The Science Of Self Realization

Every week or so Hard Up, Hungover & the Bastard Landlord are bringing you a new feature by Simon Goodwin as he explores old, obscure and bloody odd books that he happens to stumble across as he eats his way through books like they were good food.
This week he writes about The Science Of Self Realization, by his divine grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.


This is The Science of Self Realization, originally released in the 70's, the book is comprised of a series of interviews, essays,
and lectures from an Indian spiritual guru named Swami Prabhupada who died in 1977.
The premise of the book is that of eastern philosophy, the main concept being enlightenment. Swami challenges the readers values,
lifestyle and very persona, questioning the root of anger, jealousy, loneliness and even happiness with the theory of the modern day ego.
The book is part spiritual suggestion and part an instruction guide to meditation and general congnitive trancendence.
This entails a theory on awareness that suggets awareness to not be the possession of the individual, but rather to be the individual him/herself.
Rendering personality a fallacy.
Obviously, this is deemed preposterous by the majority of Western society and quite easily shaken off as religious jargon, which is understandable.
I recommend this book to the open-minded, willing to explore alternative theories on the human being and existence.