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Chapter 1
The Call
Ann Salisbury tossed the New Age
Digest back on the table, tossed back her thick red hair, and tossed up her arms
in despair.
Then, she removed her
horn-rimmed glasses, rubbed her red eyes, stroked the welt on her freckled snub
nose, and replaced her glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her face was still
wet from her earlier cry in the bathroom.
Once again, she read her book, Beginning Practice Nursing: Changing Roles and Clinical Application.
Once again, she missed every a
word.
She longed to be a writer. She
wanted the glamour, thrill, and adventure of crafting her own books. She liked
to put ideas into words. After studying the craft of prose, she knew how to
write. She just lacked the courage to do it.
Her finals loomed two weeks
ahead, but she had avoided the requisite 15 hours of study for 15 weeks
necessary to pass the Nursing Theory and Performance examinations. Given her
short attention span and given the short time left, she expected to fail.
Failure was a habit.
She shifted her short, plump
body in her chair. She glanced at her chubby face in the mirror behind the
coffee bar. In her twenties, while never pretty, her baby blue eyes,
copper-toned hair, pale complexion, and mischievous freckles had interested
men.
She sighed heavily. As usual,
no one noticed her. The men in the Starbucks Coffee Shop in the Border’s
Bookstore only eyed the two girls at the other table.
She examined her rivals.
Slender, curvy, with clear skins, and bright eyes, they spoke, gestured, and
twisted on their chairs with girlish charm. One boasted long strawberry-blonde
hair and the other flaunted long chestnut brown hair. They looked like sisters
because of the similarity of their lovely features and oval faces.
All the men in the room
periodically glanced at them.
Her loneliness made her
jealous.
After Terry split six months
ago, she needed someone to hold her. Actually, she didn’t want a boyfriend: she
just wanted Terry back. Only Terry knew how to light up a room with his boyish
smile. She missed his dark curls, his puppy dog eyes, his fuzzy mustache, his
dimpled chin, and his skinny body.
She eavesdropped on the girls
again.
They blabbered loudly about
skiing resorts. The strawberry blonde girl argued for Aspen Mountain Lodge and
the chestnut brown girl argued for the Snowmass Mountain Chalet.
Ann envied people with money who
planned for approaching winter fun. Once again, she picked up the magazine.
Thumbing through it, she located the article again.
Prosperity Principles
Catch on in Colorado.
Students claim miracles.
They say that Lux, a new
prosperity teacher, unleashes a force in the lives of her students whose
magnitude rivals a major earthquake.
Besides financial
miracles, her teachings create abundance in every area of their lives.
Her teachings cure
diseases, psychological issues, and chronic personal problems.
Her teachings clear
complicated legal problems.
And her teachings return
lost lovers, missing pets, and vanished dreams.
Mary Ellis of New York
claims that meeting Lux at a book-signing event changed her life within a week.
“My hair doesn’t fall out,
my skin is clear, and my body is robust,” says Mary. “I eat less and sleep
less.
“I don’t tire easily. I
have a clear mind, do all my chores fast, and sleep like a baby.
“Ask Tom about my sex
drive,” she says, winking.
Chip Radcliff of San Diego
says that after years of ho-hum spiritual practice he now knows God.
“My home often fills with
a hint of roses and sandalwood,” he says. “The scent appears on its own. My
meditations and prayers now yield delight.
“All this happened after I
met Lux. This miracle worker has sent a Divine Fragrance.”
Pensioners, Gary and
Elizabeth Slaughter of Boulder say she sent them a healing elixir.
“One day, an ordinary
glass of water on the dinner table turned into sweet and fragrant water,” began
Gary.
“I didn’t notice it until
after I drank the water. I accused my wife of putting a drop of vanilla essence
into it. She denied it.”
“Gary blamed me for
something that I didn’t do,” protested Elizabeth.
“Although as thick as the
panes of glass in an anti-theft jewelry display case, my glasses suddenly
blinded me after drinking the strange water,” explained Gary.
“Blind as a bat without
his glasses, now he was blind with them,” added Elizabeth.
“But when I took them off,
I saw perfectly,” exclaimed Gary.
“Liz didn’t believe me. I
read off the cookbook titles on the kitchen shelf.”
Gary traced the miracle
back to when he bumped into Lux after she stepped out of a coffee shop in
Boulder.”
“Gary said her energy
imprint on him made his head spin,” noted Elizabeth.
“Her dazzling beauty made
her unforgettable,” confessed Gary.
“Later when I read a
newspaper article about her as a ‘miracle worker’ I remembered that my dizzy
spells happened after I met her. Incidentally, the dizzy spells disappeared
after I drank the pure water.”
“How water can change in a
room is a mystery,” concluded Elizabeth.
Ann snorted in disbelief,
momentarily alarming the two animated winter holiday planners.
She skipped ahead for believable
testimonials.
Alice
Gray of Boulder says that her life changed after a lecture by Lux at her local
church.
Alice was about to lose
her home and move into a retirement community because legal issues had canceled
her pension.
The pension fund manager
claimed that her late husband had not signed and dated the appropriate forms.
She told Lux about her
situation after a church lecture, and Lux had advised her not to worry.
Then, a few days later,
the pension fund manager telephoned her to apologize. After reviewing her paper
work again, he found the forms signed and dated in the right places.
Alice’s first check was
twice as much as she had claimed. She telephoned the pension fund department to
complain. They firmly denied an error.
Alice later telephoned Lux
about her arthritis.
Only days later, Alice had
a vivid dream. It directed her to a used bookstore close to where she lived.
In the bookstore, the
right book fell on top of her head from an upper shelf. The natural healing
book spoke about how mineral salts from the Dead Sea cured arthritis.
Alice, of course, had no
idea how to find something that exotic.
Then, one day, while
waiting to curl her hair at her local hairdresser, she came across a small
classified ad about a company that sold Dead Sea mineral salt bath soaks. She
immediately used her cell phone and her credit card to order the product.
Her arthritis healed after
three weeks of hour-long hot baths.
She telephoned Lux to
thank her, but Lux dismissed these minor miracles, hinting something bigger was
on its way.
“I still can’t sleep at
nights,” confessed Alice. “I’m like a kid waiting for my Christmas surprise.”
There were 15 other
testimonials.
Ann skipped three pages and found
the interview.
Interviewer: “What does
your name Lux mean?”
Lux: “It means abundance
to those who wish to learn from me.”
Interviewer: “Are you into
yoga?”
Lux: “No, I am not a
yogi. I don’t practice hatha yoga, panorama yoga or any of the other forms of
yoga.”
Interviewer: “Why do
people think you’re a yogi?”
Lux: “They have active
imaginations.”
“Interviewer: What about
the other things they say about you?”
Lux: “Please understand, I
am not a Taoist or Maoist; I am not a Faith Healer, a
Contortionist, a Fire Eater or a Polyglot.”
“Such lofty titles don’t
belong to me.
“At the most, you can say
I am a simple woman who teaches basic self-help ideas.
“I don’t have or promote
any religion, discipline, or practice. I do my own thing.
“I visit no church,
mosque, synagogue, temple, ashram, or holy place unless I am a guest speaker.
Interviewer: “All these
are made up about you?”
Lux: “Yes. People like to
fill in the blanks.”
Interviewer: “How would
you describe yourself?”
Lux: “I am a family
woman.”
Interviewer: “You look too
young.”
Lux: “I know how to shop
for cosmetics.”
Interviewer: “So, you’re
not special. What are you then?”
Lux: “I’m a homemaker.”
Interviewer: “Are you
enlightened?”
Lux: “By something you
said?”
Interviewer: “Can you do
miracles?”
Lux: “No.”
Interviewer: “You are
called a ‘miracle lady’ by the popular press.”
Lux: “That is why it’s
popular.”
Interviewer: “How do these
things happen then?”
Lux: “When I show up,
people claim things. What can I do about it?”
Interviewer: “What do you
mean?”
Lux: “I am nobody
special. I am as ordinary as the next person.”
Interviewer: “Let’s skip
this line of questioning. Miracles happen, but you deny them.”
Lux: “No, I don’t deny
them. I just deny that I’m doing them.”
Interviewer: “You’re not a
religious teacher, but you quote religious ideas.”
Lux: “Yes, I don’t follow
a religion. Besides quotes from the Bible and the Upanishads, I have quoted
Shakespeare and Einstein. I appreciate grand ideas.”
Interviewer: “Well, I’ll
ask you interesting questions then.”
Lux: “Yes, ask me
interesting questions.”
Interviewer: “How can I
improve my life?”
Lux: “You can learn to ask
better questions.”
Interviewer: “Why do
people come to this planet?”
Lux: “They come to learn
about love.”
Interviewer: “How do I
learn to love?”
“Lux: There is nothing
special to do to enjoy the play of life. Simply perform daily actions with
love.
Interviewer: “Why do
people suffer?”
Lux: “Generally, people
are not as smart as they hope. They think and behave foolishly. They, then,
have to pay for their actions. This is called suffering.”
Interviewer: “How can I
find the meaning of life?”
Lux: “The meaning of life
is within you. You don’t need to seek it. Why look for what you have?”
Interviewer: “Why is it a
waste of time?”
Lux: “Why look for a key
when it’s in your pocket. Why behave as if it is lost?
“This meaning is both
outside you and inside you. It is the fabric of life and the web and woof of
your existence.
“The process of life is
its meaning. This process flows through the universe and it flows within you.
This singular process only appears split within and without.
“Both the magnetic pulse
of the earth and your heartbeat are automatic rhythms. Both the sea and your
blood flow. Both the wind through the trees and the emotions through your body
are fickle. What is behind these phenomena of similarity? If you examine the
singular process behind all these manifestations, you will see an invisible
current. It is the process of life and its meaning.
“This meaning is not
something you ever lost or have not yet found. It is there within you and
outside you all the time.
“Something happens
everywhere all the time. Notice it. Ask yourself, “What is this thing that
pulses within me and outside me? Ask yourself, “What is it that makes everything
work automatically?”
Interviewer: “I don’t
follow you.”
Lux: “The meaning of life
is life itself. You are the very thing that you seek.”
Interviewer: “Where do
people come from?”
Lux: “At the most,
consciousness shifts its locale.
“Concepts of arriving and
departing, of beginning and ending, arise from the experience of the phenomenal
world.
“In reality everything is
a flux of atoms. There is no actual substance to creation, but only energy
dancing in a void.
“Your life is as
insubstantial as the flecks of light that make up a movie, but while you watch
it, you’re mesmerized by the light-and-sound show. Reality, too, is a
light-and-sound show. You’re a flicker on it.
“When you think that
something important is happening, your emotions rise and fall, your thoughts
race here and there, and you either sit on the edge of your seat or lean back
with a sigh.
“But it’s all a movie.
“When you watch a movie,
you identify with the actors and the actresses caught in a melodrama. You
pretend to be somebody else to feel what he or she feels.
“Life, too, is similar.
“The real you, has gone to
the movies. It likes to watch the egoistic you make entrances and exits, don
different costumes, and walk up onto different sets. The silent watcher enjoys
the entertainment. Since this is a total immersion movie, you’ve forgotten it’s
a show. You only catch on when it’s over.
“But before, during, and
after each show, you remain the same. The real you has only pretended to be a
witness and an actor simultaneously.
“The stage you act upon is
glued by time-space. Since this mental concept is inside you, you project it
outside you. Within the continuum of time-space, everything assumes dimensions
that make things appear real.
“Free yourself from the
obsessions of the mind and you’ll see that you’re the consciousness behind
everything.
“There is only a single
consciousness that splits into multiple bodies and assumes different histories.
The One plays many roles.
Interviewer: “Where do
souls go after physical death?”
Lux: “They focus on
another dimension. The universe has many dimensions. Our earth is not the only
movie house.”
Interviewer: “Why do
people exist on the earth?”
Lux: “It’s all a huge
dramatic production. It spans unimaginable spans of time and covers infinite
space. The players have been here for a long time, wearing different costumes
in different periods, and now they’ve forgotten their origins.”
Interviewer: “What’s it
all about?”
Lux: “There is no
particular reason for it. Awareness has fun being you.
“It has created this
elaborate drama of time and space, dust and destiny, and glory and agony so that
you can pretend to have victories and defeats.
“It has hooked your
attention by equipping you with a mind to interpret the drama. The soul wears
the mind like 3-D glasses so that it all looks solid, dramatic, and meaningful.
“Since you’re here, you
might as well enjoy yourself. Quit whining, quit trying to escape, and enjoy
it.
“Enjoy your role in this
play; you’ve earned it. After all, you showed up for the auditions and you
agreed to play the role of comic relief.
“The limitations placed
upon you exist to color the game. It’s like a handicap placed on a horse. A
horse spoils the race by winning effortlessly.
“When the play is over,
you’ll go back to being yourself. In truth, you’re pure consciousness without
any meticulous frame.”
Interviewer: “Where is
this consciousness behind the game of life?”
Lux: “Yes, this is the
interesting feature of this whole game. Consciousness is everywhere and in
everything, making it all work like clockwork, but it’s also invisible. It
works everywhere and yet you can’t see it anywhere.
“Whether you like it or
not, you’re caught in the web. In life, you’re stuck with a body equipped with
senses and these attract desires so you have to do something, say something, and
be something.”
Interviewer: “A person can
always commit suicide. There is an out, isn’t there?”
Lux: “That exit sign is a
false detour. You’ll only end up on another set. You’ll also be assigned a more
difficult role, a price you pay for disappointing the other players of your
previous drama. You have to make up for all the grief you caused by leaving
early.
“So there’s nothing to do
but accept your body, its desires, and your role as an actor.
“If you work with these
desires, they’ll feed you, clothe you, give you shelter, and help you
procreate. It can be fun.
“If you deny them, then,
sooner or later, they’ll all rebel. Asceticism is harsh. The results are
uncertain. More often than not, you’ll crack. Then you’ll behave as rationally
as a starving person offered some food.”
Interviewer: “Hold on,
there! Isn’t it the teaching of the more esoteric religions that one has to
overcome the desire-nature?”
Lux: “All religious paths
that deny the value of desire only bewilder their followers. You can’t even get
out of bed if you don’t want to go anywhere.
Interviewer: “What about
the idea of liberation from incarnation?”
Lux: “Of course, after a
while, you get tired of your movie career with its limitless, indefatigable
sequels. Once you’ve had your fill and seen enough reruns, you’ll want to go
home.
“This is understandable.
If you sit in a movie house, you may enjoy the early shows but after the
millionth show, you’ll begin to lose interest.
“Eventually, then, you, as
a soul, get tired of your body, your mind, your senses, and your desires. You
rebel against your vehicles and their fascination with the world. A new desire
then emerges: you want to go home and experience peace, bliss, and full
awareness. To fulfill this desire, you now hunt for the meaning of life.
“You now ask for the
exit. Many people will declare that they are the ushers and know the way to the
exit. Most will be false prophets out for a quick tip.
“This is when you can ask
the Source of Life to be your guide and to show you the exit. Either it will
lead you to an enlightened teacher or it will show you how to free yourself.
This search for the exit is the search for liberation from the revolving drama
of life.
“Once you ask for the
door, of course, all sorts of circumstances arises to help you find it. The
Source of Life does not want to force you to watch the same movie themes
repeatedly. After a million incarnations, you can predict the plot before it
unfolds.”
Interviewer: “Why does
evil exist?”
Lux: “It makes the movie
more interesting. The hero needs some villains to outwit.”
Interviewer: “Seriously,
why do bad things happen?”
Lux: “People choose to be
fools. They choose to harm others because of how upset they feel about
something. This is the cycle of evil.”
“If the world appears to
have more bad than good, it’s because people misuse the Life Force within to
wreck havoc. Perhaps you may have run into these people.
“Since people have the
freewill to use the Life Force in any way they like, they prefer horror movies
to comedies; and since actions have consequences, good actions bring good
results and bad actions bring bad results.
Interviewer: “How
prosperous are you now?”
Lux: “I am as abundant as
the universe.”
Interviewer: “How old are
you?”
Lux: “I am timeless.”
Interviewer: “I can see
you’re evasive — so let’s talk about your new book.”
Lux: “It’s not really my
book.”
Interviewer: “What do you
mean?”
Lux: “I’ve done nothing
original to make it mine. I’ve simply collected seven of the most effective
wealth principles that have existed for eons.”
Interviewer: “Of
course, it’s your book: you wrote it! It’s an outrageous success. It’s
published in 15 different languages. It’s in demand all over the world. Here,
in America, it has been on the New York Times best-seller list for 25 weeks.
People who read it experience miracles. How do you account for this success?”
Lux: “It’s not my fault.”
Interviewer: “Come on
now!”
Lux: “Well, I like to
collect good ideas. Some of the best exist in well-read, classical books.
They’ve proved the test of time.
“I’ve arranged these hot
peppers into a step-by-step program. Each idea is potent. Used
synergistically, they blow smoke out of your ears.
“Rich people have used
these ideas since the beginning of recorded history. Poor people have avidly
ignored them.”
Interviewer: “Why did you
write this book?”
Lux: “I wanted to make
money.”
Interviewer: “Honestly,
why did you write it?”
Lux: “I wanted other
people to make money.”
Interviewer: “Is money
that important?”
Lux: “It is when you’re
hungry, need shelter, and want to nap in a comfortable bed.
“It is when you’re a
mathematical genius and want paper and pen to write down your ideas.
“It is when your landlord
comes knocking on your door and all you have for him is a sheepish grin.”
Interviewer: “Earlier, you
were touting some high-falutin Shakespearean notions about all life being a play
and all the men and women in it merely players. Now you’ve become suddenly
rather pedestrian.”
Lux: “Money is only for
the purpose of the body. When you no longer have a body, then you can forget
about money.
“When you have a good role
in the movie of your life, you begin to relish it. Money gives you a step-up in
choosing your role, refining your role, or even promoting your role.
“Eventually, of course,
you’ll still want to leave the theater, but why not enjoy some pop-corn first?
“Poverty does not speed
spiritual growth. It may even slow it down. When you lift your head from the
grindstone, you may see more options in life. One option is to seek the silent
peace within. You don’t have to be sad to seek enlightenment and liberation.”
Interviewer: “How many
money making strategies exist?”
Lux: “There are as many
strategies as there are people to think them up.”
Interviewer: “Why do you
have only 7 strategies then? Why don’t you have more?”
Lux: “Why did Jesus only
have 12 disciples? Why didn’t he have more?”
Interviewer: “I don’t
know. You tell me.”
Lux: “He only had 12
disciples because that was enough to do the work.”
Interviewer: “Do you have
to be born rich to make money?”
Lux: “It helps, but it
isn’t necessary.”
Interviewer: “Do you have
to be luckier, more talented, know the right people or be in the right place to
make more money?”
Lux: “It helps, but it
isn’t necessary.”
Interviewer: “Do you have
to work harder than other people to make more money?”
Lux: “You can also work
hard and not make any money.”
Interviewer: “Yes, I
suppose, like a ditch-digger. Why are you smiling?”
Lux: “Your questions amuse
me.”
Interviewer: “Why?”
Lux: “They are so naive.”
Interviewer: “Shall we
continue? Why don’t you go on the talk shows?”
Lux: “I am nobody
special. Why should I bother?”
Interviewer: “You could
make more money.”
Lux: “I have enough
money.”
Interviewer: “You teach
prosperity through your book and lectures and consultations. People claim
benefits other than an increase in money. How do you account for this
phenomenon?”
Lux: “Prosperity has many
forms. Money is only one.”
Interviewer: “What other
forms?”
Lux: “The cancellation of
your dental appointment is another form.”
Interviewer: “People say
that your book changes their lives.”
Lux: “For the better I
hope.”
Interviewer: “Why does
your book change lives? I hope for a more serious answer.”
Lux: “I have distilled the
potent messages of the world’s sacred literature into 7 basic ideas. These work
synergistically to completely uproot ignorance about abundance.
“Abundance is our birth
right. Since the universe is abundant, since nature is abundant, then, we, too,
should be abundant. After all, we come from the universe and nature.
“When was the last time
that you heard about a shortage of planets?
“These 7 ideas sow the
seeds of spiritually correct living. When you live in harmony with universal
laws, then they benefit you. When you oppose them, then you suffer.
“People suffer because
they believe themselves separate from the Source of Life. They feel separated
from the Power that makes things work right. Once they reconnect, they discover
the Power within them. Contrary to popular opinion, it does not wear a white
beard. Contrary to fantasy, it does not orbit Pluto like a satellite. When
they find this Power, then a satisfactory life replaces their frustrated one.”
Interviewer: “Does
suffering come from ignorance?”
Lux: “Yes, this entire
world-show is a chimera. We are here to learn about how to use power so that we
can learn to love the people and events in our lives. This is neither the petty
power of our wills nor the petty power of our reasoning mind, but the Power that
moves all things. This Power can make a difference in our lives. We have
searched for it in all the wrong places. We have combed the heavens and plowed
the earth for it, but it has been sitting within us all the time. If we had
paid attention, we would have noticed that it has been willing to guide us.
“Once we can fully grasp
our relationship to this silent, invisible, ubiquitous Power, then we can return
home to our abode in bliss.”
Interviewer: “You keep on
referring to this idea of home. What do you mean by it?”
Lux: “This home that I
speak of is not a place but a unique understanding of the Power that moves all
things, including us.”
Ann impatiently skipped the rest
of the interview. Neither bliss nor reconnecting to “the Source of Life,”
appealed to her. She wanted something more down to earth: a life worth living.
She got up and sauntered around
the store.
Going up to the information desk,
she asked the bored clerk for the book. He dutifully looked it up on his
computer.
“It’s on back order,” he said.
“I can order it for you, but it may take a few weeks to get here.”
“I can’t wait. I need answers
now!”
He shrugged, smiling in
confusion.
Ann wandered around some more.
Then she spotted a deserted armchair in the Philosophy section. Although the
chair was comfortable, she sat tensely.
She sorted through her discordant
thoughts.
She didn’t know what to do
anymore.
Neither family nor friends would
help her.
Her money would run out before
the end of the week.
Rent would be due before then.
Already, her bills piled high on
the kitchen counter.
The coming exams would be a major
defeat.
And she was still pregnant.
She didn’t blame Terry for
absconding. After all, she was fat, ugly, and stupid. Her preoccupation with
hating herself made it hard to be affectionate. Unable to show her love for
him, she had fought him off, and now he was gone.
He had now found someone who made | 
The
Empowered Soul
