Spirituality for Effective Living: Teachings of the Masters Through an Unenlightened Disciple - Paperback

by Marty Simon (Author), Yogi Amrit Desai (Foreword by)

Most of us live with a level of stress, fear, and anxiety that we may not even be aware of. But what if we could let go of stress, fear, and anxiety and embrace a life that is more joyful, loving, and, peaceful?

This book invites the reader to explore this possibility. The book is an accessible, practical guide for using spirituality to live a more fulfilling life. It requires no particular beliefs and has no connection to any particular religion or to religion in general. The book consists of short chapters, each of which can be read easily in one sitting. Each chapter focuses on spirituality in a different aspect of everyday life.

Marty is a retired professor of education and disciple of Yogi Amrit Desai since October 1993, when he received the Sanskrit name Govind. Through Yogi Desai, he met Michael (Mickey) Singer, who became an important spiritual teacher for Marty. For more than a decade, Marty has been leading meditation groups. In every group session, he speaks spontaneously on some aspect of spirituality in daily life, allowing the teachings to come through him. The chapters of this book are edited versions of some of these talks and are a unique communication of the spiritual teachings.

Two characteristics of the author make these teachings particularly accessible. First, as indicated in the book's subtitle, Marty is an "unenlightened disciple." His life experience is likely not so different from the readers'. Second, as a professional educator, Marty honed his ability to write while keeping in mind the readers' understanding. This book is intended to help the reader progress in their knowing and awareness.

In Chapter 1, "What is Sprituality?, Marty explains why he considers spirituality to be a "personal science of living." Later in the chapter, he writes, "We have become accustomed to the patterns and conditions of our lives. Spiritual teachers and teachings can help us recognize what we tend not to notice; they offer us a change in perspective."

The diverse chapters of this book touch on most aspects of daily life. They hold up a mirror to our current beliefs, identifications, and ways of acting and invite us to experiment with living with greater awareness.