The Lotus and the Lily: Access the Wisdom of ... - Self Help in You

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This review is from: The Lotus and the Lily: Access the Wisdom of Buddha and Jesus to Nourish Your Beautiful, Abundant Life (Paperback)

Janet Conner?s Writing Down Your Soul is the best-written spiritual writing guide that I?ve come across. Her latest book, The Lotus and the Lily, published last month, is a perfect follow-up. By focusing on the teachings of Buddha and Jesus, Conner offers a complete life makeover in 30 days. She calls it a 30-Day Soul Program.

So how exactly does Buddha meet Jesus? How does the lotus relate to the lily? The lotus flower, a symbol of the teachings of Buddha, represents his poetic phrase, ?When conditions are sufficient there is a manifestation.? The lily, a symbol of Christianity, represents Jesus?s belief that life will always be aligned if one seeks divine guidance. He once said, ?When we pursue a right relationship with the Universal One, and allow this relationship to realign our lives, we product a condition of receptivity in which anything we need to help us complete our purpose in life will be supplied by the universe.? So how do these two concepts connect? To get the right conditions, Conner encourages her readers to activate their own innate spiritual intelligence.

The four-week program begins with what she calls preparing in the first week, then looking back at our past in the second, releasing what she calls ?thought worms.? These are old negative thoughts implanted since birth. In week three, we release the old to make room for the new, and along the way, forgive those who have wronged us. We also learn to forgive ourselves. In the final week, readers look forward, identifying their purpose. The book culminates in creating an intention mandala to represent the vision of your ideal life. A mandala itself is a symbol widely seen in Buddhism and meditation, a spiritual teaching tool. Conner asks her readers to physically make one.

A life makeover is a popular and ubiquitous subject for many spiritual authors, but Conner manages to keep her pages continually stimulating and original by combining the ideas of two very different faiths. She encourages readers to move away from asking for things to creating the conditions that nourish a fulfilling life. There is also a focus on the divine, rather than desires, wants and needs.

Ultimately, I found that Conner?s voice makes her pages compelling. She is candid, raw, learned, and highly engaging. You never tire of her voice. Her frankness on the page is endearing and she leaves us with a plethora of insights, and a blueprint for a whole new life.

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