Edward Viljoen: Prosperity

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Prosperity

By: Edward Viljoen on Saturday, January 26, 2008

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“The road to freedom lies not through mysteries or occult performances, but through the intelligent use of natural forces and laws.” Ernest Holmes

Try this: Google the word Prosperity and just look at the first page that pops up. Look at the Google topic-relevant ads lining the page. There’s even an article in Wikipedia stating New Thoughts position: “…teaches that God wants all people to prosper (regardless of religion), leaves it up to the individual to define prosperity (rather than defining it in terms of material wealth), and does not condone the accumulation of vast fortunes at the expense of others.

There are offers of coaching on how to attract it, how to learn it, how to teach it to others, the secrets of it, the secrets behind the secrets of it. I love Ernest Holmes quote above about finding our freedom through the intelligent use of natural forces. I am imagining that finding our prosperity is similar.

One such natural force to me is the power of our ability to think. And goodness, we need to be able to think clearly when wading through the current volume of ideas and methods that are guaranteed to bring us wealth. I am beginning to make a collection of points of view I have about prosperity as I read through much of what is available…points of view that I feel are superstition free and solid. I can never know for sure that my mind will stay made up the way it is to day, but as I gather these ideas, I start to become better evaluate ideas about prosperity and think for myself.

What is your definition of prosperity? And what ideas from prosperity teaching to you feel 100% in alignment with? And what ideas do you reject? And why?

2 comments:

Rose-Is-ArborJanuary 28, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Hi Wondering-the-World-Edward. (Rev. Chris Michaels words. grin)Thank you for asking that prosperity question. I wanted to share one thought that has been dominant in my thinking of late in regards to prosperity. Freedom. That's it. If one is free to do, be, have, or for whatever is calling to move through can (the flow), this is prosperity. Yea!! And what a glorious video clip of mother and calf you have shared--thank you!
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Jennifer KrugFebruary 2, 2008 at 8:04 PM
I wrote a poem when I was very young and gave it to my parents one Christmas. Now that I think of it, it sums of my view of prosperity today;

Our family is rich.
Our family is very rich.
Our family is rich with the most important thing of all.
Our family is rich with LOVE.

BTW, thanks for the blog Edward. I've been enjoying it.
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Bhagavad-Gita For Beginners

The Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God Retold in Simplified English is the latest title in the Essential Wisdom Library. This unique edition of the timeless epic is designed to be accessible for readers without any prior experience of Hinduism. Not merely a translation of the original, Viljoen has simplified and restated the Gita’s complex ideas, so that a first-time reader can fully appreciate the scope and beauty of this magnificent Indian classic. Written in concise, modern language, the retelling vividly captures the power and depth of the original work.

Reviews

“While goodness, kindness, compassion, and faith might seem like ordinary concepts, when it comes to actually living them in the face of life’s daily challenges, it’s easy to get stuck. Edward Viljoen has given us a gentle, illuminating, compassionate guidebook to living from the goodness that lies at the heart of who we really are.”
—Alan Seale, founder of the Center for Transformational Presence, and author of Create A World That Works and Intuitive Living

“Ordinary Goodness reminds me I can see goodness and kindness every day. Edward reminds all of us, that despite our failings, we really can be both good and kind. Brew a cup of tea and curl up with this insightful and achingly beautiful account of the mystery, paradox, and wonder of your life. You’ll be glad you did!”
—Petra Weldes, author of Joyous Living Journal

“If kindness were a country, Ordinary Goodness would be its travel guide. In this book, Edward Viljoen delves into a perfectly ordinary yet arguably neglected virtue—kindness—and reveals its source, its rewards, and a well-defined approach for integrating kindness into your very bones. Combining his personal history with his decades of experience as a minister, Viljoen is eminently qualified to teach us that the ordinariness of kindness may actually be the most dazzling quality we might possess.”
—Randall Friesen, publisher of Newt List Books

Edward Viljoen was a recent guest to my radio show, "In The Spirit." I had read his book, "Ordinary Goodness" and was happy to talk with him about it. I like the way he inserts stories from his own life to illustrate various points. In this cynical age, this book is a tonic a guide to live a good life by being good to others. We cannot be truly happy until we do. Thank you, Edward for bringing a much needed topic to our attention.

—Gary Goldberg, host of In The Spirit

The Power of Meditation

“Edward Viljoen’s new book, The Power of Meditation, is a gift. It serves as a practical guidebook for those who are new at spiritual practice, as well as a beautiful reminder of simplicity and essence for those who have been engaged in spiritual practice for a lifetime. Edward helps us find the strength we need to be present with whatever life brings. He takes the reader by the hand, dispels the mysteries, and makes this elusive thing called meditation very real and doable.” —Alan Seal, author of Create a World That Works