New spiritual growth book serves as both an ideal starting point and handy reference guide for spiritual seekers.
Austin, TX (PRWEB) February 1, 2006 - New spiritual growth book serves as both an ideal starting point and handy reference guide for spiritual seekers.
In the late 1980s when Jeff Maziarek first discovered the subject of “spirituality”, it didn’t take very long for him to become thoroughly engrossed in it. Over a period of ten years he ultimately purchased and read nearly 200 books in this category.
“In that process it occurred to me one day in early 1999 there really wasn’t, at least to my knowledge, an existing book that could be described as the ideal ‘first book’ for a person who was new to the spiritual path -- a book that could effectively introduce the subject, and at the same time serve as a “road map” to other content I felt could assist them in their process of self-discovery,” claims Maziarek, author of “Spirituality Simplified” (SpiritSimple Enterprises ISBN 0974484105)
Differentiating between spirituality and religion, Maziarek claims that they are not on equivalent terms. In the final chapter of his book, Maziarek explains that spiritual growth is like walking a high wire without a safety net, because “unlike traditional religious practice there is no rigid dogma that exists to provide one with all of the answers.” He further believes that on a spiritual path an individual takes on the responsibility for finding his or her own answers to serious questions such as: Who or what is God? What is the purpose of my life? What is the meaning of life in general?
When asked what difference is between spirituality and religion, given many interchange the words, he had the following response: “With religion one simply has to accept the dogma is the truth because someone says that it is; questioning is typically frowned upon, and particularly so in sects that are firmly attached to particular teachings.” Furthermore, he claims that spiritual growth is a never-ending process that requires the individual to continually refine their philosophy based on their personal process of discovery. “It’s really not about ‘getting somewhere,’ it’s about ‘being’ fully with the process of self-discovery,” he continues.
Within “Spirituality Simplified” Maziarek addresses the following six principles he feels are most important for the novice spiritual seeker: Cause & Effect, Present Moment Awareness, Oneness, Abundance, Non-attachment (or Detachment), and Forgiveness. At the end of each chapter Maziarek includes a “related reading list” driven down to the chapter level to assist the reader in learning more about these principles. In addition to being a solid “spiritual starter book” it serves as a handy reference guide for those who have been on the path of self discovery for some time.
Maziarek interweaves his personal thoughts and experiences with quotes from a variety of sources, as well as friendly narrative that is never once condescending or intimidating. “I personally found it enlightening, and never once felt ‘preached to’,” writes Danielle Feliciano, a reviewer for Reader Views. “Maziarek has found a way to tackle what could be a sensitive topic with grace and respect,” she adds.
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