"The Pathway of Surrender"

This is a book I've read a couple of times a few years ago. The title gives a bit of a clue as to the content, and it is one that is spiritual in nature…

David Hawkins is author of many books including Power vs Force and this extends on some of those principles.

The basic premise is the simple - not easy - act of letting go. In fact, that's the basis of the whole book which of course delves much deeper.

People cling on to things - both in a larger sense and day-to-day thoughts and feelings which really just need to be let through. Not ignored or denied, rather honoured and allowed to run their course… but then let go so as not to hang about and cause destruction.

A lot of meditation and similar acts are focused on this process too, as well as aspects of Buddhism and others.

Surrendering is where it's at, so let's take a look…

Quotes from the book followed by my thoughts

Letting go involves being aware of a feeling, letting it come up, staying with it, and letting it run its course without wanting to make it different or do anything about it. It means simply to let the feeling be there and to focus on letting out the energy behind it.

The 'simple' process. Straightforward, but not easy in practice. All thoughts and feelings come and go, and it's not about avoiding them - or fuelling them - but letting them come, do their thing and gently letting them go again.

That then becomes a habit that you can do naturally and subconsciously as well as when you're aware. A relaxed flow of life, not getting carried along or attached.

The Buddhists talk about 'clinging'. That's where in all our efforts to obtain happiness, we go after and hold tightly to things we believe will take us there, even though some of these things promise more than they actually deliver. And not only do these things not necessarily deliver, but instead may bring suffering.

In between the fear of living and the fear of dying is the guilt of the moment.

Never happy existential crises! Not being able to just sit and be content, either looking forward and dreading what's to come or fearing each step of the way, leaves us in a state of gloom and uncertainty.

Source

Guilt represents death just as love represents life.

Guilt is one of the low level emotions that keep us in a pit of despair. That constant nagging. Love is at the other end of the spectrum and shines light (we're not just talking of the word in the romantic, or even familial sense, but the general emotion of love).

exemplified in the movie, Tron, in which the very function of “master control” was to enslave by progressive programming.

It's been a while since I watched that film! Classic. Bit by bit we also get programmed to perform in certain ways, drip by drip over a period of time. It's about recognising that and acting accordingly.

the truth of what we really are will set us free.

That's a version of a common phrase, and ultimately, the Truth (capital T) will set you free. Finding who that person is and acting upon it is where true freedom lies.

as one crab crawls up the side of the pail to get out, the other crabs reach up and grab him and pull him back down. So there’s no need for a cover.

Those bastard crabs. I'm sure you can see the analogy and how it may well apply to humans and staying with the crowd. People may well drag us down to stay at their level, and oftentimes not even know it!

That which we want, desire, and insist upon from another person is felt by them as pressure. They will, therefore, unconsciously resist.

What gets pursued (too much) will instinctively back away as a natural reaction. We can't apply too much pressure on others as that's exactly what will happen.

Alternatively, we can still go after what we want but we need to show others who we are, and give them the space to move towards us of their own will.

everyone in our life is acting as a mirror. They are really reflecting back to us what we have failed to acknowledge within ourselves. They are forcing us to look at what needs to be addressed.

The 'life is a mirror' analogy. Yeah, overused and has lost meaning to a degree, but we can't escape that how we are is reflected back to us in many ways. We often ignore that and hope for the best, so it's about getting back that awareness and presenting the mirror with something a bit more palatable.

As without, so within.

Scale of Emotions

Included in this book is a scale of consciousness or emotional chart. There are the more hideous, negative emotions at the bottom, then moving up in higher energy, positive levels of thinking, doing and being.

The book goes into this more with a chapter on each of the core elements and takes you on a journey through. So it's interesting to read about these aspects and where you may fit into it all…

Source

Thanks David! Anything Else?

A thoroughly interesting practical take on spiritual pursuits. The scale of consciousness as well as muscle testing was all new to me and could make a fascinating study if you have an interest.

Muscle testing (or applied kinesiology) can tap into your subconscious through your physical state. A practitioner assesses whether a particular muscle is 'strong' or 'weak' following being asked a question, thus giving an answer to a question you may not even consciously know the answer to. The mental and the physical are obviously linked, but here we have an example of it being displayed with direct feedback.

There are some that dispute all this, and many believing in it fully. The answer as ever probably lies in between. There is definitely something to be learned, in conjunction with, other methods.

For some this book will enter the realm of 'life-changing', for others it may be a bit of a bore. Most will at least find some interesting things. My first read I thought it was phenomenal… second time round it was a bit more 'functional'.

The bottom line is, if we are able to continually let go and do so healthily, then it's going to improve us all as individuals and wider society!

First image my own, others linked to source

Check out the others in the series…

BookBabble #48: "Letting Go" by David Hawkins

Quotes from the book followed by my thoughts

Scale of Emotions

Thanks David! Anything Else?