The work has come to be regarded as a landmark in modern Advaita Vedānta, and its reputation has steadily grown since its early publication. Among spiritual seekers, it is widely considered a spiritual classic and is often treated as essential reading for those drawn to non-dual inquiry. Readers frequently describe it as profoundly impactful and even transformative, returning to it repeatedly as understanding matures. Its dialogic form and focus on the sense of “I am” are praised for cutting through secondary concepts and pointing directly to lived experience rather than abstract theory.

At the same time, the very qualities that give the book its power also make it demanding. Nisargadatta’s style is consistently described as direct, uncompromising, and sometimes blunt, which some readers find austere or even abrasive. The dialog format, repetitions, and lack of a systematic progression can feel challenging, especially for those without prior exposure to Advaita teachings. As a result, it is often experienced less as an introductory manual and more as a text for serious, committed inquiry, one that resists casual or purely intellectual reading.

Among teachers, scholars, and critics, the book is generally acknowledged as a major contribution to the articulation of non-dual philosophy in a modern idiom. It is valued for preserving the authentic, colloquial voice of a contemporary teacher rather than presenting a polished academic treatise. Scholars and practitioners alike recognize its importance in making complex Advaitic insights accessible through conversation, while also noting that its compressed, aphoristic style offers limited historical or textual contextualization. Some critics therefore caution that, although it is a powerful witness to lived Advaita, it should not be treated as the sole or final word on the tradition.

The book’s enduring influence is evident in its sustained popularity among international readers and its status as a perennially recommended resource in non-dual circles. Many spiritual teachers across traditions acknowledge its depth and have been inspired by its approach to self-inquiry. Readers commonly report that it fosters profound shifts in understanding by directing attention away from conceptual elaboration and toward the immediacy of consciousness itself. For many, its enduring appeal lies in this combination of rigor and simplicity: an unadorned invitation to recognize what is most fundamental, expressed in language that is at once spare, challenging, and deeply resonant.