Sunday 15 September 2019
Friday 14 December 2018
Sunday 25 March 2018
Pilgrimage on the Path of Love
When my feet first touched Indian soil in
1986, I felt as if I had finally found my home. Since that time, my destiny has
led me back to India time and time again, first to study sitar in Shimla, then
to study Sanskrit in Varanasi and then to live here continuously from 2001
until 2010. These trips etched in my heart and mind images, feelings and ideas
which shaped my world view and the subsequent pattern of my life. The sunrise
painting the cliffs of the Himalayas at dawn, the prayerful rituals on the
banks of the Ganges, solitary treks to the sacred temples in the mountains;
these images became an indelible part of my inner life.
Pilgrimage on the
Path of Love unraveled in the jungles of the
Himalayas in Manali. I used to come to sit beneath the towering deodar trees in
the early morning when the sun poured its liquid radiance through the leafy
bowers. The jungle in its cool still verdant beauty invited introspection, and
my fingers raced over the blank paper in an effort to keep up with the rapid
tempo of thoughts and feelings flitting like fireflies through my mind.
During my travels in the mountains of
Manali and Ladakh, each person I met shared a fragment of their life with me and
the multi-colored fragments, like beads
on a thread, wove the necklace I carried with me, as an inner adornment, a
cherished memory of a country to which I felt I belonged. If I had to choose a
country to which my inner being is most resonant, I would unhesitatingly choose
India.
In Pilgrimage on the Path of Love,
we enter the interior world of a woman on the spiritual path and we see how the
spiritual dimension of life in India fosters in her a deeper understanding of
the ultimate quest of human life: enlightenment.
Saturday 2 December 2017
Friday 10 November 2017
The Contribution of Maharishi's Vedic Science to Complete Fulfilment in Life
This book provides a deep insight into the immense contribution made by His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in reviving the purity of the ancient Vedic wisdom and revealing the practical benefits of this knowledge for every aspect of daily life. From an explanation of the most subtle layers of consciousness to the applied values of this timeless wisdom in bringing fulfillment to human life, the book contains over one hundred quotations by Maharishi followed by simple, clear and concise explanations. The aim of this book is to make Maharishi's Vedic Science easily accessible to everyone.
Available from: www.maharishi.co.uk/cds-books?p-3
Endorsements:
"Knowledge For Complete Fulfillment in Life"
This compact book is a must read for those who seek clear and basic understanding of the main concepts of Maharishi's Vedic Science. The author masterfully accomplishes this in an easy to read format with key concepts succinctly extracted and condensed from the vast volume of Maharishi's works. The presentation cites over 100 direct quotes of Maharishi in substantiating each concept. Here is timeless knowledge derived from delving into the heart of the science of consciousness, the Self of everyone. This astute and concise compilation of Maharishi's Vedic Science gifts us with a book worthy to keep, refer to and cherish.
Teresa Meyers, MS
"A Feast of Absolute Wisdom"
Barbara Briggs' book is an excellent and compact source for this supreme practical Vedic wisdom as presented by Maharishi - the "Genius of Consciousness". It is faithful to Maharishi's exposition, being replete with well-chosen quotes from Maharishi's works. Sources are given. It makes what used to be a highly specialized field of knowledge easily accessible to today's reader, wherever they are starting from, and points the way to how one can achieve the timeless goal of full personal development and a comprehensive understanding of oneself and of life.B
Charles Cunningham, BSC(hons) Psychology,
MSC, Health Promotion
"Brilliant Reference Book for Maharishi's
Vedic Science"
I found this a brilliant reference book for
Maharishi's Vedic Science. Here is a map of the territory of higher
consciousness, it's development through all the seven states of consciousness
to unity and the fundamental principles that underpin each one. With copious
referenced quotes of Maharishi, the book does not seek to re-interpret the path
but simply highlight the landmarks that Maharishi brought back to light for all
future generations to find their way.
Henry Brighouse, Graduate, AA School of
Architecture, London
"Excellent Introduction to Vedic
Wisdom"
Barbara Briggs has written an excellent
introduction to Vedic wisdom. Her book does justice to the depth of the
material and at the same time is easy to understand. It won't make you
enlightened, but it will make you want to get enlightened.
William T. Hathaway, author of Wellsprings:
A Fable of Consciousness
Sunday 5 February 2017
Recent reviews of my book: Pilgrimage on the Path of Love:
"I loved this book. Pilgrimage on the Path of Love is one of those rare novels that manages to combine great storytelling with genuine and profound spiritual insights and experiences in a completely natural way. The essence of the book is about the search for the truth of life, and for supreme love, both human and divine.
Written in autobiographical style, I found the prose so vivid and immediate, that I really entered into the experiences of the narrator, Shantila Martin, an American woman writer living in the UK. She visits India for the publication of her first book, and finds herself on an unexpected journey.
Her experiences of the vibrancy of Indian life in Delhi, and later in Manali and Ladakh, are vividly depicted, and descriptions of the scenery of the Himalayas are breathtaking, reminding me of the wonderful paintings of Nicholas Roerich. The writing is so alive that we feel every bump in the road, every intense discomfort of life in this extraordinary country, and all Shantila’s responses. We are also able to share in her experiences of its astonishing beauty and spirituality, and enjoy her many meetings with interesting and remarkable people.
There is real spiritual poetry in this book, in the descriptions of nature, and in Shantila’s profound experiences during her visits to Temples and Monasteries, often reverberating with the devotional chanting of Buddhist monks. The descriptions of the transcendental nature of her own meditation are beautiful, and one feels this must be the first hand experience of the author.
As the book gains momentum, all of her experiences together - painful, blissful and reflective, combine to help her unfold deeper and deeper layers of realisation of the true nature of love, and of the ultimate unity of all life. I feel it’s a strength of the book that the narrator is depicted as a woman with normal vulnerabilities, rather than as a superwoman. It shows that genuine desire for spiritual growth can transform all our lives to higher states of consciousness.
This book was a really inspiring read. It’s a heartfelt book - full of enjoyment of the beauty of life, and a celebration of the highest spiritual values of human consciousness and its relationship to the Divine. I missed it when I had finished it, and am looking forward to more from this author."
Sally Brighouse,UK
"I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The style was graceful without calling a lot of attention to itself. I liked and cared about our heroine and found all the characters believable. Lama Tashi in particular was well drawn. The bittersweet ending was convincing and appropriate. A fine novel."
Andrew Archer, UK
" Whether you read this book or not, this is a journey everyone is going to have to take. Truthful, touching, vulnerable always to an impossible ideal, until that ideal undergoes its inevitable transformation and finds fulfillment. You can't imagine this story, it has to have been lived. Beautifully and honestly told."
HWB, UK
"This is an excellent first novel. It is well written with a multi-layered plot all on the theme of love in different ways. It is part travelogue and part story."
Barry Spivack, UK
Love Saves Us From Wrong And Guides Our Path In Life
"Pilgrimage on the Path of Love" is the story of Shantila, a courageous woman, travelling alone in India in search for the true meaning of life. The path she follows is the path of love. With almost no money in her pockets, she lets all-knowing mother nature guide her each and every step and provide meaningful experiences very useful for individual evolution.
Shantila falls in love with a Tibetan buddhist lama, only to find out that this kind of personal love has to develop into unbounded universal love. Universal love and knowledge, which the ancient Rishis of India express in the words: “Aham Brahmasmi, Tat tvam asi, Sarvam kalv idam Brahm” - [I am Brahm (Totality), Thou art That, All this is Brahm]. By the grace of God, Shantila is blessed with glimpses of this exalted state of consciousness, filling her heart with love for whole creation.
"Pilgrimage on the Path of Love" is written by Barbara Ann Briggs in skilfully refined and easily flowing words. The reader will be absorbed in adventurous real-life stories, leading to deeper understanding of progress and evolution towards the highest goal.
Dr. Herbert Gerstendorf
Teacher of Transcendental Meditation
Member of Maharishi Sahasrashirsha Purusha Programm
Uttarkashi, India
Tuesday 2 August 2016
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