Are you a part of Oprah’s worldwide Monday night class? I tried to participate but unfortunately my Windows 98 cannot support the program and I have not had the time to download the podcasts but I will. The Book or Oprah’s promotion of it has caught the imagination of people. We all seek awareness especially self-awareness. This book has some really good tips and strategies in this regard.
Isn’t this strange, it is like we are hearing this stuff for the first time. If truth be told, you would agree that nothing in this book is actually new, there is nothing that we have not heard before either through Freud’s view of the ego, the Holy Bible, the Torah, the Koran, Writings of Baha’u’llah and the Buddhist scriptures, Zoroaster, poems of Rumi and other sage but the message is repackaged and we are enamored. These words touch a core in us that is our true selves and we respond as some of us do when we hear soul music. I believe these words have to be repeated time and time again until we hear and respond and be renewed again. That’s the circular way of life. Whatever has been comes again and again and we embrace and recognize these words and ways in a place so deep that we feel we have heard them before but like a sweet song, or a classic movie never tire of hearing them again and again. That is our humanity, our spiritual life, unchanging, timeless and everlasting. This is the part that responds to these messages.
Baha’u’llah God’s most recent messengers proclaimed that The spiritual laws of God never changes, each messenger including Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, Mohammad, the Bab reaffirmed the spiritual laws but what they change is the social laws to help us through challenging current social conditions of human life as we continue along our evolutionary path.
In 1844 Baha’u’llah announced to the world that he is the Messenger for this age, the return of the promised one of all ages and since that time, we have witnessed the leaps and bounds in the growth of science, medicine, politics and all that. Even though we are not aware of where the knowledge comes from the Baha’is believe it is the new found infusion of the renewal of the Creator’s covenant with mankind that has trigged this infusion of creativity in our midst and those of us who are sensitive feel and respond to it.
If you should study the writings of any of these divinely inspired words you will find the essence of this book The Awakening, The author took those messages and put it in a language that is more accessible.
Many of us have lost faith in organized religions because we were disappointed in the leaders of these faiths, their harsh judgments and condemnation and sometimes even their cruelty in the name of God. Unfortunately many of the religious leaders have used religion as a political platform to gain material power and wealth. We have every right to be disillusioned. Within the Baha’i faith there is no priest or clergy, people are expected to be independently investigate truth for themselves and come to their own understanding of the meanings of the word. We are responsible for our own spiritual growth.
I think that Books like the awakening is great. Personally I find them great learning tools but these books draw me closer to the Creator and help me to understand the purpose of my life within the Divine realm. I constantly read and refer to my religious books to compare and contrast. I take nothing for granted. I think it is human to constantly question because it is from questions we learn. Questioning tempers the ego, we accept we do not know everything and humble our spirit to grow.
