Roll over image to zoom in
Read sample
Follow the author
Mukunda RaoMukunda Rao
Follow
Belief and Beyond: Adventures in Consciousness from the Upanishads to Modern Times Kindle Edition
by Mukunda Rao (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 29 ratings
See all formats and editions
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
Belief and Beyond delves into the realm of the mystic -- Adi Sankara, Allama Prabhu, Kabir, Nagarjuna, Gaudapada, Akka Mahadevi, Lalleshwari, Anandamayi Ma, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Jiddu Krishnamurti, U.G. Krishnamurti, and the Buddha -- bringing to life their spiritual quests and the philosophical messages they left behind for humanity. The book explores the search for the non-dual state of being -- sahaja sthithi or the natural state -- which is not in the realm of experience at all, but a state of being where the borders and boundaries of the divided self have been transcended. The author also weaves in narratives from many difficult-to-access texts, including the Upanishads, the Ashtavakra Gita and the Avadhuta Gita. Written with depth and simplicity, this book is for the seeker and the curious alike.
Print length
304 pages
Language
English
Sticky notes
On Kindle Scribe
Publisher
HarperCollins India
Next page
Report an issue with this product
Sponsored
Product description
Review
What thing I am I do not know. I wander secluded, burdened by my mind, When the Firstborn of Truth has come to me, I receive a share in that selfsame Word. The book, Belief and Beyond, opens with above lines from Rig Veda. This is a very profound book and has provided me many new perspectives. I will re-read it because the idea density is so high! It offers many tools for improving self-awareness. Author writes in an efficient manner that gets quickly to the message. I'm so glad to have encountered this on my nascent spiritual journey. I found Belief and Beyond to be a very valuable and insightful discussion on non-duality, Vedanta, enlightenment etc. It was clear, concise, and interesting to read. There is some excellent discussion on what enlightenment is NOT. The book of returning to the simple state of nothingness. This is a direct guide to your true nature of existing, from nothing, to the whole essence of just being. Author Mukunda Rao explains step by step the profundity of how our community, thinking, reasoning and everything we know externally, determines our reality. Returning to a state of complete joy and fulfilment is what every human being is in search for, and here Author tells us that this state we are in search of is located deep within our conscious mind, we just need to learn how to let go of all our perceptions and begin to contemplate how not knowing is the beginning of it all. Author Mukunda Rao stats, "Consciousness is the only reality but appears as objects..." The format of this book is laid out in such an accessible way for such an inaccessible subject matter. Author Mukunda Rao gives the reader plenty of time to come to terms with the topic and argument of understanding for each chapter. But the goal of the book isn't to give yet another map or belief around what self, mind and consciousness are. It's to directly challenge your beliefs on them, and open the door towards directly experiencing them. This isn't a book to read. It's a book to study. The deeper you go into the contents, the more the depth of the contents becomes apparent. I recommend it for anyone looking to deepen their understanding consciousness from a different perspective. --By The Bookish Elf on 2 August 2019 --This text refers to the paperback edition.
About the Author
Mukunda Rao is the author of several insightful philosophical works including The Buddha, and several works of fiction. After taking voluntary retirement from a teaching job in a college in 2000, he now lives on a farm outside Bengaluru. He can be contacted at mukunda53@gmail.com. --This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
ASIN : B07T47514H
Publisher : HarperCollins India; 1st edition (25 June 2019)
Language : English
File size : 497 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
Print length : 304 pagesBest Sellers Rank: 939,182 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)147 in Upanishads
582,024 in Textbooks & Study Guides
856,682 in Kindle eBooksCustomer Reviews:
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 29 ratings
Top reviews
Top reviews from Australia
There are 0 reviews and 0 ratings from Australia
Top reviews from other countries
Krishna Rao
5.0 out of 5 stars "Pathless Path"Reviewed in India on 16 December 2020
Verified Purchase
“It is ever an enigma for a genuine seeker of Truth as to how to get ahead when doubts and questions keep troubling the mind. In the absence of any beaten track, he is likely to get stuck up at some point, not knowing what to do and what not. A glance at the sacred scriptures would only leave him in a state of wilderness. The gurus, with their divergent views, would further aggravate his confusion. Being helpless he struggles hard to hold on to something that would lead him to the right path.
Sri Mukundarao takes up a huge responsibility to go through the entire saga of Indian spiritual traditions that stretch over a period of three thousand years. He, then, comes up with the quintessence of spirituality that shines forth in an unbroken continuity in the lives and talks of the sages and seers of the past and present. He brushes aside all controversial issues only to put us on the direct path that has been illumined by those spiritual luminaries. They stand as timeless guiding lights to humanity. Sri Mukundarao , himself, having journeyed through this path for over four decades and arrived at the peak of his quest, is truly competent to trace the ‘enlightenment traditions’ set up by those great Masters.
Sri Mukundarao’s ‘Belief and Beyond’ deserves to be placed among the very few books that a seeker would immensely benefit from. I read and re- read this book and would prefer to go back to it again and again for the needed rejuvenation. These seers of the ancient and modern times would ever be a source of inspiration and help us come upon that ‘pathless path’ towards unraveling the great ‘Mystery of Life’.
With all my heart, I feel thankful to Sri Mukundarao for this priceless contribution he has made for the benefit of all seekers of Truth.”
Krishna Rao
Read less
One person found this helpfulReport
Santhosh Naik R
5.0 out of 5 stars Must readReviewed in India on 29 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Must read... Excellent work by Mukund Rao
Report
