The Slave

Book excerpt: What are we, as human beings, slaves to? Childhood traumas? What someone else decided we should be? An unfulfilling relationship, a job we don't like or the tedious routine of our lives? Mexican writer and spiritual teacher Anand Dilvar's phenomenal book The Slave is the story of a nameless narrator who is trapped in a vegetative state following a terrible accident that has paralyzed his whole body. Unable to communicate with friends and family, he begins an inner conversation with his spiritual guide, which leads him onto an emotional and raw journey of self-realization. Dilvar's beautiful and reflective story of an unconscious man, who is a slave to the many mistakes and failures he has made in his life, shares with readers lessons that will leave them reflecting long past the final page. As his spiritual guide teaches him lessons on love, failure, suffering and forgiveness, time is ticking: will the doctors decide to pull the plug, or will our narrator get to live one more day for the chance to see his loved ones?