Inspiring Books

I recently re-read 2 books which have been inspiring me and which have been guiding my work at the same time. The one is 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle and the other one is 'Bitten by the Black Snake' in which Manuel Schoch interprets the ancient wisdom of Ashtavakra.

One of the key elements in my life and also in my workshops are about practicing Observation and Stillness. Observing that 'what is' without judging it, describing it or re-acting to it helps us to be still and to connect to our source, our center. Any action that we then take from that state of being centered helps us to express our own values, rather then just re-acting to the behavior of others.

When we start to observe and acknowledge 'what is' , then we are in the 'Now' and we realize that everything is relative and that there is an endless flow of changing ideas, thoughts, feelings and circumstance and that we are a part of it all, a part of the whole like a drop in the ocean. There is nowhere to go and nothing to do, we are here to enjoy the ride.

I like to share with you Sutra number 4 which is about Stillness:

'Stillness
All things arise, suffer, change, and pass away.
This is their nature.
When you know this, nothing perturbs you, nothing hurts you,
you become still.
It is easy.
Sooner or later fortune or misfortune may befall you.
When you know this, you desire nothing, you grieve for nothing.
Subduing the senses, you are happy; whatever you do brings joy
or sorrow, life or death.
When you know this, you may act freely, without attachment.
What is there to accomplish?
All sorrow comes from fear, from nothing else.
When you know this, you become free of it, and desire melts away.
You become happy and still; the world with all its wonders is nothing.
When you know this, desire melts away. for you are awareness itself.
When you know in your heart that there is nothing, you are still.'

Take some time and really take in those words and observe how you feel when reading them. You may feel that they are so simple and at the same time that they set you free and you become still and start to relax.