Eastern Spirituality in a Western World

Gurus, Yoga, Kundalini, Mantras

(And much more!)

I will be posting this book bit by bit!

Preface to Grace Divine Journey

This book is a “compendium” of my previous three books. There is a chapter from English-Man, Beggar-Man, Holy-Man, (chapter 11), describing the last years of my life in India as a monk.  (Up to 1976). I also write about my further spiritual & “ordinary” life journey. (Post 1976). It contains also a selection of my “spiritual teachings”. (Including some from my other books). Some have been “revised & upgraded”. Thus it is a “bit of everything”, so if you want to read only one of my books – this is it!

I write to teach.

Life is a teaching in its journey.

I write for the purpose of providing information, teaching and reflection on my own journey, with the purpose of engendering Enlightenment.

The layout varies for “autobiographical” & teaching components & is deliberately designed to allow contemplation between the themes and content.

I was born in London 1947 and became a monk in India in 1966, after leaving London without any money, & spending a year on the “hippie trail”. (I was Paramahansa Ganesh Giri in India – see Chap. 11). I returned to England in 1976 and then became a mental health professional. I had a family life after moving to New Zealand and later I spent more than 10 years in clinical teaching or education roles. Hence my predilection for teaching!

This book partially encompasses events in my post-India years briefly. I focus though on my spiritual/psychological journey through those years. None of this is meant to be as an autobiography. Rather it’s leading to and providing background to teachings or writings.

It’s all about Divine Grace for me!

I try not to present from an ego or lower self-perspective! My deity is the Goddess, in the forms that I became devotionally focused on in India. This Goddess is represented, (in plural), by Durga, Kali, Lakshmi and Sarasvati. (All One but separate just like us!). Also Tara in Tibetan Buddhism.

My writing also discusses mental health and addictions, as I have some experience here! Over the years I engaged in extensive personal health searches both conventional and spiritual. Therefore I have both professional and personal experience of the whole gamut of psychiatry, therapy, and psychology. (Including medicinal options). I am also able to say that I found a number of solutions for my issues, through all areas of my endeavors, spiritual and otherwise. I currently find myself to have moved past my search mode into Practical Enlightenment mode. And mentally stability. (My opinion only)!

Just to clarify I write about Enlightenment in terms of what we can all be, and in fact what we all are all in our Truth.

Accepting ones Divinity is part of the journey, and this is not to denigrate religions or philosophies of duality, as I still maintain both a non-dual approach and a devotional one. Religion may however forcefully want to us to bow down before their gods, higher powers, saviors and avatars. I myself have found benefit in many religions through considerable active participation, and I add those resources to the list of what helped.

I am Multi-Faith!

I am “multi-modal”! (Accepting scientific, psychiatric, and even atheistic view points).

Can I do this? Currently free-thinking is still legal where I live, and long may this state of affairs continue! Underpinning all of the journey therefore lies my years of practice and experience, and my intention to leave these writings as a resource for whoever finds them useful.

My bottom line is that I write for myself! (With a perspective that I believe it’s my service to provide this as it is a directed endeavor, driven by my Deity and the Divine Cosmic Consciousness).

I am also grateful for my Guides and guides, and my Gurus.

The writings are teachings.

Writing as provision of my life journey details, is interspersed with the present place of Being. Thus as I write a piece of autobiography, I then interpret its place, not only in the spiritual journey then, but also the spiritual journey now. N.B. Italics are used for Sanskrit words on first use & subsequently only if needed for emphasis.