Not I, Not other than I: The Life And Teachings Of Russel Williams

The amazing life and philosophy of a humble, hard-working man who has, on principal, never taken any money for his knowledge or teaching of spirituality. A short, engrossing book about a man and his remarkable awakening to the philosophy of what he calls the Universal Consciousness. Russel Williams has for over 60 years been teaching spirituality and never taken money for teaching his life's calling, nor written a book (including this one), nor tried to develop a following--all as a matter of principal. Orphaned at 11 he has had virtually no schooling and, now in his early 90's, has worked hard at mostly menial jobs his entire life. He has been the President of the Manchester (England) Buddhist Center since the early 70's, which offered him a room as lodging for many years despite the fact that he denies being a Buddhist--though he has great respect for the Buddha and much of his teachings, for Jesus (and the Christ) and some limited aspects of only a few man-developed religions. He decries the dogma of all human-run religions and offers no dogma of his own, believing that none is necessary to achieve enlightenment.This book alternates chapters between William's biography and edited transcripts of William's free weekly meetings at the Manchester Buddhist Center; no one is turned away from these meetings and there is no admission fee. The book was essentially assembled by Steve Taylor (A PhD Psychologist and lecturer at Leeds Beckham University in the UK who has attended William's meetings since the 70's) though Williams is credited as the author. The English language is not entirely adequate to express how Russel Williams has understood and experienced enlightenment since his late twenties. The title seems somewhat confusing at first, but when you finish reading this short book, you will likely fully understand it.A good lead-in book which will make Not I, Not Other Than I more easily understood is The Leap, The Psychology of Spiritual Awakening, by Steve Taylor, PhD. I've never been a serious seeker or follower of religion in general or spirituality specifically, so I need to thank my medical doctor who gifted me a copy of The Leap which quickly led me to Russel William's book.

Not I, Not other than I, contains spiritual wisdom in simple, gentle language pointing to truths beyond words. Those on the journey to Now, and to the realization that at the deepest level, we are consciousness itself, will feel encouraged and validated. This book includes exercises to enhance awakening.Russel Williams (continuing to teach at age 94), had a spiritual awakening outside of traditional religious or spiritual teachings, 65 years ago. Although he has been the president of the Buddhist Society of Manchester, England, since 1974, he reports that he is not really a Buddhist. His fresh, original, clear communication may result in part from not being bound by the terminology and viewpoint of any particular lineage. Indeed, he talks about going beyond Buddhism, a tradition he clearly admires. Interestingly, he has never advertised or made money from his teachings.Steve Taylor, psychologist, writer, and spiritual teacher, does an outstanding job editing talks by Russel in a way that conveys, as much as possible on the printed page, a feeling level sense of Russel’s state of being, which his students reportedly find even more powerful than his words. Taylor has written several books on spiritual awakening, my favorites being The Fall, Back to Sanity, and Waking From Sleep. His recent publication, The Calm Center: Reflections and Meditations for Spiritual Awakening, consists of highly inspiring reflections on awakening from our false self to experience the Divine, using practical and sometimes humorous examples of how our minds resist such awakening. As Eckhart Tolle says in the introduction to The Calm Center, each of these meditations has the power to work magic and bring about, “…a distinct shift in your state of consciousness.”

I have read so many spiritual books and studied with a number of teachers/paths, yet somehow Russel's life and teachings are some of the clearest and most direct I've ever encountered. He incorporates principles that I'm sure many of us have heard before, but he sheds new light and new clarity on them to make these truths seem obvious and obtainable. The scope of his life experiences which are woven throughout the book are breathtaking, and his pointers and spiritual exercises no less so. No matter where you are in your spiritual search, I highly recommend that you read and imbibe this book for a lifetime. Steve Taylor who edited this work is wonderful, as well. Russel was his teacher, and Steve's book of poetry, "The Calm Center" is truly amazing. Even if you're not a poetry fan, these poems are such clear pointers to enlightenment that you'll always want to have both of these books near by to be savored again and again!

Russel Williams is not well known and yet he is one of the best spiritual teachers to ever live. I feel profoundly lucky to have come across this book and met Russel and his gentle, clear and profound teaching. Thank you to the author for making this real.

Mr. Williams is a truly special person! His words and wisdom are straight-forward and simple, yet uncommon. I've mostly heard about him via Mr. Steve M. Taylor of England who is a friend&student of his. I've seen and heard Mr. Williams speak in interview at UTube as well. Anyone who is truly interested in the spiritual path could be helped and inspired by these men...esp.ly Russel Williams who is quite old at this time. Wish i could travel to England and meet this Master before he leaves this world! This book is for us a very special gift for our consciousnes and spiritual evolution indeed!

I loved these teachings except for the discussion on other past lives' which diminished the message slightly.

As someone who has wandered away from spirituality in recent years, this book, and specifically half related to Russel's life, has been a lifeline to keep me connected. It's simply the most amazing story of the most extraordinary life. The way he accidentally ended up at Dunkirk! You couldn't make it up!

Das Buch ist sehr tiefgreifend.Die Lebensgeschichte ist eine, mit harten Zeiten durchgewebt.Vielleicht daraus folgend entwickelte sich die Empfindsamkeit Russel Williams für feine Energien und die Erkenntnisse für tiefe Wahrheit.Er ist in sich einfach, einfach großartig.

This book is simply amazing! There is so much freshness and truth in it. I never had such an amazing feeling of awe since I read The Power of Now for the first time.

Brilliant, moving, inspirational

My wife and I really enjoyed reading this book. It tells the tale of a simple and troubled man who evolves over a period of time into a humble and special person as a spiritual teacher. The format of the book alternates between chapters of Russel Williams life and some of his recent teachings. The teaching are in the form of a dialogue with participants in his weekly gatherings. The insights in the last few chapters are special. You can also check him out on YouTube along with Steve Taylor (accomplished author and spiritual teacher) who has authored this book. Highly recommend this book.