Putting on the Mind of Christ: The Inner Work of Christian Spirituality

I belong to a Gurdjieff group and went on a date with a Born Again "christian" who also attends G meetings. (Don't ask how he is able to attend both - G Work is esoteric Christianity and all about Inner Work and trying to Awaken and become Aware -  In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Harvest Book) , Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson (All and Everything/First) ). He was hiding from me his churchianity until his very weird behavior made me start asking questions - he just could not relate and kept on bailing out every time I asked questions about what he believes in - exactly symptoms of addiction, isn't it? - and then he came out of the closet and said openly what he practices and my hair just went up.I kinda knew something must be wrong - out here, we have a lot of heavy drug users, who then get off drugs and become Born Again "christians", then go back to drugs, and keep on switching like that, infinitely. Obviously, the mentality of those people and that religion somehow fits, and it doesn't lead to healing.So this churchian expounded his beliefs that "Jesus is THE only way to salvation, if you don't accept it you are not a child of God and you are condemned and go to hell - and if you accept it and accept the Bible as a book of rules to be literally followed, then you go to heaven". Well, Hitler said similar things.... My friends answer: "Yes, I know it probably sounds arrogant, but Bible says so, therefore it is the Truth." Interesting - Bible tells him to diss people, and he does it, without any questioning.Those views completely negate the Universality of God, the Oneness of God, and the achievements of all saints and sages throughout the history. Also, those views are very militant and rather ... dumb. To read the Bible so literally and to consider every word in it as "truth", even when it sounds wrong to our own common sense, is just dogma and being manipulated and brainwashed.If someone has no common sense to know inside him what is right and what is wrong, and someone else has to tell him, and he obeys even if it sounds wrong, well - is that an adult, or even a human being?Also, Jesus as "the" savior is pretty skimpy - this concept of "guaranteed salvation without much work" is like selling one's soul to the devil. It just does not make sense to have a guaranteed membership IF you accept all the terms. It sounds like blackmail, doesn't it, and also as an empty promise. Especially because it has proven to be empty promise - this churchian prayed like this for 30 years and his life was in shambles, until he joined the G group and started actually Working.One huge thing about churchianity is inability to Listen. They pray and do charitable deeds, but they never sit down to meditate and Listen to what God has to say. They just talk, begging God for this or that favor, asking God to reward them for this or that good deed, but never listening to what is truely the heart of the matter.The churchian also exibited other traits characteristic of churchians, for example he cannot have any fun, because he can never ever be In the Moment. He is always stuck either being afraid of being punished or looking forward to some heaven. He spends all his time just bsing about it, doing some "charitable deeds" and being proud of his own "positive influence," even if he doesn't speak with his own children or I complain that he is treating me rudely. His behavior is extremely hypocritical. And exactly like Sunday service.This fear of eternal damnation is a very powerful force that makes a person completely frozen inside and very "careerist" in life. He can do charitable works and other externally looking good things, but behind the closed door, he completely lacks any compassion and any shame. Everything he does is from the point of view: "does it make me look good, does it bring me brownie points that count toward heaven or not." He is *** DEATHLY SCARED*** that God is going to kick his behind and send him to hell. But this fear is completely irrational and very schizofrenic. Some things are in the Bible and he is deathly afraid of breaking those rules, like sex before marriage. But Bible says nothing about Hooters, so going there with his "good friends" and "enjoying" himself is totally fun and ok, quite nice, even if he is dating someone. Some things are not in the Bible and he doesn't care, he didn't speak with his own children for about 10 years. Too bad, he says, he prayed about it. Well, only prayer is not going to cut it!!! Some things are in the Bible but can be broken, like he did get divorced although the Bible said no to that. But everyone is breaking that rule now so it is ok. He denied things, lied straight to my face, tried to blackmail me, and even to convert me by force. He never showed any shame or remorse about it and never even appologized. He told me that he loved me so much that he couldn't live without me, but then he bailed and left for good. He said that he felt bad for a weekend, but then his life took off in a positive direction, doing charitable works... Several months later, he told me over email that he saw nude Jennifer Aniston on yahoo news and it made him think about me for a short while, while driving for work, but then he forgot as soon as he got out of the car. My reaction? gosh, is it possible to have an adult at this level of inconsideration and immaturity? Bible probably has no rules about that kind of rudeness and inconsideration.... is my cynical comment. He basically treated me exactly according to churchian rules: as if I were condemned and going to hell, while he was special and privileged and going to heaven.Churchian way of handling relationships? As long as everything is for him and he doesn't have to move a finger, then he is willing to be spoiled. (This is because he is used to belonging to this "special club" of "saved people" for whom Jesus already did all the work, so they can just scoot in life.) If I complain that he is completely arrogant and condescending and lazy, then he says a prayer to God, asks God for forgiveness, and moves on as if nothing happened. And if I ask difficult questions about what kind of boxed-in "god" is that, then he leaves for good. I finally told him to grow up or get lost, and he left, all proud that he "defended his faith, like persecuted Christians of old times". It was truly a black comedy. Almost - because this "loving Christian" yelled at me in a very merciless and very rude way, for asking difficult questions which he didn't have to answer. An extremely immature and low-level person, very selfish and unable to relate, kept at that level by his belief system.This all prompted me to research into fundamental christianity and what it all means and how it all works. It is obvious that the dogma is designed to scare people and keep them in fear and thus easily manipulated. The whole thing is an addiction. Also, it is obvious that the whole thing is designed for a certain type of person, who is rather weak and has to hide behind something external that looks powerful, and also is not really intelligent to think for themselves, lacks confidence, is emotionally damaged and needs something to hang onto, and more than anything, is willing to live in fear, denial, guilt, hypocrisy and lies. Someone who lacks genuine compassion and has no inner strength. It is even worse than a regular con artist, because this person still does whatever they want to, plus they feel good about themselves, how "good" of a person they are. My net conclusion is that churchianity is a phenomenally good excuse to do as you please and to always have an official backing.Jim Marion's book was helpful in some ways, because it put nicely into words what I already discovered by hanging out with this churchian addict. What was not so useful is that Jim's book often talks about things in such authoritative manner, like Jim is God himself and is so totally sure that we have x, y, z personalities, etc. Jim just tends to be a little too personally invested and sounding a little too "know it all" and without any old lineage to back him up. These spiritual things are tricky, it is a must to have "older" people guide us.There are other books that I read during this research project, and I highly recommend them. Lost Christianity Gifts of the Desert: The Forgotten Path of Christian Spirituality If you want to read more complete analysis of mine on the subject of churchianity, check out my blog, [...]There should probably be websites for recovering churchians. This guilt trip and this fear of eternal damnation is such a heavy heavy burden. I told my churchian friend: who cares if you are going to hell or not LATER, when NOW you live in a hell and create hell for everyone who comes in contact with you. Why don't you start living Heaven NOW? Right now. That is all that matters. Your church is just scaring you with something that will happen after you die and there is no way you can check if it is true or not, it is just emotional blackmail; and they are holding you tight by promising you something nice when you die, and again you cannot verify it at all. And you can never live NOW. You have no presence, no tools, no skills, nothing, to LIVE NOW, to be aware, to be more conscious, to relate with genuine compassion. Your church doesn't want you thinking and feeling and dealing with NOW. They want you to pretend you are a good boy.It is impossible to pretend you are "good". Being truly "good" requires a lot of personal work, to get to the point where we are aware enough to actually have some resemblance of control over our negative emotions, instead of just denying them and pretending all is rosey and then doing some horrible things and without any shame whatsoever. You couldn't even love your own two children, how shameless and low is that. Where was your church to teach you about responsibility and love. They just take your money and give you membership in a special club that takes you to Heaven for sure, no matter what you do. That is terrible. You are not fit for any relationship or god forbid parenting. Why Can't We Be Good?

This book recounts the enlightenment experience/process of the author, and uses the writing of Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Avila and the works of Jean Piaget and Ken Wilbur to contextualize what is fundamentally an experience/process that is beyond the mind's ability to fully comprehend, and beyond the ability of words to fully describe. Implied by this statement is that there is a larger "Truth" within which the typical life unfolds. And so be it.Paiget's work, as developed by Wilbur, explains a series of 9 levels of *spiritual* development -- which are completely analogous to the levels of intellectual development, emotional development, or physical development, that people traverses. Simply put, there are spiritual-development stages through which human beings progress.These differing kinds of development (intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual) are generally independent of one-another; One can be intellectually brilliant, but, for example, emotionally "retarded". Very importantly, most folks never get past the first few steps of spiritual development. This matters, critically so, because the fully enlightened masters, Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tsu, Krishna, etc. functioned at the highest spiritual-development level. And, they tried to explain "the truth" to people who are functioning at 5 or 6 spiritual-development levels below themselves. This is one reason for what I call "religious story problems" -- parables and other indirect teaching methods -- the master is trying to make a "higher truth" into something folks can relate to.This book provides perspective and insight regarding the path any and every human being has before them, and may, to one degree or another walk down, sooner or later. It takes what most likely would be a confusing and possibly even disturbing journey, and provides a way to appreciate it. It also helps identify, in a generally backhanded manner, common obstacles that can keep people from developing and progressing.I opine that this book is not for everyone. I consider it "the deep end" of the spiritual "pool", some folks just won't relate to what it is saying (yet). For me, it was one of the most important books I ever read. I presume I was lucky enough to have an open and permissive paradigm, so as to be able to appreciate it, without it conflicting with what I had previously decided had to be the way of things (it might do just exactly that). I have purchased and given away a dozen or so copies of this book to folks I either hoped were ready for it, or I thought might be. I totally love it.

In some respects, it's embarrassing for me to have waited this long to put in my two cents on this book. I bought it when it first came out about 15 years ago from a regular book store. Never used Amazon until very recently. I'd buy a copy and give it away, then buy another one, some times special order from my local store, and eventually give it away.Considering the number of positive reviews, I doubt Jim needs one from me; I'm nobody special. That said, I would like to state my piece. I believe that spiritual books can be intensely personal for the reader. I've read many and have been left cold. I don't deny that they may have something positive to contribute, just not to me. I have a hard time reading Wilber. It's always a crap shoot, just like life is, to buy a book. I think it's worth the coin to find out if this one will speak to you. Don't like it, try donating it to a library, friend, or organization.I also must confess that Jim is now a friend of mine. I did not know him when I bought his book the first time. I had some experiences with the Holy Spirit through Lawrence M Richardson, who recommended Jim's work. When I bought and read the book the first time, I had some questions for Jim. I rather spontaneously typed in his email address which I didn't know, to an email and sent it off. The Holy Spirit at work I guess. Jim graciously answered, and over the years has helped me in deeply personal spiritual matters. This book spoke to me and has changed my life by clarifying what was lurking just under the surface of my consciousness. Maybe it will do so for you

This is a gripping book in which Jim Marrion lays out a road-map of the development of human consciousness, from the mind of the child, through adolescence, into adulthood and then growing further into unity with the Source of everything. The later 'spiritual' stages of this development are not often explored or lived in western society, since organised religion very rarely recognises or supports the evolution of consciousness beyond the Rational level. Jim describes his own journey and also addresses the implications for society in the need to evolve consciousness beyond Tribal and Mythical thinking, which support duality, not union of consciousness.

Arrived in a timely manner with no damage.

This book speaks of things I’ve never heard about before. All the same so much of it provides a framework for the array of experiences that are a part of my life that no book I’ve read previously has acknowledged as Christian experience. The best part is the way I am encouraged by this book to stay the spiritual path. An extraordinary, courageous, insightful, encouraging, hope filled read!

I have been wanting to read this book for some time but was somewhat disappointed when I finally got around to it.There is a lot of good stuff in here regarding the mysticism of St. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila and the author does a good job in making their wisdom and experience relevant for a contemporary reader.His scholarship is obvious and he provides references and excerpts from many historical and modern sources. His own experiences augment the facts but there were several passages that sounded needlessly "New Agey" for the subject at hand.Despite misgivings about such subjects as channeling etc., I respected the author's experience and did not allow it to detract from the greater message of the book.Then I came to a chapter in which the author describes in detail the seven levels of the afterlife. Marion does not qualify the content by allowing that this is a subjective opinion, he speaks with authority and states that he knows "with certainty" that what Jesus taught about the afterlife was true.He then begins mapping heaven according to a patchwork of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Carlos Casteneda and (presumably) the NDE'ers who have visited heaven and returned to earth in order to do the talk show circuit. I don't recall Jesus mentioning any of these.This one chapter tainted what was otherwise a very readable book for me as it seemed to leave no room for the mystery I thought might lie at the heart of mysticism.There are many good references to the philosophy of Ken Wilber and although Wilber wrote the forward for the book, I doubt that he would agree with many of Marion's points regarding memories of past lives and channeling as he has openly questioned such claims in other places. If I wanted to read about those topics, I would pick up (and have done so) something by Shirley McClaine - they just seemed out of place in this book.

This book has become one of my favorite books. I have read and reread many sections of this book as it has been transformative for me.