Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Secret Path: Meditation Teachings from One of the Greatest Spiritual Explorers of the Twentieth Century

Rate this book
'The treasure-trove of the real self is within us, but it can be lifted only when the mind is still.'Paul Brunton was one of the 20th century's greatest explorers of, and writers on, the spiritual traditions of the East. He travelled widely throughout India (in particular) and met gurus and teachers who enriched his life immeasurably. By passing on to us the wisdom he learned directly from these holy men, he is widely credited as having introduced yoga and meditation to the West. In The Secret Path, Paul Brunton explains in simple language how to meditate, and how this will transform your everyday existence. He also describes the remarkable experiences and understandings he himself gained from meditation and how, by making this ancient practice a part of your life, you will be able to experience a valuable kind of freedom and a deep inner peace. The classic work - which has been reprinted many times - is a very special pointer towards your inner world, and one written by a most unusual and adventurous man of insight.

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1935

55 people are currently reading
299 people want to read

About the author

Paul Brunton

77 books199 followers
Paul Brunton was a British philosopher, researcher, mystic, and adventurer. He left a journalistic career to live among yogis, mystics, and holy men, and studied a wide variety of Eastern and Western esoteric teachings. With his entire life dedicated to the spiritual quest, Brunton felt charged with the task of communicating his knowledge and experiences in layperson's terms. He was one of the first persons to write accounts of what he learned about spirituality in the East, and his works have had a major influence on the spread of Eastern philosophy and mysticism to the West. Paul Brunton continued to write after his final publication in 1952, and a significant portion of his large archive of original writings was posthumously published by Larson Publications as "The Notebooks of Paul Brunton" (in 16 volumes). The entire archive will soon be housed at a university (2017) and available to read online (2019).

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
76 (45%)
4 stars
51 (30%)
3 stars
30 (17%)
2 stars
7 (4%)
1 star
4 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
407 reviews8 followers
February 8, 2015
This is clearly one of the best written books on mysticism which I have read. Paul Brunton was a follower of the great Guru Ramana Maharashi and had an experience of enlightenment while sitting with Ramana Maharashi. Paul Brunton basically espouses Ramana Maharashi's way of "God Realization" by asking "Who am I?", an inquiry into the nature of self. The author subsequently outlines a method of self realization through his method of self awareness, breathing and mental quiet. The book is both inspiring into the nature of mysticism and practical in terms of its technique. I would highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Linda.
188 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2019
I FINALLY finished it! I really liked the content of this book. Some of it read almost like poetry. However, I only gave it three stars because in my opinion the author used a lot more words (and therefore my time) to say something that could have been said with half the amount. Regardless, the methods laid out are (again just in my opinion) pretty solid. Believe it or not, I am actually considering reading this again in the future.
Profile Image for silverace08.
9 reviews
May 11, 2020
one of those precious books, mystically sent into ones life by the mysterious workings of the universe, at just the right time, like another reviewer heres mentioned, reads like pure poetry, which was one of the inspiring qualities of dr. paul brunton's subtle and lucid work, where he describes the magical and yet very real nature of the self hidden deep within ourselves which he terms the overself, calling all of us to action to discover it for ourself in the broader scheme of life, with the most humble yet powerful voice, reminding us that there is more to explore than that which we already know, if we delve within.
Profile Image for DropOfOcean.
202 reviews
October 29, 2018
This is hard book to review, especially as I reviewed this already once over month ago but that review has mysteriously disappeared. Anyway this is serious book about serious and extremely important matters. One needs to follow book’s instructions in order to find out if the secret path leads where the author claims - it’s all up to You.
Profile Image for Socrate.
6,743 reviews264 followers
March 26, 2023
Cum să înlătur partea mediocră din mine care se mulţumeşte cu puţin pentru că nu are viziunea sau puterea de a crea mai mult? Cum să încetez să mai pretind că sunt mai bun decât sunt, ori doar să-mi doresc să fiu mai bun decât sunt, şi chiar să fiu mai bun decât sunt? Cum să fac, din propria mea voinţă, ceea ce aş vrea să facă Dumnezeu pentru mine? Şi pentru prietenii mei aflaţi în suferinţă? Şi pentru lume în general? Cum să aflu dacă asemenea lucruri sunt posibile pentru mine? Iar dacă sunt, cum să le înfăptuiesc? Sugestiile (nu răspunsurile) pe care le dă Cărarea secretă la aceste chestiuni – şi la alte chestiuni de primă importanţă la începutul unui nou mileniu – o fac să fie o carte spirituală clasică. Paul Brunton a scris-o în doar patru săptămâni de inspiraţie neabătută, după câte se pare, la solicitarea marelui înţelept indian Ramana Maharshi. E a doua carte din cele unsprezece pe care le-a publicat în timpul vieţii şi din alte nouăsprezece care au fost extrase din voluminoasele carnete de notiţe pe care le-a lăsat pentru a fi publicate postum.
La vârsta de 35 de ani, acest om care avea să devină un înţelept recunoscut ca atare ştia deja că nici un sistem de exerciţii, reguli sau idei nu era suficient pentru a-l ajuta în misiunea sa. Ştia că elementul cel mai important de care are nevoie căutătorul este unul pe care nu şi-l poate asigura singur. Şi a încercat să ceară – cu succes – în diferite moduri ca Ceva să se arate şi să-l călăuzească.
Profile Image for Tyler Law.
1 review
May 24, 2024
I really liked this, especially after learning some context on the author and knowing the time it was written. It offers some great practical meditation techniques and as another reviewer mentioned can read like poetry at times. I also felt like this book found me as others have mentioned! The negatives were that it was overly defensive, verbose, and cyclical at times in my opinion. I understand given the context of the time that they were trying to rattle foundational thinking but it felt a bit contradictory to the overall message of the book and smug sometimes. All that said I took away plenty from the book and was inspired at times.
9 reviews
September 13, 2020
PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY

A terrific book for a sincere seeker. Brunton in his typical English style of his era, conveys a very practical method to “know thy self”. It’s starts a little slow but it’s worth persisting with.The words are from the authors heart and clearly indicate that he reached his “goal” with these methods and wants us to do so as well. The book should be read by today’s busy professional to help him/her navigate the numerous challenges we face in today’s materialistic and fast paced world of advancing technologies.
Profile Image for Tameron Keyes.
Author 1 book5 followers
March 31, 2019
It was OK, but I didn't find it moving or profound. I read it because two peope mentioned it in interviews as affecting their spritual lives. I didn't see it so I read it again and I sti didn't see it but it wasn't bad.
Profile Image for Timo.
294 reviews3 followers
March 17, 2024
Nothing new, but nothing unnecessary is contained within this book, and because of this it's a fine read for all low level apprentice wizards out there
Profile Image for Dylan Morris Peace.
5 reviews
April 21, 2017
Amazing!

This is a very great book for someone looking to practice meditation, and also great for someone already with an established meditation practice.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.