Review: A gentle guidebook for a spiritual journey
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 8, 2012
A beautiful read, perfectly capturing the sense of weightlessness one experiences when the higher self, or soul, is finally awakened after aeons of spiritual slumber.Alternating a series of short, pertinent questions with almost poetic descriptions of the experiences one has when on the journey towards enlightenment, AWAKENING'S TREASURE provides a gentle guide through what can be a daunting experience if one resists the inevitable pull of the Divine Beloved's voice.This is neither a prescriptive nor an impractical guidebook. The tone is ever soothing of any fears one may have surrounding the process of dismantling the ego-mind and listening to what the heart wants one to hear. Everyday language is used, with vivid but ordinary images anchoring the ethereal experiences in reality. One of my favourite images was the comparison of spiritual seekers to both lovers and warriors in "The Cutting Edge."There are restrained warnings about the dangers inherent in surrendering one's ego-mind to the voice of the Divine that rests in our hearts. In particular, one is cautioned to beware the pitfalls of ego-mind which, in the throes of the transcendent experience of awakening, could pull the soul from its true path to God the Beloved by deluding it into thinking it *is* God.AWAKENING'S TREASURE emphasises that seeking the Divine in our lives is more a mystery to be savoured, then a goal to be reached. Indeed, this priority can be found even in the way one should approach reading the text. This is not a story to start on page one and hurry through until the end. While it's best read in chapter order, I found I fully appreciated the convenient layout of chapters and sub-chapters by reading until I came to a point that needed to be meditated on. Putting the book aside and picking it up to read a few more chapters the next day gave my unconscious mind time to absorb the nuanced truths contained within its pages.I'd recommend this book to anyone who is on the path to spiritual enlightenment in a modern world too often distracted by material concerns. No matter where you are on your own inner journey, AWAKENING'S TREASURE has plenty to offer.Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher Blue Mesa eBooks for review. As I have no affiliation with either the author or the publisher this did not, however, influence my review in any way whatsoever. Judy Croome, Johannesburg, South Africa