages, the books, the internet sites; this book is richly comprehensive yet notably succinct. Dennis Waite has given us here a rare guidebook of Ultimate Wisdom. If you are a lover of Advaita, of ultimate Truth, you are sure to love and enjoy this volume very much. From the teachings of the most ancient teachers to the modern sages among us today, this volume makes Truth accessable to anyone willing to pick up the book and read and See.