Reviews for Reflections of the One Life
In just a few short years, Scott Kiloby has emerged as one of the clearest non-duality teachers on the planet. This is no doubt due to his deep understanding of how the mind works, his clear seeing of reality, and his unique ability to give lucid explanations of "that which cannot be spoken of." Scott's writing is hardcore, pure, and potent. This book is all business. Each page is loaded with landmines that have the potential to completely eviscerate the "I" that most of us take ourselves to be.
~Michael Jeffreys, My Top Ten Spiritual Books
"Reflections of the One Life" is an inspired and brilliant spiritual work that guides the reader to the indescribable aliveness of Now. A spiritual masterpiece for everyday life.
~Susan Kahn
There are no clearer pointers out there. This is the clearest of the clear.
~A reader.
In this wonderfully clear book Scott Kiloby gives us a daily reflection which reminds us that enlightenment is not difficult or far away in the future or something to be attained after long years of struggle and effort. He is so skillful in pointing out that it is our concepts and insistence that there is something to get in the future that stand in the way of 'This' - simple awareness of what is, here and now. He de-bunks every fundamentalism and trap that the mind can latch onto even when it thinks it has got hold of the one and only interpretation of non-duality or enlightenment.
~V. Fergusson, a reader
With Scott Kiloby's characteristically light and effortless touch, this book offers one mini-essay for each day of the year. The overall message is that enlightenment is your birthright, as well as your nature at this very moment.
Scott's primary image in these reflections is space - the space between objects, the space of objects, and the space from which objects take shape. Using this image, Scott points in many different ways.
Some pointers offer encouragement and practical tips, such as how to understand the common experience of "getting it" then "losing it." Or how to understand the ego usurping the spiritual search. Other reflections focus on dealing with everyday ups and downs, such as family issues, rejection, social pressure, criticism, worry, resentment, anger, anxiety, illness, and taking things personally.
Other pointers offer relief from conceptual confusion. Scott provides clear and loving antidotes to false ideas about enlightenment, including the goal of being in a thought-free state, or attaining spaciousness in the future, sneaking up on "this," experiencing only pleasure and not pain, trying to stay present, maintaining an enlightened story, and other occluding notions.
And other pointers are simple celebratory songs about topics such as spaciousness, being, openness, un-caused joy, peace, simplicity, direct tasting, compassion, love, liberation, thisness, seeing truth in all things, and freedom from the path itself.
The book would be perfect to place on your nightstand and use for daily reminders. Each one of its 365 reflections is a gentle, light-hearted, person-to-person gift.
~Greg Goode ("Dr. Goode")
Recently I had the distinct opportunity of reviewing Scott Kiloby's new book “Reflections of the One Life: Daily Pointers to Enlightenment”. This book is comprised of 365 daily meditations called “reflections”. Right from the start Scott pulls out the stops. He goes right to the heart of what it means to live nonduality. The brilliant thing about Scott's writing is that he takes what can at times be difficult to understand language about nonduality and puts it into practical easy to understand terms. For example in the first reflection on January 1st Scott deconstructs the dualistic concept of time. As he picks apart what “the illusion of time” means he allows us to see that past and future are a story we are creating for ourselves. In fact he says, “There is only the timeless space in which concepts about time arise and fall.” For Scott “presence is the timeless awareness that sees the story of you.”
“Reflections of the One Life” treats many topics from recognizing the nondual presence in daily life, to seeing through the ego and recognizing nondual presence as real identity. Scott also helps us see that what we take to be separate objects in the world are really just thoughts. He helps us see whether we have control over our thoughts, emotions, and sensation while showing us that there is truly the possibility of transformation right here in the present moment! If you are a seeker as I have been for sometime you might be surprised to find that Scott's book has been called “the book that ends all seeking, once and for all!”
To sum up this book is a must have for the newcomer to nonduality as well as the seasoned scholar. I plan on rereading this book at the beginning of the new year. There is just to much insight revealed within its pages to read it straight through. You have to take you time with Scott's thought and allow him to sink into your conscious to gain his deep understanding of nondual awareness. I highly recommend his work in "Reflections of the One Life" and am sure it will be on my coffee table for years to come. So scroll on down and click on the link to this amazing book and own it for yourself!
~Hanuman Dass
Excerpt from Reflections of the One Life.
Stop for one moment and just look without thought. In suspending thought for one moment, there is a glimpse into your true nature as the one essence of life. It is realized in that instant that quiet space permeates the universe. It permeates the body and mind and every object seen. The nothingness of this space is appearing as everything.
All words—including these words—divide the universe into fragments,as if space is something that is separate from objects, as if stillness is something separate from disturbance, as if silence is something separate from sound, as if awareness is something separate from thought, and as if you are something separate from the universe. The universe is one mirror appearing as these reflections.
In order for there to be a “me” that lacks something including love,enlightenment, peace, or happiness, concepts have to arise to divide the universe into something called “me” that lacks something separate called “love, ” “enlightenment, ” “peace, ” or “happiness.” The thought that creates that separation will never find Oneness.
Believing thought to be reality is what creates the illusion of separation. In taking a moment to suspend thought long enough to see reality the way it really is, the illusion is seen through. As there is confidence gained in the fact that your true nature is this one essence, thought still arises but it no longer has the power to fool you into believing that it is reality.