Re: Conflicts in the Book?

2005-10-22 05:44:00

Vic Writes:

Thank you for responding to my concerns about The Immortal I. I appreciate your taking the time to do so yourself. I assumed the group members would help me with this.

It's kind of late for me, but I wanted to address one issue that I raised, my impression that when Joe and Elizabeth didn't say the prayer, they "suffered.". Here is a clip directly from the book:

The Mission

For the next three days we recited the song faithfully several times a day; then on the fourth day we seemed to get distracted and didn't think to say it. We didn't suffer any obvious attack, but I did notice that Elizabeth seemed more negative about her illness. In addition, we got into several arguments which seemed to take us out of the spiritual mood. During the fifth day there seemed to be a cloud hanging over us. At bedtime neither of us felt like saying the song, but I felt it was important so I prodded Elizabeth into saying it along with me.

After we finished Elizabeth said: "I think we slipped out of harmony with our souls. I didn't realize it until now. Let's say it again."

We said it again and this time we felt a return to the great peace we previously felt. As we were basking in the peace I said: "This song really does have a positive effect. We must remember to say it every day whether we feel like it or not."

Elizabeth agreed and we made a mental commitment to remember to say the song each day.

Outside of the two days we did not say the song, the week went pretty well. In fact it seemed to go better than usual. I sold two homes without the usual problems and went through what was supposed to be a difficult closing without a hitch. Elizabeth also seemed to have more physical strength and, except for the two negative days, her attitude was much improved.

It seems to me the text speaks for itself. The equation is "no song = very negative feelings," at least, that's what I deduce from it.

It's kind of like looking at the glass half full or half empty.

Let's take this statement:

I said the Song Monday and Tuesday and felt pretty positive and things went well for me, but I didn't say it Wednesday and felt irritable and a lot of things seemed to go wrong.

Now let us take that sentence and substitute something else:

I listened to Tony Robbins tapes on Monday and Tuesday and felt pretty positive and things went well for me, but I didn't listen on Wednesday and felt irritable and a lot of things seemed to go wrong.

I did my meditation on Monday and Tuesday and felt pretty positive and things went well for me, but I skipped it on Wednesday and felt irritable and a lot of things seemed to go wrong.

I said my prayers on Monday and Tuesday and felt pretty positive and things went well for me, but I skipped them on Wednesday and felt irritable and a lot of things seemed to go wrong.

I watched my blood sugar on Monday and Tuesday and felt pretty positive and things went well for me, but ate some candy bars on Wednesday and felt irritable and a lot of things seemed to go wrong.

I did my exercises on Monday and Tuesday and felt pretty positive and things went well for me, but I skipped them on Wednesday and felt irritable and a lot of things seemed to go wrong.

Now in these various scenarios you don't normally think of being punished for not doing the thing. Instead you think of the positive effect if you do it.

It's a common occurrence that when one begins to establish a positive habit and then stops that he will feel a marked difference in his daily life. Few would look at such a thing as punishment - and from whom? If there is a punishment there has to be someone doing the punishing. I have certainly never taught that God is sitting up there on a throne watching us for error and throwing down bolts of punishment when we make mistakes.

By the way, welcome to the list.