by Charles McAlpine | Jun 15, 2014 | Blog
You know, I think I figured out why I don’t read a lot of spiritually based books! They seem to be filled with RULES! Things you “must” do; things you should “never” do; things that are “only possible if”… Rules! I am reading a good book that is very thought provoking in many ways. In some cases, I love the concepts that are presented. In others, their view or perspective just doesn’t resonate. Almost always it is in an area where they have laid down the rules and have stated emphatically some requirement, or series of dos and don’ts. In this particular book about evolving consciousness and becoming more aware; they are talking about what happens after we die, and also the journey to enlightenment. They discuss past lives, dimensions, levels of consciousness, and many other topics that are interesting. However, they write about them as if they have the one true perspective. I realize that for me this feels arrogant and very limiting. Say for example their perspective is that we live multiple life-times, but they also say you “should never” focus on exploring those lifetimes, because it is a distraction and will prevent you from doing your real spiritual work in this lifetime. Well first of all, what if I didn’t believe in multiple lifetimes? What if I do, and by exploring these lifetimes I come to know and understand more about the choices, patterns, habits and behaviors that are playing out in this lifetime? It’s just an example, but these rules do nothing to support our personal and unique journeys. None of us, even if we...
by Charles McAlpine | Jun 15, 2014 | Blog
You know, I think I figured out why I don’t read a lot of spiritually based books! They seem to be filled with RULES! Things you “must” do; things you should “never” do; things that are “only possible if”… Rules! I am reading a good book that is very thought provoking in many ways. In some cases, I love the concepts that are presented. In others, their view or perspective just doesn’t resonate. Almost always it is in an area where they have laid down the rules and have stated emphatically some requirement, or series of dos and don’ts. In this particular book about evolving consciousness and becoming more aware; they are talking about what happens after we die, and also the journey to enlightenment. They discuss past lives, dimensions, levels of consciousness, and many other topics that are interesting. However, they write about them as if they have the one true perspective. I realize that for me this feels arrogant and very limiting. Say for example their perspective is that we live multiple life-times, but they also say you “should never” focus on exploring those lifetimes, because it is a distraction and will prevent you from doing your real spiritual work in this lifetime. Well first of all, what if I didn’t believe in multiple lifetimes? What if I do, and by exploring these lifetimes I come to know and understand more about the choices, patterns, habits and behaviors that are playing out in this lifetime? It’s just an example, but these rules do nothing to support our personal and unique journeys. None of us, even if we...
