Infinite Awakening: A Guide to Nondual Wisdom and the Pathless Path

Spiritual awakening may sound like an otherworldly experience but is actually a “return to a natural state of inherent wakefulness and wisdom,” contends psychotherapist and spiritual teacher Bodian (Meditation for Dummies) in this lucid guide. Drawing from his professional experience in trauma psychotherapy as well as Zen Buddhism and Advanta Vedanta, he outlines an approach to achieving nondual awareness, a “direct experiential knowing” that recognizes oneself as inseparable from “being, consciousness, God, spirit.” What obscures this awareness are rigid narratives about the self that trap practitioners in “a claustrophobic inner world”; to dismantle them and “awake” into nondual awareness readers can study the work of Buddhist teachers and sages, experience the present “without judgment or intervention,” and—once one has “awakened”—integrate this awareness into daily life by living in alignment with “the deeper truth of your being.” He also includes helpful guidance for establishing a healthy teacher-student relationship, and takes care to remind readers that awakening is not finite but an ongoing, lifelong process. Bodian distills a host of nondual wisdom traditions with uncommon fluidity, and clarifies the nitty-gritty of spiritual experiences with useful answers to frequently asked questions about each chapter’s central points. Those seeking to explore nondual practice from a nondenominational angle will find value here. (May)