October, 2004
 
Caught in the Act:
Reflections
on Being, Knowing, and Doing
Caught in the Act uncovers the power of genuine human connection
with others and the powers that exist in the simplicity of life.
Toinette Lippe encourages humankind to trust and respect the force
of the universe. She makes it clear that the universe knows its job
and will serve us if we allow it to.
“Surrender,” is an active and moving force throughout
the book. The idea is that in order to successfully travel on this
journey of discovering or rediscovering yourself afresh, a level
of surrender has to permeate. The meditation chapter that focuses
on being in the present moment will strike a resounding cord with
most readers. In this chapter, Lippe insightfully and clearly reveals
steps toward making life easier and more enjoyable as we live in
the now. The message here is simple—it is in the present tense
where humankind is able to accept the past and dissolve frustrations
regarding the future.
This is an appropriate read for these hectic times. The meditations
in the book are a calming balm that can sooth and protect us from
the overwhelming anxieties of everyday life. Toinette Lippe teaches
that what we regard as small and insignificant in life could possibly
be the solution to a peaceful walk with self, others, and the universe.
—Gary Yates
 www.amma.org
The real purpose of life is to experience what is beyond this physical
existence.” These are the words of Amma, a saintly woman teacher
born half a century ago in a humble village in India.
Amma does not simply deliver discourses or publish her teachings.
She demonstrates them through the simple act of hugging. She has
been known to hug as many as ten thousand devotees for eighteen hours
or more without leaving her seat! This former tough reporter received
the grace of that hug (three times); the effect was a stream of tears
down his cheeks.
Amma.org is beautifully organized and describes in detail the amazingly
varied institutions, activities and projects that her organization
has developed and administered over the past twenty-three years.
There are presently some thirty-three of her centers throughout the
world, and Amma manages to visit most if not all of them in the nine
months she travels each year. And why does she do it? Her words tell
it all: “An unbroken stream of love flows from me towards all
beings in the cosmos. That is my inborn nature.”
—Cliff Johnson
 
Sudden Awakening:
Into
Direct Realization
In his Sudden Awakening, Eli Jaxon-Bear advises the reader that
the experience of “awakening” is unique and different
for all of us. According to Jaxon-Bear, “Finally, you come
to a point where you’ve had enough—a point where you
realize that what you thought you wanted never brings you true happiness.” In
chapter one he uses the dilemma of a slave who has a chance to escape
to freedom as an analogy for the risk we take when we embark on the
path to unveiling our true selves.
Starting with the reflection in our life mirror—do we really
see who we are, or is it a false image we’ve been conditioned
to recognize? In the last chapter, the value of knowing who we really
are is demonstrated in a charming and enlightening parable about
a donkey, a lion, and identity.
The guidance offered in Sudden Awakening is thought provoking and
stimulating. With wisdom and insight, Eli Jaxon-Bear guides the reader
through the multi-layered process of awakening to authentic self-realization. www.leela.org
—Yolanda Porter
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