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Advaitaholics Anonymous: Sobering Insights for Spiritual Addicts
Shiv Sengupta experienced a powerful awakening in his twenties after suffering from years of debilitating depression. He realized that awakening wasn’t a solution in itself, but a glimpse into the right way of approaching the problem of personal existence. A problem that he spent the next decade investigating without resorting to metaphysical rationalizations, spiritual belief systems or cut-and-dry scientific explanations.
Teachers, practices, rituals, communities... in short spiritual culture, is the very thing standing in our way, according to Shiv. This ‘culture of spirituality’ is a decoy. A distraction designed to keep our vision constantly looking away from what is most evident. As long as we continue to outsource our truth-seeking to middlemen and institutions (who are more than happy to oblige us) the only truth we can hope to find is an off-the-rack variety—grossly hyped, overpriced and lacking any real substance.
With raw honesty, charming profanity and a caustic wit, Shiv Sengupta, draws our attention to some of the most fundamental questions about reality and human existence while refusing to settle for any of the rote answers that have been provided to us by scriptures, teachers and philosophers. In fact, he provides no answers of his own. Instead, he insists that it is up to each individual to determine truth by themselves.
Shiv began sharing his reflections on a Facebook page called ‘Advaitaholics Anonymous’ which gained a large readership amongst veteran spiritual seekers. This book is a compilation of his selected essays and serves as testimony of a man who has found his own mind.
Shiv is married with two daughters. A Canadian citizen born and raised in India, he can be contacted via his advaitaholics.com.
Teachers, practices, rituals, communities... in short spiritual culture, is the very thing standing in our way, according to Shiv. This ‘culture of spirituality’ is a decoy. A distraction designed to keep our vision constantly looking away from what is most evident. As long as we continue to outsource our truth-seeking to middlemen and institutions (who are more than happy to oblige us) the only truth we can hope to find is an off-the-rack variety—grossly hyped, overpriced and lacking any real substance.
With raw honesty, charming profanity and a caustic wit, Shiv Sengupta, draws our attention to some of the most fundamental questions about reality and human existence while refusing to settle for any of the rote answers that have been provided to us by scriptures, teachers and philosophers. In fact, he provides no answers of his own. Instead, he insists that it is up to each individual to determine truth by themselves.
Shiv began sharing his reflections on a Facebook page called ‘Advaitaholics Anonymous’ which gained a large readership amongst veteran spiritual seekers. This book is a compilation of his selected essays and serves as testimony of a man who has found his own mind.
Shiv is married with two daughters. A Canadian citizen born and raised in India, he can be contacted via his advaitaholics.com.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2020
32 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 9, 2022
I was ready for this book.
May 7, 2021
A fresh wind sweeping in off the Canadian shields
This is a most needed burning of the stunted old growth spiritual forest. Much easier to see with all the dead wood gone. If you have ever placed to much , or any value , on awakening this will be pleasant for you. All the saints go marching out and good riddance to them.
This is a most needed burning of the stunted old growth spiritual forest. Much easier to see with all the dead wood gone. If you have ever placed to much , or any value , on awakening this will be pleasant for you. All the saints go marching out and good riddance to them.
October 31, 2021
The book loses its own plot a few chapters in. The author starts sounding a bit eletist and it feels like a lot of the "stories" and experiences they quote feels a bit forced and unrealistic (allowed to imitate a surgeon at 16 years old as an example)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2021
Nothing to see here
Nothing to see here you can be pleased to see. If you enjoy the paradoxical nature of that statement you will enjoy this book, or you won’t. Who cares?
Nothing to see here you can be pleased to see. If you enjoy the paradoxical nature of that statement you will enjoy this book, or you won’t. Who cares?
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews