Seeing, Knowing, Being: A Guide to Sacred Awakenings

Meditation teacher Greer’s first book “is about the return to wholeness, going back to the source from which all manifestation evolves.” Modeled on the hero’s journey as presented by Joseph Campbell, the book itself is divided into two parts: “The Exile,” which explains how cultural conditioning leads to a distinction between self and other, and “The Return,” which traces how nonduality can be regained and ego vanquished. From Rumi and Alan Watts to The Bhagavad Gita and the Tao Te Ching, Greer carefully collects inspiring quotations from the world’s wisdom traditions to evoke a sense of oneness and interconnectivity. Also imaginative are the lists of illuminating metaphors the author includes in each chapter. The Self, for example, is explained using images of a flame, clock, prison cell, Rorschach test, clouds, and clay pot. Although the writing sometimes drags and might benefit from more autobiographical details, it is a genuine expression of Greer’s spiritual perspective. This wise and serene book is clearly the product of many years of study and practice with nondual beliefs. (Mar.)