and doubts, 112–14, 155
and fears, 236–37, 247, 250
giving permission for, 168
and knowing, 156, 158, 165, 171
and love, 164, 246
and peace, 155–58, 166, 207–8, 210, 219
and the pond metaphor, 159–66, 168, 171
and purity, 317–18, 335–36, 340–41
and striving, 287
suggestions for shutting down the, 168–73
and synthesis, 161–62, 169
and truth, 167, 169, 234, 237
and witnessing, 161, 165, 168, 172
See also chatter
insanity, 187, 358–59
instant awakening, 41
intelligence, 7, 8–10, 27, 28, 253
intimacy, 305–6, 307, 308, 312. See also relationships
intuition, 62
irritations, minor, 338
isolation, 104, 148. See also loneliness
Jen, 316
Jesus Christ, 70, 254, 270, 312, 353
Joplin, Janis, 23
journals, 197
judgmentalism
and appearances, 260–61, 265, 270, 272
and doubts, 116
and the ego, 198–99
and fears, 103, 104, 249
and freedom, 31, 32–33
and inner dialogue, 161, 170, 171
and judging yourself, 270
and kindness, 147
and learning, 74–75
and love, 33, 133, 218, 255
and peace, 220
and petty tyrants, 74–75
and physical exclusivity, 66
and purity, 318–19, 320–21, 323, 327, 328, 334–35, 336, 337
and realism, 62–63
and self-awareness, 19
and solving problems, 30–31
and striving, 282, 283, 287
and tolerance, 298, 301, 306, 307, 312
and victimization, 76–77
and witnessing, 133, 140, 141, 148, 149
Jung, Carl, 19
Kant, Immanuel, 3
Katha, Upanishad, 89
Keller, Helen, 65–66
Kierkegaard, Søren, 355
killing, 353, 355
kindness, 147, 216–17, 218–19, 253, 261, 304, 329, 358
knowing
and authentic lives, 18–19
and beliefs, 94–102, 155
and the collective spirit, 351, 359
and conflict, 199
dependability of, 95–96
and detachment, 136
and doubts, 94–102, 112, 113–14
and dreams, 83
as empowering, 98–99
as eternal, 100–102
and fears, 247
and freedom, 4, 192–93
and inner dialogue, 156, 158, 165, 171
and the knower, 102, 114
and love, 247
metaphysical nature of, 99–102
origins of, 97–98
as physical exercises, 97–99
the purpose of your life, 165
and self awareness, 18–19
and striving, 277–78, 285, 290
and transcending the ego, 193–99
and the unified field, 164
and witnessing, 126–27, 129–30, 136, 140, 147
your divinity, 27
Lao-tzu, 153, 157, 158
Late for the Sky (song), 38
leadership, and the collective spirit, 350–51
Leaves of Grass (Whitman), 252–53
letting things be, 297–300
Levinson, Frank, 21
Lewis, C. S., 273
libido, 319–22
life
goals in, 290–91
interference with, 79–80
love as the essence of, 248
purpose in, 39, 81, 237, 251, 265, 271
purpose of, 10–12
as a series of examinations, 37
unique look at your, 7–10
Life and Teaching of The Master of the Far East, The, 249
listening, 18, 195, 238, 282, 290, 332
and tolerance, 299, 301–303, 309, 311
loneliness, 76, 104
love
and appearances, 261, 271
authentic vs. counterfeit, 243, 244, 252
avoidance of, 248–49
and beliefs, 251
as central point of existence, 243
and the collective spirit, 348, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358
and doubts, 119, 251, 254, 256
as the essence of life, 248
and fears, 119, 242, 243–49, 253–54
focusing on, 245–49
and freedom, 26, 27, 30, 33, 190, 256
as the greatest force in the universe, 360
and hate, 242
ideas for bringing, into your life, 252–56
infinite, 164
and inner dialogue, 165, 246
and peace, 213–14, 217, 219–20
and power, 13–14, 120
and purity, 325, 329, 331, 334, 336, 339, 340
receiving, 27, 278, 325
of self, 119, 216, 243–44, 325, 330
sending, 27, 120, 261, 278, 330, 336, 339
skepticism about, 252
and striving, 278, 279, 290, 291
and tolerance, 298, 301, 302, 303, 304, 311, 312
and truth, 229, 235–36, 237
and witnessing, 123, 129, 133, 140–41
lucid dreams, 84, 86
Maharaj, Nisargadatta
on appearances, 259
on the existence of God, 43
and knowing the knower, 102
on the mind, 45
on purity, 330
on resisting old habits, 195–96
on the sacred self, 43, 45, 49
on spiritual principles, 360
and witnessing, 124, 125, 134, 136, 140
Maharshi, Ramana, 53
manifested world, 8–12, 273. See also physical bodies; physical world; reality
Man’s Eternal Quest (Yogananda), 313
mantra, 292
martial arts, 170
Maslow, Abraham, 140
Matus, Nagual don Juan, 183
May, Rollo, 248
meditation
and blame, 59
and the collective spirit, 355
and competition, 171
and connectedness, 196
and doing your best, 82–83
and the ego, 195–96
and freedom, 28–29
and inner dialogue, 156–57, 165, 171
and love, 245
and the more-is-better beliefs, 55
and peace, 210
and reality, 63–64
and self–awareness, 18
and striving, 287, 290
timing of, 291
and tolerance, 297, 301, 305, 313
transcendental, 170–71
See also prayer; silence
Meditation (Easwaran), 359
Mello, Anthony de, 301–2
Melville, Herman, 17, 156
Merton, Thomas, 230
Michelangelo, 223
mind
and appearances, 262
discipline of the, 238–39
as judgmental, 62
ownership of the, 45–46
retraining of the, 116–17
and the space between thoughts, 165, 169–71
and Who Are You?, 44–45
and witnessing, 133–37, 142–43
See also mind-body relationship
mind-body relationship, 136, 328–31
minerals, 8
more-is-better belief, 53–56, 182, 357. See also possessions
Morgan, Marlo, 71, 269
Mutant Message Down Under (Morgan), 71, 269
The Mystery of Light ( Aivanhov), 55
The Mystery of the Mind (Muktananda), 6, 117
Naguals, 137
Namaste, 319, 339
names, 4
4
nationalism, 48, 351
near-death experiences, 157
Niebuhr, Reinhold, 282
nothingness, 278–79, 285, 288, 290
noticing, and witnessing, 123, 142–43
Nouwen, Henri J.M., x
observing
categories of, 131–42
of dreams, 86
and freedom, 28–29
the life energy, 137–39
the mind, 133–37
physical bodies, 131–33
and the process of creation, 23–26
and reality, 127
and solving problems, 30
and witnessing, 126, 131, 148–49
the world around you, 140
See also witnessing
occupations, 46
offense, 183–85, 195, 197, 217–18, 247, 254, 354
openness, 66
Ordinary People as Monks and Mystics (Sinetar), 172
out-of-body experiences, 130
outer energy, 6–10
paranoia, 326
past
and freedom, 38
and the influence of early caretakers, 37
letting go of the, 37–49, 86, 256, 280–81
and peace, 213, 216–17
and purity, 337
and the repetition of debilitating patterns, 37
and striving, 279, 288
and tolerance, 311
and Who Are You?, 43–49
See also beliefs
patience, 284–85, 287, 290, 292, 358
peace
and appearances, 259, 262, 263
and avoidance behaviors, 207–11
and beliefs, 205, 207–13, 216
characteristics of, 155
and the collective spirit, 348, 355, 358
and doubts, 206
and fears, 213–14, 216–17
and freedom, 190–91
and inner dialogue, 155–58, 165, 207–8, 210, 219
and love, 213–14, 216, 218
need for, 219
offering/teaching of, 215–16
and the past, 213, 216
and purity, 326, 329, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338
replacing turmoil with, 205–6
some ideas for putting, in your life, 215–20
and striving, 279, 282, 283, 292
and tolerance, 298, 301, 311, 312
and truth, 218, 235–36
and witnessing, 128, 129
Peace Pilgrim, 56
pebble dropping. See pond metaphor
petty tyrants, 74–76, 354
physical abuse, 76
physical bodies
and abuse, 76
and appearances, 266, 267
and authentic lives, 32
beliefs about, 64–67
and the collective spirit, 350
and divine energy, 5–6
and doubts, 115
and energy, 64–65
and freedom, 28–29
as miracles, 284
ownership of, 44–45
and physical exclusivity, 64–65
and purity, 320, 335
purpose of, 64
and striving, 288
and Who Are You?, 44–45
and witnessing, 131–33, 142, 145–48, 151
See also mind-body relationship
physical energy. See outer energy
physical exclusivity, 64–65
physical world
and fears, 249–50
major focus in the, 258
observing the, 140–41
and peace, 212
and self awareness, 12–13
See also appearances; manifested world; physical bodies; realism
physics, 23–26
pleasure, 170, 191, 224–25, 322–23, 324, 331, 333, 336
Poe, Edgar Allan, 262
pond metaphor, 159–66, 168, 171
possessions
and appearances, 258, 259–62, 264, 265, 268, 271, 273
and the collective spirit, 357–58
and energy, 186
and fears, 247
and freedom, 32–33, 181, 182, 186, 191–92
and love, 186
and the more-is-better belief, 53–56, 183, 357
and peace, 185–86, 207–8, 210, 213, 260
and specialness, 182–83
and striving, 288, 289
and success, 208, 210
and tolerance, 312
power, 13–14, 16–17, 119, 356, 357
The Power of Silence (Castaneda), 146, 184
prayer, 17, 55, 58, 75, 166–68, 171–72, 219, 359–60
“The Prayer of Saint Francis,” 359–60
prejudice, 318–19, 334–35
prisoners, 148–49
problems
dissipating, 127–28
and freedom, 31
learning from, 214
and self-awareness, 17–18, 30–31
spiritual solutions to, 17–18, 30–31
and witnessing, 126–29, 137, 143, 145
See also conflicts/confrontations; irritations, minor
purity
and addictions, 322–24, 331–34, 335
and appearances, 320–22, 327, 328, 337
and behavior, 331–34, 337
and beliefs, 318
and the collective spirit, 357
and comparisons, 325–28
and doubts, 317–18, 330
and ego rewards, 334–36
and the emotions, 328–30
and fears, 330
and inner dialogue, 317–18, 334–35, 340
and the libido, 319–22
and love, 325, 329, 330, 334, 336, 338, 339
and the past, 338
and peace, 325, 329, 333, 335, 336, 337, 338
and striving, 323
and thinking, 317–28, 330–35, 337, 340
and ways of being pure, 336–41
and witnessing, 316–17, 319, 323
Quantum Consciousness (Wolinsky), 23–24, 128, 170
Quantum Reality (Herbert), 127
The Quest (Brown), 354
race issues, 48–49
Real Magic (Dyer), 37, 63, 227
realism, 60–63. See also physical world
reality
and beliefs, 52
creating, 63
and dreams, 27–28, 83–86
and energy, 61
experimenting with, 63
and freedom, 28–29
and impossible things, 62–63
and meditation, 63
and observing, 127
and the past, 38–40
and the process of creation, 23–26
and self-awareness, 15–16
and witnessing, 151
recapitulation, 138–39, 144, 149–50, 226
reform. See improvements/reform
Reinhart, Mary, 110, 111
relapses, x–xii, 337, 340
relationships
failures in, 47–48
and fears, 244–45, 246, 249, 252, 256
and love, 244–45, 246, 252, 256
and the past, 47–48
and purity, 319–22
and sexual matters, 319–22
and tolerance, 310, 311
and Who Are You?, 47–48