Review: Om Vel Way by Seval Seer

Eye-opening, mind-expanding, and relentlessly hopeful, Om Vel Way: Be Happy and Make Happy by Seval Seer is a well-crafted guide for the journey of self-actualization.

Part memoir and part spiritual textbook, the author patiently explicates much of what he has learned over decades of study and presents practical techniques for readers to apply those lessons in their own lives. With the pursuit and expansion of happiness as the book’s overarching goal, the intuitively structured narrative leads readers through the steps of increased awareness, self-actualization, and the elimination of suffering. Deeply rooted in a myriad of spiritual and religious traditions, but also delving into psychological, social, and philosophical sciences, this is a comprehensive introduction to self-improvement and enlightenment.

From a tumultuous early life in Sri Lanka to an international school in India, university in the UK, marriage, divorce, and an eventual move to the United States, readers are given a quick backstory of the author, and a compelling explanation for why and how his spiritual search began. This introduction helps to establish necessary credibility for the text, and Seer’s authority is consistent in the prose, without ever preaching a certain path. The vulnerability that comes across in the more personal passages of writing is immediately engaging, while the author’s boundary-defying exploration of ancient ideas is unique and spiritually creative.

The second half of the book is dedicated to expounding on the eight qualities that contribute to mindful living, and some of the pitfalls we encounter when we start binding our identity to worldly things, career paths, or simplistic definitions. By stripping away societal facades or false expectations, and helping readers uncover the deepest desires of their heart, this part of the book expertly but gently coaches readers towards greater satisfaction and clarity. The author then takes a closer look at the Four-Fold Path, and uses the lives of Buddha, Jesus, and Krishna to illustrate the power of personal evolution, worship, and the union of Individual Self and Ultimate Self. The author’s encompassing philosophy therefore has a much wider appeal than the narrow lens of dogmatic thinking, reaching beyond the cultural, historical, or religious origins of these concepts, and broadening the book’s target audience to anyone seeking clarity and comfort.

Given the nature of the subject matter, certain passages and pages can feel abstract and heady, and may be difficult to grasp for readers who are unfamiliar with these ideas. That being said, the prose is written to be accessible and thorough, and the text has been meticulously edited, making it easy to immerse in the elevated language and nuanced existential concepts. The section on mindful vs mechanical living particularly stands out as one of the most relatable portions of the book. In general, the writing flows naturally between stories, anecdotes, sutras, mantras, and tantras, with key ideas illustrated in parables, and then closely analyzed in successive sections.

A rewarding deep dive into topics that are both down-to-earth and ethereal, this is the type of book that can shift your thinking, redirect your energy, and set you on the path to all-around improvement, making it a thoroughly conceived and powerful work of spiritual self-help.