Suffering exists because we have a perpetual craving for things to be different than they are.
This perpetual craving is fueled by a thought that we are some "thing" separate and distinct from all other "things" - some "thing" with a stable, unchanging essence that needs to resist and seek.
This "thing" is commonly called a separate self, and referred to as "I" or "me." It is also an illusion, and can be seen as such - both on an intellectual level and on an experiential level.
When we see through this illusory self, we also see through the perpetual craving it fuels. This helps bring an end to suffering.
This "thing" is commonly called a separate self, and referred to as "I" or "me." It is also an illusion, and can be seen as such - both on an intellectual level and on an experiential level.
When we see through this illusory self, we also see through the perpetual craving it fuels. This helps bring an end to suffering.
Path to realization
The moment of awakening is marked by an outburst of laughter. But this is not the laughter of someone who suddenly acquires a great fortune; neither is it the laughter of one who has won a victory. It is, rather, the laughter of one who, after having painfully searched for something for a long time, finds it one morning in the pocket of his coat. - Thich Nhat Hanh
We wrote "An owner's guide to the mind" to help you address the root cause of your struggles, and end the continuous cycle of trying to cope and get by. Originally released in 2003, it combines concepts from Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (the precursor to cognitive behavior therapy) and Buddhist and Stoic philosophy.
We wrote "Path to realization" for people who want to go a step further, and explore the essential nature of reality. It's based on the one-on-one instruction we've been doing over the past decade. Since this instruction is limited by our availability, it's been cost prohibitive for most. We wanted to bring it to a wider audience, so we hired an editor to go over recordings of previous sessions and help compile them into the written equivalent of an 80-minute dialogue representative of the core teaching.
While "An owner's guide to the mind" is an exploration of your compulsive mind, "Path to realization" is an exploration of who you really are - and, equally important, who you are not. It's designed to help you change the assumptions that underlie your daily life. And, it does this through a detailed investigation of direct experience, not philosophical ideas or faith-based concepts.
The written dialogue takes place with "Alex," and proceeds from the following:
>>>
Alex:
“I’ve been on a ‘spiritual journey’ most of my life. I want to find out who I really am, and (hopefully) live a happier life with that knowledge. I have been striving to become enlightened or awakened, and don’t know if it’s truly possible. I don’t even know what that entails or really describes – I just know I’ve been pursuing it for many years.”
Alex's questions:
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Wondering if it's right for you? The best way to decide is to read some comments from people who have completed it.
Tom Bergenson, San Mateo, California:
We wrote "Path to realization" for people who want to go a step further, and explore the essential nature of reality. It's based on the one-on-one instruction we've been doing over the past decade. Since this instruction is limited by our availability, it's been cost prohibitive for most. We wanted to bring it to a wider audience, so we hired an editor to go over recordings of previous sessions and help compile them into the written equivalent of an 80-minute dialogue representative of the core teaching.
While "An owner's guide to the mind" is an exploration of your compulsive mind, "Path to realization" is an exploration of who you really are - and, equally important, who you are not. It's designed to help you change the assumptions that underlie your daily life. And, it does this through a detailed investigation of direct experience, not philosophical ideas or faith-based concepts.
The written dialogue takes place with "Alex," and proceeds from the following:
>>>
Alex:
“I’ve been on a ‘spiritual journey’ most of my life. I want to find out who I really am, and (hopefully) live a happier life with that knowledge. I have been striving to become enlightened or awakened, and don’t know if it’s truly possible. I don’t even know what that entails or really describes – I just know I’ve been pursuing it for many years.”
Alex's questions:
- Who am I? Or, what am I?
- Am I the ever-present, unchanging consciousness that everything springs from?
- Am I one with everyone and everything else?
- Do I need to "kill" my ego or transcend it? If so, how?
<<<
Wondering if it's right for you? The best way to decide is to read some comments from people who have completed it.
Tom Bergenson, San Mateo, California:
If you've ever studied non-duality, or questioned the nature of existence, 'Path to realization' will provide the answers you are looking for. It's direct and to the point - no 'Zen-like' riddles, doublespeak, or mystical claims. It leads you down a path that ends with a clear understanding of who 'you' are, and what everything else is in relation to 'you.'
Lori Salado, Dallas, Texas:
Who am I? Is there really a 'me' to be anything? Do I exist, and does everything outside of me exist? Am I a finite body and mind, or the ever-present observer? 'Path to realization' answers these questions and more. If I were the author, I'd call it 'Non-duality for Dummies' or 'The Idiot's Guide to Enlightenment'. I truly believe it's one of the most important things you'll ever read.
Monika Bozsan, Manchester, England:
Like many, I've been on a spiritual journey for years. Other resources I've studied left me with more questions than answers. It seems no one can discuss these things without a large amount of 'woo,' and assertions that can't be proven (or, in many cases, understood). Instead of making things more cloudy, 'Path to realization' cuts through all the confusion. And, most impressively, it does so by having you investigate your own direct experience.
Bradley Hughes, Galway, Ireland:
It's a surgical dissection of the illusory separate self. It's not presented to you on a platter, though. You are the surgeon, and you do the dissecting yourself. It's clear, concise, and it will change how you live.
Faye Cleary, Colorado Springs, Colorado:
'Path to realization' presents a dialogue between Jon and Alex. As the dialogue unfolds, you gain a thorough understanding of sense experience, awareness, what is real and what is illusory, and - most important - your place in all of it. If you've been searching for enlightenment, this will get you closer than you've ever been. I can't say you'll be enlightened after reading it, because enlightenment is just a concept in a world of concepts. But, I believe you'll be more awake!
James Trechhold, Madison, Wisconsin:
While I greatly benefitted from the core dialogue, the 'statements and questions pointing out awareness' in the 'Continuing conversations' supplement were the most clear, easiest to understand, easiest to perform pointing out instructions I've received in two decades of study. Thank you so much.
"Path to realization" includes access to "An owner's guide to the mind," our flagship course which was first released in 2003.
It also includes "Continuing conversations" and email support. "Continuing conversations" includes further dialogue and reader-submitted Q&A, as well as "statements and questions pointing out awareness."
The price is $59. If you previously purchased "An owner's guide to the mind," the price is discounted from $59 to $30.
"Path to realization" is text (not audio or video), and is viewed using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. You don't need to download anything. And, it doesn't matter where you live in the world - if you can access our website with your browser (like you're doing now), you can read it.
Click here to order now.
Shannon Witt, Elizabeth, New Jersey:
It also includes "Continuing conversations" and email support. "Continuing conversations" includes further dialogue and reader-submitted Q&A, as well as "statements and questions pointing out awareness."
The price is $59. If you previously purchased "An owner's guide to the mind," the price is discounted from $59 to $30.
"Path to realization" is text (not audio or video), and is viewed using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. You don't need to download anything. And, it doesn't matter where you live in the world - if you can access our website with your browser (like you're doing now), you can read it.
Click here to order now.
Shannon Witt, Elizabeth, New Jersey:
'Path to realization' teaches that duality is the origin of all suffering, and it helps you investigate and understand the nature of your being. In doing so, it points the way from bondage to freedom.
About us
We've been teaching mindfulness and meditation for almost 20 years.
Since 2003,
We released "The T.A.D. Principle" over 15 years ago, and it has since evolved into meditationSHIFT and "An owner's guide to the mind."
We released "ARC: mindfulness for children" in 2015.
We released "Path to realization" at the end of 2018.
We released our newest work - "Your inner narrative" - in 2020.
Thanks for visiting!
Since 2003,
- tens of thousands of people have read our books and taken our courses,
- our free guide to mindfulness and meditation has been shared on the Internet almost a million times, and
- we've published more than 100 articles on mindfulness, meditation, and related topics.
We released "The T.A.D. Principle" over 15 years ago, and it has since evolved into meditationSHIFT and "An owner's guide to the mind."
We released "ARC: mindfulness for children" in 2015.
We released "Path to realization" at the end of 2018.
We released our newest work - "Your inner narrative" - in 2020.
Thanks for visiting!