Be as you are

What Hacker News says

1. __rito__Sep 2026
   This is a spiritual idea. Encouraged in many traditions all over the world. I saw Zhuangzi mentioned, and also saw people mention the "Perfect Days" movie.

   I have delved deep in this matter, and read and plan to read multiple books in this theme:

   1. Be As You Are: The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi - David Godman

   2. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig

   3. Franny and Zooey - JD Salinger

   These come from top of my mind.

   If you have the acumen, go read Bhagavad Gita, Gospel of Ramakrishna, Tao Te Ching, etc.

   Many people mistake what is conveyed as "NPC" here as being quitters and losers, but it is about owning consequences like no other way.

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2. blackhazJun 2020
   For those wondering about Maharshi, I would wholeheartedly recommend the book "Be as You Are, the Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi" edited by David Godman (Penguin) ISBN 978-0-14-019062-5.
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3. curoOct 2018
   Absolutely. I'm happy to see Nisargadatta's name here. For some reason self-inquiry hasn't taken off in the US like Zen, TM, or Vipassana has.

   These are also gems:

   * The Truth Is by Papaji

   * Be As You Are by Ramana Maharshi

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4. te_chrisSep 2025
   I've got OCD and I've done CBT, ERP etc. As others have alluded to, you need to realise the work is never done. Recently I've found it more active, but this time - having recently read The Maps we Carry by Rose Cartwright, who was something of a poster-woman for OCD after her first book, Pure - I've tried to go deeper. CBT etc feel like prophylactics. They're certainly useful, but they don't address deeper things, such as learning to be as you are, to observe and integrate your anxiety etc.

   This set me off on a harder path of more abstract therapy (I'm working with an integrative therapist who practices across IFS, Jungian etc), meditation etc. The book the untethered soul, by Michael Singer helped a lot to put everything into perspective - the therapy, the anxiety, the day to day - in a way that nothing else had really achieved for me.

   Also, a key conclusion of Cartwrights is that individualised change/treatment is important, but it's worthless without community. I think she's deeply, profoundly right.

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5. lincolnparkOct 2014
   Reading: Be As You Are - Ramana Maharshi Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg Applied Security Visualization - Raffael Marty
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