Why You Should Not Read Spiritual Books Before You Have Meditated Enough
15 years ago when I read the book “The Power of Now”, I found it boring, insincere and impractical. I could not relate to the floosie-doosie experiences everybody called spiritual realizations. After a few pages it was even hard for me to say if the book made any logical sense.
So I stopped reading. I was surprised some of my friends, whom I considered good folks, were all praise for this one. I thought they were nuts for recommending me such a stupid book.
After meditating for 15 years, I picked up the book again. I was blown away. I could not leave it. I sped through the book so fast like I could not get enough of it. Every other word was making more and more sense to me. It couldn’t have been more logical. I was enjoying it. It was validating my experiences.
Now listen, I am saying it. And I am not saying for anybody else. I am saying it for myself that my difficulties as a meditator now are quite different in nature from my difficulties 15 years ago as a person who had barely tasted meditation.
15 years ago, if someone told me about self knowledge, I would advice them to read biology for God’s sakes. But today self knowledge is an insatiable curiosity for me.
Though Eckhart Tolle very humbly tells his readers in the book that they don’t need to meditate to follow the text, I think he is being too forgiving & nice. You need to prepare yourself to digest the power of that book.
For example, if you are depressed, may be you want to pick up a spiritual book. Don’t. First go and meditate for a month. Or, maybe a whole year. If I were you, I would at least meditate for next 10 years.
Look, I hated spiritual books for a very long time. They didn’t make any sense to me.
In a way, it was good I never read these books then. I did not build any fake make believe concepts. I was following my own experience. My own knowledge.
You should not read spiritual books till you have meditated enough. Why to overload your brain with concepts which you have zero experience in. Such concepts will only misguide & confuse you.
If you are reading spiritual books to get inspired to meditate, then it is ok to read one or two. But then quickly start meditating. Don’t look for any more motivation.
To get any insight out of a spiritual book before you have kindled enough curiosity for self exploration is as absurd as trying to make sense of Quantum Physics when you barely know Newton’s Laws and have no practical need to deal with them.
Or, you want to read a book on Theory of Jazz when you have zero interest in music.
Or, you want to read a recipe book by a top chef, when you hate cooking.
Or, you want to read a book on body building when all you want to do is eat chips and play video games. Yes, you can read the book to get inspired to go to the gym. But nothing more.
I have known very few people who were born with a thirst / curiosity for self-knowledge. These select few are fit to read spiritual books without any experience of meditation. Just like one or two prodigies in the entire world who can make sense of Quantum Physics when they are just 13 years of age. That’s different.
Usually most of us need some kind of hardship or disturbance or depression before we can gain any curiosity for self knowledge. The distress first pushes us to question the normal living. The irritation pokes us — there is more to the worldly mumbo jumbo than what meets the eye.
Then we are pushed towards meditation. Then meditation gives rise to curiosity for self knowledge.
Only when such curiosity has arisen in you, pick a “Power Of Now” or a “Bhagavad Gita”. They will not disappoint you.
If your thoughts don’t bother you, then also you don’t need spiritual books.
If you are happy already; if you don’t get stressed; if you have love for all your fellow human beings; if you don’t feel jealous; if your irritations and anger don’t last long, you don’t need spiritual books.
Spiritual books serve a delicate purpose for a specific audience.
If you don’t relate to that purpose and hence to the ideas presented in these books, then it is better to stay away from these books. You don’t need to believe a single word they say.
But then there are the critics. Their purpose is to review the book & criticize it for the heck of criticizing it. It is their job. Or, they want attention.
If you are one of them and you know it is just a job, you are ok too.
I am just glad that every body stands vindicated after all.
And those who have developed the curiosity for self knowledge, will continue to enjoy spiritual books.
