Doing Nothing: Coming to the End of the Spiritual Search

Steven Harrison's first book remains his bestselling one. Originally published by Crossroad and then by Tarcher/Penguin (in both cloth and trade paper), it sold over 30,000 copies in those three editions. Sentient is reissuing it in this tenth anniversary edition, with a new cover. Doing Nothing presents Harrison's radical understanding of the nature of life as dynamic and energetic. His transforming words have helped many spiritual seekers clearly comprehend the false nature of the search.

This book was not written for the purpose of creating a particular philosophic or ideated approach to life. On the contrary it is a work of investigation into the bare actuality of our existence. It is not a description of a methodology, or a way to get from confusion to clarity. There is no way, no system, no instruction which will be of use to us in living our lives. Systems, philosophies, beliefs are static and life is dynamic. We are not in need of a new ideology, but rather the intention and the integrity to look directly at the structures of mind already in existence. We need no one to mediate this view, since it is inherently clear. This book is intended to take the reader on a journey through the structure of mind, and perhaps, into the quiet space out of which thought occurs. For those who have the interest, the fact of existence is present all the time. It may be touched in the quiet, without the distortion of belief, dogma and doctrine. This book is an accounting of this interest, and anything found in it should be tested by the readers' direct contact with who they are. This contact comes not with the reading of these words, but in the silence that occurs after the words, the thoughts, the "me" passes into nothingness.