The Vital Spark

How the authentic non-dual teachings and post-renaissance learning illumine and vitalise each other.

Most of the chapters in this book were previously published by Shanti Sadan in 2000 under the title Yoga for the Modern World.

For the present publication, a further chapter has been added and some minor revisions have been made.

The author, Anthony Martin Halliday, served as the Warden of Shanti Sadan, centre of traditional Non-duality, from 1964 to 2006. Professionally, he was a leading neurophysiologist. Dr Halliday passed away in 2008.

Contemporary scientifically-informed culture investigates the phenomenal world revealed to our mind, senses and technical instruments. Non-duality looks within to the nature of the experiencing subject. Both spring from the need to know, grow and fulfil the supreme potential of human beings, who find the universe apparently manifesting consciousness as themselves. Non-duality offers a path of enquiry into the metaphysical questions underlying physics, and scientific discoveries shed light on what is universal and essential in the non-dual teachings to be found at the heart of all the great wisdom traditions.

The Vital Spark contains Chapters on:

The Relevance of Non-duality for Modern Western Society
The Religion of the Future
The Vedantic View of the World
The Inner Enquiry
Attentive Silence
The Meaning of Life
No Time Like the Present
Exchanging Complements
A Good Koan
Reconciling the Contradictions
An Example of Greatness
Seeing is Believing
Tolstoi’s Questions
Living in Truth
Learning from Experience
The Mind in Society
A Critical Ailment
Time for Thought
Searching for the Good Life
The Vital Spark