With amazing writers, it is not prerequisite to read their books cover to cover to understand the richness of them. Instead you can just keep returning to them, and reading segments like getting water from a well.

I started learning how to read books spiritually. This technique can be applied to anything in fact. It can be applied to watching a movie, reading an article, or even listening in a conversation.

But for now, I’d like to talk about books.

The work of Holy Spirit is in all expressions of human life. We hear this all the time, but to perceive it is another thing. Often it is difficult to perceive because our minds are not relaxed.

When we are relaxed, we are not in a “mental” mode. The analytical and judgmental mind is not on survival or thinking mode. During relaxation, Soul starts to come out and play…because it’s safe, and because it enjoys Happiness. It does so only when we are relaxed.

This is particularly important for artists: to be relaxed at all times, especially when creating something that teaches or expresses values.

Values that come from the mind is mental and therefore “Moralistic.” The values the come from the heart is spiritual.

The heart is ethical, it deals with the world in an ethical manner. This means its rules and boundaries are not “morals;” rather, are in alignment with deeper spiritual laws—Divine Laws, which are not man-made but comes from Holy Spirit. Some people may experience this as an element of grace that runs smoothly when they most need it.

When things just “work out;” that’s Grace and Divine Laws operating.

With books by favorite writers: their work is so inspiring and tight (perfected) that I do not need to read the entire book.

With amazing writers, it is not prerequisite to read their books cover to cover to understand the richness of them. Instead you can just keep returning to them, and reading segments like getting water from a well.

This slow nursing process cultivates rich inner life. In it are many things working:

• cultivation of appreciation
• development of patience and moderation
• relaxed attitude
• friendly relationship with Time
• ability to be open or surrender

And desire to return to that which you love…a returning to Love.

When Spirit is in expressions of life: it works with you in a serendipitous yet very exacting ways. It is as though “selective seeing, hearing, listening and reading” is not something that we have to work hard at, but that Spirit selects these things for us; and when it does, it is a gift.

It is a gift for instance, to be surprised in seeing a show, coming across a book, seeing a film or meeting certain people that we would not normally choose. Yet when these things happen, they appear so perfect for what is needed in that moment.

This is a very different experience than when someone (or mass opinions) selects our movies, religion, books and ideas about how to live our lives. This pushes us into a mental way of thinking—which can be well-intentioned or destructive.

Things come to us in their own time and usually the perfect time—when selected by Spirit. The way to let this happen is to be open to it, to not try to achieve it…but to be relaxed and to seek but not search; not force.

Which means that you may walk into a crowded room for instance and a conversation is going on: but when you sit down, you hear JUST THE RIGHT thing that you needed at that time. You even might say JUST THE RIGHT thing for the group even if no one knows you—a particular person or the entire group needed to hear what you said. The conversation may have lasted for three hours but Spirit selects the moment that was needed. It has perfect timing.

The technique for allowing Spirit in our lives takes place in small events. By being opened to read a book through sections rather the whole thing, this practice manifests into larger ways to let life experiences happen. Once you hit that section, just read a few paragraphs and then move onto another section.

By not “searching” for knowledge, you get it. Really good books that are well written and thoughtful have this technique naturally born in them.

When you see a great piece of art (design; such as architecture, furniture or fashion, a show, film or performance) you can see that a really tight piece of work has many sub-perfect parts in them; every little decision has a message. You can appreciate every little part that puts it all together—as though each part were a whole piece.

So it is with books.

Many people who write do not know that they are working with Spirit. Often authors write on a very mental level to get a particular job, task or creative goal done.

But in those cases, they must depend on “muses” or have strikes of lightening hit them after writing many drafts before they get that piece of magic.

That is like watching a three-hour movie to experience one great scene or hear one great line. So it is with literature as well. Long books do not make them any richer. But if a Long book is packed with Spirit—reading 300 pages will feel like 60.

But if you seriously are into the work of Masters, it is worthwhile to stick to the goods stuff. By Masters—I do not mean “known Masters.” I mean, reviewing work that has Mastership in it.

A work that has Mastership in it has those “moments” almost ALL THE TIME. It runs throughout the piece of creation. That is how you know that the artist/person is really working directly with Spirit—either in a conscious or very opened hearted way.

I keep my favorites to a minimum. Not because it is a personal choice but I find good work of Mastership rare or specific to my needs. I study only two poets, two authors and one filmmaker. I love their work dearly and revisit them whenever I need “water” from the well.

As result, I do not feel a desire to have a library of thousands of stuff. Knowledge comes with Love, so when you love something, it isn’t a matter of quantity that gives you knowledge—it is a matter of love, of being really into something.

When you touch a work of an artist/person who creates something out of their heart: you learn from them through love. Every stitch, every detail, every element is filled with Knowledge.

A Spiritual Read is an exercise of “sticking to things you love.” By sticking to them, it does not mean you have developed a rigid attitude of only reading what you like. Rather, by sticking to them, you cultivate and feed Soul.

This is why books about God are never spiritual and never about God, because the writer isn’t speaking from Love but from Intellect. Intellectualism often tears Knowledge apart. Once you have an opinion, there is an opposite opinion—so you run into circles of mental debate. The opposites never meet because that is the nature of opinions. The tendency is to fight.

People who argue about God, argue about God.

Philosophy may be useful when Intellect communicates Soul’s understanding. So the rule is to get to know Soul. Philosophy today is rarely spiritual or understood as such because Education has made it analytical. I am certain that true Philosophy was an experience of being very close to a Master and receiving him with the heart.

That is why I love Plato. I believe that he used intellect to speak from the heart. His philosophy is not of the mind, but that of Soul.

Intellectuals talk about Philosophy but often do not live it. Even while they live it, they are analyzing how meaningful it is. They develop an arrogance from living life a of voyeurism. Making fun of people’s idiosyncrasies—especially in movies. Overtime, they attract an audience that is just like them. This is where Philosophy usually becomes destructive and does not serve society nor is it a Love of Knowledge–for Philosophy is a sincere love for Truth.

In this case, the best advice or words of wisdom comes from your grandmother, a down-to-earth person, a bus driver, the shoe repair guy, or the person you buy your fish from everyday. That’s because these people experience life.

Books are a great way to relax. It depends on what you’re reading. If you let Spirit pick the books for you, it will make you relax. But if you just want to study and read everything—maybe, maybe not. There are not hard rules.

When you are relaxed, you can see the meaning of everything much more clearly. This clarity is not mental—it is Knowledge that comes from the heart’s understanding.

Some people in the world write manuals for a living. These people are doing a great service to humanity because these are instruction books on how to fix things in your life. It sounds really odd that this would mean anything…but a good manual is very hard to find. And when you find it you know, it becomes really “handy.” That’s when you learn to really appreciate the author!

The spot-reading method of Spiritual Reading is great for people in society who don’t have time to read.

When you don’t have time to read, it is like not having time to sit down to eat a meal without inhaling it. So instead of eating a large meal, you eat a sandwich.

Good reads are spiritual books by their very nature—just taking one bite of it, can keep you going for the rest of the day.

When I feel inspired, I will read a short story.