This episode’s reading is an essay by Bernadette Roberts titled “How it Works.” In just a few paragraphs, Bernadette dives deep into the paradox of the unmanifested, manifesting, and manifested. It’s from her book The Experience of No-Self. Though Bernadette considered herself a Christian writer and seemed perpetually irritated with anyone trying to take her teaching out of that framework, this short essay clearly speaks to all people, regardless of time and place. If you want to learn more about Bernadette Roberts and her particular style of Christian mysticism, see my review on Spiritualteachers.org.
This is podcast # 2 in The Induction Series. The aim of this series is to focus on “inspired” writings, those that carry the “living word.” Franklin Merrell-Wolff called them “mystic writings” and said that “when the ‘Voice of the Silence’ speaks into the relative world, the Meaning lies between the words, as it were, rather than in the direct content of the words themselves.”
Richard Rose said that “If you are interested in looking for Essence, from the point of the Process Observer you can be stimulated only by writings of inspiration rather than reason or direction” and referred students to his poem “Three Books of the Absolute.” While Rose used the term “inspirational,” clearly these are not necessarily inspirational, uplifting writings like one typically finds collected under that banner.
If you enjoy The Induction Series, please leave a review on Amazon of my book Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment. There are currently 39 reviews and once we reach 100 reviews that boosts the visibility of the book. You don’t have to purchase the book on Amazon to leave a review, and a few minutes of your time will help others seekers find the book. Just click the link above and leave a few words in a review. Thank you!
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Selected Links and Topics from this Episode:
- The unmanifested, the manifesting, and the manifested
- All that Is
- “Completeness can only be known when the manifested falls back into the unmanifested.”
- Read my review of Bernadette Roberts.
- Leave a review on Amazon of my book Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment. Our goal is to reach 100 reviews by the end of The Induction Series. We’re now at 39!
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