The Jump Into Life: Moving Beyond Fear

The Jump Into Life: Moving Beyond Fear is helpful and affirmative ideas. Desjardins is so open and generous with his wisdom, and while this book is compiled from recorded lectures and exchanges with students, his conversational style allows the reader to feel connected to the author. The lifetime of experience is behind his words, unlike many spiritual "teachers" who don't have a practical understanding of their material because they haven't lived it. Desjardins has lived it, worked with it, taught it, for the last forty years. It is his own synthesis of East and West--Gurdjieff, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity--but it doesn't feel like a mish-mash of dogmas; the core teachings of each tradition have been wisely assimilated by a lively mind and willing spirit. There are no complicated theories here--no rituals, no yogic techniques. There's no magic formula for enlightenment offered, except advice to breathe deeply and to open up and to be grateful. He presents the blueprint for that internal structure, and it is based on saying YES to change because it's the path to new levels of understanding, having gratitude, choosing to be positive, and knowing that you already have Buddha Nature (you are already free, you are already whole, you are already wise.) It's a long journey toward the freedom that has been yours all along. This books gives straight-forward advice for that journey from a good-natured man who has seen all the emotional pitfalls and ego-detours and survived, with his heart and mind intact.