Robert Schwartz

[Dandelion]

Has anyone read anything by Robert Schwartz?  I was eyeing one of his books and discovered that he has a free chapter from his second book available on Kindle.  The link to it is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6VAFNA/

Although I zipped through it pretty fast, it did have an interesting perspective about our "life plan" and why we chose the challenges we did.

[Sena]

I did purchase "Your Soul's Gift: The Healing Power of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born" on 20 Jan 2016. Perhaps I was distracted by other books, but I only read a little of Schwartz's book. I'll have another go at it and will let you know what I think.

[Dandelion]

Thanks, Sena.  I'll be interested in hearing your opinion of the book and am also interested in any additional thoughts you have about why you only read a little bit of it.  One reservation I have about his books is I'm not sure I want to read an entire book that focuses on all the different challenges we can chose, all the whys and what we can learn from them.  I can understand how we can learn and grow from challenges, but I'm not convinced that suffering or facing huge negative challenges is the only way to do that.  That seems to me to be "old" thinking using negative motivation.  I do want to understand how we're creating our current situation, but only so I can move toward something new.

With my Amazon Prime membership, I can "borrow" Chapter 2 (Spiritual Awakening) for free, which may be the only other chapter, besides chapter 1, that I want to read anyway.

[Sena]

I can understand how we can learn and grow from challenges, but I'm not convinced that suffering or facing huge negative challenges is the only way to do that.

Dandelion, I tried getting back into the Schwartz book, but I am having difficulty. There are 80 references to "karma" in the book. Although his view of karma is by no means as rigid as that found in Eastern religions, I find that some of his statements seem to me illogical. One problem seems to be that Schwartz is not looking at the "big picture". For example he does not appear to understand, as Seth says, that it is possible to change the past. I am not sure whether I completely understand this, but I was given a fresh insight into this idea in KRYON BOOK THIRTEEN The Recalibration of Humanity. Kryon explains that time is not a straight road, it is a circle. He uses the metaphor of a gigantic race-track. It is so big that a driver driving a car on a section of it may get the impression that he is driving in a straight line. If you realize you are going in a circle, then you realize that you are looking at a future and the past at the same time. This actually stands the conventional idea of karma on its head.
https://www.kryon.com/k_69.html

[Dandelion]

Thanks, Sena.  That has definitely helped me make a decision.  I'll stick with just reading Chapter 1 & 2 of "Your Soul's Gift" (since I can do it free), but probably won't read any of the other chapters that I can also "borrow" for free.  With so many other good books available, I can be selective about which ones I want to spend a lot of time reading.

Like you, I've had problems sometimes with some of the explanations about karma, so I really appreciated what Seth said about it.

Since I've pretty much given up getting into the Schwartz books, now I'm thinking about trying one of Adyashanti's books--maybe "Spontaneous Awakening" or "The End of Your World."

[Batfan007]

I can understand how we can learn and grow from challenges, but I'm not convinced that suffering or facing huge negative challenges is the only way to do that.

Dandelion, I tried getting back into the Schwartz book, but I am having difficulty. There are 80 references to "karma" in the book. Although his view of karma is by no means as rigid as that found in Eastern religions, I find that some of his statements seem to me illogical. One problem seems to be that Schwartz is not looking at the "big picture". For example he does not appear to understand, as Seth says, that it is possible to change the past. I am not sure whether I completely understand this, but I was given a fresh insight into this idea in KRYON BOOK THIRTEEN The Recalibration of Humanity. Kryon explains that time is not a straight road, it is a circle. He uses the metaphor of a gigantic race-track. It is so big that a driver driving a car on a section of it may get the impression that he is driving in a straight line. If you realize you are going in a circle, then you realize that you are looking at a future and the past at the same time. This actually stands the conventional idea of karma on its head.
https://www.kryon.com/k_69.html

I have to admit there are certain writers I can stand them using certain antiquated terms and ideology, providing I find them likable personalities, or have some ideas as to their world view and the culture they lived in.

For example I LOVE reading the volumes of books recorded by/about Paramahansa Yoganada, which have all sorts of antiquated ideas, but much more real insight, love, joy and spirit that just reading his works is pure joy, and I can look past the limited ideas that are more particular philosophy of the day, and part of his culture/world view, and focus on the overall message, that of unity and love and self-realization.

I can also be helpful to help understand somebodies world view, their beliefs and limitations through their self-talk and cultural embedded idea and values.
But then on the one hand I personally insist that mankind does not need formal religion, but have been friends with people of various faiths over the years, and have enjoyed long talks and books/essays by people who are deeply religious.

It's the organization of religion, mind control and money etc I take issue with, not the actual practical devotion of loving kindness at the heart of most religions, also all the backwards old timey cultural stuff about keeping various groups / sexes down, demonification of any other belief system etc, which to me were part of the culture of the time, and are really not the HEART of the religion.
That stuff is the Shadow Self of World Religions. It serves a purpose, but to me needs to be addressed, understood and transcended, individually and collectively - rather than fought against with violence.