I read the name Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov on page 22, Issue 30 of WATKINS BODY MIND SPIRIT magazine, and his writings, and what was written about him, made me want to buy his book, A Living Book: Autobiographical Reflections 1 By OMRAAM MIKHAEL AIVANHOV, translated and reviewed by Alison Holmes. Her review can make your soul sing; I can only imagine the joy felt in reading the book of this great Bulgarian born Master. In his lifetime he experienced great hardship, and was grateful for all his experiences; he used them as tools for transformation. I’m itching to quote a passage from the magazine review so that you can have an idea of the kind of man and Master he was. Though choosing from that one page isn’t easy because there’s so much said about him in every line of the review. Okay, here is one: “I know your difficulties; I’ve experienced them. I have been hungry, I have been cold, I have been ill, I had no money, nowhere to stay, been unable to wash myself, been badly dressed, I have had to wait for hours in the corridors of power, I have been continually under the threat of deportation, I have had my name dragged through the mud, have been the target of plots against me, and have been thrown into prison.” And this from Alison Holmes: “His account of some of the trials and tribulations of a great Master are of value to us, because his simple way of expressing how he dealt with them all infuses us with inspiration and gratitude that we have been shown how to deal with our own.” www.watkinsbooks.com
Some time ago I started reading Neville’s books and what he had to say about his life’s journey. I clicked on to the website www.nevillegoddard.wwwhubs.com and read more about his teachings and books. He was born in Barbados in 1905, and traveled to the United States at age 17 to study drama. He lived an extraordinary life, certain people showed up at certain times in his life as if by divine guidance, and because he followed through on the crux of his teachings and writings, “Imagination creates reality,” he made himself into a remarkable man.
The above-mentioned website quotes Neville as saying that if he was stranded on a desert island and allowed one book, he would choose The Bible.
Why The Bible? This is what he said: “. . . This changeless principle of expression is dramatized in all the Bibles of the world. The writers of our sacred books were illumined mystics, past masters in the art of psychology. In telling the story of the soul they personified this impersonal principle in the form of a historical document both to preserve it and to hide it from the eyes of the uninitiated. . . .” Neville is not the only spiritual teacher who has expressed these exact sentiments. And he said if he could squeeze in more books, they would be Charles Fillmore’s Metaphysical Dictionary of Bible Names, William Blake, and Nicoll’s Commentaries.
Have you heard of Maurice Nicoll? I haven’t, so I googled his name and was treated to a wonderful short story about his fascinating life. www.hurleydonson.com/nicoll.htm says he was born in Kelso, Scotland in 1884. If you’re looking for a break from the day’s activities, a break that will perhaps cause a slight shift in your thoughts, read, “Maurice Nicoll: Spiritual Giant, Gentle Genius.”
I copied this from the website: “Maurice Nicoll also had a lighthearted, playful side to his nature. In college his friends were those whose sense of humor and frivolity provided what he would need all of his life. Joy and love of life were among his gifts as well. Indeed, a quotation from Plato, “Serious things can only be understood through laughable things,” was hung in a prominent place in all the homes in which he lived.”
So, why spend time studying the teachings and lives of the above-mentioned people? Because they were willing to do whatever it took to bring themselves to a higher level of consciousness, and didn’t allow themselves to get sidetracked. They knew life holds more than we can ever imagine, and they guided others to do the same.