Even some of the most generally accepted realities of life, such as society, religion, family, politics, success and failure, are all, at the end of the day, just ideas. If there is anything real to life, it emanates from within us. Growing up is simply a process of discovering how much of what we call life is shaped by our own unique individuality. In “The Silent Path”, enlightened teacher Avi gives us a hard-hitting message of finding our own individual path to freedom. He strips life down to its bare essentials, providing a systematic and scientific approach to self-transformation. Even at the risk of stepping on the toes of certain deeply held institutional beliefs, he answers the questions of seekers with unmatched honesty and openness. Avi clears out all the confusing and binding ideologies that don’t help an individual, to reveal a direct path to effortless living filled with purpose, joy and bliss. He discovered this magical path in India after several years of intense meditative longing. Here, he unravels the best of what he has discovered for the benefit of all. If there is just one book you want to read that can totally change your perception and understanding of life - this is it. Here are some of your most important questions this book attempts to answer: What is the true nature of my mind, body, and self? - What is meditation and how do I practice it? - How can I attain to my inner peace, certainty, and happiness? - What is life and death, and how do I understand them fully? - How can I go beyond my daily strife and struggle? - What is spirituality and how do I pursue it? - What exactly is enlightenment and how do I attain it? - What is the ultimate purpose of life? This book is transcribed from talks delivered by Avi, answering deep personal questions of spiritual seekers. Your journey through these pages will be like taking a bite from a rare, succulent fruit of some far-off land where it has been growing and waiting for years, just for you. May the freshness of this new taste linger in your soul forever. Diane Donovan, Senior Editor, Midwest Book Review: The Silent Path: Awaken to Your Highest Possibility provides the perfect introduction to meditation for newcomers to the practice. It speaks about cultivating individuality and purpose in life against the onslaught of collective thinking pressures. Avi points out that few modern systems "are working for the liberation of the individual." Most are juggernauts of collective melding that work for themselves. This is why meditation can provide answers that society cannot. It's individual-centric, and just as society cares little about inner pursuits, so the foundation question "Who am I" cannot be addressed by society, but marks a path of self-inquiry that meditation supports. Those who embark on this journey will realize new possibilities, from renewed purpose and identity to revised approaches to life itself. And that's what The Silent Path is all about. Readers already contemplating a personal journey towards enlightenment will find The Silent Path intriguing in many ways. For one, it points out that a spiritual path and a religious path are different: "Spirituality has nothing to do with religion. If spirituality is a living garden where beautiful flowers are growing, religion is a museum where all those once-beautiful flowers are now wilting...While religion emerges out of the mind of man mostly for his selfish desires, spirituality takes birth in the longing heart of an individual. Spirituality is an existential longing to know who you are; it is the desire of the universe to know itself through you." Later discussions synthesize and further illustrate this concept: "Spirituality is always a leap of faith. It's like walking to the edge of the mountain and jumping off without worrying whether you are wearing a parachute, or if someone is down there to catch your fall. That moment of trust when you reach deep within and take the leap, is the moment of your spiritual liberation. The rest of the journey is simply to realize the fact that you have already found what you are looking for." Readers unfamiliar with these processes may initially believe this discussion will revolve around philosophical or ethereal concepts of higher purpose, but there's a grounded benefit to many of these approaches that translates to improved everyday life. One example lies in pain sufferers: "When you watch the pain intensely, the energy of watching completely transforms the way you experience pain. Although the source of pain is in the body, it is the mind that makes it real. Mind controls everything, including the sensations of physical pain. When you gain control over your mind, you gain control over physical pain as well." As Avi applies the concepts and approaches of spiritual enlightenment and meditation to every facet of daily living, readers come to understand that the benefits of following this silent path go beyond enlightenment on the s