The Book of Not Knowing : Exploring the True Nature of Self, Mind, and Consciousness

Over decades of martial arts and meditation practice, Peter Ralston discovered a curious and paradoxical fact: that true awareness arises from a state of not-knowing . Even the most sincere investigation of self and spirit, he says, is often sabotaged by our tendency to grab too quickly for answers and ideas as we retreat to the safety of the known. This "Hitchhikers Guide to Awareness" provides helpful guideposts along an experiential journey for those Western minds predisposed to wandering off to old habits, cherished presumptions, and a stubbornly solid sense of self. With ease and clarity Ralston teaches readers how to become aware of the background patterns that they are usually too busy, stressed, or distracted to notice. The Book of Not Knowing points out the ways people get stuck in their lives and offers readers a way to make fresh choices about every aspect of their lives, from a place of awareness instead of autopilot. From the Trade Paperback edition. For fans of Eckhart Tolle—a guide to mastering self-awareness through direct experience rather than old presumptions or harmful thought patterns Through decades of martial arts and meditation practice, Peter Ralston discovered a curious and paradoxical fact: that true awareness arises from a state of not-knowing . Even the most sincere investigation of self and spirit, he says, is often sabotaged by our tendency to grab too quickly for answers and ideas as we retreat to the safety of the known. This "Hitchhiker’s Guide to Awareness" provides helpful guideposts along an experiential journey for those Western minds predisposed to wandering off to old habits, cherished presumptions, and a stubbornly solid sense of self. With ease and clarity, Ralston teaches readers how to become aware of the background patterns that they are usually too busy, stressed, or distracted to notice. The Book of Not Knowing points out the ways people get stuck in their lives and offers readers a way to make fresh choices about every aspect of their lives—from a place of awareness instead of autopilot.

Over decades of contemplation and intense personal inquiry, Peter Ralston has repeatedly encountered a curious and paradoxical fact: True consciousness arises from a state of not-knowing. Even the most sincere investigation of self and mind can be sabotaged, he says, by our tendency to grab too quickly for answers as we retreat to the safety of what's known. Called by some a "bible of consciousness," The Book of Not Knowing provides indispensable direction for an experiential journey to the core of the human condition. Ralston teaches readers to recognize and transcend the background drives that limit their experience of life, masterfully shepherding the Western mind past the programming of old habits, cherished presumptions, and a stubbornly solid sense of self. The Book of Not Knowing pushes us to explore the mechanisms that make up mind and perception, and leads us to discover the true nature of our own Being.

Over decades of contemplation and intense personal inquiry, Peter Ralston has repeatedly encounted a curious and paradoxical fact: True conciousness arises from a state of not-knowing. Even the most sincere investigation of self and mind cab be sabotaged he says by our tendency to grab too quickly for answers and ideas as we retreat to the safety of what's known A martial artist and author of Zen Body-Being explains how to master self-awareness through the practice of becoming comfortable with not knowing and breaking free from old habits, cherished presumptions, and a stubbornly solid sense of self. Original.