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1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A call for a quantum evolutionary leap, starting with each of us Jun 29, 2009
As we stand on the cusp of 21st century's second decade, few thinking people have not pondered the multiple crises facing humanity. Only the most dogmatic believers in the Myth of Progress continue to believe mankind is progressing. Indeed, in a world of rampant war, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation, the looming prospect of ecological calamity due to the climate crisis; resource exhaustion, and mass extinction of species, it would seem the human project is in fact regressing to more barbaric norms all the time. Torture, abolished as a legitimate means of behavior in the West since the high middle ages, is now, if not the official policy of the US government, its defacto practice in its so-called "War on Terror." Moreover, if the polls can be believed, half the US population now supports the government's right to torture prisoners suspected of terrorism. This is only one example of many regressions to wholesale barbarism, and the problem unfortunately is not limited to the US.
While it is true that, in the face of this crisis of modernity, calls for self-transformation and a quantum leap in human consciousness are not new, Shunyamurti's The Transformational Imperative is surely the most insightful, wise, and sophisticated among them.
For many of us, spirituality is a wholly private matter that has little to do with the sweeping global problems like war and poverty and oppression. Shunyamurti demonstrates that this assumption is quite false; in fact the wars, poverty and oppression are simply the projection of our collective deluded state of ego identification. As he says on page one: "There is no solution to our problems - or even the possibility to will a solution - so long as human consciousness remains in its current level of incomplete development."
In spite of all of the negativity in this age of Kali Yuga, Shunyamurti has a hopeful vision. After a period of planetary purification, a new age will be born, which will be characterized by spiritual development not materialism and consumerism. This is a book on fire with inspired wisdom. Shunyamurti speaks with authority as one who has himself transcended the state of ego identification. The book would especially appeal to those who have read Eckart Tolle's A New Earth. The Transformational Imperative deals with similar themes but in my opinion, Shunyamurti's book is much more sophisticated and complex than either The Power of Now or A New Earth. Shunyamurti has studied logic, language, semiotics, quantum physics, Advaita Vedanta, Zen, Taoism, Hinduism, Sufism, Yoga, Western philosophy, the New Physics, alchemy, Freud, Jung, Lacan, and much more, and is able to draw upon these thought streams and weave them into a compelling treatise on the origins, consequences, and remedy for our individual and collective ills.
He writes furthermore not only as a scholar but also as one who has practiced what he preaches. He spent a decade in India living as a monk; he has worked as a spiritual counselor for many years. He was raised in the U.S., but has traveled far and wide in his long search for wisdom. And this book is a compelling distillation of his findings. Those who wish to hear some of his talks or view short video clips can find them at [...]
In his book he challenges some of the shibboleths of the New Age movement, as well as exploding some of the myths about enlightenment. As one with a background in Zen Buddhism, I particularly appreciated the chapter, "The Four No-Bull Truths," which provides an instructive and insightful updating of Buddha's teachings. It is not so much a critique of Buddha's Fourfold Noble Truth as it is a look at it from another perspective, similarly to how the Heart Sutra recontextualizes the Four Noble Truths from the standpoint of one who has realized the emptiness or insubstantiality of all phenomena.
Those who want a nice bunch of insights that they can put back onto the shelf and forget about might want to choose another book. There are many such books that tout easy "enlightenment" -- especially those of the "neo-advaita" or "pseudo-advaita" variety -- that present enlightenment as easily realizable as watching a DVD while sculpting one's thighs in the gym, but in reality enlightenment or Self Realization requires a commitment to a spiritual practice that includes meditation, scriptural study, a healthy lifestyle, avoidance of addictive patterns, and processing and working through one's neurotic symptoms. The latter is a crucial difference between Shunyamurti's approach and most books on Eastern Spirituality: he combines the best of the psychotherapeutic wisdom of psychologists such as Freud, Jung and Lacan with the esoteric wisdom of Advaita Vedanta, Zen, and the perennial philosophy. The Transformational Imperative is an invitation to radical self-inspection, a call to let go of egoic patterns and rise to a higher level of consciousness, for the sake of not only oneself but of all sentient beings.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A New Dawn Nov 07, 2008
October 2008
A Review on the Transformational Imperative
If our ecological, social, political, economic and personal deluge is not
troubling you, or you believe that mainstream human ingenuity can resolve
the challenges daunting us, this book may not be for you. However, if you
are reading the writing on the wall as the most challenging,
incomprehensible crucial times on record that may result in the demise of
the entire globe and its civilizations, you may want to do nothing more
until you read this book.
The severity of our global circumstances is growing in audience and speakers
with repertoires that lack solutions. The prognosis is out and growing in
constituents. Our planetary situation has turned cancerous, if not terminal.
We try to patch up the Ozone with the same old conservation programs, too
little, too late. We hold mock election and design economic buy-outs that
just a few months ago were solely reserved for playing monopoly around the
fire. And if all else fails, radiation has become an option of last resort
for keeping the patient alive.
Not to despair. The Transformational Imperative: Planetary Redemption
through Self-Realization is not about doomsday, but on how to bring about a
new dawn. In his book, Shunyamurti recognizes that in the eye of the storm
is to be found the greatest potential for human transformation and
transcendence that can result in planetary redemption. The narrow tunnel
vision of the last 150 years has provided us with an unprecedented peak of
knowledge in every intellectual field. We are to use this unparalleled data
to heal the very wound it helped create and design a new golden age
unimaginable to the limited, material mind.
Shunyamurti updates the ancient Yogi formula of Awakening, Illumination, and
Liberation for returning human consciousness back to its maximum full
potential, and by extension, healing the planet from its present demise.
First, we must awaken to the visible signs that the patient, as we know it,
is terminally ill. Secondly, we have to turn inward to the eternal light
from which x-ray material can only be viewed. The source of the trouble,
occluded at the surface, lies hidden within the human soul. Once diagnosed
at the root, treatment begins until we are fully liberated from its root
causes.
Transformation occurs with the removal of the covers that keep the cancerous
infection festering and growing. Transformation has become imperative for
all of us due to the terminal state of present civilization and its lack of
true leadership. Shunyamurti injects modern potencies, such as the most
up-to-date discoveries in the fields of psychology and quantum physics, into
the ancient yogi formula to adjust for the modern strand of
ego-consciousness.
Not only the biosphere, but the survival of humanity itself is presently at
question.
In Shunyamurti's recently published book, the way out of our present
calamity is proclaimed through the integration of ancient yogic teachings
with all esoteric traditions of both East and West, aided by modern
psychology's understanding of the human mind, and breakthroughs in science
and math.
There is no need for feeling hopeless, or to remain in denial of our present
decay. A map for understanding and resolution of our personal and global
impasses has arrived.
Namaste,
Marjiva
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
It is time to awaken! Nov 03, 2008
The Transformational imperative is a must for every serious spiritual seeker. Using psychology, philosophy, science , religion and sometimes humor, Shunyamurti explains in great detail the complexity of our main obstacle , the ego. His essays are filled with practical information on how to advance in our spiritual journey and why we must awaken and transform to reach our highest potential and help heal our extraordinary planet.
Practical Guide for Spiritual Transformation Oct 23, 2008
This serious and enlightened collection of essays describes in great detail the reasons for our dissatisfaction with life, the chaotic nature of the world and so much more. For those who are seeking peace in their internal and external lives, this book provides the basics for achieving that peace, balance and inner harmony. It explains why the world is experiencing such turmoil and what we, as conscious beings, can do to alter that course. It is a book of inspiration, hope and great joy. I plan on sharing it with the people in my life who are looking for answers to some of the most basic, and yet most complex, of life's questions.
A great read for those interested in developing their spiritual path and for those who are already on one!
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
A must read for all Oct 23, 2008
I have been on my own conscious Spiritual path since 1986. I have read dozens and dozens of 'self-help' books, have participated in a variety of therapies and have explored numerous Spiritual groups/belief systems. All the above has lead me to where I am now -- ie ready to truly become honest about who I am and what my role in this life is. Reading Shunyamurti's book, "The Transformational Imperative," was like being in a very frank, yet loving conversation with a teacher about the nature of Spirituality and the urgency for each of us to return to our true nature.
I found it to be very complimentary to Ekhart Tolle's book, "A New Earth." Both authors discuss in detail the importance of becoming present to life as it truly is and that, by becoming present we become free of our fears, anxieties and, in the end, our ego.
If you found value in Tolle's work, "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth," I believe Shunyamurti's book is the icing on the cake for those of us that are on this path and seek guidance from a true Teacher. Namaste, Maggie
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