Elements of the Real in Man (Diamond Heart, Book 1)

First in the four-book Diamond Heart series, this collection of essays--taken from transcripts of seminars A.H. Almaas delivered over a several-year period--is an effective introduction to the Diamond Approach of inner realization. Lamenting that human suffering is due to not living up to one's human potential, Almaas proceeds to lay out in detail a uniquely modern and strictly logical path to enlightenment--its purpose to regain one's palpable human essence. Carefully leading the reader through stages of increasing depth and subtlety, he reveals hidden self-knowledge. Chapters with simple titles such as "Value," "Truth," and "Trust" open doors to realizations that result in relief from existential angst. If you have ever felt you were missing something you couldn't quite name, chapter 2--"The Theory of Holes"--is worth the price of admission. --Randall Cohan