People ask how to foster their spiritual growth, or get closer to God, or get in touch with their Essential Self (three ways of saying the same thing, BTW). Until now, I have not had a comprehensive answer, but now, thanks to Depak Chopra, I do.

He calls them "ten keys to active mastery," which begs the question "mastery of what?" Anyway, here they are. They work for me, and I am sure they can work for anyone, regardless of one's religious orientation.

1. Listen to your body's wisdom, which expresses itself through signals of comfort and discomfort. When choosing a certain behavior, ask your body how it feels about that. If your body sends a signal of physical or emotional distress, watch out. If your body sends a signal of comfort and eagerness, proceed. (This is not new. I first heard about this about twenty years ago, in one of Sandra Ingerman's books, she being one of the pre-eminent shamans of the age. In my case, the "no" signal is a sense of tightness in the chest; the "yes" is a feeling of relaxation in my leg muscles. Others report distinct sensations in the solar plexis area.)

2. Live in the present, for it is the only moment you have. Keep ypur attention on what is here and now; look for the fullness in every moment. Accept what comes to you totally and completely so that you can appreciate it, learn from it, and then let it go. The present is as it should be. It reflects infinite laws of nature that have brought you this exact thought, this exact physical response. This moment is as it is because the universe is as it is. Don't struggle against the infinite scheme of things; instead, be at one with it. (Again, nothing new here. Zen Buddhists have been saying this for years. Hawaiian shamanism, in the form of the Huna principles says "Now is the moment of power." A New Age writer says that power flows where your attention goes. CWG says to look for the perfection is every moment, every situation, for God does not make mistakes.)

3. Take time to be silent, to meditate, to quiet the internal dialogue. In moments of silence, realize that you are contacting your source of pure awareness. Pay attention to your inner life so that you can be guided by intuition rather than externally imposed interpretations of what is or isn't good for you. (The Bible addresses this issue thusly -- "Be still, and know that I am God." And many spiritual traditions emphasize the importance of meditation.)

4. Relinquish your need for external approval. You alone are the judge of your worth, and your goal is to discover infinite worth in yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks. There is great freedom in this realization. (Or as the t-shirt slogan puts it, "God doesn't make junk." Rick Nelson sung "You can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself." Same idea.)

5. When you find yourself reacting with anger or opposition to any person or circumstance, realize that you are only struggling with yourself. (Remember--at the Highest Level, we are All One.) Putting up resistance is the response created by old hurts. When you relinquish this anger, you will be healing yourself and cooperating with the flow of the universe. (A Course in Miracles addresses this issue by stressing the notion of forgiveness, saying that every decision you make in this area is a choice between a grievance and a miracle. Twelve-steppers talk about the need to transcend resentment, saying that resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other guy dies. BTW, I think that Nelson Mandela said this first.)

6. Know that the world "out there" reflects your reality "in here." The people you react to most strongly, whether with love or with hate, are projections of your inner world. What you most hate is what you most deny in yourslef. What you most love is what you most wish for yourself. Use the mirror of relationships to guide your evolution. The goal is total self-knowledge. When you achieve that, what you most desire will automatically be there, and what you most dislike will disappear.

7. Shed the burden of judgement--you will feel much lighter. Judgement imposes right and wrong on situations that just are. Everything can be understood and forgiven, but when you judge, you cut off understanding and shut down the process of learning to love. In judging others, you reflect your lack of self-acceptance. Remember that every person you forgive adds to your self-love. (The Bible says "Judge not, that ye be not judged." I think this ties in with the Golden Rule--Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.)

8. Don't contaminate your body with toxins, either through food , drink, or toxic emotions. Your body is more than a life-support system--it is the vehicle that will carry you on the journey of your evolution. The health of every cell directly contributes to your state of well-being, because every cell is a point of awareness within the field of awareness that is you.

9. Replace fear-motivated behavior with love-motivated behavior. (As complex as we domesticated primates are, our every thought, word, and deed is sponsored by either love or fear. Fear is our only enemy; love, our only salvation.)

10. Understand that the physical world is just a mirror of a deeper intelligence. Intelligence is the invisible organizer of all matter and energy, and since a portion of that intelligence resides in you, you share in the organizing power of the cosmos. (In other words, we are created in the image and likeness of God.)

Another wonderfully done thread. In particular I enjoyed number 6. It seems so obvious that the things which you are attracted to are the things you wish most for yourself, I don't know why I never put the two together. I always look forward to your posts, keep up the good work.

Another wonderfully done thread.

Indeed. There is nothing like the whiff of newage crap to make you know you have made the right decision.

Intolerance isn't very becoming of you. Gotta roll with the times, Hare. Some people search for God through other means besides a structured religious institution. I personally don't lend it any more credence than I would, say - Christianity, which I'm sure was also discounted, back in the day - as "new age crap", until it became wildly popular.

Edit:

But if the "new-age crap" were to be removed from MyGod just because people like you and I don't subscribe to it - wouldn't that be doing the same thing you are so upset with AM about, removing content just because we don't agree with it?

I'm not saying the content should be removed though, am I? Instead, I am leaving. I don't like it, so I'm not going to bother with it. If someone replies that I am still posting, I am simply making sure my intentions are not misconstrued. Now I am done.

]Instead, I am leaving. I don't like it, so I'm not going to bother with it.

I'm surprised that you could even be bothered to post in this thread, just to reaffirm that you're leaving. Although, I can understand the urge for one-last-jab.

When you are ready for it, then it will make sense. Not before.

When you are ready for it, then it will make sense. Not before.

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."

I cannot take anything you say with any seriousness whatsoever. You claim to have seen and conversed with god. You are on a first name basis with the dude.

I cannot take anything you say with any seriousness whatsoever. You claim to have seen and conversed with god. You are on a first name basis with the dude.

For twenty years, I would have discounted absolutely anything coming from the mouth of one who claimed an experience as I have had. I do not blame you for your distrust.

For twenty years, I would have discounted absolutely anything coming from the mouth of one who claimed an experience as I have had. I do not blame you for your distrust.

Well said--and agreed. For instance, I never took channelling seriously, until I started doing it myself.

There is no real limit to what we can accomplish, experience--except for our own doubts and fears.

Fear is the only enemy we have.

There is nothing like the whiff of newage crap to make you know you have made the right decision.

Again, you seem to deliberately miss the point in order to make still another snarky remark.

Know this--there is NOTHING "new" about most New Age concepts--they have been around for milennia.

Self-serving bump.

Thanks for the tips, but it's just reaffirming things I have already discovered through looking within. I used to disbelieve in all this just as much as everyone else. My awareness of my spiritual being came from self-discovery through meditation and mind-altering chemicals.

I now exist in a mental state of pure happiness, I understand why we are here and how to make the best of life. I understand my place in the universe, on earth, and in nature. Fear and ignorance is the prison our mind makes to censor our spirit, to keep us from divine knowledge and bliss. Lose your fears, open your mind, and you will realize the truth.

I understand why people don't believe in all of this. The things you are looking for can not be found through the scope of science, you must look within yourself.

People often ask me how to foster their spiritual growth, or get closer to God, or get in touch with their Essential Self (three ways of saying the same thing, BTW). Until now, I have not had a comprehensive answer, but now, thanks to Depak Chopra, I do.

He calls them "ten keys to active mastery," which begs the question "mastery of what?" Anyway, here they are. They work for me, and I am sure they can work for anyone, regardless of one's religious orientation.

1. Listen to your body's wisdom, which expresses itself through signals of comfort and discomfort. When choosing a certain behavior, ask your body how it feels about that. If your body sends a signal of physical or emotional distress, watch out. If your body sends a signal of comfort and eagerness, proceed. (This is not new. I first heard about this about twenty years ago, in one of Sandra Ingerman's books, she being one of the pre-eminent shamans of the age. In my case, the "no" signal is a sense of tightness in the chest; the "yes" is a feeling of relaxation in my leg muscles. Others report distinct sensations in the solar plexis area.)

2. Live in the present, for it is the only moment you have. Keep ypur attention on what is here and now; look for the fullness in every moment. Accept what comes to you totally and completely so that you can appreciate it, learn from it, and then let it go. The present is as it should be. It reflects infinite laws of nature that have brought you this exact thought, this exact physical response. This moment is as it is because the universe is as it is. Don't struggle against the infinite scheme of things; instead, be at one with it. (Again, nothing new here. Zen Buddhists have been saying this for years. Hawaiian shamanism, in the form of the Huna principles says "Now is the moment of power." A New Age writer says that power flows where your attention goes. CWG says to look for the perfection is every moment, every situation, for God does not make mistakes.)

3. Take time to be silent, to meditatate, to quiet the internal dialogue. In moments of silence, realize that you are contacting your source of pure awareness. Pay attention to your inner life so that you can be guided by intuition rather than externally imposed interpretations of what is or isn't good for you. (The Bible addresses this issue thusly -- "Be still, and know that I am God." And many spiritual traditions emphasize the importance of meditation.)

4. Relinquish your need for external approval. You alone are the judge of your worth, and your goal is to discover infinite worth in yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks. There is great freedom in this realization. (Or as the t-shirt slogan puts it, "God doesn't make junk." Rick Nelson sung "You can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself." Same idea.)

5. When you find yourself reacting with anger or opposition to any person or circumstance, realize that you are only struggling with yourself. (Remember--at the Highest Level, we are All One.) Putting up resistance is the response created by old hurts. When you relinquish this anger, you will be healing yourself and cooperating with the flow of the universe. (A Course in Miracles addresses this issue by stressing the notion of forgiveness, saying that every decision you make in this area is a choice between a grievance and a miracle. Twelve-steppers talk about the need to transcend resentment, saying that resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other guy dies. BTW, I think that Nelson Mandela said this first.)

6. Know that the world "out there" reflects your reality "in here." The people you react to most strongly, whether with love or with hate, are projections of your inner world. What you most hate is what you most deny in yourslef. What you most love is what you most wish for yourself. Use the mirror of relationships to guide your evolution. The goal is total self-knowledge. When you achieve that, what you most desire will automatically be there, and what you most dislike will disappear.

7. Shed the burden of judgement--you will feel much lighter. Judgement imposes right and wrong on situations that just are. Everything can be understood and forgiven, but when you judge, you cut off understanding and shut down the process of learning to love. In judging others, you reflect your lack of self-acceptance. Remember that every person you forgive adds to your self-love. (The Bible says "Judge not, that ye be not judged." I think this ties in with the Golden Rule--Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.)

8. Don't contaminate your body with toxins, either through food , drink, or toxic emotions. Your body is more than a life-support system--it is the vehicle that will carry you on the journey of your evolution. The health of every cell directly contributes to your state of well-being, because every cell is a point of awareness within the field of awareness that is you.

9. Replace fear-motivated behavior with love-motivated behavior. (As complex as we domesticated primates are, our every thought, word, and deed is sponsored by either love or fear. Fear is our only enemy; love, our only salvation.)

10. Understand that the physical world is just a mirror of a deeper intelligence. Intelligence is the invisible organizer of all matter and energy, and since a portion of that intelligence resides in you, you share in the organizing power of the cosmos. (In other words, we are created in the image and likeness of God.)

1. = Intuition or conscience.

2. = Live in the moment, not so easy when afflicted by chronic pain!

3. = Being the Observer.

4. = Self-Realisation.

5. = Realise the One-ness!

6. = Reflection aids Self-Realisation

7. = Treat others the way you would wish to be treated.

8. = Your body is a temple of Life.

9. = Fear = evil, Love = Good? Is this always true? Love often hurts, and fear is often a blessing? http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Fear-Gavin-Becker/dp/0440226198

10.= Is the intelligence 'a personality' or 'a force'. 'A Spirit', or 'Spirit'?

Cheers:)

I have to say, generally speaking yes, all that is find and dandy Arms Merchant, but loving all and connected to everyone as "one."

Firstly, love causes jealousy, then anger, then hate, then revenge, etc. I see love as an extreme the same as hate. If anything you should detatch yourself from all emotions.
If anything, I say hate is strength in the physical world and love is often just a weakness. And spiritually I don't see a difference, it's like the Sith and the Jedi in starwars, niether have the correct path, you need the balance inbetween to understand both the philosophies to understand the force.

Second, I understand and for the most part realize the "oneness" of everything and everyone, but there is still yet something I fail to realize, how am I connected to a down syndrom kid in Greece while I'm in the middle of Texas suburbia?

I see love as an extreme the same as hate.

Is love and hate like this:

(-)(hate)(-) = 0 = (+)love(+)

Or like this?

Love:

>>>>0<<<<

Hate:

<<<<0>>>>

Okay, that's one side. Now lets get some conflict going, because as Gurdijeff so rightly said, consciousness will only truly appear through conflict and strife.

1. You don't really know what your body is telling you. Tame the body, please the spirit. As Nietzsche said, "we are sturdy asses and she-asses" - honestly we indulge incredibly 99% of the time. To make ANY real progress you have to suffer and suffer hard. When your body says, "no!" then that's the time to "GO!" Intuition is fine, but some things are, counter-intuitive. For instance, fear. People will never be able to get over fear if they just listen to their bodies. You have to TAKE COMMAND.

2. There are several degrees of awareness and of "being here". For most people, "being here now" equates to "doing whatever the fuck they want", not supreme concentration and awareness. Before you can just chill out and be cool with everything you have to push and push and not expecting anything at all in return.

3. Thought is yr number 1 enemy. Until you truly realize the uselessness of it, it's not going to die out easily. Like UG Krishnamurti (bless him <3) said, "mind is myth", and alternately, "there is no interpreter."

4. Again, people will take this as, "do whatever the fuck you want". No. You are no more important than anyone or anything else in this world. Every single tiny bug or microscopic virus is equally as important as huge galaxies. If you are truly impeccable in yr own eyes, other people will see it, too. Not to get too egotistical, but when I'm doing real good, random people will come up and just shake my hand because I'm shining. People notice yr vibrations (animals much more so, I freak a lot of them out).

5. If you find yrself reacting to ANYTHING you are certifiably ASLEEP. To truly awake you need to be creative, imaginative, and slightly (or extremely) eccentric.

6. While true, this also is a breeding ground for indulgence. You can think happy thoughts as much as you want, but yr still thinking and still asleep.

7. You can't really stop judging people until you are able to stop yr internal dialog, and you want to stop that as much as possible anyway. Either way, there is no reason to burden yr fellow men with yr thoughts. Most of all, DO NOT PITY. Be compassionate, sure, but pity is a killer.

8. Yarr, good advice, but even if you try yr best to be healthy you still have to deal with smog, weird electrical/magnetic influences because of technology, chem trails, etc etc. Either way, eat right (it's a lot harder than it seems, but going for the hunter/gatherer diet/lifestyle appears to be the best), exercise, take cold showers, etc etc.

9. Fear and love are not necessarily at odds with each other. Well, animal fear is, but true comprehension of the chances you have bring fear which brings sobriety. As much as I am motivated by love, it's fear of losing everything that I've worked so hard to gain that keeps me going. Which is in itself love of a sort, as all emotions are really derivatives of love. Okay, this point is getting messy...

10. What! As true as that may be, you can't just intellectually ACCEPT that. True knowledge rests on POWER and power can only be achieved through action, not sittin' on yr bum reading nice sounding statements. "Oh, we're all one and intelligent and loving blah blah blah." One needs gnosis, direct experience, otherwise it is useless, stupid, and the product of black magic.

Needless to say, I don't think most people have properly experienced emotions. Only the great souls can truly love.

ps: new agers are liars, charlatans, quacks, fools, pompous, arrogant, and black magicians.

I have to say, generally speaking yes, all that is find and dandy Arms Merchant, but loving all and connected to everyone as "one."

Firstly, love causes jealousy, then anger, then hate, then revenge, etc. I see love as an extreme the same as hate. If anything you should detatch yourself from all emotions.
If anything, I say hate is strength in the physical world and love is often just a weakness. And spiritually I don't see a difference

First, you seem to know nothing about love. Love accepts all, forgives all, understands all. What you call love sounds more like infatuation or obsession.
When you can truely love, you will have transcended the myth of separation and will no longer have the capacity to hate.

“Remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS.”
-- Mahatma Gandhi

what about chanting the names of the lord
hare krishna.

First, you seem to know nothing about love. Love accepts all, forgives all, understands all. What you call love sounds more like infatuation or obsession.
When you can truely love, you will have transcended the myth of separation and will no longer have the capacity to hate.

“Remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS.”
-- Mahatma Gandhi

It's too bad that the opposite can be said: There are saints and samaritans, but they always fall.

Personally I don't think that 'Winning' comes into it. To say that 'Love' always wins is as meaningless as saying that 'Hate' always wins; that one is not stronger than the other is evident in the fact that both are present; the stronger not eradicating the weaker. Well... Possibly, anyway. To use an analogy, Suppose you are mixing two colours of paints, no matter how much one dominates the other, the colour of the mix is neither one colour or the other, but a colour distinct from the two even though it may superficially resemble on of the original colours.

Hope I didn't stray into bullshit territory there :S

Here's a more fitting example for love:


Get a pitch black room, that darkness is hate. Now light a candle, even the smallest candle absorbs the darkness. Love is much stronger than hate. Hate destroys, love creates.

People often ask me how to foster their spiritual growth, or get closer to God, or get in touch with their Essential Self (three ways of saying the same thing, BTW). Until now, I have not had a comprehensive answer, but now, thanks to Depak Chopra, I do.

He calls them "ten keys to active mastery," which begs the question "mastery of what?" Anyway, here they are. They work for me, and I am sure they can work for anyone, regardless of one's religious orientation.

1. Listen to your body's wisdom, which expresses itself through signals of comfort and discomfort. When choosing a certain behavior, ask your body how it feels about that. If your body sends a signal of physical or emotional distress, watch out. If your body sends a signal of comfort and eagerness, proceed. (This is not new. I first heard about this about twenty years ago, in one of Sandra Ingerman's books, she being one of the pre-eminent shamans of the age. In my case, the "no" signal is a sense of tightness in the chest; the "yes" is a feeling of relaxation in my leg muscles. Others report distinct sensations in the solar plexis area.)

2. Live in the present, for it is the only moment you have. Keep ypur attention on what is here and now; look for the fullness in every moment. Accept what comes to you totally and completely so that you can appreciate it, learn from it, and then let it go. The present is as it should be. It reflects infinite laws of nature that have brought you this exact thought, this exact physical response. This moment is as it is because the universe is as it is. Don't struggle against the infinite scheme of things; instead, be at one with it. (Again, nothing new here. Zen Buddhists have been saying this for years. Hawaiian shamanism, in the form of the Huna principles says "Now is the moment of power." A New Age writer says that power flows where your attention goes. CWG says to look for the perfection is every moment, every situation, for God does not make mistakes.)

3. Take time to be silent, to meditatate, to quiet the internal dialogue. In moments of silence, realize that you are contacting your source of pure awareness. Pay attention to your inner life so that you can be guided by intuition rather than externally imposed interpretations of what is or isn't good for you. (The Bible addresses this issue thusly -- "Be still, and know that I am God." And many spiritual traditions emphasize the importance of meditation.)

4. Relinquish your need for external approval. You alone are the judge of your worth, and your goal is to discover infinite worth in yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks. There is great freedom in this realization. (Or as the t-shirt slogan puts it, "God doesn't make junk." Rick Nelson sung "You can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself." Same idea.)

5. When you find yourself reacting with anger or opposition to any person or circumstance, realize that you are only struggling with yourself. (Remember--at the Highest Level, we are All One.) Putting up resistance is the response created by old hurts. When you relinquish this anger, you will be healing yourself and cooperating with the flow of the universe. (A Course in Miracles addresses this issue by stressing the notion of forgiveness, saying that every decision you make in this area is a choice between a grievance and a miracle. Twelve-steppers talk about the need to transcend resentment, saying that resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other guy dies. BTW, I think that Nelson Mandela said this first.)

6. Know that the world "out there" reflects your reality "in here." The people you react to most strongly, whether with love or with hate, are projections of your inner world. What you most hate is what you most deny in yourslef. What you most love is what you most wish for yourself. Use the mirror of relationships to guide your evolution. The goal is total self-knowledge. When you achieve that, what you most desire will automatically be there, and what you most dislike will disappear.

7. Shed the burden of judgement--you will feel much lighter. Judgement imposes right and wrong on situations that just are. Everything can be understood and forgiven, but when you judge, you cut off understanding and shut down the process of learning to love. In judging others, you reflect your lack of self-acceptance. Remember that every person you forgive adds to your self-love. (The Bible says "Judge not, that ye be not judged." I think this ties in with the Golden Rule--Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.)

8. Don't contaminate your body with toxins, either through food , drink, or toxic emotions. Your body is more than a life-support system--it is the vehicle that will carry you on the journey of your evolution. The health of every cell directly contributes to your state of well-being, because every cell is a point of awareness within the field of awareness that is you.

9. Replace fear-motivated behavior with love-motivated behavior. (As complex as we domesticated primates are, our every thought, word, and deed is sponsored by either love or fear. Fear is our only enemy; love, our only salvation.)

10. Understand that the physical world is just a mirror of a deeper intelligence. Intelligence is the invisible organizer of all matter and energy, and since a portion of that intelligence resides in you, you share in the organizing power of the cosmos. (In other words, we are created in the image and likeness of God.)

tldr.

Here's a more fitting example for love:


Get a pitch black room, that darkness is hate. Now light a candle, even the smallest candle absorbs the darkness. Love is much stronger than hate. Hate destroys, love creates.

I can see ur analogy however, the darkness is not truly hate, it is the absence of light. Hate, like the darkness, is no more than the absence of Love or Light. Love is much stronger because it has true existence whereas hate only exists in a deluded/ignorant mind. Ignorant, like a child who is afraid of the dark, imagining all sorts of evil lurking in the shadows, when a light is shone - finds there is nothing there. Hate destroys yes because the state of mind of the feeling subject is lacking the energy to realise it's delusion.

what about chanting the names of the lord
hare krishna.

I would say this would be an excellent part of meditation. Some authorities say that any syllables will do, others (including Chopra) say it works better to use some sort of mantra which has deep meaning to the meditator.

^ Hmmm, maybe even just repeating tones, repeating rhythm. Don't words tend to lose meaning after being repeated over and over anyway? Maybe one could even use a simple looping musical tune that can invoke any meaning that they desire ... or one could create a tune that they feel means something to them. Either way if they focus on the repeating notes, just like a mantra ... hmmmm.

I'm gonna try this out. I'm going to play this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPL-v7aU5ZM&feature=related)and maybe later this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4tkiGvV_ek) on my banjo, but I wont sing or stop playing this time and I'll just focus on the repeating notes and try to avoid thinking of anything else.

^Sounds like you might be getitng into brain wave entrainment, which is a little different from meditation per se.

^ Hmmm, maybe even just repeating tones, repeating rhythm. Don't words tend to lose meaning after being repeated over and over anyway? Maybe one could even use a simple looping musical tune that can invoke any meaning that they desire ... or one could create a tune that they feel means something to them. Either way if they focus on the repeating notes, just like a mantra ... hmmmm.

I'm gonna try this out. I'm going to play this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPL-v7aU5ZM&feature=related)and maybe later this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4tkiGvV_ek) on my banjo, but I wont sing or stop playing this time and I'll just focus on the repeating notes and try to avoid thinking of anything else.

I'm going to try the tone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS560roKtGE)later today, minus the DMT.

Hate destroys, love creates.

True. And possibly the saddest thing about hate is that when we choose to hate something or someone, we harm only ourselves.

Hate wounds; forgivenesss heals.

Bumping for purely selfish reasons, namely that I need constant reminders of this stuff.

Bumping for purely selfish reasons, namely that I need constant reminders of this stuff.

Not to be nasty, but can't you just write them down on a piece of paper instead of using TOTSE as a post-it note?

Not to be nasty, but can't you just write them down on a piece of paper instead of using TOTSE as a post-it note?

Point taken--but I don't think I'm the only one who would benefit from these reminders.

(I'm trying to visualize carting the comp home from the lib and sticking it onto the door of my fridge. . . . )

ON SECOND THOUGHT--It is when I am on totse that I most need these reminders.

Great news everyone!!!!

You can learn about these ten steps in just about any self-help book you buy.

Just look for hokum titles like:

How to be a better you
Loving yourself is loving others
Ten steps to a new you
and
I Can

The best news is......no God required.

Thats right for a limited time only you can get any self help book and be on your way to "enlightenment" without the need to prostrate and humble yourself before any kind of imaginary being.

Great news everyone!!!!

You can learn about these ten steps in just about any self-help book you buy.

Just look for hokum titles like:

How to be a better you
Loving yourself is loving others
Ten steps to a new you
and
I Can

The best news is......no God required.

Thats right for a limited time only you can get any self help book and be on your way to "enlightenment" without the need to prostrate and humble yourself before any kind of imaginary being.


Once more, you manage to be largely correct, yet your tone is so smug, superior, and sarcastic that you debase not only yourself but also that of which you speak.

You seem to claim that all self-help books are "hokum." Once more, your arrogance and presumption is astounding. How many of these have you actually read? I have only read a hundred or so, and obviously, some are more useful, more valid than others.

But of the dozen or so authors with which I have some familiarity and share much the same views, we all say pretty much the same thing. This should not be surprising, since at the Highest Level, there are only a certain number of great truths.

I would, however, take mild exception to the term"self-help". This implies that there is some sort of specific end to be gained by spiritual growth. If one seeks to grow spiritually with a specific physical end in mind (to lose weight, or get rich, or find romance, for instance), one is going about it for inappropriate reasons.

This is why so many of us criticize so strongly "The Secret." While the metaphysics ARE valid, as far as they go (which isn't all that far), the book puts the cart before the horse. Verily was it written, "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven; all else will added unto thee."

That is--to put it more simply and in more modern terms--if you seek to get in touch with your Essential Self, to manifest compassion and unconditional love and forgiveness , to transcend fear, to attain unity consciousness--then the physical side of life will fall into place effortlessly. At least that has been my experience.

Once more, you manage to be largely correct.....

This is all you really need to say.

The rest of your post is merely your personal preference on how I communicate.

This is all you really need to say.

The rest of your post is merely your personal preference on how I communicate.

is that what you call it?

is that what you call it?

Rather stupid thing to say...I am not surprised, however.