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Browse published articles attributed to Edwin Spina, with full-archive search.
Last week, I received an email from a reader stating, "I have evolved past the spiritual understanding of author." I chuckled at the reader's bluntness. He didn't mince words; clearly, he felt that he had developed capabilities that were not only greater than those of "author" but beyond the "understanding of author."
Back in the Middle Ages alchemists sought to transform base metal into gold. They searched for an elusive substance, the philosopher’s stone, which would bring about this conversion, known as alchemy. But to initiates of the ancient mystery schools, alchemy was primarily an allegory for the real work of spiritual and mental alchemy.
Over the past several weeks I've received dozens of email solicitations for books, CDs and videos that promise to reveal newly discovered techniques to improve my life. These emails promise a wide variety of benefits: how to get rich, lose weight, meet the woman of my dreams and buy a million dollar mansion with no money down. In some cases the salesman will throw in a "Ginzu knife" or "pocket fisherman" if I order immediately!
The Matrix was one of the most popular and thought-provoking movies of all time. Viewers all over the world were captivated by the film's primary message: People get into deep trouble when they mistake what they perceive for reality.
Recently I had the opportunity to meet a long term mystic. During a lecture he was presenting on a mystic’s role in society, he uttered the words “inner warrior,” while looking directly at me. I had never met him and wondered if he knew I was the author of Mystic Warrior. His lecture was fascinating and I couldn’t wait for a chance to speak to him without distraction.
To many people, the words sacred and sex do not belong in the same sentence. To others they may imply sex used for purposes of procreation. To the mystic, sacred sex is a way to improve our health, strengthen our energy bodies and help manifest our heart's desires, with the ultimate goal of communing with God.
Yesterday, a marketing guru asked me a question that left me speechless. I had retained Bob to review the copy on my Mystic Warrior website from a sales perspective. He asked about reader reactions. As we talked, I told him how some readers felt compelled, while in the midst of my book, to put it down and meditate. In several cases, they described tingling sensations on the crown of their head and of receiving “downloads of energy and information.” I told Bob they were “attuning with God” and how this is a step towards enlightenment.
Almost everyone has had experiences where they think of something and "coincidentally" it appears: a person you hadn't seen in years shows up unexpectedly, a trial issue of a magazine is delivered to your home with just the information you needed, or you flip on the car radio to hear the lyrics of a song provide you with the answer to a burning question.
Know thyself. These words were inscribed in the vestibule of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. For centuries, petitioners seeking advice from the oracle at Delphi would view the inscription. Philosophers throughout the ages offered this same advice to their students. These words are as valuable today as they were almost three thousand years earlier. Part of knowing yourself is understanding your beliefs. The difficulty is that most beliefs are subconscious. They have been accepted without ever having been critically examined.
Creativity for the mystic has special meaning. In the world of the mystic all is one. This means that there’s only one Creator. Your job as an artist, painter or writer is simply to attune with this One source of all creation, listen and report on what you’re told. This is the essence of divine inspiration. It’s similar to the advice I was given as a young businessman when my boss and I were on our way to an important meeting. He turned to me and said, "Keep your mouth shut and listen good."
Last week, a reader wrote to say, "Why would I want to waste time wondering if I lived as an Incan, or as anyone else? I have enough to do in this lifetime." While the tone of my "Incan comment" was meant to be light-hearted, the reader had a point. The purpose of looking at past lives is not meant to distract you from your responsibilities in your current life. Nor is it to provide you with another area of study that must be mastered in order to "graduate."
Last week, a friend of mine gave me a best-selling business book that forecast the rise of the right brain thinker and the demise of the left-brain thinker. Scientists have identified the right brain as the emotional, empathic, artistic side and the left-brain as the side of logic, intellect and language. The essence of the author's argument is that we are moving from the age of information, which was dominated by computer programmers, MBAs and accountants, into a new conceptual age, which will be dominated by artists, caregivers and designers.
After fear, anger is probably the next most debilitating emotion that humans must confront. Unlike fear, anger is a complex emotion. And unlike fear, which usually paralyzes, anger can spur you to take action, though not necessarily in a beneficial way. Reacting to anger-provoking events will usually make things worse. If you analyze why you or anyone else ever gets angry, it's almost always because expectations did not match reality.
Know thyself. These words were inscribed in the vestibule of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. For centuries, petitioners seeking advice from the oracle at Delphi would view the inscription. Philosophers throughout the ages offered this same advice to their students. These words are as valuable today as they were almost three thousand years earlier. Part of "knowing yourself" is understanding your beliefs. The difficulty is that most beliefs are subconscious. They have been accepted without ever having been critically examined.
How many times have you felt anxious when you were required to face a stressful situation, such as interviewing for a new job, speaking in public, or going on a date with a prospective new love interest? And how many times, when you asked your closest friends or mentors for advice, did they try to allay your fears by telling you, "Don't worry - just be yourself." Probably, your friends meant: * You're a good candidate for this position and are fully qualified for the job; * You have lots of valuable information to share that your audience will appreciate; orr
"I changed my mind." These are four of the most powerful words in the English language. They can prevent you from being manipulated into an undesirable outcome and launch you on the road to personal and spiritual growth. Depriving yourself of the freedom to change your mind will lock you into a ..."I changed my mind."
Probably the most debilitating emotion that humans must confront is that of fear. Fear confuses. Fear paralyzes. Fear prevents you from thinking clearly, accessing your spiritual gifts and being who you truly are.
At a recent lecture on Belief Systems, a student asked, "Is mysticism a religion?" Mysticism is a spiritual discipline aiming at direct communion with God or the ultimate truth. It is not a religion and, in fact, all religions have mystics. There are Christian mystics, Jewish mystics ...At a recent lecture on Belief Systems, a student asked, "Is mysticism a religion?"
Lately, I've been watching episodes from the 1970s TV show, Kung Fu, on DVD. It starred David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine, a half-Chinese, half-American Shaolin priest who wanders the post-civil war American West looking for his long-lost brother. Caine is a martial arts master who resorts to using his fighting skills only when someone's safety is at stake. Kung Fu introduced many Westerners to some of the basic tenets of Eastern thought. Like fine art and true wisdom, many of the teachings espoused in the show are timeless and universal in nature.
The universe just conspired to remind me of a valuable lesson. Last night, before retiring, I was trying to think of a marketing promotion for Mystic Warrior, something that would emphasize the overwhelmingly positive response I've received from readers. Out of thousands of readers, not a single person had taken me up on my unconditional money-back guarantee. a The image that came to me was that of the lonely Maytag repairman, whose products were so reliable that no one ever had a problem. Every time the phone rang, the repairman would grab it hoping that it would be a complaint.