Nothing to Grasp

This is a Grasping expression of non duality....teaching that there is nothing to grasp, and so no adequateexpression!! As this may be liberating enough, I could stop right here with the 5-star rating, and that should be sufficient.Yet, we need to make concessions to duality because many will not believe Silence (or the whiteness behind this printing)to be an effective teaching approach. Joan Tollifson, with a great efficiency in word usage, and backed by her ownawakened experience, has given us a gift of immense value. Like all good teachers of non duality, she places herselfin our shoes and asks the questions that must be asked to grow into this teaching, approaching an understanding ofConsciousness which is critical for our time...and for the Happiness of each of us. Please read, and re-read, untilGrace arrives!! Now..!!

Writings about spirituality are subject to where the reader is on the journey through life. For me, Joan's writing in this book, on Facebook, and on her website speak directly to me about what I feel must be the case, that This Is It, that all of this seemingly infinite multiplicity is the direct expression of the Great Mystery that is who we are, whether we know it or not. Her prose is elegant and clear. Her insights are obviously based on the breadth and depth of her experience. She must have as much ego as the rest of us, and she allows us appropriate glimpses of her own process, but her message does not feel ego-driven. Hers is the writing I've always wanted to read and I am grateful to have it in my life.

I’m sure I will read again and again. An excellent book for a student of duality and awareness.

For anyone interested in the nature of reality according to the way of 'zen' this is a no BS description. Very true and very freeing. Will continue to re-read.

Not the greatest assembly of words ever put together, but definitely worth a look. It might even open the door, so to speak, to the ever present Hear/Now.

After being on the Non Dual treadmill for a couple years I came across Joan. I wonder how many hours I've spent watching and reading Rupert Spira and company explain the nature of consciousness and the universe. Joan would never dare come to any conclusions about the nature of reality or consciousness etc. for the simple reason that those speculations are unverifiable. Joan is talking about the knowing of this moment. The knowing that requires no concepts to simply know. She points to not being able to find a doer inside of "yourself." That you are the mysterious universe here/now expressing itself as "you." There is no one here that can change this moment because this moment already is as it is. And since there is no one that can control this moment we can stop trying to grasp it for that is impossible. All that needs to happen is to be whatever you are (which is whatever all this is.) By far my favorite book about these matters and probably the last one I will want to read. Thank you Joan.

This is an amazingly clear and direct book about a topic that can't be expressed in words. It effectively points to a direct experience by doing away with flowery language, and focusing on simplicity and ease of understanding. Its easy to think that what is being said at certain points is so obvious that it needn't be written, and then its realized that its the writing that allows it to be experienced as obvious. This book is not a spiritual text, but a brutally clear and direct expression of the nature of reality. I would recommend this to anyone I know that has an open mind and general interest in understanding their own experience, regardless of 'spiritual' background.

The relative story of "me" will preface this review by stating first,that I have read Nisargadatta,Ramana Maharshi, Krishnamurti,Wei Wu Wei,etc...All the spiritual "great" standards.Second,this is a review of a book about a subject that words cannot explain. That being said if "you" are looking for a clear and concise book on radical nonduality this is on "my" must-read list.Do "yourself" a favor, if you don't just "choose" to "wake up" on "your own". Read the following:1)All books by Jeff Foster2)All books by Joan Tollifson3)Awakening to the Dream-Leo Hartong4)The Book of Undoing-Fred Davis5)Oneness-John Greven6)Radically Condensed Instructions for being Just as you Are-J.Matthews7)Love's Quiet Revolution-Scott Kiloby8)Living Nonduality-Robert Wolfe9)Clarity-Nathan GillOthers have been read,(Parsons,Spira, Adamson, Balsekar, Liquorman, etc..)but the above listed are "who" resonated with the story of "me". Enjoy!

I'd like to extend a thanks to the author for what has turned out to be an incredibly challenging book. Rather than try and be a how-to manual, it has been more of an exploration of non-duality which has provoked question after question in me. Of course, it is only through questioning our lives that we can gain new information and insights. Whilst I am not quite ready to agree with every view she has, I have found as a whole that this book provided more intellectual and spiritual "meat" than most other books I have read.My only caveat is to suggest you do need some interest already in this subject before tackling this book, ideally with some prior experiences from meditation or mindfulness. The sort of experiences that cannot be put into words because they are beyond description. This really is what non-duality boils down to; concepts that the very descriptions of create paradoxes. Without this sort of prior experience you may take some of the views literally, in which case the middle section of the book in particular could paint a terribly depressing view of the world ("We don't really exist", "Nothing is real", "We don't act out of choice" etc). These are of course concepts rather than literal statements, but you need to have appreciation of this.Also, it's a shame the author drops in neuroscience and quantum physics, though she does so only briefly and once or twice. The latter is a bit of a cheap shot, it's so overused and I can't be the only person fed up with the fact that just because a lab experiment shows that the act of measuring how electrons go through a double slit changes the result does NOT mean we can make vast and vague associations with spirituality or that it is "proof" of anything else. I feel the author's work here is so strong she does not need to fall back on this kind of "evidence" and drop that magic but now cliched term "quantum physics" anywhere near this book.Overall, I feel so lucky and privileged to have come across this book at just the time when I was most receptive to it, I am grateful for the questions, challenges and insights which I feel could be having a profound (and positive) effect on the way I look at the world. If this subject is of interest to you, I urge you to consider reading it. The writing style is very readable.

I found this book to be extremely helpful. This subject is elusive to put to paper without giving the reader more concepts to hang on to but in my opinion Joan has been successful. Loved it! Thank you!

I truly enjoyed reading this book. Every page present some amazing wisdom that most of us miss because it is so simple. This book is one that I will read again and again. A true gem!

Provides a clear, straight-forward view that there really is nothing to grasp in the actual ever present reality of Here/Now.

I have just finished my first reading of Joan Tollifson's two books, "Painting The Sidewalk With Water" and "Nothing To Grasp". I am sure that I will make many more readings of these two excellent works. My review relates to both books.This is highly intelligent and mature writing and is obviously the outcome of many years of investigation, attention and insight. The author has very conscientiously summarized the key declarations of radical non-duality but she has gone much further than this. Her particular skill lies in understanding and addressing the many twists and turns of the everyday mind as it grapples with its mental fog. A common statement that she makes in response to a question is, "Do you see the joke in this question?" - She does this when she spots the very common practice that her questioner has of trying to self-improve or to grasp an insight that they have made a conceptual object of. There are innumerable comments from her that tease out the dualistic and egotistical strivings of the typical seeker.Her comments are often dazzlingly fresh and arresting; indeed they can even be a little shocking, yet all the more effective for that. There is an autobiographical element in the books and, for the most part, she keeps this in balance. However, in "Nothing To Grasp" there is one chapter that I found to be a little pedestrian, perhaps because of its contrast with the brilliant stuff that preceded it. The chapter is entitled "Choice And Choicelessness" - the title was very promising. This chapter is almost entirely autobiographical and, although it was mildly interesting per se, I felt that it detracted from the main thrust of the book.I read these books on my Kindle and found myself making a huge number of highlights and notes; I sometimes felt as though I was highlighting the whole page! I am tempted in this review to quote from the book but, frankly there are so many superb quotes that all I can say is, if you have an earnest wish to understand consciousness, mindfulness and, of course, Non-Duality, then get hold of both of these books; they are superb.