Swami Bodhananda in his book “Ethics and Enlightenment” critically examines the role of ethics and spiritual discipline for enlightenment.

Religious fundamentalism and cultural arrogance that spurn reason and commonsense give added force and justification for all kinds of social and sexual perversions in the name of religious freedom and cultural uniqueness.

Swami Bodhananda raises questions such as:

What is the truth?

Is spiritual experience merely a flowering of uninhibited libidinal energy?

Are society, rules of conduct, moral behaviour, rationality, relationships and social responsibilities, unnecessary and an unacceptable imposition on the spirit?

If so, are all forms of discipline and authority based on suppressed libido and sexuality?

And can one by free sexual expression remove those superimpositions and live eternally in the spirit?

Is self-discipline and moral discrimination actually a hindrance to spiritual flowering?

With a detailed set of arguments based on Vedantic scriptures he critiques the tenets of New-age-ism and emphasizes the role of moral, physical and emotional discipline central to spiritual progress. Finally in the book, Swami Bodhananda concludes that - A spiritually-awakened person lives in the infinite Spirit, mindful of an endless parade of body-mind events!

Ann Kimberly

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