4 out of 4 stars
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I was at first resistant to, then transfixed by, the spiritual development of author Richard L. Haight in his book The Unbound Soul: A Spiritual Memoir for Personal Transformation and Enlightenment. He started on the path toward spiritual enlightenment at a very young age. Throughout the book, Haight describes several visions he experienced in points in his life. In the first vision Haigt had as a young boy, Jesus told him to find the essence of Jesus’ teachings and give it back to the world: “Find my bones, for they are the core of my teaching.” Haight then began his quest. Some of the spiritual beliefs that he encountered on his spiritual journey were aikido, sotai-ho, Christianity, reincarnation, and studies of the aura.
One of the primary purposes of this book is to encourage the reader to become aware of the differences between our consciousness and our minds. If we pay attention to our thought processes we will be free from our own suffering. This personal mental suffering is a result of our resistance to being one with God, or “Isness,” as Haight refers to it. The reason he uses this name is because he asked it, “What are you?” and its answer was “as best as I can put it into words was, ‘There is no other.’”
Focusing on being one with "Isness" will free us from any pre-existing structure that keeps us separate from "Isness." Examples of these structures are the idea of the individual self, and various religions and belief systems. These things are of the mind, rather than the soul. Innocent curiosity is what begins the process of resolving the conflict within the self. This understanding is more of an "unfoldment," as the author terms it, an opening to or radical simplification of what "Isness" truly is. (Realization is awareness of something previously unnoticed.)
I found myself questioning the validity of the author’s story at times. His explanations of time spent studying various religious/spiritual ways of investigating “Isness” seem vague. It seems he can acquire understandings of certain teachings and experiences much more quickly than an average person. I found it especially hard to believe that he was awarded Masters’ licenses in four samauri arts and a traditional healing art called Sotai-ho within 15 years.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was easy to read, and was obviously professionally edited. (I found no spelling or other errors.) I became caught up in the author’s story of his life and his visions. I felt that many of the statements he made based on his learning reflected my personal growth, so I could relate to what he was saying.
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The Unbound Soul
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