WRITING
ABIDE AS THAT: Ramana Maharshi & the Song of Ribhu
There are some writings that transcend time and tradition and speak to the ever-present heart of the human experience. Simple yet profound, challenging yet compassionate, the Song of Ribhu is one such example of this. In the same tradition as the Bhagavad Gita or the Ashtavakra Gita, the Ribhu Gita, literally the Song of Ribhu represents the highest declaration of Advaita Vedanta, spoken by the enlightened sage Ribhu to his disciple Nidagha on the slopes of Mount Kedara in the Himalayas.
Some 2,500 years later, another awakened master, Sri Ramana Maharshi was touched by these same words, considering them to be one of the most sublime expressions of the awakened state that humanity had ever produced. He spoke of it reverently and would even give copies to his devotees to read.
The version that follows is a selection, made by Sri Ramana Maharshi himself, of 45 verses that capture the very essence of the Ribhu Gita – an essence that this fresh and masterful modern translation manages to communicate in simple and elegant English, perfectly adapted to the Western reader.
The book also contains the story of Ribhu and Nidagha as told by Sri Ramana Maharshi, as well as excerpts from informal talks with his students to further clarify the themes.
“The Ribhu Gita is a timeless classic – a bliss bomb of intuitive spiritual utterances, insights and revelations condensed into pill form. Jason Brett Serle’s elegant and easy to absorb translation is a gift to all earnest seekers of Truth.” – Mooji
KISSING ACHILLES' HEEL: The Joyful Unmasking of Delusion
KISSING ACHILLES’ HEEL is a collection of 63 short pieces – parables, fables, stories, commentaries, poems, letters and conversations, that all in some way present a challenge to our unquestioned assumptions about the nature of existence. Unlike many other books that share a similar theme, Kissing Achilles’ Heel aims to bring a little playfulness and a little humour to the all too serious task of seeking. It is, at best, a finger pointing to the Transcendental, and at worst, a temporary calm respite to the sometimes stormy search for the Self.
“KISSING ACHILLES’ HEEL is a lovely little book, full of wit and wisdom, not to be read in a hurry like a novel. The longer you take, the more you will enjoy and gain.” – RAMESH S BALSEKAR
“Thought suspending and thought transcending. Pucker your lips and open your eyes.” – RICKY JAMES manager of Watkins Books, London
“I opened my heart up and laughed my head off!” – XANG MEI
SACRED MUSHROOM OF VISIONS: A Sourcebook on the Psilocybin Mushroom
Teonanácatl was the name given to the visionary mushrooms used in ancient Mesoamerican shamanic ceremonies, mushrooms that contain psilocybin, the psychoactive agent identified by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD. The rediscovery of these visionary mushrooms by the Mazatec healer Maria Sabina and mycologist R. Gordon Wasson ignited a worldwide mushroom culture that inspired the consciousness revolution of the 1960s.
This book describes in vivid detail the consciousness-expanding experiences of psychoactive mushroom users–from artists to psychologists–and the healing visionary inspiration they received. It provides firsthand accounts of studies performed in the controversial Harvard Psilocybin Project, including the Concord Prison study and the Good Friday study. It describes how the use of the psilocybe mushroom spread from the mountains of Mexico into North America, Asia, and Europe by seekers of consciousness-expanding experiences. It also details how psilocybin has been used since the 1960s in psychotherapy, prisoner rehabilitation, the enhancement of creativity, and the induction of mystical experiences and is being studied as a treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Over 30 contributors share their expertise on the chemical, biological, cultural, psychological, and experiential dimensions of psilocybin mushrooms. Jason Brett Serle contributes the chapter titled: It was the Divine Play of Hide and Seek
“. . . this book is a must-have for entheogen and mushroom lovers alike.” – Heads, Vol 6 Issue 07
“A compilation of scientific information, historical lore, and experiential reports about the magical psilocybe mushrooms. . . . It is sure to be treasured for years to come.” – Andrew Weil, M.D., author of The Natural Mind: A New Way of Looking at Drugs and the Higher Consciousness
“An outstanding comprehensive gathering of vital information from the psychedelic world.” – Myron Stolaroff, author of The Secret Chief and From Thanatos to Eros
“One gets the impression when finishing the Sacred Mushroom of Visions that the many dimensions of psilocybin offer humanity a truly wonderful gift; for personal experience, for scientific research, and as a light through which the environment discourse of the modern age can be shone. If you have an interest, indeed a belief, in entheogenic, empathogenic, (as many of the narratives elude to) shamanism, or simply mycology, then this book is a must for your shelf.” – Psychedelic Press, UK, March 2010
