Written by the author of “Autobiography of a Yogi”, this book is about the realization of god in our lives. The author says
that man is engaged in an eternal quest, and that he seeks to fulfill an unmet spiritual longing.
It is only when we wake from a dream that we know we have been dreaming. The sages of ancient India have spoken of the dream-like nature of the universe. They realized that the relatioship between thought and
matter was very subtle and they viewed matter as a materialization of thought. They held that matter is born of the mind and is perceptible to the mind. Matter exists in relation to our mind, by itself matter has no reality. They believed that a creative power (god/supreme spirit) lies beneath the transitory and illusory forms of the world of phenomena. (In hindu philosophy, the universe is referred to as god’s dream.) They understood that it was possible to awaken from the dream of matter into the realm of the spirit.
The author says you can not run away from life, you have to play out the part given to you with dignity and grace. But you should not identify yourself with your role, for that is not who you really are. The author says that man is ignorant of his true nature; that to consider your body to be separate from your mind is to delude yourself for they are closely interrelated. The author says you must become one with god, and realize your oneness with god. The author says that death is not the end; rather it is the freeing of our consciousness from imprisonment in the
physical body.
The author says that there are two types of desires – those that help us in realizing god, and those that obstruct us in our quest. The author says that unfulfilled desires remain in our heart (in our subconscious mind) and follow us wherever we go. The author says that unfulfilled desires must either be satisfied or dispelled by the force of understanding. Wisdom is the fire that burns desire, and he who conquers himself (his desires) is the greatest victor in life.
The author says that we should not be among the walking dead, we should learn to look at creation with open eyes. We see only the gross, we fail to detect the subtle. Science has taught us a great deal about the substance of the universe, but there are limitation to the physical science. For behind the physical body, there is an astral body (spirit) attached to it. You are as much the physical body as you are the astral self. The attachments that tie the two together may be our thoughts, feelings, desires or emotions.
The author says that god is the doer, we only think that we have the power. The author says that we should not waste the time left in our lives. For sense objects will not bring us true or lasting happiness. Someday that realization will come; the proof of self-realization is to be well and truly happy, to be confident of ourselves and to be comfortable with who we are.