You Are Not: Beyond the Three Veils of Consciousness [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

It seems Wolinsky is trying to bring you to his conclusions via his path to the conclusion. The problem for me is that I'm not starting from the same place he did and it's not working for me.

Another thing I really disliked as extremely repetitive were his Wolinsky/Student "Enquirys" which takes up at least half the book throughout. The text for all can be summarized as:

-Wolinsky: "How does the concept called "my consciousness" which believes in the concept "I Am" feel about X"?
-Student: It feels like "A".
-Wolinsky: "If "A" was a concept of the concept called "my consciousness" which believes in the concept "I Am" are made of the SAME underlying SUBSTANCE including the awarer and had nothing to do with anything?"
Student: _____ (Silence)

Another thing "I" found distracting was Wolinsky's quoting of "I" and "my" and "my" etc...throughout the book. It's almost as bad as trying to read Adi Da who also decides to make his own use of punctuation.

The one section I really liked was the beginning of part II where he talks about Ego Yoga and in part III something miraculous...AN ANALOGY! And a really good one about the ocean of consciousness. I guess I was spoiled by "I Am That" and the divinely delivered analogies Nisargadatta gives us which, for me anyway, go a long way toward explaining the unexplainable.

The reason I read this book was in hopes of furthering my understanding of Nisargadatta. I think toward that end I was better served by reading the words of Aziz Kristof (from his .org website). His writing rivals the clarity of Nisargadatta without the learning curve of the Wolinsky "system".

The argument is that consciousness (which is all there is according to the advaita) emerges out of "nothing". It manifests itself as everything (all objects, information and organizing principles like evolution). Consciousness also emerges and identifies itself as "us" but fools itself into thinking that it is separate, like droplets from an ocean that believe that they are separate from that ocean. Part of the package is that "we" are given egos and minds whose purpose (or illusion) is to survive. The "problem" is that the survival mechanisms and intellect, on a daily basis, limit us. The "I", mind /ego creates a lot of chatter in its' ongoing quest to understand life and in chasing "security" that "it" believes will protect us. In doing so "it" draws us further from the truth. (Read the book!) Dr. Wolinsky spends many chapters outlining why he thinks this is so. The other parts of the book demonstrate a process of inquiry aimed at getting past all of the ideas of the mind. I think that it is ultimately aimed at quieting the ideas, concept, and chatter of the mind so that a different understanding is allowed to emerge (thus the subtitle - BEYOND THE VEILS OF CONSCIOUSNESS). You can't chase and capture it; "it" comes to you once "you" are ready. (Read the book!)

If you are unfamiliar with these teachings, the advaita or are new to Dr. Wolinsky's works, then my personal opinion is that you are going to find this a difficult book to read. He builds his case on concepts from Buddhism, systems of psychology and quantum physics that are not all explained here. They have been in his previous books. As an introduction to this author's work I recommend "Quantum Consciousness: The Guide to Experiencing Quantum Psychology" which does a better job of walking someone through, who is unfamiliar with this kind of complex materials that may seem on the surface to initially make no sense. It would be a shame to miss out on what I believe is the equivalent of the internal Seven Wonders of the World, like taking a trip to the Grand Canyon but internally (not easy for most of us as we have no frame of reference for taking trips inside).

These teachings initially can leave one feeling like one has been left out in the cold with no direction home, like finding out that you been operating off false information all along and now what's next? I also recommend Ramesh S. Balekar's "Consciousness Speaks" which comes from the same basic teachings as Wolinsky's. Balekar not only has a gift for explaining these ideas in a simple and direct manner but he does so with a sense of humor. He also explores what all of this means on a daily basis as we deal with the "real world". Both authors were students of Nisargadatta Maharaja's who from my delving had one heck of an understanding of all of this. He was a shopkeeper in Bombay that drew people from all over the world like Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer to hear him.

A fellow mirage wishes you happy reading.