I have been an avid reader since the age of 6. As I reached my mature years, always searching for true spirituality and answers to the dire situation the world and humanity are in today, I discovered true jewels of wisdom and knowledge. The availability of information from so many different sources is one of the true blessings of modern technology.
So I thought I would share these discoveries with you today, for all you spiritual readers out there who are looking for inspiration in your search for meaning, happiness and true spirituality.
I’ve found pearls of wisdom in all the ancient traditions of the world, especially Shamanism, Taoism, Shintoism, Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, as long as the pitfall of attributing any sectarian and closed-mindedness to their study and expression is avoided. We have many sources of wisdom to draw from today.
But the true milestones of evolution that reveal ultimate truth in a way that all can understand are not confined within the traditional boundaries of these disciplines.
The greatest discovery for me personally has been the books about Anastasia, the hermit of the Siberian taiga, by her husband and Russian author Vladimir Megre. I’ve written about her before and often refer you to the article I wrote about my understanding of her message. She presents a simple and effective plan to heal humanity and the Earth by returning to the original role of man and woman on Earth as artisans of paradise and love. It is a wonderful message that has been embraced by tens of thousands of families in many countries. The greatest impact has really been in Russia, where many ecological communities of family domains have been created. 9 volumes of great and easy reading, as there are many stories that encapsulate all this in a very human way.
Then there is the incredible research done by Michael Newton and described in the book “Journey of Souls”. Newton’s book explores the afterlife and what happens to souls between incarnations on Earth. Newton was a certified master hypnotherapist who developed a technique to bring clients into a “superconscious” state where they could recall experiences between lives as eternal spirits. Through hypnosis sessions with thousands of clients, Newton compiled detailed accounts of the spirit world and the soul’s journey between lives. “Journey of Souls presents case studies of 29 people who describe their afterlife experiences, including how it feels to die, what happens immediately after death, and activities in the spirit world. The book describes spiritual guides, soul groups, how souls choose new bodies for reincarnation, different levels of soul development, and the purpose of life. The book aims to provide insight into the immortality of the human soul and can give readers a greater sense of purpose in their present lives. This book was followed by similar research with many more case files in Destiny of Souls. Then his students at the NEWTON INSTITUTE wrote a third book on the same subject, Wisdom of Souls. Such wonderful reading. The highlights for me were to see that the spirit world, where we all spend much more time than our short lives on earth, is love, understanding and light. There is no hell, no suffering, no judgment except what we do to ourselves when we realize the mistakes of the past life. Our spirit guides and teachers help us to walk the path of redemption and evolution. Helping others, creating love for all, is always the ultimate message our souls give us on the path to higher and higher evolution and light. I found these books very inspiring and they gave me great comfort.
Recently I’ve come across several books by an American Tibetan monk, Geshe Michael Roach. The first one I read was THE DIAMOND CUTTER. It’s the story of how Geshe’s Lama asked him to apply the Buddha’s teachings to the world of business. As the title suggests, the Buddha’s teachings used the analogy of diamonds to convey these teachings. So Geshe Roach chose the diamond business. Roach helped found Andin International Diamond Corporation in New York City in 1981, applying Buddhist wisdom to create financial success. He worked at Andin while also being a Tibetan Buddhist monk, although he initially kept his monk status secret from his co-workers at the request of his lama. Roach started at $7 an hour and eventually became head of sales as the company grew. During his tenure, Andin’s sales reached over $100 million per year. Roach retired from Andin in 1999. A very interesting read full of truth and wisdom. I’ve applied these principles to my work with INVOCATION CANADA, which produces and markets my shamanic fragrances. They work!
Geshe Michael’s book was so interesting that I researched more of his work. Of particular interest are the teachings of Jesus Christ, which went east to India and Tibet through St. Thomas. After his crucifixion, Jesus appeared several times to his apostles. Once he asked them to write down a country on a piece of paper and then the apostles closed their eyes and chose a country from a bowl. St. Thomas chose India, and despite his reluctance, Jesus found a way to send him there. Thus the teachings on love and helping others flourished in the East and were preserved in the Tibetan monasteries. Since one of Geshe’s charitable projects is the Asian Classics Input Project (ACIP), which has digitized millions of pages of ancient wisdom, he was able to find and write about Jesus’ Eastern teachings. Through the lens of Eastern wisdom, this book is very interesting and inspiring. Fundamental truths stated simply and effectively.
As for my forte, shamanism, there are really too many books to start describing the most important ones for me. So I’ll go to two of the most important and oldest of these books. First the one by Black Elk. The story of his life is recorded in Black Elk Speaks, a 1932 book by John G. Neihardt, an American poet and writer, who tells the story of this Oglala Lakota medicine man. Black Elk spoke in Lakota, and Black Elk’s son, Ben Black Elk, who was present during the conversations, translated his father’s words into English. Neihardt took notes during these conversations, which he later used as the basis for his book. This was and still is a reference for understanding the profound and world-changing power of indigenous spirituality and the acute destruction and genocide inflicted on indigenous people by European colonizers. Then, “Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions” is a book published in 1972, co-authored by John (Fire) Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes. The book is a biography and exploration of Native American spirituality, focusing on the life and experiences of Tahca Ushte, also known as John (Fire) Lame Deer, a Sioux medicine man. The interest of this book is the Heyoka Way, a special shamanic path sometimes called the Contrary Way because these special spiritual leaders do things differently to promote laughter, good cheer, and mind-blowing powers that open the mind to other realities. It’s very significant that these 2 medicine men come from the Sioux nations. They are the holders of the SACRED CHANUPPA, known by the more common name of Peace Pipe. A very sacred and powerful spiritual tool that I received through the blessings and teachings of my beautiful mentor, Sun Bear. Sun Bear has written several books, the most popular being THE MEDICINE WHEEL – An Earth Astrology.
I hope that lovers of spirituality and reading will find inspiration and wisdom in these works. Have a good weekend.