eBook The Art of Living: Living within the Laws of Life download

Fantastic book! Benjamin Creme brings to life an understanding of humanity that is unparalleled in contemporary literature. Written in an easy conversational style, with a "questions and answers" format, this book looks at the cosmic Laws of Living that confront us at every moment, and which we operate under as human beings. Whether it is a better understanding of the laws of Karma or Reincarnation you are seeking, or a deeper insight into the nature of the illusion and duality that leads us off of the spiritual path and into suffering, this work provides a lucid explanation that can open the way for enormous growth in one's life. If you are someone who has a desire to seriously understand the causes behind the outcomes and effects in your life, or who wishes to deepen their understanding of their purpose and role in life, then this is a "must have" book in your library.

An amazing book in applying the spiritual facts of life to our daily lives. It will have you reexamining your thoughts, feelings, and conditioned beliefs about yourself and the world.

The title of this book from Benjamin Creme reminds me of a book written by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi more than forty years earlier titled The Science of Being and the Art of Living. Indeed the subject of these two works is the same: how to perform the art of living in order to align our lives with the laws that govern existence and thereby overcome suffering and fulfill the meaning of human life. Where Maharishi concentrates on the role of meditation, Benjamin Creme also mentions the role of service to the world as a means to realize this alignment. Creme starts from the esoteric tradition (H.P. Blavatski, Alice Bailey) to explain the various laws that govern our lives: the Law of Cause and Effect, the Law of Rebirth, the Law of Harmlessness and the Law of Sacrifice. By giving many examples he tries to show how these laws work and how we can try to live in accordance with them. What I find particularly interesting in this book is the picture of man as part of a bigger whole. That our lives have meaning and that we are playing a role in the developing world we live in.

Benjamin Creme is an unsung hero of our times. The (unpaid) editor of the pioneering "Share International" magazine, he has, for the past twenty-five years, been educating Western publics on the causal links between spiritual growth and social justice. To be sure, his focal idea that the Christ has returned to the world to lead us into an era of peace and harmony, has earned him more enemies than a certain Jewish carpenter could have imagined two millennia ago. But then, Creme has never asked to be believed; only to be received with an open mind. This seems sufficiently humble and democratic for me to bypass occult terminology and focus on the practical consequences of his message: we are all sons of God and, therefore, capable of acting as His representatives on this planet, through correct relation with ourselves and our environment. Love, honesty, trust, and service are the shortest paths to the Kingdom of God.

Creme's literature, distilled from numerous talks and lectures, expounds various aspects of this message. In The Art of Living, the author concentrates on three ideas. First, living as human beings is the most exceptional of arts and thus requires the utmost dedication and the best of training. No educator would dispute this; actually, many would tout the superiority of their own moral and educational system over others. But this is exactly the problem. All theories and systems produce conditioning, eventually pitting us against other people. The returned Christ's mission, Creme affirms, is primarily an educational one. He is here to demonstrate (not simply preach) the perennial laws of Life so that we all can fulfill our potential without recourse to competition and dominance. Chief among these are the ones of Cause and Effect (known as Karma in Eastern traditions), of Rebirth (allows the application of the former across successive incarnations), of Harmlessness (relating to the world from a position of equilibrium, away from the extremes of destruction and imitation), and of Sacrifice (evolution proceeds through giving up a lower aspect of oneself to attain a higher one).

To make living an art form, however, we need to address the fundamental problems of (psychological) conflict and illusion. Creme explores each one in the remaining parts of the book. I find his discourse both pragmatic and optimistic. Instead of condemning these types of conditioning, he accepts them as inevitable stages in human evolution. Conflict emerges as our consciousness begins to register the competing demands of our divine and material natures. However painful this experience may be, it shows that we are awakening souls. Without moral dilemmas we would have been condemned to the mechanical living of animals. Therefore, we should not be afraid of conflict, but rather address and resolve it. We can do that, Creme proposes, through detachment. Abstaining from strong emotional reactions and wisely navigating between aspiration and inertia allows us to gradually establish control over our life.

Far more challenging is the problem of illusion, which affects people discovering the power of the mind. These often believe that intellectuality and sophistication will release them from emotionalism and bring them closer to reality. Creme asserts that the mind, too, obscures reality and has to be overcome through intuition. This last, unfortunately, cannot be developed, only invoked through better alignment with one's soul. Detachment and personal thought control are essential for this to happen.

Diligent readers will find much to ponder on in this volume. Creme is a wonderful narrator who can capture the essence of things in a few sentences, and discuss complicated issues in a way that is direct and often humorous. I would especially recommend his views on the importance of leisure (freedom from the need to survive) for the unfolding of one's spiritual potential; the replacement of memory and mechanical activity with intuition, which guarantees true creativity; and finally, the role of detachment in achieving harmony and peace. At the same time, I should caution that people of a fundamentalist mindset would find little value in the book. Creme's literature requires a degree of intellectual autonomy and spiritual poise that is incompatible with exclusive claims to truth. An open-mind is to be expected if the reader wishes to engage with this body of writings.

This book, like all of Ben Creme's Books, explains in easily understood concepts, how our choices and actions effect our daily lives. We do reap what we sow, but in even more descriptive terms, it lays out ways we can overcome bad choices and directions of the past through service to humanity. The law of rebirth is spelled out clearly, and I found this very interesting. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Masters of Wisdom (called by some the Spiritual Hierarchy), those humans who have gone ahead of us on the evolutionary path, and who help to point us in the right direction. Maitreya, the Head of the Master's of Wisdom, the teacher of Jesus, and the current World Teacher, is described. Maitreya teaches that each must walk the path, in our own unique way (through different faiths and/or via service), towards enlightenment. Support is always there from the Masters of Wisdom for those who seek it.

Creativity isn't just the reserve of painters and writers, but of all of us: living our lives as a creative act, each day different and unique - that's one of the most important things I learnt from this book. Also, being aware of how our thoughts and actions create reactions: the law of karma or causes and effect. And the illusions and glamours that surround us: how to become aware of these and to be more honest with ourselves. A fascinating and thought-provoking book written in a clear, easy to read style that even those totally new to such concepts can understand and benefit from.

Benjamin Creme's books are an ongoing dialogue about how the universe is really working and our place in it. Highly recommended for those whose hearts and minds are open to the new energies and the new time. Maitreya, the World Teacher, is here to guide and assist humanity into the new time. Simply the best. A must read.