Looking For God
Seeing the Whole in One
The latest book from Chuck Hillig, author of the classic Enlightenment For Beginners
Reviewed by Dennis L. Trunk
I must confess to liking any book about Nonduality by Chuck Hillig. There's probably no one else who explains the subject more clearly and simply, and with as much wit and insight.
His latest book is about nothing. Of course, it's an open joke among Nondualist teachers that there's nothing to talk about anyway. It reminds me of how a Zen master reacted when a skeptic told him bluntly that all of that Zen stuff is nonsense. "You are perfectly correct," the master said, "but this is a teaching I normally reserve only for my most advanced students."
The great theologian Paul Tillich once defined God as "the ground substance of being." That's exactly what Chuck is talking about, too. Nothing (or the void, as Buddhists often call it) underlies and permeates all existence. It is existence itself. Although it actually has no center, the great sage Ramana Maharshi who influenced Chuck pointed to its "center" in the chest a little to the right of the physical heart. It is the source from which the world seems to arise and in which it dissolves. (Here's a connection: Do you ever wonder where you and the world go in deep sleep?)
Paradoxically and nonsensically, although the void seems very mysterious and hidden away, it is actually hiding right out in the open. The nothingness of the void manifests as something - or, at least, as if it is something. Although it is not directly perceptible, it's discovered indirectly and self-evidently as the here and the now, just as is. Yet it's rarely noticed unless it's pointed out.
That's why there's a one-inch hole drilled through the center of the book. The hole - at once both a humorous gimmick and an effective nonverbal teaching device - represents the nothing, the void, the indescribable ground of potential within and from which all things arise, and which also happens to be one's true nature, one's Self. Throughout the book, Chuck persistently focuses on the hole in the center to point you towards recognizing the ever-present void as your inexhaustibly creative Self and as the whole of reality.
Reliance on nonverbal devices for bypassing the conceptual filters of the mind is time honored. Zen Buddhists, for example, have relied for centuries on koans to get around conceptual notions of reality and to reveal the void. That's because, as Chuck and other teachers readily admit, expressing Nonduality verbally is ultimately an impossible task. No word or concept, however carefully selected, is ever perfectly accurate. It's like trying to explain modern physics, such as relativity or quantum mechanics, in everyday language. You only end up stating the bizarre, the paradoxical, the absurd and the humorous. As Albert Einstein said, "Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy."
For Nonduality teachers, it's often much easier and more effective just to point. And, to help get his point across, Chuck rounds out his hole-in-the-center device with a variety of practical or entertaining literary formats, such as brief commentary, questions and answer dialogue, a large selection of well-chosen quotes, and even an allegorical story. (He also explains that, of course, you're starring in your own story, which you create out of nothing, and which you pretend to mistake for being who you really are.)
As a result of his direct simplicity, and as is so often the case with his other books, Chuck's writings can seem to be light reading. But only at first. It's always a mistake to underestimate him. Repeated readings will reveal not only how very rich, varied and condensed the contents truly are, but also all of the subtleties and the sub-themes he teasingly lobs your way. They all tempt you to inquire further into discovering your Nondual nature.
Ultimately, the book's only purpose is to point to enlightenment. Strangely and ironically, although enlightenment seems distant and unreachable to many, it can often occur spontaneously as a result of hearing a single insightful statement. If true spiritual wisdom is what you're looking for, you're in luck. This book is packed with wise and enlightening insights. And here's one of the best:
"Enlightenment" is only the realization that there never really was any "Gateway to Enlightenment" to begin with....
Black Dot Publications, paperback, 136 pages
ISBN: 0-9649740-0-2
Other Books by Chuck Hillig
Enlightenment For Beginners
The Way IT Is
Seeds for the Soul
These earlier companions to Looking for God share many of the same qualities, including spiritual wisdom, humor and simplicity. If you like one, you'll probably like the others, too.
(See reviews of The Way IT Is and Seeds for the Soul.)
For More Information
To learn more about Chuck Hillig and his writings, or to purchase his books, visit Black Dot Publications.
Copyright © 1999-2008
Dennis L. Trunk
All Rights Reserved
Return to:
Commentary | Home
