Striving to Attain Enlightenment

Book excerpt: The book is a collection of essays about how one can attain enlightenment and overcome a personal crisis. The essays will enable a reader to think over questions concerning his life and draw his/her own conclusions. They will assist the process of introspection and solving of personal problems. Each essay can be read independently. Among the topics covered are writing for personal growth, how books can change lives, mantra meditation and walking. The book stresses that a moderate amount of work is good for us. The perspectives of thinkers on contemporary issues are given. Then there are essays on the art of writing and journalism. The chapters on psychology would benefit anyone facing a personal crisis, but they are not intended to be a substitute for professional care. The book grew out of the author's reading, journal writing, meditation and interactions with thinkers and saints. Ultimately, a man or woman has to make efforts himself to attain enlightenment and what a book can do is offer the motivation to carry on. The great philosophical truths remain the same over the centuries, but what this book does is to present them in simple, clear language suitably adapted for the present times.