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John J. Murphy
Books-And-Authors.net: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why? John J. Murphy: I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. MY MOTHER WAS A FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER, SO READING AND WRITING - WITH GOOD GRAMMAR - WERE DEMONSTRATED AND EXPECTED IN OUR HOUSEHOLD. I WAS ALSO INFLUENCED A GREAT DEAL BY A FEW HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS, INCLUDING MRS. CUNNINGHAM, MRS. SMALLIGAN AND MR. BRENNAR - ALL OF WHOM TAUGHT ME TO STRETCH AND EXERCISE MY CREATIVITY BY OPENING MY MIND AND EXPERIENCING LIFE WITH FEELING, AND NOT JUST THOUGHT. IN ONE CLASS, MR. BRENNAR HAD ME GO SIT IN THE WOODS FOR A FEW HOURS TO "FEEL" WHAT HENRY DAVID THOREAU WAS WRITING ABOUT IN WALDEN POND. THIS WAS A VOLUNTARY ASSIGNMENT SO MANY KIDS SKIPPED IT, BUT I FOUND IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST INSIGHTFUL HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS I EVER HAD. HERE I AM OVER 30 YEARS LATER TALKING ABOUT IT.
Books-And-Authors.net: Why do you write? John J. Murphy: I WRITE BECAUSE I LOVE IT. WRITING GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE. WRITING FROM THE HEART GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE FROM THE HEART. IT FEELS AS IF I AM CHANNELING SPIRIT THROUGH ME UNTO OTHERS. SURELY, I HAVE THOUGHTS, MINDFUL EXPERIENCES AND EXPRESSIONS, BUT THE ENERGY THAT PASSES THROUGH ME AS I WRITE IS QUITE PROFOUND AND EMPOWERING.
John J. Murphy: BEYOND DOUBT IS DEEPLY SPIRITUAL AND YET PRACTICAL AND USER-FRIENDLY BY DESIGN. MANY READERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT IS A "QUICK READ" THAT STIMULATES THOUGHT AND APPLICATION, OFTEN RESULTING IN THE READER GOING BACK FOR REFERENCE SEVERAL TIMES. IN FACT, SEVERAL READERS HAVE ALREADY TOLD ME THEY HAVE READ IT COVER TO COVER TWO OR THREE TIMES AND STILL GO BACK FOR REFERENCE. IT IS THE KIND OF BOOK THAT STICKS WITH YOU, GIVING YOU A GUIDE ANY TIME YOU ARE FEELING STRESSED, ANXIOUS, GUILTY OR DOUBTFUL. THE RING OF PEACE, WHICH I WILL EXPLAIN LATER, IS A SIMPLE TOOL DESIGNED TO HELP FACILITATE "RELEASE" AND BRING CALM AND EQUANIMITY TO THE PRACTITIONER.
Books-And-Authors.net: You write that most people are conditioned to think linearly." Explain.
Books-And-Authors.net: What is “The Ring of Peace” ? Explain this four step process. Each step begins with "Let" Explain. John J. Murphy: THE RING OF PEACE IS A FOUR STEP PROCESS, CIRCULAR IN NATURE (THUS THE RING) THAT ASCENDS UPWARD AS OUR AWAKENING AND ENLIGHTENMENT OCCURS. SYMBOLICALLY, THIS REPRESENTS THE KUNDALINI (DIVINE) ENERGY THAT RISES UP OUR SPINE AS WE AWAKEN TO OUR DIVINE ESSENCE. TO EXPERIENCE THIS AWAKENING, WE MUST PRACTICE THE FOUR STEPS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. WITH PRACTICE, WE "RELEASE" THE NEGATIVE ENERGY AND BARRIERS TO OUR ENLIGHTENMENT AND EMPOWERMENT. EACH STEP OF THE RING OF PEACE BEGINS WITH THE WORD "LET", REMINDING US THAT IT IS UP TO US TO ALLOW INNER PEACE. WE ARE THE OBSTACLE. INNER PEACE WANTS TO EXIST. IT IS OUR NATURAL ESSENCE. WE ARE THE PROBLEM. WE ARE THE OBSTACLE. WE DO THIS BY ALLOWING THE EGO THOUGHT-SYSTEM TO DENY AND RESIST THIS DIVINE STATE. THE EGO SEES EVERYTHING AS SEPARATE AND INCOMPLETE. IT SEEKS TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER, DESTROYING INNER PEACE. THE FOUR STEPS HELP US GET IN TOUCH WITH THE EGO THOUGHT SYSTEM AND TRANSCEND IT. WE BEGIN WITH "LET BE." IN THIS STEP, WE FEEL WHAT WE FEEL. WE BRING OUR CONSCIOUS MIND INTO THE PRESENT MOMENT - THE NOW - AND WE PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING - WITHOUT JUDGEMENT! FROM HERE, WE "LET GO." IN THE LET GO PHASE, WE ARE RELEASING NEGATIVE ENERGY (THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS) FROM OUR CONSCIOUS AND SUBCONCIOUS MIND. WE ARE LETTING GO OF SHAME AND GRIEF AND APATHY AND GUILT AND ATTACHMENT AND FEAR AND PRIDE. THESE ARE ENERGIES HOLDING US BACK - PREVENTING US FROM FEELING PERPETUAL PEACE. WE KNOW WE ARE IN THE "LET SEE" PHASE, WHEN WHAT WE USED TO PERCEIVE AS ANNOYING NO LONGER BOTHERS US. THIS COULD BE A PERSON, A RELATIONSHIP, AN ACTIVITY, ANYTHING! WE NOW SEE IT WITH LOVE, EMPATHY, UNDERSTANDING AN APPRECIATION. IT IS WHAT IT IS FOR A REASON. WE BEGIN TO SEE THE REASONS AND THE BEAUTIFUL PERFECTION, HARMONY AND BALANCE IN THE UNIVERSE. THE FOURTH STEP, "LET FLOW", IS OUR NATURAL STATE. WE ARE MEANT TO FLOW. THIS IS WHAT SOME ATHLETES REFER TO AS THE "ZONE." IT IS A TIMELESS, BLISSFUL, HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE STATE OF MIND AND GRACE, OFTEN ONLY LASTING AN INSTANT FOR PEOPLE. THE RING OF PEACE IS INTENDED TO HELP MORE PEOPLE BE IN THIS STATE MORE OFTEN.
John J. Murphy: RESISTING FLOW IS THE EQUIVALENT OF CLOSING A VALVE ON A WATER FAUCET. THE WATER WANTS TO FLOW. IT IS ITS NATURE. IT IS MEANT TO FLOW, JUST AS GRASS IS MEANT TO GROW GREEN AND AN ACORN IS MEANT TO GROW INTO A TALL OAK. THE VALVE ON THE FAUCET RESTRICTS AND PREVENTS FLOW. THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT THE EGO MIND IS DOING. IT ALLOWS FLOW FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT ONLY WITHIN ITS SELFISH, DISTRUSTING BOUNDARIES. OFTEN, PEOPLE DO NOT EVEN REALIZE WHAT THE EGO THOUGHT-SYSTEM IS DOING TO THEM. THEY KNOW NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE. THE EGO IS A COMMON PART OF HUMANITY. ALL HUMANS EXPERIENCE THIS THOUGHT-SYSTEM TO SOME EXTENT (I.E. ALL HUMANS HAVE EGO). IT IS THE EGOS JOB TO DENY WHO WE REALLY ARE - OUR DIVINE, SPIRITUAL ESSENCE. THE EGO FEARS THIS, AND IT FEARS OUR DISCOVERING THAT WE ARE NOT THE EGO. WE HAVE THE POWER TO TRANSCEND IT. THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF "OPENING THE VALVE" AND LETTING OUR TRUE NATURE FLOW THROUGH. WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS HAVING A TEMPORARY PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE AS HUMANS. THIS IS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE, THAT WE ARE PHYSICAL BEINGS WHO OCCASIONALLY HAVE A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. ALIGNING OURSELVES WITH SPIRITUAL FLOW AND OUR SACRED ESSENCE IS WHAT INNER PEACE IS ALL ABOUT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, WHEN WE TRANSCEND EGO (OUR FALSE SELF), WE ARE NO LONGER AFRAID, DOUBTFUL OR PERTURBED BY ANYTHING. WE ARE FREE, TRULY LIVING IN THE WORLD BY KNOWING THAT WE ARE NOT OF IT. HEREIN IS THE PEACE OF GOD, HEAVEN ON EARTH.
John J. Murphy: LET BE IS THE FIRST STEP OF THE RING OF PEACE. IT IS
DURING THIS STEP THAT WE QUIET THE EGO MIND - WHICH IS ALWAYS PULLING
PEOPLE INTO THE PAST OR FUTURE. SOME RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MOST PEOPLE DO
NOT STAY FOCUSED IN THE PRESENT FOR MORE THAN 11 SECONDS ON AVERAGE. IN
OTHER WORDS, THE MIND WANDERS. PEOPLE ARE BOMBARDED WITH THOUGHTS,
IDEAS, GRIEVANCES, DOUBTS AND ANXIETIES THROUGHOUT THE WAKING HOURS.
THIS MEANS THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND IS RUNNING THE MOMENT-TO-MOMENT
AFFAIRS. IT IS DRIVING THE CAR, REGULATING YOUR HEART, DETOXIFYING YOUR
BODY AND MILLION OTHER THINGS, WHILE YOU ARE CARRYING ON A CONVERSATION
WITH SOMEONE ABOUT WHAT TO DO TOMORROW, OR WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
GIVEN MOST OF OUR DAY TO DAY LIVES IS RUN BY OUR SUBCONSCIOUS MINDS, IT
IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE "TIME OUT" TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE UNDERLYING
THOUGHTS AND ASSUMPTIONS HELD IN THIS MIND. THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF THE
LET BE PHASE. GET IN TOUCH WITH WHAT YOU ARE THINKING, CONSCIOUSLY AND
SUBCONSCIOUSLY. EXAMINE YOUR TENDANCIES, WHICH REFLECT THOUSANDS OF
THOUGHTS AND CONCEALED CONDITIONING. MEDITATE. STILL THE MIND.
CONTEMPLATE WHO AND WHAT YOUR REALLY ARE - IN THIS MOMENT. BE IN THE
NOW. LISTEN TO YOUR HEART. CONCENTRATE ON YOUR BREATHING, YOU LEFT
ELBOW, YOUR RIGHT EYE, YOUR LIVER. SLOW DOWN AND APPRECIATE THE ETERNAL
MOMENT, THIS HOLY INSTANT.
Books-And-Authors.net: Our daily life is full
of distracting and annoying negative noise - How does one tune it
out?
John J. Murphy: THERE ARE SEVERAL SUGGESTED EXERCISES ON THE "LET BE"
STEP IN THE BOOK BEYOND DOUBT. THESE INCLUDE BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
AND MANTRAS (MIND INSTRUMENTS). WE BEGIN TO TUNE OUT THE MENTAL CHATTER
AND NEGATIVE NOISE BY RECOGNIZING ITS SOURCE - THE EGO THOUGHT-SYSTEM.
THE EGO LOVES CHATTER, DRAMA, DEBATE, JUDGMENT, CONDEMNATION,
RIGHT/WRONG, US/THEM, GOOD/BAD. IT IS THE EGO THAT TELLS YOU THAT YOU
ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH OR THAT YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH. THE EGO SEEKS AUTOMONY
AND SEPARATION, SEEKING TO LABEL EVERYTHING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THE NEXT
TIME YOU SEE TWO PEOPLE ARGUING, CONSIDER THAT THEY ARE BOTH BEING USED
AS "INSTRUMENTS" OF THE EGO THOUGHT-SYSTEM WITHOUT EITHER ONE KNOWING
IT. THE EGO FEEDS ON THIS. INNER PEACE IS ITS ENEMY. WE TUNE OUR
NEGATIVE NOISE AND CHATTER BY TUNING OUT ITS SOURCE - EGO THINKING.
Books-And-Authors.net: "Feel what you feel
without being attached." Explain.
John J. Murphy: ATTACHMENT PREVENTS EVERLASTING INNER PEACE. WHEN WE ARE
ATTACHED TO SOMETHING - ANYTHING TEMPORARY - WE SUBCONSCIOUSLY (OR EVEN
CONSCIOUSLY) FEAR LOSING IT. THIS ATTACHMENT COULD BE A CHILD, A SPOUSE,
A LOVER, A CAR, A HOUSE, A JOB, A LOCATION... ANYTHING TEMPORARY. THIS
IS WHY THE BUDDHA CONSIDERED ATTACHMENT ON OF THE THREE DEADLY SINS, OR
KLESHAS. ATTACHMENT IS DISEMPOWERING. WE ARE WISER TO LOVE WITHOUT
ATTACHEMENT AND THE ILLUSION OF CONTROL. WE ARE WISER TO GIVE WITHOUT
ATTACHMENT, TO FORGIVE WITHOUT ATTACHMENT, TO CHOOSE AND DECIDE WITHOUT
ATTACHMENT. THIS ALLOWS US TO FEEL LOVE AND COMPASSION AND SUCCESS
WITHOUT CLINGING TO IT. IT FREES THE MIND AND ALLOWS THE LAW OF
ATTRACTION TO RESPOND WITH LOVING, KIND, GENEROUS AND ABUNDANT ENERGY.
WHEN WE LIVE WITH FEAR, CONSCIOUSLY OR SUBCONSCIOUSLY, WE ATTRACT IT
INTO OUR LIVES. IT IS THROUGH OUR HEARTFELT FEELINGS THAT WE COMMUNICATE
WITH THE UNIVERSAL ENERGY CONNECTING US ALL, AND IT IS THE THOUGHTS WE
HOLD IN MIND THAT INFLUENCE OUR HEARTFELT FEELING. THIS IS WHY WE MUST
BE VIGILENT ABOUT WHAT WE THINK AND HOW WE FEEL. THERE ARE NO IDLE
THOUGHTS.
Books-And-Authors.net: What do you hope to
achieve with with BEYOND DOUBT FOUR STEPS TO INNER PEACE ?
John J. Murphy: I HOPE BEYOND DOUBT SERVES ITS PURPOSE. IT IS NOW
WRITTEN AND AVAILABLE TO ANYONE IN THE WORLD. IT IS WITH POSITIVE INTENT
THAT I WROTE IT - TO SHARE WITH OTHERS WHAT I HAVE FOUND SO HELPFUL IN
MY OWN LIFE. PEOPLE ARE ALREADY TELLING ME HOW HELPFUL IT IS, SO
I HOPE MILLIONS MORE CAN SAY THE SAME. WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT CAN
CERTAINLY USE MORE INNER PEACE. I WOULD LOVE FOR THIS BOOK TO HELP, AND
SERVE AS A GIFT BETWEEN LOVED ONES. I LIKE TO REMIND CRITICS THAT "THE
WORLD CANNOT BE AT PEACE IF YOU ARE NOT AT PEACE." START INTERNALLY AND
THE EXTERNAL WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.
John J. Murphy: WITHOUT JUDGEMENT, THERE COULD BE NO ANGER. WE WOULD HAVE NO CONTEXT IN WHICH TO GET ANGRY. THIS IS THE EGO THOUGHT-SYSTEM IN ACTION. IT INSISTS ON CRITICISM, JUDGEMENT, ACCUSATION, ATTACK AND DEFENSE. IT FEEDS ON REGRET AND RESENTMENT AND JEALOUSY AND GUILT. IT THRIVES ON FEAR AND DOUBT AND ANXIETY. ALL OF THIS REQUIRES JUDGEMENT, OFTEN LEADING TO ANGER. THIS INSIGHT OFFERS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE THE RING OF PEACE. TAKE A MOMENT TO THINK OF A TIME WHEN YOU WERE ANGRY. WHY DID YOU FEEL THIS WAY? WHAT THOUGHTS WERE RUNNING THROUGH YOUR MIND? WAS THERE JUDGEMENT? ASSUMPTION? INTERPRETATION? DID YOU FEEL BETRAYED, ACCUSED, JUDGED, HUMILIATED? WHAT THOUGHTS TRIGGERED YOUR ANGER? CHANCES ARE, YOU WILL FIND THOUGHTS TO RELEASE AND "LET GO" OF. THIS WILL FREE YOU TO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT IT WILL LIKELY REQUIRE MUCH PRACTICE. OFTEN THESE THOUGHTS RUN VERY DEEP, CONCEALED IN THE CONDTIONED SUBCONSCIOUS MIND. ANY JUDGEMENT ON YOUR PART ASSUMES YOU ARE RIGHT. HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY? IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED DID SO FOR A REASON FAR BEYOND YOUR CURRENT COMPREHENSION. PERHAPS THE SITUATION UNFOLDED EXACTLY AS IT WAS MEANT TO FOR THE PURPOSES OF YOUR BEING TESTED - YOUR LEARNING. JUDGEMENT OFTEN GETS PEOPLE IN TROUBLE WHEN THEY DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE JUDGEMENT IS COMING FROM. Books-And-Authors.net: You call yourself a "Spiritual Mystic" Explain. John J. Murphy: A MYSTIC IS ONE WHO SEES BEYOND THE FALSE SELF, THE EGO THOUGHT-SYSTEM. THERE IS A MYSTIC IN ALL OF US, BUT IT IS OFTEN HIDDEN DEEP IN THE MIND. IT IS OUR SPIRITUAL CONSCIENCE. THE MYSTIC UNDERSTANDS OUR SPIRITUAL ESSENCE, OUR SACRED AND DIVING BEING, OUR SOUL. BY TRANSCENDING EGO, A TRUE MYSTIC LIVES WITHOUT FEAR AND DOUBT, WITHOUT LIMITING AND DISEMPOWERING BELIEFS. THE MYSTIC LIVES IN PEACE. Books-And-Authors.net: What was the last book you read? John J. Murphy: I READ SEVERAL BOOKS AT A TIME, OFTEN GOING BACK AND READING EXCERPTS FROM CERTAIN BOOKS. FOR EXAMPLE, I CONTINUE TO RE-READ THE TAO TE CHING, THE BAGAVAD GITA, A COURSE IN MIRACLES AND THE BIBLE. I HAVE ALSO RECENTLY READ ANATOMY OF THE SPIRIT, THE BIOLOGY OF BELIEF AND FRACTAL TIME.
John J. Murphy: A NEW BOOK TITLED "PULLING TOGETHER" IS ABOUT TO COME OUT THROUGH SIMPLE TRUTHS PUBLISHING. IT COVERS "TEN RULES" FOR ACHIEVING HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAMWORK. I AM ALSO WORKING ON A SPIRITUAL BUSINESS BOOK ON LEADERSHIP. Books-And-Authors.net: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing? John J. Murphy: MY FIRST INTEREST IS MY FAMILY. I LOVE SPENDING TIME WITH THEM, GOING ON ADVENTURES AND APPRECIATING THE BEAUTY AND GRACE OF LIFE. I LOVE TO SWIM, RUN, WALK, SKI AND EXERCISE IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. I ALSO LOVE TO MEDITATE, PRACTICE YOGA, READ, DANCE, AND HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE. I TRAVEL A LOT AS A BUSINESS CONSULTANT, SPEAKER AND TEACHER, BUT I ALSO LOVE TO TRAVEL FOR PERSONAL ADVENTURES - ESPECIALLY TO NATURAL AND ANCIENT PLACES. I LOVE THE BIG CITIES TOO! THERE IS JUST SO MUCH TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE AS HUMANS. I ALWAYS LOOK FOR SOMETHING TO ENJOY. |
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