03 - The Secrets of Wilder Book and Audiobook

[yogani]

THE SECRETS OF WILDER NOVEL

   Chapter 1 – The Question
   Chapter 2 – Plans and Secrets
   Chapter 3 – Those Eyes
   Chapter 4 – Initiation
   Chapter 5 – The Big Angel
   Chapter 6 – God Quest
   Chapter 7 – The Mountain
   Chapter 8 – Ecstatic Radiance
   Chapter 9 – Fastest Man Alive
   Chapter 10 – Rising Tide
   Chapter 11 – Two Brothers
   Chapter 12 – The Secret Chamber
   Chapter 13 – Consumed by Fire
   Chapter 14 – The Sacred Tunnel
   Chapter 15 – Sharing the Good
   Chapter 16 – Flood of Knowledge
   Chapter 17 – Miracle Worker
   Chapter 18 – Heavenly Healing
   Chapter 19 – Wheeler Dealer
   Chapter 20 – God in the Hollow
   Chapter 21 – Union
   Chapter 22 – Dancing in Silence
   Chapter 23 – Love Waves
   Chapter 24 – The Return
   Chapter 25 – A Mother’s Giving
   Chapter 26 – The Teacher
   Chapter 27 – Pearls and Swine
   Chapter 28 – Openings
   Chapter 29 – Northern Clouds
   Chapter 30 – A Day in Court
   Chapter 31 – Road Map
   Chapter 32 – Transition
   Chapter 33 – For the World
   Chapter 34 – Ascending

See the Online Book at: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/books/03-sow

Hello:

You can discuss this Book by replying in this topic. Feel free to include short quotes from the book related to any comments or support questions you may have. Be sure to reference the page number you are commenting on. 

The guru is in you.

[Jayleno214]

1. Why is John so aloof and weak the entire second half of the book?

2. He did practices whenever he wanted, other characters too. I know you say it's ok to do it on days when we have no responsibilities. Do you mean to say when we have time to do practice or because we need time to release the obstructions?

3. John and Devi go to the secret chamber in one snip. I couldn't figure out, rather I'd like clarification on what they snipped, or whether that was fiction.

4. Is the chart in the book realistic? And if so the intermediate, or advance calls for root lock during dm. Is that correct?

5. What were the spiritual stretching exercises?

6. The entire path is pleasure for all characters. This is what hooks them. I've just recently began to experience pleasure and just now realized I'm nearing my bodys limits because im doing what i did yesterday and not getting pleasure like yesterday. I'm going to not apply attention/desire/bhakti/devotion to the mantra nor spine for a few days, then reapply it but with shorter timed practices so as to not overdo and continue the pleasurable experience. Does this sound like a good approach?


Thanks for the book!

I didnt like the deterioration of john... U deteriorated the reader too lol. I identified with john up until.

The swaying of pleasure it causes which is new to me was awesome to me to see it to be part of the path!

[yogani]

Hi Jayleno:

Keep in mind that the novel was written before the AYP lessons and books, and is intended to be inspirational rather than for primary instruction. The lessons, books and AYP Plus are for that. So here we are, a decade later. 

With that, here are some answers from this much later perspective:

1. What might seem "weak" on a personal level is also "merging" on the cosmic level, a vastly expanded consciousness which is less defined on the physical level. Enlightened people are not like comic book super heroes. They may appear to be quite ordinary, but with great divine power emanating from within. That was the case with John at the end of the story, giving it all to uplift the world. His divine choice. What you do with it will be your divine  choice. It is suggested to keep in balance with practice and daily activity, including regular exercise and healthy diet.

2. John's journey was a path of discovery starting from scratch and he made a lot of mistakes along the way, overdoing, overload, the drama of extremes, etc. Hopefully his learning curve and the later AYP writings have reduced the chance of those mistakes reoccurring in others. No need to reinvent the wheel. 

3. Theirs was an idealized entry into kechari. See Lesson 108 and others related to kechari.

4. The chart was a starting point, later to be updated in the Eight Limbs of Yoga and AYP Easy Lessons Vol 2 books. You can also find it in AYP Plus here with additional discussion: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/385.html

Note: Root lock (mulabandha) or any mudras and bandhas are not practiced deliberately during deep meditation. They are developed during spinal breathing and at other times, and then may show up automatically in deep meditation without intention. It is important not to divide the mind doing other things during deep meditation.

5. Asanas!

6. Pleasure related to yoga practices leads to ecstatic bliss leading to refinement (introversion) of sensory perception, which leads to transcendence in pure bliss consciousness. Then all of our sensations and doings become stillness in action, or unified divine flow. The process is one of progressive purification and opening, not primarily about pleasure in the later stages. It becomes more about serving others, who we see as an expression of ourselves. This was John and Devi's journey, and the journey of all on the spiritual path.

Don't worry about "deterioration." Practice daily and self-pace, and you will see it is "expansion" when viewed from the inside.

The timeline of John's journey was also idealized. What he did in a decade might take 2 or 3 for someone else. Or maybe not. It all depends on past work and dedication in this life. Whatever we accomplish spiritually we will take with us. So practice wisely and enjoy! 

The guru is in you. 


PS: We are working on an audiobook for the Secrets of Wilder to be in AYP Plus. Hoping to have it out sometime before summer.

 

[Bodhi Tree]

Enlightened people are not like comic book super heroes.

Would it be somewhat accurate to say that there are different flavors of enlightenment, so to speak, and that certain enlightened people are more outwardly expressive with their power, even to the point of resembling the archetype of the comic book hero?

In other words, maybe some enlightened people are radiating from within and casting a wide net in unseen ways, whereas others are casting their net in more visible and external ways?

Also, really looking forward to the Wilder audiobook! 

[sunyata]

Hi Bodhi,

The jivanmuktas that I have come across including Yogani are very low key. Blending in with ordinary, with wisdom eminating from them.

The visible and external ones may have more housecleaning left.
Comic book hero/Powers- Siddhis.

May be I just prefer the first flavor of enlightenment.

 

[Bodhi Tree]

The visible and external ones may have more housecleaning left.
Comic book hero/Powers- Siddhis.

Ha! You're seeing right through me. I'm guilty of both allegations: a) in need of much more housecleaning, and b) craving siddhis.

No wonder I'm trying to petition for the superheroes to have a place in the enlightenment spectrum! I'm projecting all of my hidden desires!

[sunyata]

Bodhi,

Lol. Everything is happening on the way to enlightenment.

 

[So-Hi]

Hi Yogani, sorry to read the audiobook is so delayed but prefer a good result than a half effort so worth waiting for to be sure.

I do have some questions  for you though concerning the book.

Yes we all realize the SOW book was intended to be a work of fiction but there are so many experiences the character named John goes through that are not fiction.

I also tend to put you, Yogani in the role of John. Maybe John is your name? who knows not important but it seems to fit.

The question is which of the experiences and the events are drawn from your own experiences and how close are the events of the book close to your own life?

Reading the book I get the feeling this so called work of fiction is drawn heavily from someones life IE: that of Yogani with certain over the top embellishments in place like John at the end taking to the sky and names changed to protect peoples privacy etc...

  The way the book is written I would not be the least bit surprised if your wife is just Like Devi in the book right down to her heritage being at-least in part from India and your story with her very similar from the time you were teenagers.

[yogani]

Hi So-Hi:

Finally back home after more than a month of traveling, moving and traveling again. Hope to be around here for a while. 

Regarding SOW, best for readers to interpret the story in ways that suit them best. All novels are a mixture of real life experiences with the story line. So, yes, a lot is real in there, particularly the causes and effects of spiritual techniques. The story is woven around the practices and the challenges associated with their discovery, application and refinement.  AYP, which came later, is a continuation of that process in non-fiction mode. Though I did not know it while the novel was flowing out, the story had to continue in real time (a lot more outpouring), and here we are more than a decade later. Each of us is a John Wilder and a Devi Duran on our own journey of awakening.

All the best!

The guru is in you.   

[Charliedog]

 

[yogani]

Hi All:

Chapters 1 ("The Question") and 2 ("Plans and Secrets") of the Secrets of Wilder audiobook are live on AYP Plus now, with more coming soon. You can find it here: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/online-books.html#sow

The first audio clip is one I made when the novel first came out in 2005. The quality is not very good, but thought some might find it interesting. The rest is by Nina and of much better quality. What a great job she is doing. Thanks Nina. 

Happy listening!

The guru is in you. 

[nina]

  Thanks.

[Dogboy]

Thank you Nina, nothing to be  about!

[sunyata]

Great Job, Nina. Lovely voice for an exceptional book.   Can't wait for the rest of the chapters.

[Bodhi Tree]

A treat for the ears!