Paul Brunton: Essential Readings

In an effort to bridge the gap between the early writings of PB and the material published in the Notebooks, this volume offers excerpts from both periods of PB's life. Part One consists of selections from A Search in Secret Egypt (PB's night in the Great Pyramid); A Search in Secret India (PB's interviews with Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Shankaracarya); a section from The Quest of the Overself on the Overself in Action; a reflection on the mission of Jesus from The Inner Reality (renamed Discover Yourself); and perhaps the most remarkable of all, the chapter titled "The Birth of the Universe" from The Wisdom of the Overself. Part Two contains seven topics taken from The Notebooks of Paul Brunton. They are "The Quest," "The Teacher," "From Mysticism to Philosophy," "The Overself," "Grace and the Short Path," "World-Mind and Mind," and "The Sage." While these latter selections point towards the greater body of work that is the Notebooks, they were specifically chosen to compliment the ideas presented in Part One. Thus we have the Interviews with Ramana Maharshi and Shankaracarya in Part One, which are complimented by the sections on "The Teacher" and "The Sage" in Part Two. Similarly the selection from The Quest of the Overself is developed in the chapter "The Overself" in Part Two. This book is often overlooked in the pantheon of PB's published works, which is a shame, because it is very helpful in highlighting the central themes of PB's writings and teachings. For those unfamiliar with his terms-such as Overself, Mind, and World-Mind-this book is a helpful introduction. Finally, for those who are quite familiar with PB's writings and views, this book makes an excellent traveling companion, as there are many profound ideas worthy