While Douglas (or D.E.) Harding was an internationally recognized contemporary English sage with many books and articles on the perception of our True Nature to his credit-of which 'On Having No Head - Zen and the Redisovery of the Obvious' is best known -very little, alas, has been written of him personally or of the impact his vision has had in the lives of real people. However, he was, in all ways, very real and very human indeed, and there exists a rich store of untold lore about both the man as well as his unique approach to awakening, and how it bore itself out in his own life and the lives of those who came into contact with his Way. Here, for the first time, is a personal memoir which-while not by any means intended to be a definitive account of the man-shares in full a deeply seminal and life-transforming letter written by Harding to the author in the Fall of 1972 at a critical period of his life. In it, Harding answers many urgent spiritual and existential questions put to him, laying out, personally and in great detail, in the course of 6 succinct handwritten pages, the sum and essence of his insight-his best and purest solution for the issues facing every human being. He does so with charm, humor and elegance, and, beneath it all, a powerful undercurrent of authority borne of personal experience which leaves a lasting impact upon the reader. To the present day, no other eyes have beheld Douglas' letter, much less had the opportunity of reading through - and studying - it. Yet it is an epistle worthy of many readings and re-studyings, for it is the compassionate response of one human being to the passionate outreach of another. The author was 25 at the time, and Harding 63, and while he eventually went on to author more than a dozen books, laying out in detail the many dimensions and ramifications of his insights, no available piece of writing exists which so clearly, personally and movingly conveys the humanity that lay behind 'The Man With No Head' so iconically revered by the seekers of our time. But if ever there were a time in which seekers desperately need an approach to Reality which exists outside the well-worn traditional religious and spiritual landscape, that time is the present. As one who was unabashedly certain that You See the Totally Obvious and Simple Clarity Right Where You Are - When You Want To, Douglas Harding had no qualms in sharing his hard-won--but, in reality, easily accessed-awakening with any and all who crossed his path--whether they felt themselves ready for 'the ultimate experience' or not-for he knew that this absurdly overlooked presence is the birthright of every human being, unearned and unmerited, no matter what the circumstances of their life. The book is structured with a biographical prelude describing the context of the author's outreach to Harding, as well as sections bearing upon the social and evolutionary reasons behind humanity's present 'Crisis of Consciousness' - and why we as a race find ourselves at such a spiritual crossroads. It then moves on to the central body of Douglas' letter, reproduced in a photographic facsimile of the original document. This is followed by the complete letter, now in segments and interspersed with the author's commentary on how Douglas' insights personally play out on the stage of real life. A brief but revealing glimpse of the personal reflections of a beloved 20th century sage from one who has known him for almost half a century. Highly recommended!
About the Author: Joseph Marcello is an award-winning composer who has explored paths to awakening since early adolescence, studying, in addition to Douglas Harding, with such mentors as mystic and psychologist Karlfried Graf von Durckheim. author of Hara, the Vital Centre of Man, Krishnamurti's protégé, Vimala Thakar, whose awakening is documented in her On an Eternal Voyage, Sachindra Majumdar in New York, author of Yoga, Principles & Practices, and Paramhansa Yogananda's disciple, Roy Eugene Davis, author of This is Reality. He has authored and edited some 8 books on well-being, subtle energies and awakening, including Life More Abundant; the Science of Zhineng Qigong, Living Vision-the Secret Teachings of Neville Goddard, The Healing Power of Pyramids, Elixir of the Ageless and The Hindu Secrets of Virility & Rejuvenation. He lives on a pine clad hill in Western Massachusetts just below the New Hampshire and Vermont borders, and adores the shoulder-to-shoulder presence of the twenty-odd cockatiels and parakeets he has bred and hand-fed through 5 successive generations.