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Spiritual awakening or liberation is essentially a matter of immense, intense discernment -- an act of focused distinguishing away of all the things one is not, which then reveals what one really is, though that revelation is not to the one who originally sought it. That's the paradox of seeking: you seek as you know that you are what you seek. The intense discernment required for the search is driven by equally intense desire for liberation, which generates, through practice, a relatively quiet mind, and focus... which must be then be channeled all the way through, via surrender or self-inquiry -- to discerning away ALL the things that you are not. There is an end to the process, but it is not what you think it is.

Have you heard people talk about I Am That and wondered what they were on about? Did you want to buy Qigong Empowerment, but it's just too expensive? Are you waiting for Waking, Dreaming, Being to come out in paperback you just can't justify paying for the hardback? Well, put those thoughts aside. Here's your chance to win! According to Michael Singer: I listened to most of his book, the Surrender Experiment, but it was so terrible I returned it. But the experiment is interesting. It describes fairly well a fundamental principle in all spiritual disciplines. The Bhagavad Gita says that one is entitled to labor, but not to the fruits. The karma yogi works, but dedicates his/her fruits to the cosmos. The idea is that the cosmos knows better than we do. Bodhidharma says that we should accept what happens on the basis of karma. From time to time, I acknowledge surrender, and I practice it every day. But what about on a larger scale? What about maximum surrender? I decided to give Singer's experiment a 100 day test. The basics are: 1. Open yourself up to what is unfolding before you. Pay special attention to the opportunities to help others or for spiritual practice. Say yes when you normally wouldn't. Pay attention to things that come up, or even better, the intentions that arise out of stillness. 2. Don't listen to your thinking mind, especially when it says you can't or that you're not qualified, or that you're scared. Common sense is okay. Moderation is key to some practices, such as yoga and qigong. 3. When making a decision, try to understand that what you want may not come. Allow the result to manifest. Negative results may be burning off off your ego. So far (I cheated and started a month ago), the results have been overwhelmingly positive in my practices. Stress levels are down. Bliss is up. Family harmony is up. I discovered the benefits of facing the cold and taking cold showers. I rediscovered spontaneous qigong. I'm taking a reiki class--- yes, a REIKI CLASS. I can do also do more push-ups. It also occurred to me to offer THIS CHALLENGE. Anyone who wants to take the challenge, post here that you're taking the challenge, then let us know what happens. In about 100 days, I will let the small, still voice pick a poster to win his/her choice of a reasonably priced book ($20-30) from Amazon.com. You can join anytime. To be eligible for the book award, you must be able to receive shipping from Amazon worldwide.