Nothing to Grasp - by Joan Tollifson (Paperback)

About the Book

Nothing to Grasp invites readers to explore their experience in the here and now, wake up from commonplace misconceptions, and see through the imaginary separate self at the root of human suffering and confusion. This book points relentlessly to what is most obvious and impossible to avoid--the ever-present, ever-changing, nonconceptual actuality of the present moment, which is effortlessly presenting itself right now--and encourages readers to celebrate life, exactly the way it is.

Book Synopsis

This book points relentlessly to what is most obvious and impossible to avoid: the ever-present, ever-changing, nonconceptual actuality of the present moment that is effortlessly presenting itself right now. This book is an invitation to wake up from commonplace misconceptions and to see through the imaginary separate self at the root of our human suffering and confusion. Nothing to Grasp is a celebration of what is, exactly as it is.

Review Quotes

"Clear, clean, crisp! I really enjoyed this book, and have read all of Joan's books. The perspective offered in this writing is direct and clear. Nothing to grasp. Perfect."
--Joseph Forsyth


"I haven't been this excited about a non-duality book in a long time. It's really wonderful, and so well written! [Tollifson has] a remarkable ability to avoid common conceptual confusions, and to explain why we often fall into them. [Tollifson writes] like someone who is not just tossing in all the usual recipes, but who understands and appreciates the active ingredients. It's a bit like reading a cookbook by a chef who lovingly understands the recipes and can talk me through mistakes and substitutions (like what if I don't have any flowering basil and I burned the polenta) versus reading a cookbook that is just a list of exciting, complicated recipes that are poorly understood by the author and best suited to nonhumans who have way better kitchens than I do."
--J Matthews, author of Radically Condensed Instructions for Being Just as You Are

"Thank you for your new book. I really appreciate your sharing your life, especially your experiences with addictions to alcohol, smoking, and finger biting. What you write helps me enormously with my own pain around certain of my behaviors. May your wonderful work reach thousands and thousands of people!"
--Rev. Joyce Liechenstein, PhD, associate director and seminary chaplain of One Spirit Learning Alliance Interfaith Seminary


"The world of non-duality writing is so often filled with all the same tired, formulaic maxims that instead of pointing the reader to awakening, they really act to induce sleep! This book is so different. Joan writes from her own direct experience. She uses language that is consistently clear, alive, passionate, down-to-earth, and, ultimately, 'eye'-opening. It is her dedication to sincerity that powers this book to being a classic of philosophic, spiritual exploration. I cannot urge you to read this book strongly enough. For me, it is already a classic."
--Eric Gross, author of Trust in Liberation and Liberation from the Lie

"This books speaks straight to my heart. [Tollifson's] words are dynamite that blows up the concrete-encased assumptions that underpin the edifice of suffering. The book crackles with the energy of clarity on every page. Thank you, thank you more than words can say, for writing this book."
--Colleen Loehr, MD, psychiatrist

About the Author

Joan Tollifson writes and talks with people about the living reality Here / Now. She has an affinity with both Buddhism and Advaita, but she belongs to no formal tradition. Her approach is simple and down-to-earth, pointing beyond concepts and beliefs to the immediacy of direct knowing and being. Her first book, Bare-Bones Meditation, was published by Bell Tower in 1996. Tollifson has lived in Northern California, rural New York, Chicago, and Southern Oregon. Her main teacher was Toni Packer, but she spent time with many other teachers as well.