Like everything else in life, the spiritual path has a trick to it that they never tell you about.  They tell you how you should think and feel: “Accept all things evenly, as coming from God”;  “Desire nothing, cling to nothing”;  “Let the world be as ashes in your mouth.”  What they don’t tell you is that this state is impossible to achieve in a real, meaningful way by one’s self.  We need a guru or an embodied spiritual agent acting upon us to truly transform ourselves. Not even…

No, you can’t.  Next question?  Oh, I see, you want me to expound on that one a bit.  Well, you’re in lots of luck because that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

One of my favorite spiritual books is Dr. Michael Newton’s Journey of Souls, in which he describes how people choose the basic lineaments of their lives – the script (events that will unfold in a given life) and supporting cast of characters they will interact with – before they incarnate.  And the life they…

The purpose of life is to feel feelings.  Period.  Life has no other purpose.  By the term “true purpose” is meant our intent in a given lifetime – the reason why we incarnated; the lesson we are on this earth to learn; what we must witness and bear; what we must feel.  True purpose is what Carlos Castaneda’s teacher don Juan termed the “mood of a warrior”: it’s what makes us feel good (not smug); satisfied (not self-satisfied).  True purpose feels like fulfilling our destiny (rather than…

In every relationship there is a power equation: someone has more control than the other person. The power in a relationship at any given moment resides in the hands of that one of the partners who has the least stake in the continuance of the relationship. Typically, therefore, the power equation in a relationship will teeter-totter back and forth over time (and over different lifetimes) – now this person, now that one, being the one presently calling the shots.

There’s no…