The Path to Enlightenment is as Sharp and Narrow as a "Razor's Edge"

I was finally watching the famous American movie about a spiritual seeker called "The Razor's Edge" from 1946 starring Tyrone Powers, and a number of discoveries occurred for me.

First, the film is about an adventurous man who goes off to find himself, and at first I was frustrated because the movie is vague about what he's seeking and what he discovers.

He finally gets some answers when he winds up at an Ashram in India. There, a guru tells him we're like "raindrops from Heaven being reunited with the sea that created us."

He also tells him about the three paths to God (faith/worship; good works/seva; and the pursuit of knowledge). Here is a link to the scene.

Later the guru can see that he has discovered that "You and God are one."

"Yes" he replies, with a look of wonder in his eyes. You can see it here.

His character gets challenged in many ways after this enlightenment, and he handles these challenges with amazing grace due to the deep peace he has found within himself.

SO THEN I researched the story, and it turns out the main character was based on Christopher Isherwood, a writer who was into yoga and Hinduism long before the Beatles discovered Eastern religions and helped popularize it in the United States.

"Isherwood became a disciple of the Hindu monk, Swami Prabhavananda, the leader of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. He was introduced to the Swami in 1940 by his friends Aldous Huxley and Gerald Heard. Isherwood studied Hindu philosophy, translated sacred texts, and practiced meditation and yoga from 1940 until his death in 1986. He also reviewed books and wrote articles for the Society’s newsletter, Vedanta for the Western World. His short story, “The Wishing Tree,” is considered a model of the parable form and a key to understanding the Hindu idea of karma."

I found this book for free on the internet and it's an amazing collection of essays that's easy reading for "westerners." Gautam Baiji agreed it would be a good book to share, so here is a link. Also here. Spiritual seekers will enjoy this book!

Isherwood even writes the introduction, which in itself is an excellent primer on divine spirituality.