Something to think about...

First of all- let me say- that this is book is GREAT.. with a capital GRR! I read Siddhartha when I was 19 and it changed my life. New Earth is in the same vein as Siddhartha but breaks the concept down clearly and specifically. I feel from reading everyone else's posts that these concepts are something that we have all felt intuitively but have not been able to grasp consciously. I read an essay once that really put all of this into perspective for me and I'll share it with all of you. I felt the itch after I read Siddhartha- the sense of connection to something greater, the seed of awareness being planted, the excitement that after a life of being fed bullshit that maybe the truth was upon me...much the same as how I'm feeling reading New Earth... so anyway.. I got obsessed. I started reading Eastern philosophy, going to a Buddhist temple, started Yoga.... I renounced materialism (sort of - HA!).. yada..yada.. BUT it wasn't working. I was still angry and narcissistic...I still wanted new clothes and the material trophies of success....I still gossiped and felt negativity toward my fellow man. I felt like a spiritual failure, like maybe I just wasn't cut out for enlightenment or "awakening". I tell you all of this because one day I stumbled upon an essay online. The author basically said that it's hard for westerners to grasp these concepts because we are inherently impatient, we make a change and BAM- we want the result- RIGHT NOW or we give up. He explained that to embark on this journey is to look at it like taking up martial arts. Of course you don't expect to be a black belt after your first class or even after your first year or ten years.. but through practice, discipline and commitment some people master the art. Very few ever reach the pinnacle of black belt status but everyone who takes up martial arts benefits in one way or another. I offer you this because as we hit the pavement of this spiritual journey together, maybe thinking about the process in this light will ease some frustration. It helped me feel more patient about learning, more patient with myself- but it's still an ebb and flow for me- there have been way more set backs then successes, for me it's just about picking myself back up and trying again (coincidentally a theme in Siddhartha). There are years when this feeling sits on a dusty shelf of my mind- surfacing only occasionally and then receding quietly in the background of my life. In some ways- I haven't changed at all- still angry, want new clothes and gossip.. but it has made a huge impact on my life and I feel hope that if I ever do understand this or even advance to my green belt- that peace and fulfillment are waiting for me. New Earth is such a refreshing and understandable user's guide...thank you for encouraging me to read this book- it's been a comfort in this period of my life and I feel like I'm back in spiritual karate and ready to kick some ass!!!! I'm almost through chapter 3...