Awakening to the Natural State

by John Wheeler

John Wheeler met Bob Adamson (a student of Nisargadatta Maharaj) on a trip to Australia in 2003. In short order, Bob cleared up John's doubts and questions and pointed out to him the fact of our real self-shining, ever-present awareness. Bob Adamson has encouraged John to share this understanding of 'who we really are.' The articles contained in this book (extended by another 30 articles in this edition) cover some of John's experiences with meeting 'Sailor' Bob Adamson and various aspects of the understanding which subsequently unfolded. Interspersed with these are chapters of email correspondence with enquirers who have been drawn to this radical and direct approach to self-realisation.

Genres: Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction

253 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Adil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is honestly what happened: The first 20 or so pages of this book did it for me. One night, I was lying in bed reading this, and everything dawned on me completely. There is no way to describe this but I feel 100 times lighter and integrated and nothing else has changed in my life, as I had suspected. I lost interest in every other spiritual seeking (and I had recently finished reading three good books on Zen and had been meditating consistently again after a long time --I stopped, even though I had (and still have) tremendous respect for Zen). I don't even feel like reading the rest of this book and I know it won't really give me anything else I need (though I'm still reading it merely for the enjoyment). I need nothing else.

I try to get suspicious about what I have been experiencing, and I generally doubt everything in my life, but I just can't get myself to doubt this. It is impossible to doubt. It is for each to experience this for themselves. This book is what did it for me, and I believe reading Jiddu Krishnamurti earlier in my life prepared me for this as well. It just happens to be the case, somewhat arbitrarily, that this book was it. Therefore, I have to declare this the most profound book I have ever read. However, the message is very simple and many others have written about it. So it could easily have been another book. Bottom line is, this book has the potential to evoke this revelation in you, as it did for me. I urge you to read this and similar stuff. Your life might change from the root, entirely, forever.

Please don't judge me as arrogant. All of this is there for all of us to experience and it is very easy. See for yourself and you will know. And if you know, you will understand the joy I feel in writing this review.

[Aleksandar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit on 7th of June 2024.: I wrote this review when I was 2 years in with my spiritual practice and wasn't as experienced. Currently I see things in a very similar way that Mr. John Wheeler does. It becomes very simple, awareness/consciousness is all there is and only true being, in absolute terms. Yet, I was brought to that conclusion and state of being through "relative truths". Changed the rating to 4 stars.

Western non-duality is based around stating hundreds of times, in hundreds of different ways that there's only awareness, and that everything else is an illusion.

This isn't completely true, but we can accept it as true for now. The main problem is that most of the Western teachers completely disregard spiritual practices such as devotion, prayer, meditation, organized/traditional paths which brought so many souls to God realization. Many of them describe their decades of spiritual practice before realizing the Truth, as wandering, intellectual puzzle etc., but fail to understand that years and years of those practices enabled them to reach the Truth later on. You cannot skip steps, there needs to be years and years of dedicated spiritual seeking before you're worthy of BEING the Truth.

It's wrong to label the practices that brought you to the finish line as a waste of time, just because the last nudge came from simple spoken words of an enlightened teacher. That's exactly what Mr. Wheeler does.

The book is comprised of Mr. Wheeler's answers to questions asked by seekers and the answer is always the same - you're the awareness in which everything (thoughts, emotions, physical items) manifest and nothing affects you. I don't see how this would help a man that's just starting his spiritual path, probably depressed and ignorant, it will probably make his apparent situation worse. But I guarantee that a Yogic path will gradually strip him of his burdens and might lead him to God realization if persistent and dedicated.

I wanted to e-mail Mr. Wheeler, to give him a chance to dispell some of my concerns and different opinions, but he doesn't teach anymore and doesn't wish to be contacted.

I thank him for the book, because I felt that his attempt is 100% sincere and I did learn something from it, but I don't recommend it for someone that doesn't already have some spiritual and intellectual understanding of non-duality.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic.

Straight to the point, no filter. Very clear pointing to the natural state of being, being very simple, and showing the various traps we get ourselves into thinking, analyzing, seeking, etc. I also found the teaching to have a lot of heart and relaxation, no urgency or pressure.

I can imagine this isn't for everyone. It's repetitive, because of its simplicity. And I suppose we all seem to be on our own path where, ironically, there does seem to be a process of unfolding before we fully recognize that the whole idea of unfolding/path/personal obscures the always-here-always-now nature of presence-awareness...

In any case, it made and is making a very deep impression on me.

[Tetrijeb · Rating 5 out of 5]

a decent advaita direct path, clear, no-nonsense pointing out instructions.
however, to reap true and transformative benefits of the direct path approach, one must be "ripe" enough for it.
this is achieved through many years and decades of serious and rigorous spiritual work, purification, yoga, meditation, etc..
only when fully ripe will the fruit fall from the tree.
otherwise these kinds of books are just an interesting read, a conceptual entertainment of sorts, which, while also beneficial, misses the point entirely.

[Frater Nepsis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book of non-duality as it is not about theory, it gives answers from a real life perspective and experience.

[Reevrb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent…very clear pointers!

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is good, although I felt Dziuban's Consciousness is All was a better book on the topic.

[Del · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the clearest authors I've come across.

[Linty · Rating 5 out of 5]

He makes the simple so simple. Will do good things to your brain.

[Tbony Coates]

Brilliant simplistic clarity.
Cannot be faulted.