Sahaja Publications

Sahaja Publications

Sahaja Publications is an independent publishing company founded in Oxford by Rupert Spira in 2013. It exclusively publishes Rupert Spira’s works, which point clearly and directly to the non-dual understanding, a truth celebrated by sages and mystics throughout history. These works are available for purchase here.

In all the great religious and spiritual traditions, there are essentially three paths to our true nature – the Progressive Path, the Direct Path and the Pathless Path. In the traditional, progressive approach offered by most religious and spiritual traditions, the body and mind undergo gradual purification to prepare for recognising the nature of reality. In contrast, the Direct Path addresses the reality of experience directly, turning attention towards the subject of experience rather than any object, bypassing gradual preparation.

The Pathless Path, however, starts from the understanding that we are already our essential being; there is no journey or practice required to reach what we already are. This teaching invites us to simply rest as the self-aware, ever-present being that is our true nature – a state of quiet joy and peace.

Both the Progressive and Direct Paths involve some form of spiritual practice, but the Pathless Path emphasises ‘just being’ without any effort, revealing a silent and alert peace that is ever-present. It was in this context that Ramana Maharshi said, ‘Don’t meditate. Just be.’ That is the Pathless Path – just being.

This timeless approach to non-dual understanding can be found in the writings of Parmenides, Plotinus, and Meister Eckhart in the West, and the Buddha, Gaudapada, and Shankaracharya in the East, among others. Although often eclipsed by gradual practices, this approach resurfaced in the 20th century through figures such as Ramana Maharshi, Atmananda Krishnamenon, Nisargadatta Maharaj and Jean Klein.

‘Sahaja’ is a Sanskrit term that implies the recognition of the nature of reality in the midst of everyday experience, in contrast to the traditional approach that maintains a disposition of renunciation with respect to the body, mind and world. Sahaja Publications’ vision is to make these Direct and Pathless Path teachings available to all who seek to recognise and embody their true nature, irrespective of their background, conditioning, education, nationality or religion.