A singular perspective on spiritual and religious matters from William Arkle (d.2000), a man with his head in the stars (as painter and mentor) and his feet on the ground (as naval engineer and Bristolian landlord).
The material is presented in quasi-scientific format, with diagrams ('maps'). Possibly a legacy of his engineering training, I take them to be metaphorical representations of his deepest intuitions. The reader may confirm them by personal intuition using whatever self-knowledge he has, fitting this into the master's grand scheme. By the by, he uses the word evolution in the sense of change rather than in the sense of natural selection.
In Chapter 2 he introduces 'Bodies of Communication' which I think of as Russian Dolls. For each growth of self-knowledge and self-awareness another doll is added. One identifies with this outer shell and remains aware of, and partially in control of, the inner dolls. The precise number and types are unknown but myself I think of them as (1) physical body, (2) personality/intellect, (3) emotional core, (4) <redacted>, (5) ....?
The key point is that they are *communication* devices which permit us to interface smoothly with the world and to communicate with other beings. The purpose of which is to learn about ourselves and to engage in co-creation, the paradigmatic example being family life. They always operate, but as our awareness of them progresses, they will operate more harmoniously (e.g. 'Awareness of matter is failure to communicate' p.125)
He distinguishes in Chapter 16 between what we normally think of as will power, more accurately termed 'mind-power' or 'desire-power', and our true Will which emanates from the Real Self or Absolute Self (p.190) This puts me in mind of Hamlet (Act 5, Scene 2), 'There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will'. What we cannot do is to *use* this Will for purposes other than its own (p.191). Because it is *our* Will. Yet many of us are frequently attempting to do just that in our lives, causing disharmony and self-defeating behaviour.
A couple of other bits:
p.148 'To be pure is [....] to eradicate from our attitudes the hesitations and suspicions which prevent us acting and experiencing with intensity and conviction.' [Take note those who feel overly-obsessed with social media or addicted to some substance]
p.167 'All children are lazy, destructive and insolent if they are allowed to be..' [Not an idea commonly expressed by gurus or experts!]
Errata:
(p.113 top) 'basic' --> 'basis',
throughout, 'discreet' --> 'discrete'
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Top reviews from other countries
Popinjay
Unique
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2019
Popinjay
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2019
The material is presented in quasi-scientific format, with diagrams ('maps'). Possibly a legacy of his engineering training, I take them to be metaphorical representations of his deepest intuitions. The reader may confirm them by personal intuition using whatever self-knowledge he has, fitting this into the master's grand scheme. By the by, he uses the word evolution in the sense of change rather than in the sense of natural selection.
In Chapter 2 he introduces 'Bodies of Communication' which I think of as Russian Dolls. For each growth of self-knowledge and self-awareness another doll is added. One identifies with this outer shell and remains aware of, and partially in control of, the inner dolls. The precise number and types are unknown but myself I think of them as (1) physical body, (2) personality/intellect, (3) emotional core, (4) <redacted>, (5) ....?
The key point is that they are *communication* devices which permit us to interface smoothly with the world and to communicate with other beings. The purpose of which is to learn about ourselves and to engage in co-creation, the paradigmatic example being family life. They always operate, but as our awareness of them progresses, they will operate more harmoniously (e.g. 'Awareness of matter is failure to communicate' p.125)
He distinguishes in Chapter 16 between what we normally think of as will power, more accurately termed 'mind-power' or 'desire-power', and our true Will which emanates from the Real Self or Absolute Self (p.190) This puts me in mind of Hamlet (Act 5, Scene 2), 'There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will'. What we cannot do is to *use* this Will for purposes other than its own (p.191). Because it is *our* Will. Yet many of us are frequently attempting to do just that in our lives, causing disharmony and self-defeating behaviour.
A couple of other bits:
p.148 'To be pure is [....] to eradicate from our attitudes the hesitations and suspicions which prevent us acting and experiencing with intensity and conviction.' [Take note those who feel overly-obsessed with social media or addicted to some substance]
p.167 'All children are lazy, destructive and insolent if they are allowed to be..' [Not an idea commonly expressed by gurus or experts!]
Errata:
(p.113 top) 'basic' --> 'basis',
throughout, 'discreet' --> 'discrete'
Images in this review
