Waking Up - A Must Read Book To Attain Spirituality Without Religion

By Author: Manoj Upadhyay
Total Articles: 38
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Waking Up: A Spirituality Without Religion breaks the myth that people who believe in God can only embrace spirituality. In order to become spiritual, it is not necessary to believe in God or surrender to a higher power as most people think. Sam Harris has written this book for all those people who want to be self-aware and want to live a contented, fulfilling and happy life.
 
Now the question arises what is the true meaning of spirituality? Spirituality is the way of life and is all about practicing mindfulness. It focuses on being clear about your thoughts and intentions which will in turn help you navigate through life.
 

Escaping pain or suffering does not guarantee pleasure

 
It is human tendency to wait for better things and take it for granted soon after receiving them. Sam Harris bags this point with the help of an example. He says, a person who has come on a vacation to enjoy the beach will become super happy the moment he/ she will reach the destination. Initially he will enjoy the warmth of the sun but as soon as it becomes ...
... too much they will be on the lookout for a cooler place. After finding the cooler place and spending time there, again the person will look for something else. So, by means of this example, the author is trying to teach that running away from displeasure does not guarantee permanent pleasure or happiness.
 

Self is just an illusion

 
In the Waking Up book summary, the author preaches that there is no such thing is I. It is just a myth. To understand this, the author states an experiment. He urges the readers to sit comfortably and control the mind from thinking about anything. Perform this and let us know in the comments below what you experience. Our anticipation is you were not able to do it.
 
The Buddhist teachings state that human beings have a dystopian view of truth because of which they introduce suffering into their life. It is usually observed that people are stuck in the past and unnecessarily worry about the future.
 

Practice mindfulness to eliminate the worries of the future or past

 
Mindfulness or being aware of one’s own thoughts come from mediation. Sam Harris urges the readers to close their eyes and focus on the process of breathing. Mindfulness is not when no unnecessary thoughts come to your brain meditating.  Rather it is a process of focusing on one’s own breath even if multiple thoughts are crossing your mind.
 

In order to become self- aware, you must follow the two approaches of spirituality

 
The author Sam Harris adds another layer to the Waking Up book by talking about the two approaches of Spirituality. First one is the gradual approach which hails its origin from Theravada Buddhism and the second one is the sudden realization technique which is put forward by the Dzogchen school of Buddhism.
 
The first approach or the gradual approach talks about not thinking from the point of view of self. Throughout the entire journey of consciousness, you keep thinking about yourself but the moment you reach your destination the idea of single or self does not exist.
 
While the second approach or sudden realisation begins with the idea of selflessness. The author mentions that if a person is trying to eliminate the idea of self or wants to practice selflessness then they must follow the sudden realisation approach.
 

Choosing the right gurus is the most important way to attain enlightenment

 
The author also states that in order to wake up and be conscious, it is imperative to find the right guru. The above two mentioned approaches (gradual and sudden realisation) can be followed judiciously only with the presence of a right mentor or guru. Think of it as finding the right teacher to teach you subjects like mathematics, science or english. The right teacher is the one who has knowledge about these disciplines and also has the right skillset to teach you. The similar requirement goes for the mentor or guru who is trying to enlighten you about spirituality.
 
In the Waking Up book summary, the author mentions that one must be careful before taking any kinds of drugs to attain spirituality. People usually believe that the journey of spirituality starts with peace. They look for instant gratification, the moment they start their journey which is practically not possible. Peace is a by-product of spirituality. It is not something that you will experience on an everyday basis. 
 
Therefore, people looking for instant peace of mind are prescribed certain drugs like MDMA, LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. Consumption of these drugs induces peace of mind and increases the love for things around you. The hallucinations and psychedelic feeling resulting from this is often compared to the state of mindfulness.