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The Diamond in Your Pocket: Discovering Your True Radiance
A master thief waited his whole life to acquire the most beautiful diamond in the world. When he heard it had been purchased, he spent three days trying to steal the rare jewel. He failed.
Finally, the thief walked right up to the owner and asked, “How did you hide this precious jewel from me?”
To which the owner replied, “I placed it where I knew you would never look―in your own pocket!”
This insightful tale opens the first major book release from Gangaji―an American-born teacher who has influenced the lives of thousands of people through her public events.
In The Diamond in Your Pocket , Gangaji describes our never-ending search as human beings to find fulfillment―which, paradoxically, already exists if only we will stop long enough to experience it. Readers join Gangaji to learn more
How to let go of your need to control, and activate instead the choice of where you put your mind’s attention
• Cultivating the courage to be vulnerable, so you can meet―and deeply merge with―the unknown
• How to unearth the roots of suffering―learn to stop replaying your life’s dramatic stories over and over, and much more
“As long as you are searching for it, it cannot be found, ” teaches Gangaji. Written as a series of short contemplations, The Diamond in Your Pocket shows you thought-by-thought how to stop the endless activity of your mind, and experience the brilliance and radiance of who you really are.
Finally, the thief walked right up to the owner and asked, “How did you hide this precious jewel from me?”
To which the owner replied, “I placed it where I knew you would never look―in your own pocket!”
This insightful tale opens the first major book release from Gangaji―an American-born teacher who has influenced the lives of thousands of people through her public events.
In The Diamond in Your Pocket , Gangaji describes our never-ending search as human beings to find fulfillment―which, paradoxically, already exists if only we will stop long enough to experience it. Readers join Gangaji to learn more
How to let go of your need to control, and activate instead the choice of where you put your mind’s attention
• Cultivating the courage to be vulnerable, so you can meet―and deeply merge with―the unknown
• How to unearth the roots of suffering―learn to stop replaying your life’s dramatic stories over and over, and much more
“As long as you are searching for it, it cannot be found, ” teaches Gangaji. Written as a series of short contemplations, The Diamond in Your Pocket shows you thought-by-thought how to stop the endless activity of your mind, and experience the brilliance and radiance of who you really are.
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
100 people are currently reading
1656 people want to read
About the author
Gangaji
58 books94 followersGangaji is an American born spiritual teacher and author. She lives in Ashland, Oregon, with her husband, fellow spiritual teacher Eli Jaxon-Bear.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
June 11, 2011
It was interesting to read Gangaji and compare her to Eckhart Tolle. Gangaji pursued spirituality by "trying" many different practices in hopes of finding the peace and awareness that she so longed to experience, then she met Papaji--her final and true teacher. Tolle, on the other hand, suffered from his personal agonies which resulted in his spiritual awakening, he then turned to spiritual teachers to help him understand what had happened to him. Perhaps it is the difference in her journey that gives Gangaji a more sober demeanor in pointing the way to "this...time of the ordinary awakening." She repeatedly points out that one must recognize and then work through one's suffering to be free of the story the self has created. Not everyone will be given the gift of bliss Tolle experiences, but Gangaji does open the door for the "ordinary" person to glimpse the truth of who he/she truly is.
December 18, 2016
This is a truly wonderful book.
For me this is the perfect counterpart to Eckhart Tolle's 'The Power of Now'. I like to think of it as a more feminine approach to expressing the same message. It is profound in its simplicity, however, the invitation is more heart centred than Eckhart's approach. Neither are better or worse, in my opinion, they are both masterpieces in inviting the reader into a direct experience of something that goes beyond the ability of words to describe, and yet words are used to provide this experience. So for me these two books stand side by side, perfectly complementing each-other like the yin and yang, if you will.
Whilst reading this book, I was struck by a real sense of 'knowing', coming from a deep place within me, a sense of the essence of true wisdom itself.
In all honesty, reading this book felt like a great relief, because for the very first time I felt deeply that Gangaji was talking of something that somehow I have always known, and yet had never heard anyone talk about.
My experience was that at least once in every short chapter, almost every page, I was reduced to tears because of the absolute joy of hearing the words on the page speak directly to my soul. This is something that I did not expect, and did not even know was possible. The words bypassed my mind like an arrow, and struck me straight in the heart.
I feel very grateful to Gangaji for writing this book, and it is very precious to me.
I recommend this book to anyone who is dedicated to Spiritual Enlightenment, and especially to those who consider themselves to be spiritual seekers, for her message is to call off the search, and in the stopping, is found grace.
For me this is the perfect counterpart to Eckhart Tolle's 'The Power of Now'. I like to think of it as a more feminine approach to expressing the same message. It is profound in its simplicity, however, the invitation is more heart centred than Eckhart's approach. Neither are better or worse, in my opinion, they are both masterpieces in inviting the reader into a direct experience of something that goes beyond the ability of words to describe, and yet words are used to provide this experience. So for me these two books stand side by side, perfectly complementing each-other like the yin and yang, if you will.
Whilst reading this book, I was struck by a real sense of 'knowing', coming from a deep place within me, a sense of the essence of true wisdom itself.
In all honesty, reading this book felt like a great relief, because for the very first time I felt deeply that Gangaji was talking of something that somehow I have always known, and yet had never heard anyone talk about.
My experience was that at least once in every short chapter, almost every page, I was reduced to tears because of the absolute joy of hearing the words on the page speak directly to my soul. This is something that I did not expect, and did not even know was possible. The words bypassed my mind like an arrow, and struck me straight in the heart.
I feel very grateful to Gangaji for writing this book, and it is very precious to me.
I recommend this book to anyone who is dedicated to Spiritual Enlightenment, and especially to those who consider themselves to be spiritual seekers, for her message is to call off the search, and in the stopping, is found grace.
March 23, 2007
This is a collection of short essays about self discovery, meditation, and truth. I will often flip the book open to just read one chapter in the middle of the day or right before bed. Each one is like a question and an answer at the same time. I like to give this book to people I feel are also in the midst of a search.
September 20, 2018
I listened to the audio-book version narrated by Gangaji herself, since I gathered this would be closer to the true message of the book. The narration was calming and peaceful (great for sleep). There really are a few gems in this book, here and there, and the direct message of consciousness or existence being primary to the illusion of our every day perceived experience of duality. However, the message is mostly loss amongst a jungle of concepts and layers of words over words. Every time the author went through a list of synonyms describing our lost we are in life, or how the 'super-ego' works against the 'ego' etc., I started to either tune out, or had an insatiable desire to skip over most of the section. The book could have been cut down by around 50% at least, since it was essentially delivering the (Neo-Advaita) type teaching that all one needs to do is stop, stop seeking, stop searching, and just wake up to the ever-present reality that one already is. There is no path, nowhere to go, and any step away from 'this' would be a step away from reality etc.
That's all well and good, except that it only really works for an advanced one that has already conquered much spiritual ground through meditative and contemplative practices possibly taking years of effort and non-effort. Beginners picking up this message are likely to walk off thinking themselves enlightened (or worse, start teaching as per the author when she received this illustrious message from her own teacher, who himself had gone off teaching and claiming a non-existent lineage after a few spiritual experiences).
Overall, it's a relaxing listen, and does rival teachers such as Eckhart Tolle (although his teaching is slightly more practical). For a more comprehensive teaching, one will likely need to approach some of the more traditional and recognised greats in the nondual traditions.
That's all well and good, except that it only really works for an advanced one that has already conquered much spiritual ground through meditative and contemplative practices possibly taking years of effort and non-effort. Beginners picking up this message are likely to walk off thinking themselves enlightened (or worse, start teaching as per the author when she received this illustrious message from her own teacher, who himself had gone off teaching and claiming a non-existent lineage after a few spiritual experiences).
Overall, it's a relaxing listen, and does rival teachers such as Eckhart Tolle (although his teaching is slightly more practical). For a more comprehensive teaching, one will likely need to approach some of the more traditional and recognised greats in the nondual traditions.
February 6, 2009
Good insightful stuff here about finding happiness within yourself and not by looking elsewhere. Nothing new here for me, but a nice, almost practical approach to guide you to a spiritual path. Almost returned it to the library without reading too much of it, but then found some appropriate chapters to copy and share with my sister... to help her choose peace over problems.
August 30, 2018
"I will make an even more precise and outrageous statement. I recommend that you consciously suffer. What is wrong with suffering? What thought or voice in your head says suffering is wrong? Painful, yes, but not wrong.
Willingness to suffer fully, even for an instant, without trying to escape or be saved, means that suffering is no longer an obstacle to full surrender into the mystery of existence. Relief from suffering stops being the goal.
According to the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus said, 'When you
know how to suffer, you do not suffer.' The 'how to' of suffering is to suffer all the way. It is to suffer with full consciousness. To consciously suffer is to consciously recognize the impulse to escape and instead face directly whatever is appearing, be it grief, horror, extreme loss, or sadness."
April 7, 2009
So far... I pick this book up every day and view a bit of it. Gangaji is a follower of the guru of my choice, Sri Ramana Maharshi, and keeps me in understanding with his ideas. I do not think I will ever be done with this book; or the teachings of the Maharshi. We are all already enlightened; all we need to do is realize it.
"Your duty is to Be, and not to be this or that."
'
"Your duty is to Be, and not to be this or that."
'
Read
August 10, 2011A few quotes that summarize my takeaway:
'At a certain point, you recognize that you don't understand a thing, and you experience a moment of surrender. The paradox is that, as soon as you surrender the need to understand, you do understand; and the moment you think you do understand, you don't understand.
In your willingness right now, it this moment, to relinquish all understanding, all that you ever searched for through understanding is revealed.'
'If you are searching for a safe, comfortable life, then the freedom I am pointing to is not for you.
If you have read this far in the book, then you probably already know that.
The invitation to accept the diamond of life is not an invitation to safety and comfort.
It is an invitation to live fully and completely, which is never safe and is often uncomfortable.'
'The only obstacle to realizing the truth of who you are is thinking who you are'
' Call off the search'
'Stop'
'At a certain point, you recognize that you don't understand a thing, and you experience a moment of surrender. The paradox is that, as soon as you surrender the need to understand, you do understand; and the moment you think you do understand, you don't understand.
In your willingness right now, it this moment, to relinquish all understanding, all that you ever searched for through understanding is revealed.'
'If you are searching for a safe, comfortable life, then the freedom I am pointing to is not for you.
If you have read this far in the book, then you probably already know that.
The invitation to accept the diamond of life is not an invitation to safety and comfort.
It is an invitation to live fully and completely, which is never safe and is often uncomfortable.'
'The only obstacle to realizing the truth of who you are is thinking who you are'
' Call off the search'
'Stop'
April 14, 2012
Reading this on the heels of Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth, I found this lackluster and dry in style without much to add in terms of content. The parts I enjoyed, however, were her ideas about surrendering to death and fully meeting emotional charges in the moment instead of avoiding them. Those two ideas were the real diamonds for me...
August 28, 2010
I wasn't sure about this at first, but since it was lent to me by a friend I thought I would try reading it. Turns out it is just what I needed. Spiritual but GROUNDED. I especially love her embrace of our humanity.
August 10, 2020
At first I do not understand this book what is about. But as I read and I've found my true-self. Stop your “search for fulfillment” and experience the brilliance of who you really are. Just be yourself. Enjoy!
June 19, 2008
Another self searching book that makes you aware of your own capabilities.
August 12, 2014
definitely changed me. I've read parts of it over and over, and have listened to the audio. Gangaji's message speaks to who I am.
May 10, 2011
Awesome
July 8, 2012
A constant self inquiry is needed to be free......
December 13, 2015
You have to delve into the inquiries and really search, search, search if you want this book to be useful at all in your spiritual journey.
July 13, 2012
Whether this is a good or a bad book depends on whether it works for you. I had enjoyed cathartic moments when reading this book years ago and wish I could stay in those states permanently. I enjoyed the book's instructions and how it says to now stop and do what it tells you.
Many people seeking spiritual peace are mentally troubled, and a good psychologist is probably a better path to tread than religious and spiritual ones, because psychology is scientific and uses empirical evidence to help people's troubled minds.
Many people seeking spiritual peace are mentally troubled, and a good psychologist is probably a better path to tread than religious and spiritual ones, because psychology is scientific and uses empirical evidence to help people's troubled minds.
January 11, 2019
I think the message of this book was delivered in an unnecessarily round-about way. Too much elucidation was used to describe the message of acquiring "Freedom".
Any one of Eckhart Tolle's books emanates Presence. Presence, or the power of the now, is evident, almost palpable, in Eckhart's words whether written or spoken.
Read _The Power of Now_ , _Stillness Speaks_ or _The New Earth_. You will recognized the truth from the very first couple of words from these works. Eckhart also helps you to access Presence with valuable tools!
Any one of Eckhart Tolle's books emanates Presence. Presence, or the power of the now, is evident, almost palpable, in Eckhart's words whether written or spoken.
Read _The Power of Now_ , _Stillness Speaks_ or _The New Earth_. You will recognized the truth from the very first couple of words from these works. Eckhart also helps you to access Presence with valuable tools!
December 10, 2016
There is something that made me feel that this book so far away . Maybe because I already believe in self-exploration and stop telling ourselves the stories we made up and face ourselves with the reality .
Or maybe because it is too advanced and needs me to be enlightened and more conscious . Maybe I am just not ready to understand this book now.
Or maybe because it is too advanced and needs me to be enlightened and more conscious . Maybe I am just not ready to understand this book now.
July 29, 2007
I didn't know much about Gangaji before reading it. It had a forward by Eckhart Tolle, another popular Enlightment Teacher, like Byron Katie. Her teachings like those of most enlightenment teacher's compilations, are designed to give you a taste, which she does.
May 11, 2012
A cousin bought me this superb book. Its simple message of "Just being " is challenging and stimulating--and very certainly a large part of the personal achievement of happiness.Will continue to dip into this advice book for refreshment of spirit and emotional radiance
March 23, 2013
The works of Gangaji are like reading words of Scripture to me. I never quite finish or put down the book. I read a little from time to time to recenter and find the words to stop and reconnect with what is always here and present.
October 3, 2018
Audio Book that is excellent and different from others on related theme
Update: guit reading, didn’t finish.
Update: guit reading, didn’t finish.
February 28, 2008
The best self~inquiry book and teacher!!! Seriously, check this out. It'll blow everything out of the water.
June 21, 2008
You you really are in simple terms
July 23, 2008
this book didnt do much for me, couldnt connect to the author- important for me in order to love a book, lots of mumbo-jumbo, too guru-focused, too abstract and obscure.
August 6, 2009
Another of my faves, truly inspirational, great for anyone asking the question, Why are we here, or what is my purpose.
March 28, 2010
What a great book! Gangaji is urging all of us to seek truth and stop all this story telling. This is one I will read again and again.
June 22, 2010
This is a great book for discovering your true self written by a western woman who, like many of her generation, went to India to find herself and perhaps find G-d in the process.
February 10, 2011
so far so amazing...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews