Hey FinerMinds tribe! Today’s Note is Spiritual Liberation by Michael Bernard Beckwith.
I have to admit that I’ve not read this book. But I have seen him speak at his Agape Center at Culver City in Los Angeles and his talks are inspiring and electrifying. My wife and I are moving to LA for a month in mid-Feb and we’re going to make it a habit to attend his Agape Center sessions every Sunday morning. Beckwith is a legend.
Spiritual Liberation by Michael Bernard Beckwith.
“My central message is not about religiosity or churchianity. It is about aspiring toward spiritual liberation, which I define as becoming free from the narrow confines of fear, doubt, worry, and lack, and living instead from a conscious awareness of one’s Authentic Self, one’s true nature of wholeness.
Spiritual liberation results from discovering and expressing the intrinsic qualities of enlightened consciousness that have been ours since the moment we came into existence. Simply put, all that is required to live up to our highest potential is already inside us awaiting our conscious activation. Living up to our potential is about becoming more ourselves, more of who and what we are as awakened beings, a central theme you will encounter throughout this book.”
~ Michael Bernard Beckwith from Spiritual Liberation
And a few words from Brian: “Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith is easily one of the most electrifying and energetic people I’ve ever seen.
He lights up the transdenominational church he founded over 20 years ago (the Agape Spiritual Center) every Wednesday and Sunday and if you find yourself in Los Angeles I HIGHLY recommend you check it and him out!
It’s simply impossible to capture his energy in a book, but Spiritual Liberation is packed with a bunch of Big Ideas I’m excited to explore. So, let’s get on it. 
”
Wanna know more about this book? You can grab a copy of Spiritual Liberation over here »
And as always, what’s your BIGGEST Aha! moment from this Note and how are you going to implement the wisdom from today into your life? Drop a comment and let the discussions roll!
And twitter users, don’t forget the #50days Also, because lots of people are joining in on the Challenge a few days late and in case you miss a day or two, check out this page » We’ve listed every Note that will be discussed (on which day) along with links to the discussion posts.
Can’t wait to get the discussion going on today’s Note. Talk to you guys tomorrow and if you haven’t got your 100 PhilosophersNotes yet, you can grab them here »
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“The freedom of discipline means that you agree to free yourself from the limitation of playacting the roles assigned to you by society, family, religion, and education and accept the part that has been written for you since the beginning of time: being your Self.”
Ok, that quote was GREAT. The standouts for me were discipline and practice. I’ve been very focused on implementing practices into my life and this note really spoke to me about that.
The idea of discipline being a gift to yourself was also so very powerful. Those two ideas just really stood out for me today. Discipline and practice. Don’t just consume knowledge, put it to use!
right on!
Thanks Aeryck. I am reading this comment the next morning, and it brought back the essence of the note back to me one more time.
Hola Brian, my fave quotes from the Rev: “The combination of love for something with the willingness to do what it takes to practice it—discipline—results in freedom.” Amen!
“Actions feed and strengthen confidence; inaction in all forms feeds fear. To fight fear, act…” Yessiree!
:How is the Spirit of Life functioning in, through, and as me?“
You know how, Brian and Vishen, you’re doing it… THANK YOU!
hehe and Amen!! and thx! and let’s rock!
practice practice practice…
i have been practicing visualizing moments or events that i want to happen. last week when undergoing an MRI, I visualized being in a nice warm pool at my favorite hotel in ann arbor with everyone from my family there, including my brother who is a drug addict and alcoholic. My 3 sisters and my parents happily booked rooms and were thrilled with the idea. After 2 emails and a phone call to my brother, he called me this morning, which never happens, to tell me that he and his family will be joining us too. Feb. 13th we will all be together. My mom said, I don’t know what you did, but whatever it was worked.…
Alive in MI, Lisa
Transcend ego & live from authentic self
Discipline is committing long enough for new habits & disposition
It’s the practice of self-love, self-respect & surrender that results in freedom & “Blissipline”
Don’t be a mediocre trend-follower, but have spiritual role models & plug into highest self
Positive-Negativity: a bad day for the ego is a good day for the soul. Focus on growth opportunities + regenerate, rejuvenate & surrender
Waiting in safety causes fear & hesitation. Participate, risk & grow now
It’s courageous to risk MISTAKES & grow from them
Rudimentary spirituality is THEORY & philosophy while advanced is PRACTICE anchored in reality.
Consuming THEORY without PRACTICE leads to spiritual indigestion & constipation
PERSONALITY is the mask we wear (seeks happiness) & CHARACTER is the imprint on our soul (infuses being w/ happiness)
Paradigm shift to identify that Spirit of Life functions within & through us
Be radically alive give gifts w/ confidence & inner authority
nice!
tangent: when we talk about ken wilber soon we’ll hit on the importance of transcending AND including ego! many (most?) peeps think we need to transcend and can somehow *exclude* the ego. which is not only not a good idea but impossible.
fun!
Good point.
It made me go back and re-watch and re-read where I got the digest of “Transcend ego & live from authentic self” to see if I had left anything out.
In the video you said, “Beckwith talks about how important it is that if we want to transcend the merely and purely egoic relationship to life and live from our authentic self — our highest expression of ourselves — we’ve got to have discipline.”
So it looks like you were saying that we shouldn’t have a 100% purely Egoic relationship to life, which is more nuanced.
But in the note, Beckwith says, ““The transition from the egoic self to the Authentic Self requires discipline…”
So I guess I interpreted his “transition from egoic self” to mean “transcend ego.”
It sounds like what you’re saying is that it’s more of a shift of a center of gravity of pure ego, and to transcend the limitations and include the broader aspects of the Authentic Self.
exactly. great distinctions.
i have an allergy to how people throw around the idea of “ego” so loosely. we’re gonna talk about this more in big mind big heart by genpo + ken wilber. from my perspective, most people who want to get rid of their ego (which is not only unwise but impossible) don’t even have a well enough formed ego to let go of in the first place.
Stretching with the Challenge. Loving the abundance you (yes you) are sharing with me.
Wow — another hit ! I love the discipline angle! Wonderful — you are what you do!! Recently saw a motto for an Army unit “deeds not words” think it is appropriate here. Being a marketer — I like trends!!!! LOL we want you to self actualize with our products!
Practice Practice Practice and come alive
reminds me of emerson: “what you do speaks so loudly i cannot hear what you say.”
Wow, what a gem this is again, great comments, love them
they leave me to just say :Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.….…all of you
Olga
amen to that, olga!
You know, I was actually thinking about blowing today’s PN off, because, well, I really don’t know why now! Crazy, right? I’m really glad I practiced discipline and read it. I made a promise to myself to take this challenge and read a note a day for 50 days and I feel so much better for sticking to it! Michael Bernard Beckwith was one of the best things about the Secret and I’ve been following him and his work every since. Of course, the main point I got out of today’s note was practicing discipline. But also, especially so, the idea of doing what makes you feel alive. Not looking at what the world needs but just doing what makes me feel alive and becoming the best me I can be. This really hit home for me as finding my place in the world has been my main focus and struggle for pretty much all my short life. So…I commit to joy and discipline and freedom and awakening…in each moment…from Now onward!
love it, rikkitikkitavi!
big smiles and high fives for the 100% commitment!!!
I loved the concept of a cosmic celebration being localized within us that life is not a problem to be solved, but a magnificent mystery to be lived. What an awesome privilege life is. I’m glad with so much available to learn here, that I can have “notes” to help.
“Discipline is a practice of self-love, self-respect, and surrender that results in freedom.”
While we learned that discipline consists in following some rules of the game, while doing some activities, I find it very attractive to think that discipline is a practice of self love… Personnaly, I prefer this version…
“Begin to consciously break your agreement with the mediocrity present in the tyranny of trends.” (Pierre Daco, a psychologist, call people who follow the trend: “social animals”).
“A cosmic celebration can be localized within you when you realize that life is not a problem to be solved but a magnificent mystery to be lived” (How it is nicely said)
“Mistakes are about getting the blessing in the lesson and the lesson in the blessing.” (I am
in total admiration — a pure ethereal expression). For people who are perfectionist, and don’t allow themselves to make mistakes, I believe that this sentence might be a whole therapy by itself.
“Rudimentary spirituality is theory; advanced spirituality is practice.” I consider this as a great invitation to pratice, that I cannot refuse. It reminds me that I have to practice more and more…
Radically alive!!!! and many thanks to Brian…
I really enjoyed this note on Spiritual Liberation. I have never thought so much about DISCIPLINE as I have today.Thank you for this as I now understand what a big role it plays in my life and how extremely important it is to become a master at it.
Participating in things, by doing you will learn more. What a great lesson to re– learn. I have the perfect teacher for this one my 8 year old son, he has his hand up saying pick me, pick me before he even knows what he is volunteering for. It is amazing how kids are fearless and there minds work as sponges learning and taking in everything around them. Its a beautiful site to see and be part of.
Thanks for Michael Beckwith note! I loved the guy’s energy in ‘The Secret’ but somehow couldn’t bite into his book… ‘Character’ vs ‘persona’ was an excellent big idea for me. And the spiritual constipation
! I think I’ve been a part of the spiritually constipated folks for a while, even though I believe I walk my talk. I believe I should do more ‘walking’ though…
Anyway, thank YOU!
This is one of the most powerful notes I have read so far! I LOVE the idea of Blissipline coming from discipline. Time to stop reading/talking/looking for the next course to take and start doing more practice
yes! me, too, prabha!
The PN on “Spiritual Liberation” was awesome! There are so many ideas that resonated within, that I added ideas to the ‘big ideas’, ha! What an incredible way to describe our lack of alingment and how to get back on the path. It’s an absolute inspiration for the warrior’s journey.
“A cosmic celebration can be localized within you when you realize that life is not a problem to be solved but a magnificent mystery to be lived.”
That one made me laugh out loud. It gives me comfort to hear that to such a great mind, as Mr Beckwith’s, Life still is a mystery! That’s beautiful! However enlightened I might become life will still be a mystery.
I picture all the great teachers sitting around a table on an international conference saying something along the lines of: “… well… we don’t really _know_ what life is about but we think it goes a little something like this;…” That thought is what made me laugh and it also reminded me of an Einstein qoute “Well, it wouldn’t be called “research” if we knew what we were doing.”.
Anyway: This seems like a great book by a great man.
My favorite idea, i think, is the one about discovering one’s mission and not do what one “should” be doing. Because, if you are not very enlightened, you will probably project all of society’s idea about what that is.
Peace and love to you all!
/Tottish
Theory is rudimentary. Advanced spirituality is practice. This note, too, I felt was extremely similar to the others. What’s funny to me, is that not only are all these people saying a lot of the same/extremely similar analagous stuff, but the ideas can largely be summarized by kindergarden-level platitudes:
What really resonates with me today is the idea of “Discipline leads to Blissipline”. What a great way to look at this aspect to self improvement that seems to be counter intuitive. It really got me thinking that we are always looking for easy/automatic ways to improve ourselves. It occurred to me that there really isn’t anything hard about practicing the kinds of things that we are learning and/or reinforcing in these Philosopher’s Notes. The hard part is to have the discipline to do what is necesary to practice the ideas. I am going to make this my mantra when I see myself starting to slip. It really puts it in perspective for me.____Thanks Brian (and the entire PN team)
The first time I saw Michael Beckwith was in The Secret. He exuded such gentle power in everything that he said. An ability to pierce the heart. What he said about the word discipline having a negative conotation for some people really resonated with me today. I know that for me during childhood espeacially and even into the present, discipline is synonomous with punishment. I have to replace the word discipline because I noticed that I shut down my attention during the whole discussion about it. I think my new word for the day will be Habitization.….:)
The other point that most resonated with me was “Be bold enough to articulate what you are sensing, feeling, and knowing. Now is the time for you to partner with that immense power. Allow the tidal wave of the divine inspiration to wash over you and express in, through, and as you. see part2
Consciously and confidently enter the sacred process of co-creation, because That which expresses as you does not happen through anyone else in quite the same way. Become a master of your own divine, radiant creative expression.”
“You are not here to merely survive but to soar, to express and release the dynamic power of consciousness residing at the deepest center of your being.”
I have just began to start writing about topics regarding personal growth on my website and often worry that the content may not be unique enough or thorough enough to be of value to others.( I do know that this is my purpose because once I get started on something the words just seem to flow and at times I wonder how could that possibly have come from me.) These words remind me that it does not matter so much, because someone will find value in the words and content at some level and there will always be an opportunity to make it better if there is a mis-take.…..
I am getting so much from PN and also from the insights of all of you. Blessings to everyone!
I see you.….…
I’m spiritually constipated!
I thought this was all beautiful, profound and helpful. I’ve rarely felt so gently about myself as I did when I thought back on my Bagel burning Mis-Takes, with that perspective.
I really liked the Tyranny of Trends dismissal — that can be so confusing , especially when you’re looking around for role-models. I loved that backed up by Character vs Personality — great distinction, and the Be Radically Alive — because the searching for Role-models is again within yourself.
Checking in on Day 9 — I got out of bed today feeling excited to tackle the world! Haven’t felt that way in a while
Spiritual Liberation is one of my favorite books, and I will make a point to see Michael Bernard Beckwith at his Southern California church. The idea, “that spiritual liberation results from discovering and expressing the intrinsic qualities of enlightened consciousness that have been hours since the moment we came into existence” is absolutely awesome and strikes a harmonic note in my soul. Living up to our full potential, means setting high expectations. What I like most about Beckwith is that he understands human nature and we don’t have to be perfect. We will make mistakes but the idea is that we learn from them and move forward. This is a great read your notes were right on target.
OK this is one of those where I’ve felt my spirit lifting (as evidenced by my cheeks lifting to smile) increasingly as I’m reading through it. Some key things that jumped out at me:
“You agree to free yourself from the limitation of playacting the roles assigned to you” resonates with me as I know I’ve been, well, let’s call it for lack of a better word, “guilty” of this … I get all of the “personality” (“persona” masks) in place to express that “this” is who I am, but I don’t live it fully. There’s a saying in my field that “writer’s write.” There’s a lot packed into that that’s relevant to the above, at least for me. In L.A., in proverbial Hollywood, and very much in NY as well, there are a lot of people who “dress the part” of the writer, the really creative type, very well….
But I think they (and admittedly sometimes I) get more wrapped up in trying to living what they believe is the accepted, even trendy, lifestyle, including the clothes, the haircut, the glasses, the places they hang out, the people they befriend) as the path to their self-fulfillment, their living a life of purpose, than actually listening to their inner Character and letting that guide them to who they can and should be. Again, when I say “they” I’ll admit it’s often “me.” But who knows, following the true path of Character might actually result in me or them or you living the lifestyle that then others endeavor to emulate.
I also like: “the will to good becomes a disposition to good. … [there’s] a new way of being where doing the right thing comes naturally.” This reminds me of a panel discussion in which I participated a couple of years ago where the group was asked “what’s the future of green?” My response – and perhaps it surprised me a little bit – was that ideally the future is one in which “green” (e.g., eco-friendly, world saving, conservational, etc.) is no longer thought of and termed as “green” … it’s just the way things are, the things people do, the choices they make … it’s simply what’s right.
I referenced those commercials in the ‘70’s with the American Indian (now Native American) looking out over the land full of trash, turning to the camera and crying a tear for what used to be. Back then, it seemed to be no big deal to throw a McDonald’s bag out your car window. Today that sounds like insanity to me. Same thing with seat belts, remembering how maybe 20 years ago we rarely every wore them. Now I feel naked and vulnerable without it and it’s simply a habit, the right thing, a discipline I really never think about.
As for the discipline, I’m personally pleased that just having taken the step to do the 50 days of PN! That’s certainly progress in my mind to start creating and adhering to the necessary discipline to open up some time in my day to refuel, refocus, rejuvenate!
I love this note.
Burn the bagel and “mis-take” lovely and liberating.
I am “alive” teaching yoga. I have been fearful of teaching at my favorite studio and need to take the leap. Fear is excitement without the breath.
Thank you,
Laura from Michigan
I watched the video, The Secret, about a year ago so I encountered Michael Beckwith before. I even browsed through his book a few months ago. To be honest I don’t know what to think of him and his philosophy of life. He certainly has many answers, even before I ask the questions. Although I agree with some of his recommendations I believe he is another New Ager and therefor someone for me to be somewhat extra alert reading his material. The December issue of the Atlantic Monthly had an interesting article Did Christianity Cause the Crash?: How Preachers are Spreading a Gospel of Debt. by Hanna Rosin.Seeping into the sermons is what is called a philosophy referred to as the prosperity gospel. And it is springing up in black and Latino churches. The preachers talk about the abundant life but often they are the only ones in the church who seem to be getting wealthy. I sense thaat Michael Beckwith is operating on the edge of that movement.
I have something to say about Beckwith’s first Big Idea: practicing discipline. I spent years in my life striving to develop discipline in many areas. Sometimes I was successful and often I was not. As a result I carried a strong respect for anyone who seemed to be able to call upon discipline to help them reach their goals. I wrote an essay How to Practice Self-Discipline several years ago and my research and findings I think is much more meaningful than Beckwith’s words on the subject. For one thing many of us grew up with adult caregivers being domineering over us telling us what we must do and even punishing us if we did not meet their goals. Thus for many of us the word discipline is associated with unfair discipline. Thus it makes sense that many of us shun the idea. But my research further linked will power with discipline and pointed out how our egos beat us up internally when our so-called strong will is unable to follow through being as disciplined as we need to be. Consequently, there are definite reasons why some of us rebel when we are told to be disciplined.
Having said that I think we need to acquire discipline but by better understanding how our culture and we ourselves may have made the concept seem negative. We need to understand that then overcome it to apply discipline in a positive way.
Just what I needed…some pushing.…seeing discipline in a positive light.…and importance of practice practice practice…so true…Im gonna start all that I have planned…all that I have scheduled to do…and thats the key.…great note Brian! Thanks.…again, just what I needed.…
If I look at my mistakes as a mis-take, it takes all the onus out of it. (As Brian says, that IS big.)
I can admit easily that I was wrong or lazy or whatever. Especially if I remember that the Spirit (with a capital “S”) individualized itself as me, I can ask, “Who am I defending when I make a mis-take?” The fact is, held this way (as Spirit) there IS NOTHING TO DEFEND!
What also hit home with me is Dr. Howard’s thoughts on asking yourself what makes you come alive (as opposed to asking what the world needs). Because your full-out aliveness is what the world needs. This notion is also brought out by Joseph Campbell who writes in “The Power of Myth,” that in finding your own journey to “saving yourself” with your spirit and aliveness, you uplift the world.
I’m catching up today, got a little bit behind.
I’m giving some thought to “Spiritual indigestion and constipation”.
“To read and study and have conversations about spiritual practices is good, but unless you incorporate them into your life, you won’t embody or integrate them — which means you aren’t receiving their benefits”.
I have bought and read so many self help books over the years. But I do need to move from the theory to the practice.
I loved the quote about circulating life-energy in the world. It is too easy to get internally centered (guilty of this) and miss the folks around you.
I’m going to take “Be Radically Alive” as my 2010 theme. What a wonderful, multi-faceted notion and challenge to embody.…
I love the quote about “you are not here merely to survive but to soar…” I’m reminded of the saying don’t allow good to be the enemy of great — ties to set points from Eker, etc.
I have made my share of mistakes, seen good and bad. There is a proverb in my country which goes (something like this) “every bad thing or event comes for something good”. We never know why something bad, unpleasant or unfortunate happens to us, maybe it is to help us change the track, think things over, reshape sth in our mind to make it better. Also, it is important to find out what our real needs are and what we have been constantly programmed to need.
And practice, that’s what we were taught at school, too. From theory to practice, then back to the theory and so on. And that’s why the need to keep a journal seems to be of a great importance; it will keep us, at least I hope it will keep me, on the track — you have done this, but not that: do it now! The balance of thoughts and deeds.
Very pertinent point here, Ljerka.. from theory to practice and back again in the loop. we have a proverb in our country too.. “if something that you wished to happen, happens; Its good. If something you didn’t wish, happens. Its better. God is showing you his wish through it”. Your name seems european. which country do you come from?
My favorites were discipline is blissipline and burnt bagels. How much do I have to really contemplate an action that I feel deep in my spirit before doing it in a loving way without a thought to any negative consequences. Hesitation is wasted time, I need to not worry about errors and get busy living, and learn from mistakes and appreciate them rather than using them as excuses not to live my life! Thanks Brian!
Wow! I am going straight to purchase that book-I got chills reading those 6 pages-positive negativity-personality vs. character-“To fight fear, act. To increase fear-wait, put off, postpone”-Each one hit me in my gut! I could literally feel the fear in my gut when I remembered each time I put something off and then the sense of empowerment when I got past that and it was complete-why do I forget that feeling and “avoid” the completion by becoming too busy to sit and finish something?
Spiritual Liberation was a refreshing look at our human side where it is encouraged to move forward, make mistakes and learn from them. I really like the perspective
THIS TOO shall lead to incredible growth! hum feels good to hear this! good phrase to keep in mind!!
Discipline, aie aie aie, I don’t know whats the connection with me and discipline, it’s tough! even if I strongly desire the growth, there is a resistance somewhere , even if I know and I felt the results before coming from a constant practice , but I keep trying and I remember how I’m a warrior of the light which helps to stay gentle with myself, and keep going towards growth with a strong desire and a big smile
Mis-takes, love that!! That’s right let’s stay light and our humor at hand . THank you!!!
And once more PRACTICE!! of course !!!
Part 1 of 2
I remember Michael Beckwith from the Secret and have on my wish list his book to read. I also have on another wish list a visit to the Agape Center. I’ll be in LA in June so I will need to carve out some time for a visit
There are so many mini takeaways from this note that each have a HUGE impact on how I see myself. For one this whole idea of spiritual liberation…loving it! This is exactly what I have been seeking this whole time…this getting in touch with my authentic self. For a very long time I have known this part of myself existed and every now and then I could here it’s voice yet I have not 100% fully given it life…or what Beckwith says Be Radical Alive. I love that too! As much as I shun the ego I am still coming from that place in my daily life. Not as much as before but enough where it stops me dead in my tracks to take that leap into my desires. When I heard the part about Discipline this was a big “Uh Huh” for me because I am not 100% disciplined in my new habits, just some of them.
Part 2 of 3
Of couse this whole new way of living is totally new to me and I recognize that in order for these habits to stick I need to get over my resistence which brings up a whole bunch of other things I need to look into and let go. It was funny because the whole “i don’t feel like it” syndrome is totally what I suffer from when this resistence comes up. Again the concept of committment is big in this note and I now that along with committment, action, a clear vision and purpose i also need discipline. All of the little pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place for me and i am finally getting why I have felt stuck for some time now. And that feeling of empowering when I don’t give in to resistence feels sooooo good!!
part 3 of 3
as for the other mini takeaways I loved…the whole concept of “mis takes” , Spirit of Life and how we change the world through living not shifting things around. This last one is so powerful that my core just vibrates in a good way:) I never considered myself to be bold but when one is on such a journey of givng life to one’s desires while serving others and the planet for the greater good boldness is just a natural state of being
perfect timing for the message„again!! been busy with the world the past 2 weeks and have missed my blissipline so much!! so true that our discipline to rituals leads to blissipline…there was a time when i had to make myself workout or meditate or just have quiet, reflective time..well, now when i don’t have time for it, i loose a little of my normal blissful attitude„,so, happy i’ve done what i needed to do in the world and can now get back to what makes me happiest„my blissipline!!! thank you brian and michael beckwith!!!!
Powerful Powerful Note — I guess I didn’t expect it. 2 quotes one by Howard and the nugget at the end were fantastic.
Discipline to Blissipline — Practice practice practice . I laughed when I read the “I don’t feel like it.” syndrome — so true.
All of the quotes in the margins were so impactful I read them twice. Can’t wait to get this book.
An enlightened society can only be created by awakened beings. Be alive and surrender — the world awaits an evolution to freedom.
Thanks,
Christina
aha! the first book i have wanted to comment on.….ok,ok ‚im a bit behind in the challenge!! so got loads more to read so.…..
the reason why this is the first is because most of the others i seem to “know” or have already read similar ideas about. this felt a bit frustrating because i feel like im not really getting anywhere, going round in circles, reading books. until i read this note and realised that im not actually putting the ideas into PRACTICE! .…barely finding time to read them. lots of work to do.…and maybe less reading!! ; )