In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. The Four Agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don’t Take Anything Personally, Don’t Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best.

This tiny book is full of crap.  I know everybody loves it, Oprah definately did, which is why I think it became a bestseller.  But as far as spirituality goes, this book is a bit too self-important.  The wisdom that Don Miguel offers is contradictory and half-assed.  There really isn’t very much substance.  And I’m not impressed with some of the terms he uses to describe certain concepts, such as negativity, which he refers to as “black magic.”  There is actually a real arrogant tone to Ruiz, maybe it is a cultural thing, I don’t know, but there is a lack of compassion in his approach to life, maybe that has to do with the fact that he is a surgeon in real life.  I don’t recommend this book, it demeans the whole genre of self-help and spirituality.

According to Pema Chondron, we can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder.  Here Pema provides the tools to deal with the problems and difficulties that life throws our way. This wisdom is always available to us, she teaches, but we usually block it with habitual patterns rooted in fear. Beyond that fear lies a state of openheartedness and tenderness. This book teaches us how to awaken our basic goodness and connect with others, to accept ourselves and others complete with faults and imperfections, and to stay in the present moment by seeing through the strategies of ego that cause us to resist life as it is.

So, this book is not at all what I was expecting.  Actually, it is a book about the cultivation of compassion for others and ourselves through the acceptance of our own suffering and pain.  I think the title is misguiding in that sense.  It is a fairly nice look at Buddhism for the layman, it is a nice introduction to those who are unfamiliar with how Buddhism can be used on a daily basis.  But it is definitely not a book about conquering your fears, which is what I was hoping for.

This is a very comprehensive study of the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, religious martyr who was put to death in 1945 by the Nazis.  He was his era’s most radical pastor-priest-prophet, a rare Christian leader who spoke and lived his faith in the face of death.

Bonhoeffer is a very interesting character in history.  On the one hand he was a pacifist who embraced prayer as the purifying bath into which the individual and the community must enter into everyday.  He believed that to be free is not to be free from God but to be free from untruth.

On the other hand, Bonhoeffer who was completely against Nazi nationalism, participated in an attempt to assasinate Adolf Hitler, this led to his arrest and eventually to his execution by hanging.

This book focuses on the theologian’s ideas of moral leadership.  It considers his Christocentric spirituality and the elements in his thought, such as compassion, soliderity with the oppressed, and community.  It is a study tha reflects the complexity of Bonhoeffer’s thought, which was not an unquestioned absolute pacifism, but one that responded to each crises as it arose.

“If art is not a medicine for the society, then it is a poison.”

Alejandro Jodorowsky is better known for his art-house films like El Topo and Holy Mountain, but the Chilean director is also an author of many books, an artist, and a poet.  Jodorowsky is one of the most fascinating people to watch, he seems to have an infinate wisdom about life.

His is the language of symbols; he utilizes the tarot as way of interpreting the many facets of our reality and brings insight and healing to the soul.  His is not a complicated spirituality, and I think that is why so many people admire and respect him.  His philosophy seems to be one of acceptance and love.  In some ways we have to accept what has been dealt to us in life, because all of us were meant to be here as we come from a place of desire, a desire that comes from the universe yearning for our conscious being (sounds very like Coelho, no?).  And as for love, it is what will save us in this world.  It is a force that can elevate us to a higher consciuosness.

Most of his books are only available in Spanish, French or Italian, but his best seller, Psychomagic is available in English.  Also recommended is the Spiritual Journey of Alejandro Jodorowsky: The Creator of El Topo.  My favorite is The Way of the Tarot, it’s a mystical and psychological analysis of the Marseille Tarot.  I found this really cool video where Jodorowsky explains the Major Arcana on Mary Greer’s Tarot blog.

Many people might be turned off by the fact that he is a little bit “out there” if you will, but there is no denying that his imagination, for films, novels and art are directly intertwined to his spiritual beliefs and practice.  In that sense he is like a shaman.  He doesn’t just create to entertain or titilate, but like he says to heal.  His books and his films are woth checking out for anyone interested in the arts and healing.  Aside from being a wise magician, Jodorowsky also has a sense of humor.

“Most directors make films with their eyes; I make films with my testicles.”

Or maybe he’s just truthful.  Anyways, I highly recommend Jodorowsky for spiritual (and trippy) reading.

The Alchemist approaches a young sheep herder named Santiago and tells him he is to embark on journey to find a treasure.  To assist him on his journey the youth is given two stones to help him read “the omens”.  Santiago’s personal legend is in finding the treasure in the pyramids of Egypt.

This is a very sweet book written in a pure and simple style.  It is a book about following your dreams, or your dreams will follow you.  The basic idea is that if you do not live your personal legend, which is usually revealed to a person early in life, you will live a life of perpetual want.

I recommend this book as a fun and easy read.  The concepts are simple and easy to follow, and the story itself, even if you don’t buy the message, is delightful enough to hold your interest to the end.

So I opened it up to the first chapter and started reading. It was easy to read and went by fast, before I knew it I was half-way through the book and my entire morning was spent, so much for getting caught-up with work. But, I’m not complaining. This book was exactly what I needed to read today.

Journey of Awakening is a very good book to read if you are totally ignorant of and somewhat skeptical about meditation. Ram Dass is an excellent teacher, he is clear, concise and non-judgemental or condescending. He is able to explain some complex ideas by using metaphors and visuals to help the reader grasp the concepts of meditation. I literally lost myself in this book for three hours, and I’ve come out feeling refreshed.

My initial reaction to this book is very positive, I feel inspired to practice the teachings of the book. I feel inspired to breath and live in the present. I feel inspired to learn more, live more and just be.

I’m sure that as the day goes on and the pressures of life take their grasp on me my high will fade and I’ll be a grumpy mess by bedtime, as usual. But maybe not. I feel like something has been awakened in me. Something about this book has touched a nerve in me and I think that that is the sign of a great book. I plan to read more books by Ram Dass in the future.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

You Can Heal Your Life is a self-help book that uses the nurturing of the spirit as the foundation for building better life. This book is enjoying 24 years in publication, numerous translations and it’s even been made into a movie. I decided I wanted to re-read this book and find out if it is still relevant.

The first time I read this book I was very young and the self-help genre was still new to me. I had the misconception that these types of books were for middle-aged people who were confused about their lives, so I didn’t see how I could relate to any of the content. You Can Heal Your Life was a very easy book to read and to understand. The message was very clear: What you think, you create.

Kind of predecessor of The Secret, this book tells us that our attitude toward ourselves and toward the world around us determines what our lives are to become. It also addresses where these attitudes stem from and the action necessary for overcoming them. Louise Hay opens up about her own life and struggles, and makes a compelling case for the power of change. The book is accented with positive affirmations and heartfelt wisdom. There is also a section of the book dedicated to the link between health problems and psychological injuries. The book covers a lot of spiritual ground.

Having re-read the book recently, I couldn’t help but feel a little cynical about it. This time around I felt that Hay was over-simplifying some very complex issues about psychological traumas. I got the feeling that Hay had been very fortunate in her life by finding the right people to surround herself with, and thus was able to overcome her adverse situations. Positive thinking is always good for the soul, and the book makes some very good points of why it’s important to have a positive attitude about oneself, and gives the reader the steps to take to a better life. But it feels trite and dumbed down.

I think this is a good book to begin with if your on a journey to self-improvement. This book is a good introduction to some of the concepts and terms that are found in may other books of it’s kind. Over all, it’s a classic worth reading for a little perspective.