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''The Journey of Enlightenment'' by Ann Purcell

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13 May 2015

Enlightenment has long been regarded as a state reserved for a few rare individuals, a state that can only be gained by living as a recluse in a cave or in a monastery. To have even the slightest chance at reaching lasting peace and deep wisdom, you have to give up all worldly possessions and lead an austere life, no?

A knowledgeable companion for the journey

Ann Purcell debunks all these false assumptions in her new book, The Transcendental Meditation Technique and The Journey of Enlightenment.

Visit the website for The Journey of Enlightenment

By relating her own experiences and those of people practicing Transcendental Meditation throughout the world, Purcell lays before us the secret to personal fulfilment, spontaneity, inner peace and balance. She deftly explains the ''how's and why's'' so every person around the globe could experience this amazing path to enlightenment.

For the bottom line here, is that the state of unbounded bliss is available to every single one of us, no matter our race, religion, or socio-economic background. . . .

Silence which is alive and vibrantly creative

The Transcendental Meditation Technique and The Journey of Enlightenment is a sweet, personal, yet overarching account of the force of transformation that Transcendental Meditation can be for an individual and for society.

It sparkles in its diversity of styles and tones.

One very special feature is Purcell's use of poems to further communicate the essence of her message. This is a delightful means to evoke emotions and images in a way other than prose, and adds weight to what is being said.

Most of the poems used in the book are written by Ann Purcell herself, reflecting her experience in various stages of her practice of Transcendental Meditation. Besides conveying ideas, her poems also serve as proof of her point that transcending helps to access the reservoir of creativity. After all, it was only after taking up the practice that she began writing poems and songs, with ideas for each just pouring into her. . . .

My breath has become breathless
as I merge with the stillness of the gentle hour —
the holy time is hovering everywhere
my heart no longer beats yet has a power
of purest love flowing here and there.
I feel fully blossomed like a flower
dancing in the evening air.
The universe, my soul, my mind
are one harmonious song that shares
the sweetness—the rhythm beyond all time. (p. 77)

Written to benefit both beginners and expert meditators

If you have already practiced Transcendental Meditation for some time, you probably walk outside and each cloud in the sky is breathtakingly beautiful to you. Breeze that brushes your cheeks is a heart-warming embrace. You have fallen in love with doing dishes. And it might be that you don't even think anymore about the time when simple things in life were perhaps not so enjoyable.

One of the benefits of reading The Transcendental Meditation Technique and The Journey of Enlightenment is the reminder of just how much your life has changed as a result of your daily meditations. Throughout the book, Ann Purcell revisits the time before she took up the practice of the TM technique, and reflects on how her outlook on life has dramatically changed.

For a person who is still considering learning TM, the author's main message is the following: happiness and bliss are not unreachable goals.

You do not have to give up your normal everyday life to experience enlightenment. Rather, as Ann Purcell explains, it is the innate natural quality of each human to be enlightened.

One just needs to know how to bring this quality to the foreground. That is what the Transcendental Meditation technique, and this wonderful gem of a book, are there for.

OVER 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: Ann Purcell has been teaching the Transcendental Meditation technique around the world since 1973. In addition, she has worked on curricula and course development for universities and continuing education programs.

Copyright © 2015 TMhome

See related article: 'What's enlightenment?' - Q & A with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

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