Doing Nothing: Coming to the End of the Spiritual Search

by Steven Harrison Narrated by Layne Ihde

Overview

Doing Nothing*presents a counterintuitive, refreshing perspective on self-discovery, enlightenment, and the power of living in the actuality of life, unrestrained by belief, dogma, and prescribed practices.

Doing Nothing*offers a unique perspective on finding inner peace and self-discovery. After decades of exploring various spiritual and religious paths, Steven Harrison realized that the perennial search for enlightenment was ultimately futile. Instead of advocating for specific practices or beliefs, he encourages listeners to embrace stopping the search itself.

He asserts that true self-realization lies not in rigorous austerities or complex philosophies but in the simple, practical act of 'doing nothing.' By letting go of constant striving and seeking, one can discover profound truths about one's own nature and the present moment. Harrison's approach is unconventional, as he invites listeners to find peace and stillness in the surprisingly 'active place' of 'doing nothing.'

The potential gifts of 'doing nothing' are considerable. They include reduced stress and anxiety from letting go of the need to constantly strive and seek, and a deeper sense of presence, stillness, and connection with the here and now.*

Doing Nothing*presents an unconventional yet deeply compelling perspective on spirituality, self-knowledge, and the power of embracing simplicity, presence, and the undistorted experience of existence over ceaseless seeking.

Editorial Reviews

Nonduality Highlights - Rodney Stevens

In his lively introduction, Harrison tells us how he 'left the security of an Ivy League university...and sought out every mystic, seer, and magician I could find.' He spent 'long periods in India and the Himalayas searching, contemplating, being,' and finally finding—after years of frustration—that 'it was all useless.'

Then, in a calm moment of self-enquiry, he discovered that it was him as a seeker that was causing his discord. He saw that the 'very grasping for an answer' was taking him away from any marginal peace that he may have been occasionally experiencing. Shortly thereafter, Harrison's apparent 'me' passed into 'the vastness, the magic' that was his own, ever-present awareness.

In this handsome and penetrating collection of 20-plus essays, Harrison speaks passionately about various aspects of that vastness. The chapters include The Collapse of Self, Language and Reality, The Crisis of Change, Teachers: Authority, Fascism, and Love, The Nature of Thought, and Health, Disease, and Aging.

The chapter entitled The Myth of Enlightenment deserves an extended quote. The slashes are meant to indicate a new paragraph in the original text: 'We will spend a great deal of time looking for this enlightenment. But looking is useless, because it is not there./We can sit on cushions facing walls, dance in ecstasy, pray, chant. We can travel the world looking for this enlightenment. We can find the greatest of gurus and the most secret doctrines. It is useless.../Enlightenment is a myth because the self is a myth.'

The author has also penned the very fine What's Next After Now?: Post-Spirituality and the Creative Life (Sentient Publications, 2005). For Harrison, the expression 'post-spirituality' points (and justly so) to presence itself. And once that presence is recognized, you see how clear and creative you life can truly be.

Branches of Light: News and Reviews from Banyen Books & Sound

Here's some contemporary Turtle Island dzogchen-cum-Krishnamurti style of pithy, unadorned, already-present insight. As a longtime student of the nature of consciousness, Steven Harrison has danced with Sufis, sat zazen with Buddhists, chanted with Hindus, met his animal guides with African and South American shamans, meditated with the sages of India and Tibet, and visited power sites, magical people, and sacred centers throughout the world. He writes:

'I studied the world's philosophies and religions. I spent long periods in India and the Himilayas, searching, contemplating, being. Through the past 25 years, I have been a student and teacher of all that I have discovered.'

'And it was all useless...'

'Even though I was discovering greater and greater depths of the mind and consciousness, no experience could solve my dilemma. No matter how far I traveled, no matter how intensely I practiced, no matter what master I found, I was still the center of the experience. Every experience, no matter how profound, was collected by the 'me.' The problem was the collector... The very grasping for an answer, for a response, for a solution that relieved me of a burden of feeling, was the problem.'

'You're already there,' Harrison writes. 'Do nothing. Nothing is a surprisingly active place. It is there that we discover who and what we are.' Doing Nothing is for spiritually interested readers who have found themselves avidly following practices that have not fundamentally changed their lives: new therapists, ancient meditations, exotic spiritual practices. It's about discovering life directly for ourselves, about being here now.

THOMAS SZASZ

A tour de force by the author and a treat for the reader.

New Age Journal

A persuasive argument for stopping the perennial search for enlightenment.

Dr. Thomas Szasz

Written in disarmingly unpretentious style, this book is a profound inquiry into the nature of humanity.

Jon Mundy

A compelling, thought-provoking adventure into a state of bliss, peace, and love.

Yoga Journal

Go beyond therapists, gurus, gods, and techniques, he tells us, to investigate our true nature in silence. Harrison’s uncompromising voice is a welcome companion on our journey toward being fully human.

JOSEPH CHILTON Pearce

There is no way to praise this powerful, extraordinary book sufficiently. The honesty and integrity it calls for are a challenge.

Utne Reader

Discard your ideologies and dogmas, your gurus and ritual, argues Harrison in this caustic exploration of our psycho spiritual obsessions. The solution lies in not seeking a solution.

Spring/Summer 2008 Branches of Light: News and Reviews from Banyen Books & Sound

Here's some contemporary Turtle Island dzogchen-cum-Krishnamurti style of pithy, unadorned, already-present insight. As a longtime student of the nature of consciousness, Steven Harrison has danced with Sufis, sat zazen with Buddhists, chanted with Hindus, met his animal guides with African and South American shamans, meditated with the sages of India and Tibet, and visited power sites, magical people, and sacred centers throughout the world. He writes: 'I studied the world's philosophies and religions. I spent long periods in India and the Himilayas, searching, contemplating, being. Through the past 25 years, I have been a student and teacher of all that I have discovered.' 'And it was all useless...' 'Even though I was discovering greater and greater depths of the mind and consciousness, no experience could solve my dilemma. No matter how far I traveled, no matter how intensely I practiced, no matter what master I found, I was still the center of the experience. Every experience, no matter how profound, was collected by the 'me.' The problem was the collector... The very grasping for an answer, for a response, for a solution that relieved me of a burden of feeling, was the problem.' 'You're already there,' Harrison writes. 'Do nothing. Nothing is a surprisingly active place. It is there that we discover who and what we are.' Doing Nothing is for spiritually interested readers who have found themselves avidly following practices that have not fundamentally changed their lives: new therapists, ancient meditations, exotic spiritual practices. It's about discovering life directly for ourselves, about being here now.

New Age Journal

A persuasive argument for stopping the perennial search for enlightenment.

Yoga Journal

Go beyond therapists, gurus, gods, and techniques, he tells us, to investigate our true nature in silence. Harrison’s uncompromising voice is a welcome companion on our journey toward being fully human.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192750643
Publisher:	Wetware Media
Publication date:	05/08/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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