'I' is a Door : The essence of Advaita as taught by Ramana Maharshi, Atmananda & Nisargadatta Maharaj

Excellent summary of these three great teachers. Explanations of many of the terms and concepts used to describe that which is beyond c o ncept.

I've read each author individually, and then also this as a paperback purchased elsewhere.After studying Japanese Zen, the principle of Ten-chi-jin was made known to me. This states that man (Jin) is the conduit between heaven (Ten) and earth (Chi). The state of being described as divinity is a non-dual mind and the door described in the Bible is the same. The mind.

The subtitle of the book summarizes the content: ‘The essence of Advaita as taught by Ramana Maharshi, Atmananda & Nisargadatta Maharaj’ – and the book fulfils its promise admirably. It is intelligently and informatively written and is very readable. Brief biographies of the three are provided but the key aim is to present and contrast the essence and style of these modern sages. As an exponent of traditional advaita, I have a number of issues with what they taught (and/or how it is presented by translators and commentators) but there is no denying their brilliance and justified appeal to modern seekers. Renard does full justice to this despite the book’s short length, and adherents of all three teachers should derive interest and benefit from reading it. Even traditionalists will enjoy it, although for me the overriding conclusion is how confusing their concepts and wording can be to new seekers, lacking the benefit of the gauged and gradual introduction provided by teachers who are ‘qualified’ in the sense of belonging to a formal lineage.