What an amazing read!!

Byron Katie tells a story at the end of her book which is an AMAZING display of her integrity and truthfulness. I am not saying that this is the way to solve all of these situations (she obviously had the benefit of great rapport), but it was her truth. And is one display of the value of following our truth, rather than some overused stories we have been playing in our head for countless decades! It goes like this: "My cousin once called me at two in the morning, very depressed, and said that he was holding a loaded pistol to his head and the hammer was cocked. He said that if I didn't give him one good reason why he should stay alive, he would blow his head off. I waited for a long time. I really wanted to give him a good reason, and no good reason came to me. I waited and waited, with him on the other end of the phone line. Finally, I told him that I couldn't find one. And he burst into tears. This evidently was the truth that he needed. He said it was the first time in his life that he had ever heard true integrity and that was what he was looking for." 

My understanding of her teaching and message is that "it is not our thoughts, but the attachment to our thoughts, that causes suffering. A thought is harmless unless we believe it". For example if you say, 'My partner does not love me because they don't kiss me anymore'. She would ask:

1. "Is this true?"
2. "Can you absolutely know it is true?"
3. "How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?"
4. "Who would you be without the thought?"

So you start to question whether the statement is true. Do they kiss you, ever? And if that don't kiss you (ever) does this absolutely mean that they don't love you? Or are they distracted, feeling bad about themselves, going through a significant personal challenge or 100 other reasons that might also be true. By asking the third question, you realise that it is the thought rather than reality, that causes you suffering. And the last question builds on this to help you realise that you chose the thought and without the 'thought' you feel completely different. 

Now this is a very very brief overview of the magic in this book. And throughout the book she has lots of example dialogues where she has worked with different people. And in the end, it comes back to us loving ourselves, or accepting ourselves, or appreciating ourselves, or taking responsibility of ourselves, that makes the real difference in our lives. Not what other people may be thinking or doing in your general direction. If you truly love and accept yourself as you are, when someone says something negative to you, it just comes across as noise. It is their story. Not yours. And this book with make the power of enquiring into our thoughts an enriching and exciting experience.

There are also some amazing interventions that she has with rape victims, veterans, people who have lost loved ones, people who have been abused, drug addictions, and a lot of other examples. The entire dialogue of these interventions is recorded, so if you have experienced any of this in your life - now or in the past - then this book may help set you free.

So check Byron Katie's book or website out if you want to understand your own truths...!!

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