The Illusions of Life - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0954529847 ISBN 13: 9780954529840

Publisher: Kaivalya Publications

About this title

About the Author:

An Introduction to Dr Vijai Shankar An introduction always necessitates the name, profession, qualifications, experience and achievements of that person being given and, in the case of a writer, titles of books published and their sales. These are the sine qua non for acceptability, for the opening of the door. They are also the stuff upon which the ego is built and strengthened. But, there is no trace of ego being pre-dominant in Dr. Shankar. Born in India in the late 1940s, Dr Shankar studied to become a medical doctor. He later came to England, where he earned a PhD in London for his research into cellular and molecular sciences. He was invited to Texas, USA for medical research, and since 1998, in response to life's calling, his words and writings reveal the life that is HERE and NOW, the life that is enlightened and, above all, is already your own.

His talks are spontaneous. Not a repetition. No fancy stories about religion, spirituality or life. His words herald in a clear understanding of the illusion the mind is made to project, instead of simply proclaiming that it is an illusion. What he conveys is not something to which the mind could cling, nor do they add anything more to the known, which the mind is so proud to treasure. The effect of this on the mind is that it is stunned - quite literally. The mind is never denounced. Nor does Dr Shankar scoff at the mind for what it conceives, for such is its nature. Dr Shankar's words never contain messages of hope or comfort that guarantee rewards for practice well done, for he understands that these life-lines of hope, reward, guarantee and practice need time to be functional, and since there is no time in life, they are illusory. This is very hard to appreciate for those of us who are constantly battered by disappointment or elevated by excitement, for we have, most of us, come to accept a life that is nothing more than a sensation, not a life that is AL

Review:

Globalisation, secularisation and individualization render man lonely, isolated and dependent. Man's view of the world continuously changes; his opinions swayed by the issues of the day. `Certainty' seems to disappear. Man is not in contact with either his Creator or with himself.

The book `The illusions of life' is a relief. It takes us to a reality detached of space and time, the foundation of the world of phenomena. The author adheres to Advaita, the wisdom of non-duality, as taught by the rishis of the Vedic times. Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta are exponents of this age-old wisdom. The world exists as opposite pairs; without day there is no night, no heat no cold, no good no evil, etc. The foundation of this duality is unity. The whole cosmos is a reflection of the absolute. A reflection like a dream has no reality.

"Who am I" is the most essential question in human existence. Dr. Shankar through his uncompromising way of Self-Enquiry explains that life exists as illusions only. Understanding it leads to the realisation: Tat Tvam Asi (Thou art That).

The author unravels many deeply rooted illusions that we normally take to be as truths: the illusion of birth and death, of the ego, of fear, violence, duality, karma, time, etc. In a systematic way he keeps on questioning and the answers eventually reveal that the world phenomena are only an illusion with irrefutable logic. The reader may revolt at certain moments. Dr. Shankar rattles the conditioned concepts of your mind. Even love and enlightenment are "unmasked" as illusory. The ego is confronted. It forces you to look deeper. What could be real? Before you know it you are deeply contemplating what is real and what isn't. With that you've taken up the gauntlet which dr. Shankar has thrown to you.

One of the illusions which is the hardest to understand and accept is: that the person, is not the doer. In western society for most people this is at odds with everything to what we think our "civilisation" is based on! The ego is either in the past or the future, while God is HERE and NOW and therefore inaccessible for the ego.

Then, is life hopeless for the ordinary man? No it isn't. Dr. Shankar shows that Self-Enquiry leads to the realisation of that which is real, a life free of concepts, and a life in freedom! -- Rob Frederix

About this edition

• Publisher: Kaivalya Publications
• ISBN 10: 0954529847
• ISBN 13: 9780954529840
• Binding: Paperback