The Cult of Comparison in the West
People in the West often cry and whine about some perceived privilege others have. But not in India and many countries throughout Asia. This cult of comparison has infected the hearts of many in the West, which is a special type of sickness stemming from a trained tendency towards competition and comparison. What an immature society and culture we have created in the West, so sick with jealousy and envy. But, astonishingly, there is always an insane justification for such a mental illness for those infected by this disease. Luckily, as I said, places such as India generally are not victims of such immaturity. In contemplating this cult of comparison, I think about my restaurant waiter friend in Pushkar. He is quite the character. Every day when I would see him, I would ask how he was doing. He would always reply, “This is a perfect life.” Some may say, How can he be so content “just” being a restaurant waiter? Well, he wasn’t sold on the illusion of the American dream, where one must be “special” in order to be validated by others and society at large. Isn’t it silly that we feel we need to be validated by the world instead of being content with who we are naturally?
Often, those who work their whole lives to gain that validation realize that it is not an American dream but rather a nightmare, and the torture on their souls in chasing this illusion leaves scars on their hearts that, in most cases, are irreversible. My friend, on the other hand, doesn’t even know what the American dream is and has no idea that people outside of India try so hard to be noticed and validated. He can’t grasp the concern about trying to be special. His contentment arises from not having such illusions drilled into him daily by a society and culture that does not care for you. He is not “just” a restaurant waiter but rather a brilliant restaurant waiter. He doesn’t need millions of dollars, loads of unnecessary material possessions, or validation from others. Why? Because he is content with his plight in life, and nothing is more fulfilling than being content with where you are in life. He has no idea of specialness, so, as a result, he has no desire to be somebody special. He is not looking over the fence or scouring the social media feeds for what others have and what he apparently lacks because he has no desire to measure his life against others.
His liberated content state of mind we can all have if we accept where we are in life, and if that needs to change, then do something about it rather than measure your life against others. Take ownership of your life and realize that in most cases, a lotus flower indeed grows out of the mud, but that doesn’t make that lotus flower special; rather, it has its own unique path in life if you allow your life to grow as it intended without comparing your path to others. These are the lessons one can learn from being away from cultures that continually promote lack due to the preposterous idea that you are not good enough. But when you realize you aren’t more special than anyone else, you realize you are good enough as you are and that this is truly a perfect life when you stop complaining about privilege and comparing your life to others. When you stop complaining or see no need to complain like my friend, then you come to the realization that the real privilege is to be alive and breathing in this moment together. What a blessing we all have to be graced with the amazing lives we share together, exactly in our right place, as naturally ordained by the Ultimate.
David R. Loy has produced an epic tome of nonduality within the great Eastern spiritual traditions. 
The 
I always enjoy reading Cal Newport’s work, and this book is no different. Just like Jaron Lanier, he has contributed to a growing number of titles that are revealing the pitfalls of the digital world and how it is negatively impacting the human mind. It was important for myself to read this book because of one of my future titles that goes deep into the damage digital technology and social media are having on our psychology, leading many to a form of insanity that is not recognized in the world. I learned a lot from Cal’s book and it did help me tighten up some things for my future title. But, as a digital minimalist myself, there were some things in the book that seem obvious to myself. How obvious some of his advice is in this book is concerning for the fact that people in general don’t know how digital technology has taken over their life. In saying that, I’m extremely glad Cal is pointing out those obvious habits and tendencies to people who are less aware. In conclusion, this is a great book to continue to go over and over when the poisonous tentacles of the digital world consume your precious time and attention.
The 
David Frawley has provided an extreme service to humanity in writing this book on Shiva. He explores the culture and spiritual significance of Shiva to its nth degree. The most minute detail about Shiva is explained in this book. In this book you will come to understand the connections Shiva has to such great Hindu traditions as Advaita Vedanta. Most people new to Vedanta or Yoga would not know why understanding Shiva is significant for their practice and spiritual liberation. But this book helps you understand the depths of Shiva to further your practice in either Vedanta and Yoga. As Frawley points out in the book, Shiva is both knowingly and unknowingly, especially through the practice of Yoga, spreading to every corner of the planet influencing the future of humanity to reclaim our innate spirituality, bringing Shiva’s peaceful grace to our minds and hearts. OM Namah Shivaya!
This is one of the most important books for the modern busy world, especially in regards to our health and sanity. Too often people will neglect their sleep to be more successful and get more done. But all this actually does is diminish your chances of being successful and getting more done, as Matthew Walker scientifically points out in his book. People never associate their stress and illnesses with a lack of sleep, as this is an area of research that has been avoided for far too long. Thankfully, Walker has taken the time and effort to scientifically prove to us the benefits of sleep for our health, sanity, and longevity. After reading his wonderful book, you will have no other option but to prioritize your sleep because it is the foundational pillar of everything else we experience in life. As Walker suggests, don’t be afraid to drift off to sleep while reading. It is normal to rest and sleep, don’t fight it. 
This is the foundational text for Buddhist studies and for those who practice Buddhism or are interested in learning. It is the most important Buddhist text to read for any school of Buddhism because it is the original Pali Canon, the actual discourses of the historical Buddha. This book gives you an insight into early Buddhism and the Theravada school of Buddhism. Most people will likely not start with this book when they begin their Buddhist studies, but in an ideal world this book would be the first book you should read on Buddhism and the Buddha. This book will give you a taste of what it is like to read the ancient suttas (sutras) with their unique repetitive style (this may be laborious for those unfamiliar with the sutta repetitive style). And Bhikkhu Bodhi has done a tremendous job with the translation and commentary which makes for an enjoyable and enlightening read. All of his translations sparkle with clarity and wisdom, but none so more than this amazing book. So if you are interested in the wisdom of the Buddha then begin here to build a solid foundation for your future studies.
Shankara’s Vivekachudamani (Crest-Jewel of Discrimination) is a pure transmission of the nondual teachings of Vedanta. In some sense, Shankara lays out the nondual teachings of Advaita Vedanta more clearly for everybody than the 
Back in 2015 in my home in Tiruvannamalai and then in a small guesthouse in Mahabalipuram, I had the honor and privilege of writing the foreword for Damo Mitchell’s book 
