through-gods-eyes-horizon-1

Introduction from Through God’s Eyes

This is the book I longed to read as I took my first tentative steps down a spiritual path. I searched in vain for a book that laid out all the spiritual principles I was learning in a logical, organized, and engaging way. Surely, I thought, there must be one book that explained how all of these principles interact, how to weave them together into a cohesive worldview, and how to practically apply this spiritual wisdom to daily life.

I found plenty of fascinating books filled with valuable insights and information, but I always came away with more questions than answers. As I struggled to piece together what living a spiritual life looked like, I felt like I was standing in a giant library where all the books were strewn on the floor. The book I was looking for, the book that would speak to my soul, was not among them.

I vowed to write such a book someday. After all, if I was searching for it, surely other like-minded souls were too.

I felt I was well suited to the task. As a writer, I specialize in bringing clarity and order to complex subject matter—and spirituality is as complex as it gets. Above all, this subject touched my heart and called to me like no other.

As I walked my path and began connecting the dots, I saw an age-old framework forming that was as elegant as it was beautiful—everything fit together, flowed together, and sang together in pure harmony. Eventually, after years of research and study, I felt capable of interpreting and articulating this worldview, which for thousands of years has been enlightening spiritual seekers about the meaning and purpose of life and the vastness of human potential.

In other words, I am not the source of this information. I am merely a resource for gathering, organizing, and presenting it in a way that makes it accessible and relatable to ordinary people like me who are living ordinary lives while pondering extraordinary questions.

As the book began taking shape, I sensed that it already existed, perfect and complete, in a higher realm. All I had to do was search for the relevant concepts and quotes that were scattered throughout generations of cultures across the globe. Next, I had to sort everything out and piece it all together into a giant cosmic jigsaw puzzle.

There was no question about the format to use. I was intuitively guided to alternate the comments and quotes so that they supported, built upon, and flowed into each other. A quote may expand on the concept that precedes it or it may introduce the brief commentary that follows. I appreciated the initial impression of my agent, Barbara Neighbors Deal, who said, “As I was reading, I kept having this mental image of your text as a shimmering, fine gold chain, with the quotations as beautifully set jewels on the necklace.”

Though your interpretation of spiritual concepts may differ from mine, I hope this book prompts you to examine and clarify your own beliefs about spirituality and your place in the world. I will consider this book a success if it inspires you to live more consciously, love more consistently, and greet each morning with joy and gratitude.

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.

– Buddha