Spiritual Growth

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61)

by Eckhart Tolle

Average Rating:

"This is an interesting book to review because I can tune in and see what is happening to people who read it and get a close up look at the author using his philosophy to answer questions. While I applaud Oprah for this novel approach to bettering the human race, I take issue with both this author and his book.

I read Tolle's first book and found it to be a boring rehash of Buddhism. Because Oprah was so high on his second I figured I'd give him another try and join the book club. I thought it would be interesting to see a book "in action" and discuss it with others. I even sent a copy to my sister who could use a bit of computer recreation since she now lives in a very small town. This book is better than the first in that it is a better compilation of Buddhist thought. However, it rambles constantly, draws conclusions from encounters that are not necessarily justified and the attitude of its author (who sees himself as enlightened and continuously "conscious" and egoless), is laughable. Tolle's vanity is nothing short of astounding. Buddhism isn't a pill, it is a practice and awakening has many layers. In spite of this, Tolle has tons of people saying that they have awakened. On one hand adherents claim to be valiantly battling their ego's while on the other they flaunt their "awakening", telling others who claim to be in serious pain to simply read page such and such or tell their "pain body," to effectively shut up and go away. Yikes!!! While it is true that you can't blame the messenger for what people do with the messenger (Jesus protect me from your followers!) Tolle adopts a similar attitude toward others on the streaming video. His dead pan delivery of jargon in response to questions does not impress me as enlightened or egoless. It might behoove him to remember that those Zen stories he includes in the book were once used by master to deliver highly specific teachings that met the needs of particular students. He has turned awakening into a race....to what I am not sure, but I do know that enlightenment is not a competitive event. A few months from now there are going to be a lot of people with one hell of a philosophical hangover caused by all those subconscious drives they never bothered to examine and thought they'd left in a dumpster somewhere.

I keep waiting for the day when someone writes a version of Buddhism for the working mom. I think that person should herself be a mother with at least one ADHD child. She should be clinically depressed and have a couch potato for a husband. If she manages to help the child grow into someone with a good marriage and a real profession, I'll buy all of her books. Unfortunately what we keep getting are philosophies created by self-satisfied, introverted, childless, hermits like Tolle. There is nothing wrong with an introverted, childless, hermit being self-satisfied. What is wrong is suggesting that his way of being represents THE path to enlightenment for everyone. I would say that all he has found in Buddhism is a treatment for his (self acknowledged) form of depression and suicidal thoughts. I am glad he is well and happy and wish him the best....but I won't buy anymore of his books because they are just Buddhism repackaged and linked to an attitude I am not fond of. "

Publisher: Penguin | More reviews: amazon.com

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

by Eckhart Tolle

Average Rating:

"Before you see my rating of two stars and vote that my review was unhelpful; let me explain. I enjoy spiritual teachings; I really do. I feel that it allows me to enrich my life and see things in a different light. Naturally, then, learning to enjoy the present moment would be something that I really have a desire to do. The implications of being able to put all your worries and fears away (or, should I say, bring them to the surface and then deal with them) would be tremendous. I guess I should also say that I am someone who has trouble accepting the present moment for what it is; I tend to worry too much about what the future is going to hold. That said, I honestly hoped that this book would provide me with a way of achieving that. I realize that in any spiritual teaching, certain concepts are going to be repeated. This is necessary, especially since the concepts presented are probably going to seem new to most readers. However, I felt that the whole book was nothing but a repetition of this general idea: the mind is the root of all problems, because it has taken us over (meaning that we can't control it, but rather, it controls us). However, we can free ourselves from this by becoming totally present. The author then elaborates on this statement using many different phrases, such as, "Feel the power of this moment and the fullness of Being. Feel your presence" (pg. 70). He also uses the typically vague promises that tend to accompany books like this, such as, "...You can be at peace. There may be sadness and tears, but provided you have relinquished resistance, underneath the sadness you will feel a deep serenity, a stillness, a sacred presence" (pg. 148). To me, it seemed as if the author was simply repeating the same basic idea over and over again; which, again, is not necessarily a bad thing. However, it begins to become annoying when the book has as many pages as this does; and after reading all of them you feel as though you could have just read the title and received all the information from that. As I said previously, the idea of this book was very promising. Even the techniques contained within the book, though inspiring, were never very well explained. After reading this book a couple times, I still don't really know how to get to that spot of inner peace. I don't know, either, how to feel the "...still, observing presence itself behind the content of your mind, the silent watcher" (pg. 46). I don't even think there was a technique telling you how to achieve that, actually. Sure, the author has included some meditations, but they're nothing new. The same old "Direct your attention into the body. Feel it from within" (pg. 93) type meditations, which can be found almost anywhere else, even on web pages (for free, no less) are included in this book. Overall, this book did not live up to it's hype. I found it to be long and rambling; the author took the title of the book and expanded it into 191 pages full of the same idea phrased with different words. He attempts to tackle some other subjects too, of course, such as relationships. However, he basically uses the same "power of NOW" approach to these as well; meaning that he suggested a relationship would evolve into true love when both partners had eliminated their respective egos and become completely immersed in the now. That's the solution for EVERY problem, it seems. So he's just using the same message for different problems, which seems to be more of a "pie in the sky" promise to me."

Publisher: New World Library | More reviews: amazon.com

Soul Communication: Opening Your Spiritual Channels for Success and Fulfillment (Soul Power)

by Zhi Gang Sha

Average Rating:

"Dr. Sha's Soul Communication book describes how you can use soul communication to communicate with other souls, including the souls of animals, plants, inanimate objects, and those in the Soul World. Dr. Sha teaches that everything has a soul including all animate and inanimate things. Using soul communication you can receive wisdom and healing from any soul in the universe. You can use soul communication for healing, teaching, service, and advancing your spiritual journey. The major spiritual channels for doing soul communication are Soul Language, Direct Soul Communication, Third Eye, and Direct Knowing. There are many practices and blessings included for opening these channels.

Dr. Sha's Soul Communication book is no ordinary book. Dr. Sha is a very high spiritual master. Spiritual masters have the ability to transmit spiritual power. As I mentioned, Master Sha teaches that everything has a soul, including the Soul Communication book. In addition to the power of the soul of the Soul Communication book, Master Sha has transmitted or "downloaded" additional souls and blessings to every Soul Communication book. So while you are reading the book you are receiving the blessings. Also, you can invoke these special souls downloaded to the book to help you open your spiritual channels and to help you heal and transform. To invoke these souls, you would say, "Dear soul, mind, and body of the Divine treasures downloaded to this book. I love and respect you. Please give me a blessing to fully open my spiritual channels (or whatever your request is). Do a great job. Thank you." Then chant using the mantra described for the Message Center on page 30 of the book, or chant using Soul Language (page 32). You can also hold the book against your Message Center with the front cover facing you (or the front cover facing away from you if you want to send a blessing to someone else). Chant for several minutes or longer. Then close by saying "thank you, thank you, thank you." If you are interested in using the power of more of Master Sha's downloads, visit his web page to find the Divine downloads that Master Sha has given to all humanity or to all souls. Go to drsha dot com, then click on the Universal Service menu, then select "Divine Gifts." See the information on "Universal Downloads." One of these gifts that will help you to open your spiritual channels is the Divine Soul Transplant of Divine Level 1 Message Center.

I would also comment about the Third Eye practices beginning on page 58. Be sure to read footnote 14 on page 104 before starting. Page 59 describes using a "lotus flower" hand position. The hands should be positioned in front of the Message Center (heart chakra) with the fingers pointing up (see the picture on page 80 of Dr. Sha's Power Healing: Four Keys to Energizing Your Body, Mind and Spirit book). (If you have any of the health conditions listed in footnote 14, you can still develop your third eye, but you must do it differently. You can use the creative visualization meditations starting on page 125 of the Power Healing book to open your third eye. These meditations include Raging Sea, 5 Colored Horses, Ginseng Tree, Finding a Pearl, and Flashing Images. One of Dr Sha's students with a very powerful third eye developed his third eye by doing the Ginseng Tree meditation every night. On drsha dot com you can also find tapes or DVD's with these meditations to help you open your third eye faster.) There are more instructions for developing the Third Eye in Dr. Sha's Soul Mind Body Medicine: A Complete Soul Healing System for Optimum Health and Vitality Book on pages 318+.

I highly recommend the Soul Communication book to you. "

Publisher: Atria | More reviews: amazon.com

Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment

by Deepak Chopra

Average Rating:

"In his preface to Jesus, Chopra is very straightforward about his purpose in writing the book, saying "[there is] a Jesus left out of the New Testament - the enlightened Jesus. His absence, in my view, has profoundly crippled the Christian faith, for...making [Jesus] the one and only Son of God leaves the rest of humankind stranded...What if Jesus wanted his followers - and us - to reach the same unity with God that he had reached?"

`Crippled' is a strong word, and this book will undoubtedly anger many. Yet Chopra's Jesus maintains the divinity at the heart of mainstream Christianity - he is not just some average Joe who happens upon God. Nor is he simply a spiritual teacher or `guru', as other Eastern teachers have characterized him. The novel mostly covers the 'lost years' of Jesus' life left out of the Bible - the years in which he transforms from a serious and insightful young man into the son of God - and throughout that period he is surrounded by signs of his future divinity.

Chopra's Jesus himself is not comfortable with these signs, but they draw others to him. The early part of Jesus' spiritual journey is dominated by his relationships with Mary Magdelene and Judas - both of whom of course feature prominently in the later part of his life, as told in the New Testament. Chopra's earlier versions of these figures each have delusions about Jesus, and want to possess him for their own purposes. It is through them that he comes to understand the human condition, and the forces - both external and internal - that prevent many from pursuing a deeper relationship with God.

After leaving Mary and Judas, Jesus studies with the Essenes, a mystic Jewish religious community now believed by many to have authored the Dead Sea Scrolls. Ultimately he disappoints them also, as he will not conform to their view of him as King of the Jews. After leaving them, Jesus travels to a mysterious holy man in distant mountains, also the story's narrator, and it is here that the path of Chopra's Jesus most closely resembles that of his Buddha (as told in his novel of Buddha's life.) Both struggle with their concepts of good and evil, and both are tempted by demons with promises of greatness. They both come to understand they must abandon all concepts and personal identity to truly allow God to work through them. As Jesus' mysterious teacher tells him, "Only someone who can see the demons as part of God is free. Good and evil dissolve. The veil drops away, and all you see is divine light - inside, outside, everywhere...Your soul is the world's soul. In your resurrection will be the resurection of the world."

Jesus' awakening is powerfully told, and the new Jesus returns to his homeland as an agent of enlightenment. Encountering Judas and Mary once again, he transmits a grace that literally wipes away their past. Or, as Mary puts it when asked `what has he done to me' by others who receive Jesus' grace, "He killed who you were, so that who you are can be reborn."

Chopra's Jesus is not a perfect book. Scenes change rapidly, and many conversations seem stunted in a way that occasionally left me disoriented. But it conveys a profound message in an accessible and passionate voice (something I can't always say about Chopra's nonfiction.) If you are interested in considering a new vision of Christianity, and of all religions, give it a read, and consider reading Buddha as well."

Publisher: HarperOne | More reviews: amazon.com

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book

by Don Miguel Ruiz

Average Rating:

"Don Miguel Ruiz is known as a nagual, or shaman, of the Toltec tradition. The Toltecs were an ancient group of scientists and artists that was formed to explore and preserve the practices and spiritual knowledge of the ancient ones. It is not a religion, but a way of life that embraces spirit and honors all the spiritual masters who have taught on the earth. Toltec wisdom arises from the same essential unity of truth as other sacred esoteric traditions that are found all over the world.The Four Agreements are very simple, but very profound. To embrace and live each of the Four Agreements is to find yourself experiencing personal freedom--possibly as never before. The Four Agreements are:Be Impeccable With Your Words
Don't Take Anything Personally
Don't Make Assumptions
Always Do Your BestFrom the cover of the book:Be Impeccable With Your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.Don't Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.Don't Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret. This book may be small in size, but it packs a hefty punch in terms of shattering personal illusions and opening up a path to personal freedom. I consider this book a must-have for anyone wanting to become more conscious and wanting freedom from personal stories and agreements that cause suffering."

Publisher: Amber-Allen Publishing | More reviews: amazon.com

Expect Miracles

by Joe Vitale

Average Rating:

"Why is it that sometimes life seems unbearable? Why do we fail to feel fulfilled or even happy most of the time? These answers are found by simply living a life full of miracles. And how do we get there? It's not hard, not impossible and certainly not something only the few have access to attaining. Once again, Joe Vitale is the master when it comes to engaging the reader in a discovery of magic. This is a must read for anyone who wishes to really attract magic and miracles and for those who know that true living starts with a journey of being, doing, and having what we want. Thank you Joe for your inspiration in helping mankind finally realize that all miracles are waiting to happen for everyone --all the time. Pick up this book, read it with an urgency, and then get on your knees and sing praises for finally getting the understanding that all of life is the sweetest when miracles are accepted and enjoyed!!!
Merilee A. Warde, Certified Miracles Coach in California"

Publisher: Burman Books, Inc. | More reviews: amazon.com

Stillness Speaks

by Eckhart Tolle

Average Rating:

"Destined to be a classic in the non-dualist tradition, Stillness Speaks is a modern day manifestation of Eternal Truth in book form. Here E.Tolle has presented us with the very living heart of his timeless realization: we can't think our way out of the human dilemma, indeed thought itself is the great stumbling block. But behind all the mental noise, before concepts even arise, there is the pure awareness, the clear blissful consciousness that we really are. These pithy aphorisms can't take us there via ego interpretations and understandings, but they do point so very clearly to That. That which we really are. In the tradition of the great no-self Masters, Mr Tolle is telling it like it really is. This book is not for everyone, not nearly,because few are ready to go beyond the small minded idea that we exist individually as separate beings. For those ready to go beyond doing to being, beyond concepts to consciousness, this book is a wise and wonderful collection of "fingers pointing at the moon.""

Publisher: New World Library | More reviews: amazon.com

Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from The Power of Now

by Eckhart Tolle

Average Rating:

"This book is about packaging a poorly abridged version of a truly great spiritual guide. I am not a reader of "spiritual" guides but found the original "Power of Now" to be a deep, rich, and incredibly clear book of a Truth about life that nothing in me can refute. It has become a truly important experience for me - life changing. I have purchased many copies for friends and they in turn have done the same. This book "Practicing the Power of Now" is a watered down version of the original and in my reading of it, much less powerful. I have read the original twice and it remains strong for me, but this book is very, very abridged, strangely formatted, and does not feel to contain the essence of the original. The words that are in it are EXACTLY the same as those in the original and although I am sure there are exceptions, I confirmed this by choosing four pages at random and then found the text in the original. Much is left out and the formatting is distracting.Tolle and the publishers can be very, very proud of the original, but frankly, they should be deeply ashamed of this book. Although there is a need for a book that is to be used as a tool for practice by readers of the first, this book is most certainly not it.I will be seeking a refund and I hope that others do as well."

Publisher: New World Library | More reviews: amazon.com

Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness

by Kathy Freston

Average Rating:

"Body-mind-spirit, and , most recently--environment (eco-friendly) is the new mantra to living a full and complete and healthy life, as shown in Quantum Wellness and dozens of other new and not so new books. This is a good thing--seeing books on personal transformation extend beyond the self and into caring for the environment and all its inhabitants.

The way we think, feel and act is interconnected with the planet and the animals--with all of life. For example, Kathy Freston supports vegan diets (or at the very least vegetarian) not only because of the health benefits of a meat-free diet, but because eating most meat available in this country means eating animals that have been treated inhumanely. Additionally, raising animals for slaughter takes a toll on the environment.

Freston calls this conscious eating and that means that nobody is harmed by what she puts into her body.

Freston also supports using eco-friendly body care products and household cleaners--good for the environment and you.To name one of many books that support optimal health, veganism/vegetarianism and the green lifestyle is GROWING UP GREEN: BABY AND CHILD CARE.

Quantum Wellness, according to Kathy Freston, is an achievable higher state if being. Freston writes: "Quantum wellness is not about imposing big changes but about leaning into wellness, comfortably, adding things here and there to the thrust and taking baby steps toward the changes we want to achieve."

The quantum leap--or shift to quantum wellness occurs, according to Freston, as a result of many small steps. For example, Freston suggests baby steps to a more healthful diet--not meat eating one day and vegan the next.

According to Freston, there are The Eight Pillars of Wellness:
* Meditation
* Visualization
* Fun activities
* Conscious eating
* Exercise
* Self-work
* Spiritual practice
* Service

As an eco-friendly interior designer and feng shui practitioner, I was delighted to see Freston write about the importance of home in supporting our health. She tells us to remove clutter, resist buying new stuff unless we either love it or truly need it, and to use as little chemicals (cleaning products, personal care products,) as possible. This is very good advice, as the home definitely affects our well-being.

For a complete guide to greening your home (as well as making it beautiful and energetically vibrant) for optimal wellness, read the award winning book, HARMONIOUS ENVIRONMENT: BEAUTIFY, DETOXIFY & ENERGIZE YOUR LIFE, YOUR HOME & YOUR PLANET.

As previously mentioned, Freston supports veganism for optimal health. Understanding that the transition from omnivore to vegetarian can be difficult and that veganism is almost impossible for many of us to comprehend, she describes her own process and offers many helpful tips for the reader to adapt. According to Freston, living the vegan lifestyle is empowering. The book also contains vegetarian and vegan recipes to help us make the transition in our diets.

Freston covers a lot of ground in Quantum Wellness, including dealing with addictions and fears and questions to ask yourself when you aren't feeling 100%. As an extroverted person, I have a hard time with some of these sections, as I am not inclined to "look inside too often. Some people love to ask themselves questions and ponder...I either meditate or take a hike when I'm feeling sad, mad or whatever and that generally works for me. because of this, I got overwhelmed with all the suggestions of things to do to achieve perfect wellness.

On the other hand, I love that she suggests having some fun everyday.

Overall, a very good and inspirational book.
"

Publisher: Weinstein Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Arriving at Your Own Door: 108 Lessons in Mindfulness

by Jon Kabat-zinn

Average Rating:

"Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1KY4RUSMO5PFN *****
This little book is lovely as a gift for someone, especially yourself. It contains excerpts from Jon Kabat-Zinn's masterpiece "Coming to Our Senses", a tome about mindfulness and meditation. In this video I open the book, show you the layout and read two different quotes. I've kept the video to about two minutes in length. This is a book that anyone interested in living more serenely and more alive can enjoy, whether or not you've had the pleasure of reading the main book that it was excerpted from. Highly recommended!
*****"

Publisher: Hyperion | More reviews: amazon.com