A Search in Secret India
By Paul Brunton
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About this book:
A Search in Secret India
by Paul Brunton
The famous "travel" book that introduced Ramana Maharshi to the West.
Subjects: Spiritual Life, Spirituality, Adventure, Mysticism
5.25 x 8.5, paperback
320 pages
ISBN 10:
ISBN 13: 978-1-844-13043-6
Book Details
A Search in Secret India, first published in 1934, remains one of the truly classic works on seeking a guru.
“His book tells the story of his search all over India and of his experiences and adventures among many who professed to be more than they were and among a very few who professed nothing but gave him much. He found many marvelous things, many that looked strange and impossible, many that were evident trickery. But now and then a man of real spirituality set his feet on the way that finally led him to what he had looked and hoped for. In the Maharshi — the Great Sage — who lives in hermetic seclusion in a lowly dwelling at the foot of the Hill of the Holy Beacon and who formerly spent six years in a cave on the mountainside, Mr. Brunton found that which he had been seeking, the holiest of holy men.” —New York Times Book Review
This is Paul Brunton's most famous and most widely read book. A Book of the Month Club selection when it first came out, it established P.B. as an important researcher and author, and has been translated into 17 languages.
It really is a search in India and holds many of the secrets of spiritual seeking. The text is a modified account of P.B.'s earliest trips to India, combining his earliest impressions with his later reflections on his experiences there. P.B. describes himself here as a spiritual seeker trying to find a teacher and trying to decide if he wants or needs one. This search is the core of the book, motivating him to travel across the length and breadth of India interviewing known and unknown, named and unnamed yogis, fakirs, and gurus.
Among the individuals P.B .describes, two stand out: first the remarkable sage Ramana Maharshi, who was regarded by all who met him as an enlightened being and remained free of any controversy throughout his life. In these pages P.B. gives an inspiring account of the sage's life and introduces us to his essential teachings. (P.B.) spent a great deal of time with Ramana and is credited with bringing this great Teacher to the attention of Western seekers. The other individual that PB met was Sri Shankaracarya of Kancipuram; here he tells us something of His Holiness's background and mission and gives a record of their earliest interview, which remains poignantly relevant to today's seekers and today's world.
To see all our Paul Brunton titles, scroll down to The Complete Paul Brunton Opus below.
Paul Brunton helps us hear the melody behind the medley of today's "spiritual marketplace." His late writings raise the bar for what we can expect of spiritual teachings and teachers, and what we can do for ourselves. Born in London in 1898, he soon became a leading pioneer of much of what we now take for granted. He traveled widely throughout the world (long before it was fashionable) to meet living masters of various traditions with whom he then lived and studied. His eleven early books from 1934–1952 shared much of what he learned, and helped set the stage for dramatic east-west exchanges of the late 20th century. Paul Brunton left more than 10,000 pages of enormously helpful new work in notebooks he reserved for posthumous publication, much of which is now available as The Notebooks of Paul Brunton. See "The Complete Paul Brunton Opus" in blue below to see his many works available on this site. You can also search on Paul Brunton in the search bar to browse the selections, or click on a link below for specific connections.
Click here for an article about Paul Brunton.
Click here for The Notebooks of Paul Brunton.
To access small theme-based books compiled from Paul Brunton's writings, scroll down to Derived from the Notebooks below.
To access Paul Brunton's early writings, published from 1934–1952, scroll down to Paul Brunton's Early Works below.
To access commentaries on Paul Brunton and his work by his leading student, Anthony Damiani, as well as other writings about Paul Brunton and/or his work, scroll down to Commentaries and Reflections on Paul Brunton and His Work below.
Book Details
A Search in Secret India, first published in 1934, remains one of the truly classic works on seeking a guru.
“His book tells the story of his search all over India and of his experiences and adventures among many who professed to be more than they were and among a very few who professed nothing but gave him much. He found many marvelous things, many that looked strange and impossible, many that were evident trickery. But now and then a man of real spirituality set his feet on the way that finally led him to what he had looked and hoped for. In the Maharshi — the Great Sage — who lives in hermetic seclusion in a lowly dwelling at the foot of the Hill of the Holy Beacon and who formerly spent six years in a cave on the mountainside, Mr. Brunton found that which he had been seeking, the holiest of holy men.” —New York Times Book Review
This is Paul Brunton's most famous and most widely read book. A Book of the Month Club selection when it first came out, it established P.B. as an important researcher and author, and has been translated into 17 languages.
It really is a search in India and holds many of the secrets of spiritual seeking. The text is a modified account of P.B.'s earliest trips to India, combining his earliest impressions with his later reflections on his experiences there. P.B. describes himself here as a spiritual seeker trying to find a teacher and trying to decide if he wants or needs one. This search is the core of the book, motivating him to travel across the length and breadth of India interviewing known and unknown, named and unnamed yogis, fakirs, and gurus.
Among the individuals P.B .describes, two stand out: first the remarkable sage Ramana Maharshi, who was regarded by all who met him as an enlightened being and remained free of any controversy throughout his life. In these pages P.B. gives an inspiring account of the sage's life and introduces us to his essential teachings. (P.B.) spent a great deal of time with Ramana and is credited with bringing this great Teacher to the attention of Western seekers. The other individual that PB met was Sri Shankaracarya of Kancipuram; here he tells us something of His Holiness's background and mission and gives a record of their earliest interview, which remains poignantly relevant to today's seekers and today's world.
To see all our Paul Brunton titles, scroll down to The Complete Paul Brunton Opus below.
About Paul Brunton
Paul Brunton helps us hear the melody behind the medley of today's "spiritual marketplace." His late writings raise the bar for what we can expect of spiritual teachings and teachers, and what we can do for ourselves. Born in London in 1898, he soon became a leading pioneer of much of what we now take for granted. He traveled widely throughout the world (long before it was fashionable) to meet living masters of various traditions with whom he then lived and studied. His eleven early books from 1934–1952 shared much of what he learned, and helped set the stage for dramatic east-west exchanges of the late 20th century. Paul Brunton left more than 10,000 pages of enormously helpful new work in notebooks he reserved for posthumous publication, much of which is now available as The Notebooks of Paul Brunton. See "The Complete Paul Brunton Opus" in blue below to see his many works available on this site. You can also search on Paul Brunton in the search bar to browse the selections, or click on a link below for specific connections.
Click here for an article about Paul Brunton.
Click here for The Notebooks of Paul Brunton.
To access small theme-based books compiled from Paul Brunton's writings, scroll down to Derived from the Notebooks below.
To access Paul Brunton's early writings, published from 1934–1952, scroll down to Paul Brunton's Early Works below.
To access commentaries on Paul Brunton and his work by his leading student, Anthony Damiani, as well as other writings about Paul Brunton and/or his work, scroll down to Commentaries and Reflections on Paul Brunton and His Work below.
The Complete Paul Brunton Opus:
Paul Brunton's most mature work, in the order he specified for posthumous publication.
Smaller books on popular/timely themes, developed from the Notebooks and published posthumously.
Paul Brunton's works published during his lifetime from 1934-1952
Commentaries/Reflections by other authors on Paul Brunton or his works.