There is a story told regarding the Buddha. One of his disciples asked him, do you know all that there is to be known? In reply, the Buddha instructed him to sweep up the dry leaves in the forest and bring them to him. The disciple brought baskets and baskets, but obviously there were many more, and he finally gave up. The Buddha then said that in the same way, no one person could know everything.
Neale Donald Walsch, in his various books, believes he knows everything, and has all the answers. The most popular are his three volumes called Conversations with God, which have been translated into 27 languages, and sold millions of copies. Other books include Conversations with God for Teens, and The New Revelations, Conversations with God in Paperback. Tomorrow’s God is soon to be released (now published).
Walsch’s official website states that after four marriages, each of which ended in divorce, and a variety of jobs, he reached his lowest point when he broke his neck in an accident. As he slowly recovered from this, he asked god a question about how he could make his life better. And a soft voice responded in his head. Walsch then began to take dictation, as he asked a series of questions, and god replied. God, actually the supreme goddess, also told him to reveal this message to the world.Thus these books were written, and god soon made him famous, a multi-millionaire, and in addition assured him that everything he did was fine, wonderful and perfect! Now who could ask for more?
The books are not without value. They cover a vast range of topics, and as they challenge Western concepts of religion, they encourage people to take another look at the beliefs they have always held. The ideas here seem to be based on Hindu myths, Advaita Vedanta, Gnostic and Cathar texts, along with the works of other New Age writers, and Walsch’s own beliefs. The books put forward some original views. Describing her own nature, the goddess says ‘The one unchanging truth is that god is always changing’, and again. ‘Life is change. God is life. Therefore god is change’. Walsch’s goddess also elaborates on certain worthwhile concepts, none of which are new, for instance the Oneness of all creation, equality of all people and religions, the need for world peace, for care of the environment, for seeing that each person has enough for their needs. But the approach to these concepts and related issues, often indicates only a superficial or partial understanding of them.
In addition he, in the name of the goddess, advocates free sex, advises everyone to be themselves, to follow their own desires, and to do that which makes them happy. Possibly there’s nothing wrong with all this, though there is nothing particularly spiritual either. As one critic of his book Conversations with God for Teens, wrote ‘The author of this book tries to offer something everyone wants to hear”.
Apart from certain odd views, such as that Bush (senior) is one of the greatest leaders of the world, it is the endless praise god or rather the goddess gives Walsch, quoted extensively in his books, that really makes one feel it’s a strange sort of god. For instance,Walsch’s marriage vows (for the fifth marriage, one presumes), are ‘just the best anyone on your planet have come up with so far’. The goddess also tells him ‘You are the life and the way. The world will follow you. You are not at choice in this matter. It is the only matter in which you have no free choice’. She makes Walsch repeat after her, ‘ I am a great teacher. A teacher of eternal truth’.
Walsch is absolutely right in promoting the self, but he has failed to understand the very basic distinction between the egoistic self with all its desires, and the true SELF, also known to us as Atman or Brahman.
The best one can say of his Conversations, if not an outright hoax, is that Walsch genuinely felt he was communicating with a higher power, while he was actually regurgitating from his subconscious what he had already read, coloured by his own beliefs.
On the whole the books present a mixture of truths, half-truths, and misconceptions, and reflect a somewhat limited knowledge. But to a world hungry for spiritual solace and comfort, any such mixture seems to become popular.
No comments:
Post a Comment