In this illuminating book the author traces the decent of the individual from his true divine status to his present condition and describes his ascent back to God. He explains how the various aspects of man's relative existence can be instrumental in the realization of his perfect being, which, in fact, he has never lost. The matter discussed herein is, in short, an explanation of the involution and evolution of the soul. One finds in these pages the Vedantic answers to many of the big questions that we have asked since we first started asking. It provides not only an intellectual understanding of the soul's journey, but also practical counsels on how to speed it along.
The important thing is how much less you think of the body, of yourself as matter -- as dead, dull, insentient matter; how much more you think of yourself as shining immortal being. The more you think of yourself as spirit, the more eager you will be to be absolutely free from matter, body and senses. This is the intense desire to be free.
-Swami Vivekananda