A Search in Secret India (Rider Pocket Editions)

THE main object of this publication is to present, in simple English, some of the works of Sri Sankaràchàrya in which he tries to expound, in a popular style, the philosophy of the non-dualistic Vedanta of which he was the well-known founder. With this view the present translation has been rendered free of technical words and phrases, and, in some instances, literal and technical accuracy has been purposely sacrificed in order to make the translation readably and comprehensible by itself independently of the text. It is however hoped that the juxtaposition of the Sanskrit text and the English translation will serve the double object of enabling the student of Sanskrit to understand the text better and to correct, by a reference to the text, any defect of expression in the translation as an inevitable result of the attempt to garb it in a popular style. To those that have had no training in metaphysics or dialectics and have neither the leisure nor the capacity to read the original standard works of Sankara,---mostly elaborate commentaries on the Vedanta aphorisms, the Bhagavad-Gita and the Upanishads---a publication of this kind should be specially helpful for a proper understanding of the broad outline of Sankara s philosophy of non-dualism. The work is fresh and powerful in expression, but also lyrical and soulful, delivering a masterful work which does full justice to the original.

Paul Brunton was born in London in 1898. He served in a tank division during the First World War, and later devoted himself to mysticism and came into contact with Theosophists. Being partner of an occult bookshop, The Atlantis Bookshop, in Bloomsbury, Brunton came into contact with both the literary and occult British intelligentsia of the 1920s.

In 1930, Brunton embarked on a voyage to India, which brought him into contact with Meher Baba, Vishuddhananda Paramahansa, Paramacharya of Kancheepuram and Ramana Maharshi. At the Paramacharya's insistence, he met Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, which lead to a turn of events culminating in revealing Ramana to the western world. Hurst's first visit to Sri Ramana's ashram took place in 1931. During this visit, Hurst was accompanied by a Buddhist bhikshu, formerly a military officer but meanwhile known as Swami Prajnananda, the founder of the English ashram in Rangoon. Hurst asked several questions, including "What is the way to God-realization?" and Maharshi said: "Vichara, asking yourself the 'Who am I?' enquiry into the nature of your Self."