Description

Two reviews from amazon:===========This is a book primarily about the experience of persons who have traveled the spiritual adventure. They are presented as very human and not like gods at all. This gives hope and encouragement to the rest of us who often after a weekend seminar or month long retreat on returning to the frustrations of the “real” world pause to wonder whether or not the time spent silently studying, listening,visualizing or meditating really produced any meaningful change. I found the book did not put mystics, spiritual masters and the like on a pedestal, rather it showed us that these people have similar reactions to the day to day events of everyday life like the rest of us with perhaps more understanding and tolerance. The many quotations and poetry from esteemed persons such as Rumi,Ryokan and others are worth the price of the book itself. Although dealing with a very serious topic Kornfield weaves a sense of humor throughout the book and gives us a sense of what it is like to seriously undertake a spiritual journey.===========”The lesson of spiritual practice is not about gaining knowledge, but about how we love.” – pg 105Ok, so we sat and meditated for 180 days straight and had an incredibly enlightening experience, or maybe we fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, or maybe we have been to the mountain top and seen the promised land, or maybe we were in a monastery and took a vow of silence for 10 years, or perhaps we have traveled all over the world in search of truth and found it. Whatever the spiritual disipline or practice is or was, be it Christianity, Islam, Judiam, Hinduism, Buddhism, New Age or any other -ism: Now that we are enlightened, now what?This is an absolutely MUST READ book! They don’t get any better than this one! It is superbly written and full of very practical insights. The purpose of the book is to encourage us to properly integrate the truths that we have obtained into our daily lives. Spiritual enlightenment is not the end of the journey. It is only the beginning. After the ecstasy of enlightenment, there is still the task of the laundry. The laundry of everyday living that includes the real world of difficult relationships, struggling to earn a living, sickness and the trials of everyday existence. Here is an amusing story from the book about a Zen Buddhist master and his disciple that I think is at the very heart of the book:A disciple sent his master faithful accounts of his spiritual progress:In the first month, the student wrote, “I feel an expansion of consciousness and experience oneness with the universe.” The master glanced at the note and threw it away. The following month, this is what the student had to say: “I finally discovered that the Divine is present in all things.” The master seemed disappointed.In his third letter the disciple enthusiastically explained, “The mystery of the One and the many has been revealed to my wondering gaze.” The master yawned. The next letter said, “No one is born, no one lives, and no one dies, for the self is not.” The master threw up his hands in despair.After that a month passed by, then two, then five, then a whole year. The master thought it was time to remind his disciple of his duty to keep him informed of his spiritual progress. The disciple wrote back, “I am simply living my life. And as for spiritual practice, who cares?” When the master read that he cried, “Thank God. He’s got it at last.” – pg 119===========9:27, 48kbps, 2000, unabridged.