My Teacher Put His Book on Amazon

Hey Dear Readers,

So my teacher Steve (he's using a pen name) has put a book on Amazon.com that's half-spiritual guide, half riddle, half zany takedown of Christianity, and half something else entirely. I know that's way too many halves.

Anyhow, it's worth a read and at 99 cents is more than worth it!

The Secret Gospels on Amazon

I'm Baaaaaack! Or am I?

Well, I've decided to resurrect this blog.

Not sure how long this decision will last, but I'm going to come clean upfront about why I'm choosing to post again. It's in part because I've been more interested in interacting with people on their blogs about practice and meditation. Rather than just going around poking at folks on other blogs, I figured I might as well do some of it here in my own space.

Also, my teacher Steve has expressed an interest in interacting more with people out there in the world. In the past he never seemed to care whether his techniques or "teachings" were reaching many people. I'd always kind of felt it was a shame that more folks didn't have access to him, but I also understood that he probably didn't want to deal with all the downsides of bringing his stuff into the public sphere.

However, recently a friend of mine offered to help Steve with an ebook version of some of his writings and I got involved in that to some extent, and then I spoke with Steve more and he expressed a real desire to interact with people and reach them with his ideas and expertise.

Needless to say, I'm conflicted about it to some extent. Most of the time there is a tremendous downside to a spiritual teacher when they put themselves on display in any public forum. People like me will pick him apart to some extent. Also, I have a small fear that I will lose the exclusivity I have with him--kind of like a dude rooting for a really lousy sports team. But their HIS sports team. Once that team starts being competitive and getting into the playoffs, the fair-weather fans jump on board and suddenly the team isn't his anymore.

Also, I don't want to see my teacher somehow make a fool of himself or cause me to doubt him in any way.

That all being said, I really believe in what he teaches, I've found it to be incredibly helpful and life changing for myself. I think he could help a lot of people. Even if he only makes a difference for a few people, that's pretty good for them!

So part of my intention here, quite frankly, is to both engage on a personal level about my practice and experiences, but also to at some point provide a platform for my teacher to reach some folks who might be interested. I'm trying to get him on Skype (he's an older guy who isn't exactly tech savvy) and so he may at some point be available for communication in that way.

He's also interested in face-to-face meetings for people in the San Diego area. But that will all develop in time.

Meanwhile, I will try to jumpstart my blog and chronicle some of my thoughts on practice and meditation, etc. etc. So...welcome back I guess?

A Little Light Muzak

Hi All,

Long time no speak on this blog. This post is a bit of a departure, but feel free to ignore.

I've dabbled in music years ago, and just recently (thanks to my friendly Mac with Garage Band) I've started making music again. I'd like to get opinions on a rough demo I've made. Since I don't know you and you don't know me, I trust you'll give it to me straight. Let me know what you think!

My song can be found at http://gurusteve.bandcamp.com/

Leave a comment here or email me at gurustevemusic@gmail.com

New Post!! Why Not?

So, I said I'd be gone from this blog for awhile and I have been.

Lots of changes, lots of things stayin' the same. Aint that just life though?

Funny how practice ebbs and flows. That's something I still struggle to understand, my own personal koan I suppose. My personal path has been moment to moment attention to breath, and relaxation.

Over the last decade I have sometimes gone away from my practice for anything from a matter of seconds to a matter of months, but I always come back. Lately I don't go as far away from it for as long, but still...the push/pull is there. For whatever reason, there will be periods of time when I suddenly find that I cannot maintain my practice as vibrantly as I would care to.

What is that? I know everyone seems to encounter this up and down kind of thing, and that it is natural. Just as my moods go up and down, and my energy goes up and down, so does my enjoyment and attention to my practice...but sometimes it is frustrating.

In the past I struggled to understand if this was the path for me, whether it was even helpful, etc. Now I feel that I've seen the benefits of practice and diligence. Breathing practice/meditation has shown me so much about my life, and allowed me to discover a kind of happiness I never thought possible.

Yet still I go away from it, still I have times when I feel it is almost impossible, almost useless...like moments of temporary insanity. I just wish I could better understand those times.

I hope everyone is well.

Saying Goodbye to Reblogging Brad Warner

You might have noticed it's been a long time since I posted anything to Reblogging Brad Warner. Well, I just don't have the time to maintain this blog anymore and reckon I won't be posting much for a long while.

I've got quite a bit going on because I recently started a new blog that's geared toward my writing and that's taking up so much energy that I literally don't have a spare minute...

(Oh yeah, I am still doing my 20 minutes of meditation every day though!)

The new blog is here: http://epubmanifesto.blogspot.com/

It's a bit tamer than (Not) Reblogging Brad Warner, but I think you'll find it still has my same "voice."

I've got four more books for sale that you can check out on the blog also. 7 Habits of a Highly Ineffective Person is doing really well now, especially in the UK. This is thanks in large part to folks from Reblogging BW who bought the book!!

If any of you who read it would care to, please drop on over to Amazon.uk and leave a review for the book...that would be a huge help. If not, that's fine too.

I may drop back again and re-start things here one day, but it might be months. Possibly even longer...

However, there is still one big surprise in store for you all. It's a book that I'm collaborating on with someone familiar to y'all and you'll DEFINITELY get a kick out of it when that's announced in the near future.

Talk soon, maybe I'll see you over at the new space!

Sincerely and with love,

Aaron

7 HABITS A HIT?

My new book, 7 Habits of a Highly Ineffective Person might be a hit! Climbing the charts on Amazon, you can currently find it at #17 for parodies...course that number fluctuates daily. But still.

If you haven't yet, check it out. I think for less than a buck you'll find enough laughs to justify the expense.

I won't be shilling much longer on this topic, so please don't throw stuff at me just yet for being a salesman!

I haz a Book on Kindle!

My alternate title for this blog post was going to be "Brad Warner Finally Agrees to Dharma Combat with Genpo Roshi!"

I wanted to get more people to look at this post, but realized I might end up getting burned in effigy...

My book, 7 Habits of a Highly Ineffective Person (Plus Three Other Habits That Are Pretty Bad Too) is now available for 99 cents on Kindle. For less than a buck, I think you could do a heck of a lot worse. Here's what it's about:

The writing of this book came as a revelation to me, after years of sweating it out in Yoga classes, gyms, meditation halls—and even more years of therapy and life-coaching. (By the way, if you are looking for a life-coach, definitely stay away from ads in the Discreet Meetings section of Craigslist.)

After all those years of searching aimlessly for some different or better version of myself, I came home to exactly who I am right now and realized, it’s not so bad being me. And maybe it’s not so bad being you, either. 7 HABITS OF A HIGLY INEFFECTIVE PERSON (PLUS THREE OTHER HABITS THAT ARE PRETTY BAD TOO) will show you that the only thing we have to fear is not fear itself, but an interruption of our On Demand Cable service.

This book takes the power back from the self-help gurus and puts it in the hands of the people. That’s why you’re smelling that slightly musky, unwashed smell right now. That, my friend, is the smell of the people.

Instead of trying to lose weight, become more “zen”, or find our dignity, 7 HABITS helps us locate something a little simpler: the remote control and a pack of Ding-dongs from the nearest Store 24.

So check out this book and remember, You can't do it!