In this conversation, the biggest misconceptions about enlightenment are exposed. OM talks about the distinction between awakening experiences and enlightenment, which are often lumped together. The essential focus is to distinguish whether something is a fleeting, short-lived experience, or an enduring, permanent state. He shares from his wealth of experience about his own awakening process. He names various pitfalls that spiritual seekers repeatedly fall into on their quest. “All practice is directed into the future, but Enlightenment is NOW!” Why are there so few truly awakened people? It is true that the awareness of suffering has always been the great driving force behind the search for realisation. It is also true that since the beginning of the great religions there have only been a handful of enlightened people. The so-called New Age movement and its various forms of expression are also scrutinised. It shows that most people are simply interested in feeling good and having intense, mystical, angelic experiences of happiness. The catch is that these experiences are not permanent. And, unsurprisingly, they have nothing to do with true bliss. Light is also shed on the guru. Who actually is the guru? In what form can he manifest himself? And how do I recognise a true teacher from a false one? “All desires are a disguise covering up one real desire: the desire to be free.” Author: OM C. Parkin Spoken by: OM C. Parkin and Myriam Wassmann Playing time: 49 min. (mp3 Download) Listen to an interview excerpt here

The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi What is liberation? How does the mind become still? What is happiness? Who am I? is the title of a series of 28 questions and answers that Sri M. Shivaprakasham Pillai asked the Indian master Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi around 1902. He visited the master in a cave on Mount Arunachala in southern India and asked for spiritual guidance. It is recorded that Ramana Maharshi answered these questions in Tamil, the language he was familiar with. This text was first published in Tamil in 1923, underwent several revisions, was translated into English by an Indian scholar from the University of Madras in 1982 and finally translated into a modern German version in 2002. The questions that were asked over a hundred years ago have lost none of their validity. The radical answers bear witness to a profound knowledge of the nature of the human spirit and point in an emphatic and uncompromising way to the possibility of realising our true self. This work is one of the only two prose pieces among Ramana Maharshi's messages in his own words. They clearly represent the central teaching that the path of knowledge, the enquiry with the question ‘Who am I?’ is the direct path to liberation. ‘Self-enquiry leads directly to Self-realisation by removing the obstacles that make us think that the Self is not yet realised.’ Sri Ramana Maharshi In the foreword, OM C. Parkin describes the essence of this spiritual treasure in clear and impressive words: ‘All questions that arise from the depths of the human soul ultimately lead to a single one: “Who am I?” The instruction to this last of all questions contains the knowledge that everything a person seeks can only be found within. Love is within. Truth is within. God is within. God is the Self.’   Spoken by: OM C. Parkin Playing time: 49 minutesListen here to an excerpt of the audiobook here

Zweisprachige Ausgabe – Deutsch-Englisch  "Wer bin ich?" ist der Titel einer Reihe von Fragen und Antworten, die sich mit dem Thema Selbsterforschung befassen. Die Fragen wurden Sri Ramana Maharshi von einem Schüler gestellt, der ihn im Jahre 1902 in einer Höhle am Berg Arunachala/Südindien aufsuchte und um spirituelle Führung bat.  Es ist überliefert, dass Ramana Maharshi diese Fragen in der ihm geläufigen Sprache Tamil beantwortete. Dieser Text wurde 1923 zunächst in Tamil herausgegeben, erfuhr mehrere Überarbeitungen, wurde 1982 von einem indischen Gelehrten der Universität Madras ins Englische übersetzt und 2002 schließlich in eine moderne deutsche Fassung übertragen. Wegen der Schönheit und Kraft des englischen Textes wurde dieser in dieser Ausgabe neben die deutsche Übersetzung gestellt, so dass der Text zweisprachig wiedergegeben wird.  Dieses Werk gehört zu den beiden einzigen Prosastücken unter Ramana Maharshis Mitteilungen in eigenen Worten. Sie vertreten klar die zentrale Lehre, dass Selbsterforschung der direkte Weg zur Befreiung ist. Die besondere Art und Weise, in der die Erforschung durchgeführt werden sollte, wird in "Nan Yar?" einleuchtend dargelegt. Um die Kostbarkeit des Textes zu würdigen, ist besonderer Wert auf eine bibliophile Ausstattung gelegt worden. Dem Schmuckbändchen ist eine Abbildung Ramana Maharshis im kraftvollen Mannesalter beigegeben. Die schöne Ausstattung rechtfertigt den höheren Preis, von dem ein Teil an den heute noch bestehenden Sri Ramanasramam in Tiruvannamalai, zu Füßen des Arunachala gelegen, weitergegeben wird.  OM C. Parkin schrieb für die 3. Auflage 2018 ein neues Geleitwort, welches die Essenz dieser spirituellen Kostbarkeit (Band 1) eindrücklich auf den Punkt bringt! Bilingual edition (German on the left and English on the right side)   advaitaMedia 2018 (3. Auflage) Hardcover, 86 Seiten ISBN: 978-3-936718-00-3 Hier können Sie das Geleitwort zu dem Buch vorgelesen von OM C. Parkin anhören ------ ENGLISH: Who am I?" is the title of a series of questions and answers dealing with the subject of self-inquiry. The questions were asked of Sri Ramana Maharshi by a student who visited him in 1902 in a cave on Mount Arunachala / South India and asked for spiritual guidance. It is said that Ramana Maharshi answered these questions in the Tamil language, which he is familiar with. This text was first published in Tamil in 1923, underwent several revisions, was translated into English in 1982 by an Indian scholar at the University of Madras and finally translated into a modern German version in 2002. Because of the beauty and power of the English text, it has been placed next to the German translation in this edition, so that the text is reproduced in two languages. This work is one of the only two prose pieces among Ramana Maharshi's communications in his own words. They clearly represent the central teaching that self-inquiry is the direct path to liberation. The particular way in which exploration should be carried out is stated in "Nan Yar?" presented plausibly. In order to appreciate the preciousness of the text, special emphasis has been placed on bibliophile equipment. A picture of Ramana Maharshi in vigorous manhood is attached to the ribbon. The beautiful furnishings justify the higher price, part of which is passed on to the Sri Ramanasramam in Tiruvannamalai, which is still in existence today, at the foot of the Arunachala. OM C. Parkin wrote a new foreword for the 3rd edition in 2018, which impressively sums up the essence of this spiritual treasure (Volume 1)! window.midvox = (function(d, s, id) { var js, as = d.getElementsByTagName(s); fjs = as[0], o = as[as.length - 1],p = "midvox_"+Math.round(Math.random()*65536); t = window.midvox || {}; o.setAttribute('id',p); var init=["4000688487","9783936718003 ",5,2]; var item={init:init}; item.setScriptMark = p; item.setCntId="2248861096"; item.setLang="de"; if (!t.queue) t.queue = []; t.queue.push(item); if (d.getElementById(id)) return t; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.async = "true"; js.src = "//appjs.blickinsbuch.de/gateway/app.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); return t; }(document, "script", "midvox_async"));

Navigating the wisdom path This book illuminates the path to liberation for those who turn inward, beyond the boundaries of religious denominations, and rise above the attachments in life in order to attain knowledge of their true nature. The foundation of this path is laid out in five chapters: The Study of the Mind, Understanding Suffering, The Nature of the Inner Path, Teacher & Student and The Ten Ox Pictures. The Intelligence of Awakening describes the prospect of the transformation of our human life which—from an inner perspective—is determined through the identification with an I, which was created by the thinking mind’s restricted worldview. It provides a practical and comprehensive orientation for the spiritual seeker who looks to sort out the many competing claims and approaches to wisdom teachings that are circulating in our globalized world. Gateways Books & Tapes, 2019 Paperback, 430 pages ISBN: 978-0895562845

The Lost of the Soul in the Digital Age  This little book describes a tragic misunderstanding and its consequences. This misunderstanding has its roots in the limited state of consciousness of the founding fathers of the digital revolution and it continues in many of its enthusiastic supporters. “They are all subject to a serious confusion of internal/external levels.” The book presents a dialogue with students (some working in the computer industry themselves or professionally dealing with digital media), which emerges from this statement.  Gateways Books and Tapes 2018 Brochure, 50 pages ISBN: 978-0-89556-287-6

This small booklet contains a conversation in which OM radically does away with the superstition and the preconceptions that have developed around the myth of enlightenment, here in the West."No spiritual teaching touches enlightenment. All techniques are directed towards the future, but enlightenment is now! This state is that out of which all other states arise. Then, there is no "I " any more that wants something other than that which is." (from "The Myth of Enlightenment") advaitaMedia 2003, republished 2018 Booklet, 25 pages ISBN: 978-3-9361718-56-0

3 parts - subtitles in English Part 1: Inner SchoolPart 2+3: study material for self-inquiry In 1995, the German wisdom teacher OM C. Parkin founded the Enneallionce - School for Inner Work. This school is a place for people who have set out to follow an inner path and the burning question about their true nature. In 2010, the school found its home in the modern monastery Gut Saunstorf - Place of Stillness. These three DVDs give a sound and touching insight into the nature of an Inner School in our Western culture. The viewer gets an impression of the life of a spiritual community and its teacher in a modern monastery, of the joys and sorrows, the challenges, and the need for self-study in this 'University of the Soul'. Parts 2 and 3 are interviews teachers of the Enneallionce have conducted with their teacher. They are devoted to essential questions of the inner path and are excellently suited as study material for self-inquiry.  Trailer of part 1:

Dialogues of Self-Inquiry  In his introductory autobiography "The Birth of the Lion" OM C. Parkin shares an extraordinary account of awakening to REALITY after a harrowing experience of near death and his subsequent meeting of his last teacher Gangaji. Combined with questions and answers taken from public gatherings called "Dialogs of Self-inquiry" (Darshan) OM C. Parkin confronts the reader directly with the essential question: Who is the "I" to which we relate our happiness and unhappiness, our past, present, and future? At the same time, he ruthlessly unmasks the arrogance of ego, clearly revealing how the mind clings to suffering and false identification even in the face of the truth that enlightenment is now. "I am a non-traditionalist, and for whatever reasons I have been granted the grace of experiencing total consciousness without any illusion of physical, emotional or mental limitation. This consciousness is what I AM. Whether the body appears or not, it doesn't matter. Only this direct experience has any authority, and this direct experience is possible for everyone. When is it possible? Now! Now is what you are searching for, and now is who searches. Everything is now. Everything dissolves into this Now." OM C. Parkin advaitaMedia 2003 Hardcover, 230 pages, slightly abridged translation of the German "Die Geburt des Löwen" ISBN: 978-3936718024