| The Backdoor to Enlightenment: Eight Steps to Living | | | | backward remains part of the mystery.] In the |
| Your Dreams and Changing Your World By Za | | | | concluding part of each chapter, their story and |
| Rinpoche and Ashley Nebelsieck Copyright 2007 | | | | adventure is used to illuminate the points of each |
| Three Leaves Press | | | | step toward finding the backdoor. |
| "Enlightenment is freedom from ignorance and | | | | The end of each chapter gives you a one-page |
| suffering." Page 133 | | | | recap of the main points made in that section. It |
| A sneak peek inside the cover to the title page of | | | | works out to be a great tool to refresh your |
| this volume gives you a bonus subtitle: Shortcuts to | | | | memory and sustain your practice. This page also |
| Happiness for the Spiritually Challenged. Having felt | | | | includes the benefits of pursuing this step and an |
| spiritually challenged myself in the past, I would relish | | | | exercise to engage your own action. The eight steps |
| finding some backdoor to ease the process. | | | | are: |
| Now, I'm not pretending to be enlightened [yet], but | | | | |
| simply feel I'm on the path to getting there. And this | | | | 1. IDENTIFY the struggles in your life |
| engaging read has gracefully added its wisdom to | | | | 2. OPEN yourself to change (Impermanence) |
| further my journey. | | | | 3. RELEASE all constructs that stand in the way of |
| In its plain, clear language without the pretense of | | | | your goal (Freedom) |
| any dogma or beliefs, you gain the qualities of | | | | 4. CREATE the causes that will produce the effects |
| enlightenment [the Six Perfections of Buddhism]: | | | | you desire (Causality) |
| - Impermanence | | | | 5. FOCUS your intentions and hold them steady |
| - Freedom | | | | (Intent) |
| - Causality | | | | 6. ALLOW yourself to be in the present moment |
| - Intent | | | | (Being) |
| - Being | | | | 7. RECOGNIZE that you are already one with your |
| - Unity | | | | goal (Unity) |
| These truths come across more as | | | | 8. LIVE your dreams |
| easy-to-understand observations that show you | | | | This book slowly lifts the veil on the abstract nature |
| where your own resistance or denial may be causing | | | | of enlightenment, turning it into tangible and |
| you distress. The backdoor is simply realizing that you | | | | actionable inspiration. I can say from experience on |
| already have these qualities within you now. The | | | | my own journey to this moment that these points |
| book helps you to tap into them actively to end your | | | | are the rocks on which I continually stub my toe, |
| own ignorance and suffering. | | | | waking me up once again to see which enduring truth |
| This is really two books in one. The first part of each | | | | I've been ignoring. |
| chapter gives you an engaging mystery story of | | | | If you are interested in furthering your spiritual path |
| Hannah and Otto finding tablets that lead them to | | | | and want a clearly delivered message with an |
| the backdoor of enlightenment. [My curiosity about | | | | appealing story to illustrate its value, consider this |
| their names being spelled the same forward and | | | | book as your next read. It's worth it. |