Sources of Spiritual Information
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2015 6:04 pm
NB: spelling is not my forte.
All of this info came from Ken Russell (www.thewayofseeing.com).
NB: being truly free means being in the moment and being free to respond appropriately to whatever happens, and not be a prisoner of our conditioning.
Background:
I have listed a number of teachers/sources of information below. These are certainly not the only valid teachers/sources of information. These were however chosen by someone spent decades studying this stuff and all are the real deal.
There are many people who claim to be enlightened who are not. In addition, not all enlightened people are teachers in the same way that not all master painters are teachers.
It cannot be stressed enough that the life of the teachers is not important, only what they are pointing towards i.e. your real "self" AKA Christ consciouness, Budda nature, etc. The term pointing toward is used because one cannot explain reality. Lao Tzu, Bhudda, all the real teachers are clear on this. You can understand how to make a cake, or send a rocket to the moon. You cannot understand reality (read the 8 pg book chapter I can send you, or Tao te Ching for clues). Which is not to say there is anything irrational here. You can try the exercises (forms of meditation) I've presented elsewhere and see if you benefit. There is no faith necessary.
If you read dialogs with real teachers e.g. I am That , you'll find that different and sometimes contradictory advice is given to different people. Why? If you were parent to two children, one an egomaniac and the other introverted and insecure, would you raise them the same? Different people start from different places and need different advice to grow. If you read something from this list and don't relate to a chapter, passage, etc, just ignore it and read something else e.g. open to different chapter. Ken used to suggest that people open to a random page (of any of the recommended books) and start reading there.
The mind is a useful servant (e.g. if you have to do your taxes), but a terrible master, and most of us are slaves to it. The mind is useful in deal with things, but not people.
Don't read spiritual stuff that intellectually explains things to you. Reality is beyond the mind. Which is not to say that these books don't "explain" kinda sorta (read any of them, you'll see). And no I am not saying trust these explanations and no one elses. All real teachers say the same things and Jesus said a number of things that go along with this stuff. Some teachers are more eloquent, more practical (see Ken's comments at the link about I am That).
SOURCES:
1. Johnathan Livingston Seagull while not Budda might be a good intro to this stuff. DO NOT READ ANYTHING ELSE BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
2. Anthony DeMello: wonderful at describing things in everyday terms e,g,
A. the human condition: we live life like someone at a concert who can't remember if we left the water in the bathtub running. We can't leave to check the bathtub, yet can't enjoy the concert (because of the worrying i.e. thoughts in our head).
B. On spirituality
http://www.demellospirituality.com/awareness/31.html
When I speak to Hindus, I tell them, "Your priests are not going to be happy to hear this" (notice how prudent I am this morning), "but God would be much happier, according to Jesus Christ, if you were transformed than if you worshipped. He would be much more pleased by your loving than by your adoration." And when I talk to Moslems, I say, "Your Ayatollah and your mullahs are not going to be happy to hear this, but God is going to be much more pleased by your being transformed into a loving person than by saying, "Lord, Lord." It's infinitely more important that you be waking up. That's spirituality, that's everything. If you have that, you have God. Then you worship "in spirit and in truth."
The Way to Love is his best book. Awareness is very good as well. He has several books of tiny stories kinda like Sufi stories.
3. Sufi Stories: Idries Shah put together a large number of volumes of these with Tales of the Dervish one of the best. You can find a free PDF of it (I think from authorized sources). When you read the stories, read the small blurb after each story.
"Tales of the Sands" from Tales of the dervishes is beautiful story on spirituallity
The Story of Fire, The Man with the Inexplicable Life (great for those who think they can understand everything), Story of Tea, The Mountain Path are among some of the great stories.
4. I am That with Nisargadatta Majaraj. Dialogs with people who came from all over the world to ask him questions. You may or may not find this accessable at first, but one of the finest spiritual books there is i.e. books to help you transform yourself. Suggestions for how to get the most out of this and about the book here:
http://www.thewayofseeing.com/article_reading.html
5. Tao Te Ching: Benjamin Hoff is best version:
http://www.thewayofseeing.com/article_tao.html
OTHERS:
--8 pg book chapter that Ken sent out to people (PM me your e-mail address if you wish a copy).
--Meister Echkardt
-- Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
CLUES THAT YOU ARE READING MISINFORMATION/UNHELPFUL INFO:
--If it sounds like Mother Theresa/feel good/save the world
--If it explains things to you.
All of this info came from Ken Russell (www.thewayofseeing.com).
NB: being truly free means being in the moment and being free to respond appropriately to whatever happens, and not be a prisoner of our conditioning.
Background:
I have listed a number of teachers/sources of information below. These are certainly not the only valid teachers/sources of information. These were however chosen by someone spent decades studying this stuff and all are the real deal.
There are many people who claim to be enlightened who are not. In addition, not all enlightened people are teachers in the same way that not all master painters are teachers.
It cannot be stressed enough that the life of the teachers is not important, only what they are pointing towards i.e. your real "self" AKA Christ consciouness, Budda nature, etc. The term pointing toward is used because one cannot explain reality. Lao Tzu, Bhudda, all the real teachers are clear on this. You can understand how to make a cake, or send a rocket to the moon. You cannot understand reality (read the 8 pg book chapter I can send you, or Tao te Ching for clues). Which is not to say there is anything irrational here. You can try the exercises (forms of meditation) I've presented elsewhere and see if you benefit. There is no faith necessary.
If you read dialogs with real teachers e.g. I am That , you'll find that different and sometimes contradictory advice is given to different people. Why? If you were parent to two children, one an egomaniac and the other introverted and insecure, would you raise them the same? Different people start from different places and need different advice to grow. If you read something from this list and don't relate to a chapter, passage, etc, just ignore it and read something else e.g. open to different chapter. Ken used to suggest that people open to a random page (of any of the recommended books) and start reading there.
The mind is a useful servant (e.g. if you have to do your taxes), but a terrible master, and most of us are slaves to it. The mind is useful in deal with things, but not people.
Don't read spiritual stuff that intellectually explains things to you. Reality is beyond the mind. Which is not to say that these books don't "explain" kinda sorta (read any of them, you'll see). And no I am not saying trust these explanations and no one elses. All real teachers say the same things and Jesus said a number of things that go along with this stuff. Some teachers are more eloquent, more practical (see Ken's comments at the link about I am That).
SOURCES:
1. Johnathan Livingston Seagull while not Budda might be a good intro to this stuff. DO NOT READ ANYTHING ELSE BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
2. Anthony DeMello: wonderful at describing things in everyday terms e,g,
A. the human condition: we live life like someone at a concert who can't remember if we left the water in the bathtub running. We can't leave to check the bathtub, yet can't enjoy the concert (because of the worrying i.e. thoughts in our head).
B. On spirituality
http://www.demellospirituality.com/awareness/31.html
When I speak to Hindus, I tell them, "Your priests are not going to be happy to hear this" (notice how prudent I am this morning), "but God would be much happier, according to Jesus Christ, if you were transformed than if you worshipped. He would be much more pleased by your loving than by your adoration." And when I talk to Moslems, I say, "Your Ayatollah and your mullahs are not going to be happy to hear this, but God is going to be much more pleased by your being transformed into a loving person than by saying, "Lord, Lord." It's infinitely more important that you be waking up. That's spirituality, that's everything. If you have that, you have God. Then you worship "in spirit and in truth."
The Way to Love is his best book. Awareness is very good as well. He has several books of tiny stories kinda like Sufi stories.
3. Sufi Stories: Idries Shah put together a large number of volumes of these with Tales of the Dervish one of the best. You can find a free PDF of it (I think from authorized sources). When you read the stories, read the small blurb after each story.
"Tales of the Sands" from Tales of the dervishes is beautiful story on spirituallity
The Story of Fire, The Man with the Inexplicable Life (great for those who think they can understand everything), Story of Tea, The Mountain Path are among some of the great stories.
4. I am That with Nisargadatta Majaraj. Dialogs with people who came from all over the world to ask him questions. You may or may not find this accessable at first, but one of the finest spiritual books there is i.e. books to help you transform yourself. Suggestions for how to get the most out of this and about the book here:
http://www.thewayofseeing.com/article_reading.html
5. Tao Te Ching: Benjamin Hoff is best version:
http://www.thewayofseeing.com/article_tao.html
OTHERS:
--8 pg book chapter that Ken sent out to people (PM me your e-mail address if you wish a copy).
--Meister Echkardt
-- Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
CLUES THAT YOU ARE READING MISINFORMATION/UNHELPFUL INFO:
--If it sounds like Mother Theresa/feel good/save the world
--If it explains things to you.