The Freedom to Be

Diamond Heart #2

by A.H. Almaas

We live in a world of mystery, wonder, and beauty. But most of us seldom participate in this real world, being focused rather on the parts that are mostly strife, suffering, or meaninglessness. The situation is basically due to our not realizing and living our full human potential. This potential can be actualized by the realization and development of human essence. The human essence is the part of us that is innate and real, and which can participate in the real world.

The series of books Diamond Heart are transcriptions of talks given by A. H. Almaas to inner work groups in Colorado and California.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Nonfiction, Religion

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2000

About the author

A.H. Almaas is the pen name of A. Hameed Ali, the creator of the Diamond Approach to Self Realization. The Diamond Approach is a contemporary teaching that developed within the context of awareness of both ancient spiritual teachings & modern depth psychological theories.

Reviews

[Glen Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like all the books from Almass, they aren't an easy read.
However, they are really worth studying, because they have a degree of wisdom not found in many similar works.

[Magdelanye · Rating 5 out of 5]

The diamond consciousness is a panoramic consciousness in contrast to the fixed focus of the personality. p9
We're trying to understand things. We're not trying to get anywhere. p74

If you've spent time and energy developing your personality in order to 'get somewhere,' or even if you are just playing out the several traits that you have cultivated, you might feel rather defensive when told that these are secondary endeavours; that indeed the quest for success or perfection or even enlightenment, may lead one sadly astray.

You are attached to your attachments and you do not see things as they are. p9
The more attached you are to that identity, the more the burning and the frustration. p59

AHA doesn't mince words. Having been through the wringer of his first book, I was somewhat prepared to be provoked.But when he states on p20 that "ultimately there is no self", my self rises up to contradict him. Really, I am not all that attached to my identity; but I am attached to life and my self as the one who experiences it.

The separate identity needs to go....You might experience cosmic consciousness,but if you are not dissolved in it you can still be attached to it....To merge means to lose your self, without holding on to something; you have to lose yourself completely....p59

If you are not discombobulated by this idea, you probably haven't given it much thought. If I wasn't myself, than who/what would I be?

What is there is actually there whether you like it or not. p71
You can't see what is there if you are rejecting what is there.p75

True freedom is allowing things to happen. p113
And for truth to manifest, you don't need effort. Truth is what is there. You need only stop the effort of avoiding seeing what is there. p123

You cannot make yourself grow; you can only cease to interfere. p109

It seems presumptuous to give this a rating so why not just give a 5

[Eugene Pustoshkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concluding chapter on being yourself is quite magnificent.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already read this book a few times over the years and each time I read it, I find I have a deeper understanding. There are a few chapters in particular where I find myself drawn to re-read. The material on Attachment and Space (Chapter 4) reminds us that the "deep root of attachment is the desire for complete unity." I find this chapter offers quite a bit to help understand self-images and in that understanding, we can see how much of our space is confined with them.

The material in Chapter 8, Will, is not what one might imagine that Will is about. When I read that "true will is the same thing that most people call surrender" it blew my mind.

In the chapter on Being Oneself (Chapter 12), Almaas describes a perspective of spiritual work quite different from others where the ego is usually seen as a problem. Here are a couple of lines that speak to this perspective: "The ego tries to bring divine life to earth and actualize it; but it uses ways which don't work. The usual result is a personal lie which is an imitation of the true one."

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over a long period of time. I left it on the shelf in my bathroom and would read a little at a time while I was in there. This seems like a pretty disrespectful way to read a book, but ultimately, this book made an extremely profound impression on me, and I doubt that an ADD-type person like myself would have read such a dense and philosophical book any other way. What stayed with me most was his discussion of attachment and no-self.

[mrs rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The process of personality is basically a movement of fear and hope: fear of pain and hope for pleasure"

3.5 stars. I loved the deeper explorations of concepts in this second book, especially the chapters of Attachment and Space and Change and Truth. The metaphors were so on point too and helped click things into perspective - my favourites being the ego pea 🫛 and personality islands 🏝️. As I said in my review of book 1, I really wish Almaas would provide some practical examples in action as well, rather than just exploring and pondering the concepts.

[Jutta · Rating 5 out of 5]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[Anna Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful and very helpful in understanding being. I really appreciated the last few chapters on true love, friendship, the lover, and being. Anyone looking to understand the depth of being, and get a bit of a stronger orientation to reality I highly suggest this book and the full diamond heart series.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome.