The Mandala of Being takes the concept of living in the present moment to a new level. Richard Moss's four quadrant mandala tool provides a context for self awareness.
If you liked The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, you'll want to pick up The Mandala of Being by Richard Moss. The Mandala of Being takes the power of present moment awareness to a whole new level. Moss, in a masterpiece of transformational teaching, presents the Mandala of Being as a tool for gaining greater awareness and self understanding.
A Step Up From The Power of Now
The Mandala of Being, unlike Tolle's Power of Now, is not an easy read. You may find yourself bristling with denial at Moss's assertion that we are all sufferers, living life-roles outside of present moment awareness in order to survive our suffering. Still, a strong reaction is an indicator that something deep is being touched and deserves our thoughtful exploration.
Moss offers tools and tips to stimulate greater awareness, all built around the Mandala of Being, a four-quadrant model of the relationship of Now with the past, the present, our view of self (me), and our view of others (you).
Moss attempts to demonstrate the difference between our normal views of who we are as human bodies with a thinking brain, and the greater soul-being of inherent wisdom that we really are.
Life Roles and Stories
Stressing that childhood normally leaves us feeling insufficient, Moss asserts we develop beliefs about ourselves and others as protection and we live out life-roles in support of our false beliefs. All of this thinking robs us of the joy of our inherent greatness.
The solution is differentiated awareness, which is only available to us in the present moment of now. This awareness and differentiation from what is occurring around us can begin with conscious breathing and an intentional self-opening to now.
Benefits of Living in Now
According to Moss, living in the present moment brings, "A sense of simplicity...along with feelings of gratitude, connectedness, empathy, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, and love." "In contrast," he indicates, "the emotions we encounter as our minds move further from the Now are much more toxic to us and others."
The Mandala of Being asks us to go into very deep, and perhaps troubling, self reflection. For example, it states, "everything you think about yourself, others, the past, and the future is just a story." The power of this statement is that it allows us to examine our stories from a distance - the differentiation mentioned above - and question each story's validity and value to our lives.
The over-riding goal of living in the now is to be able to know, "I am sufficient as I am" and "I am already that which I have been seeking."
A Serious Personal Development Tool
If you're serious about personal growth and development, The Mandala of Being will stimulate deep introspection in support of greater personal growth. Though not an easy journey, like reading the book itself, this self reflection and differentiated awareness process offers significant potential for growth.
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