Living on the Inner Edge by Cyrus Ryan
Book Review by Dawn Thomas

232 Pages
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing Ltd / Axis Mundi Books
Release Date: December 14, 2018

Religions & Spirituality

This is a memoir written in the first person. The author discusses his travels and religious experiences. It shows his growth and journey along his path and takes place over many years. He also gives examples of situations other group members go through along with the Masters. The esoteric material is deep and thought provoking. There were several statements that resonated with me:

“When you start to search for the Path, it means that the Essential Nature is stirring or awakening. It also indicates that the Soul, on its own plane, is trying to extend an invisible hand to guide the personality.” (Kindle location 205)

“So the Essential Nature when it awakens is like a newborn baby. Babies cannot just get up and walk, talk, and do things. This is the state of the Essential Nature of most aspirants.” (Kindle location 223)

“Mantra is like an esoteric communication device. Just like when you use a push button phone, each number has a note designated by a beep. Hitting a certain number of a series of numbers creates a pattern of sounds. If you’ve keyed in the correct pattern of numbers, then you will shortly be connected to another person whose contact number corresponds to those numbers that were typed in on the phone. Thus the use of a mantra is to contact or invoke a deity that corresponds to a particular mantra.” (Kindle location 1717)

A thought provoking read on living outside the confines of modern life and normal thinking. It is a interesting viewpoint of someone who grew up middle class yet eschewed all confines of normal life. A interesting read for those that enjoy books of living outside modern society and considering differing viewpoints of life, religion, and religious confines

Living on the Edge is a kind of journal of sorts, or record of the inner life of a Canadian who begins to dedicate himself to a spiritual path of meditation, looking ultimately to totally transform his way of being. His background, born into a middle-class family and growing up somewhat unloved in the early 60's is one that can easily empathised with: this was a time when many families often did seem to live by empty rote and role in a somewhat Camusian way, with too many of the big existential questions not even, ever countenanced. The author, Cyrus Ryan, wanted more.
He soon found it via what also seems to have been one of the few available routes in what must have been the latish 70's in the West: via the esoteric tradition as set by Gurdjieff, alongside the channelled works of Helena Blavatsky and Alice Bailey. He was invited to a meditation group and was further exposed to some of the more rigorous mantric practises of Hindi yoga and Buddhism.
In his rather matter-of-fact way, the writer gives an enthralling account of his meditations and spiritual quest, which also involved trips to India, China and the Himalayas, to visit various temples and sacred sites and monasteries. This writer makes it clear he believes he had had earlier incarnations as a practising adept - he certainly does recount some extraordinary experiences in the course of his meditations. He is already a spiritual athlete.
He does, however, warn the aspiring reader that real.progress may not happen until after many years of effort and sometimes difficult experiences, which he describes as the Dweller at the Threshold, meaning the reemergence of negative aspects of the personality that need to be worked through. Tourists in search of instant highs need not apply.
Ryan appears to take a pragmatic approach to his learning rather than a dogmatic one, though personally I have as many questions regarding the integrity of the channelled works of Blavatsky and Bailey as the writer appears to have, in part, of Gurdjieff. There is a contempt for the Feminine for example with Blavatsky and Bailey that has always repelled, alongside the racism and contempt for indigenous traditions. I would hope now that there is more open access to the original Buddhist and Hindi yoga traditions, as well as a revival of Western esotericism and Shamanism that has now grown on a more grass-roots level. Nevertheless, these earlier purveyors of Wisdom did show what the West may have been missing through not having a live tradition involving yogic and meditational practises as part of its spiritual tradition.
At the end of the book Ryan shares with the reader some mantras and guidelines for those who would like to try practising these for themselves. No doubt this book will be of great interest to those who do consider themselves as followers of Blavatsky, Bailey and Gurdjieff.

This is written for those who dare to go beyond the confines of this life. What you’ll find in this book that you won’t find in other esoteric books.