Overview  And  Purpose

It's a work of love made up of the best and most useful aspects of human understandings -- in this case, understandings related to the nature of being human and to the nature of "The Infinite Source of All."

It's a collection of pieces of truth,  both ancient and modern, many of which are so  profound they touch the core of our being and trigger strong emotional responses within us.

Like all other books of this type that have come before it, it is designed to do the impossible -- to teach us about the unknown and unknowable.  It actually teaches us about ourselves, and in the sense that we are part of the that "Unknown and Unknowable Everything," it actually does gives us a glimpse at "The Infinite Source of All."

And since nobody has exclusive access to the truth and because there are so many different ways to see that truth, we invite you to participate with us in bringing together the best and most profound works of love, light, and truth.  Participate with as we look for, find, collect, and publish the greatest, the grandest, the smallest, the simplest and the most profound views of life, love, truth, wisdom, freedom, God, The Universe, and Planet Earth.

The creation of this inspirational collection of human wisdom was triggered by the events of September 11, 2001, the day human consciousness changed forever.  

Because we have so many different groups each claiming exclusive access to the truth and claiming exclusive access to God, several of us decided to create a collection of truths and words of wisdom that any person can think about without triggering the all-too-common  attitude: "I'm right, therefore you must be wrong."

Please don't believe anything you read in The Book of Timeless Truths & Wisdom and, equally important,  don't disbelieve anything in it either.  Use it as a means to open your mind, your heart, and your hands.  Take what is offered as an invitation to examine your life, your relationship to God, your relationship to yourself, to your fellow humans, and to our host, Sacred Mother Earth.  

Take what fits for you.  Take what works for you and simply allow the rest to be.   If it was meant for you and you've just passed it by, that's OK.   It will surely come by again in the same or a different form, and...

If the same message has already come to you several times and in several forms, you'd be wise to listen this time.

The first purpose of this collection is to  transcend the perverse "Us Against Them" attitude that has triggered so much needless death and destruction.   

The second purpose for creating The Book of Timeless Truths & Wisdom is to assist people to meet life's challenges and get beyond their personal traumas.  Because we are divided primarily by illusions, and false beliefs, we have chosen to wage war on ignorance rather than on each other.

The  third purpose of The Book of Timeless Truths & Wisdom  is to foster the awakening of human consciousness to the fact that:

 1)  All life forms, from the smallest microbe to the greatest redwood, are part of an irrevocably intertwined, interdependent, interactive ecosystem.  Everything is intrinsically interwoven into everything else.  Nothing and no one functions outside of that ecosystem.

2)  It is impossible to disrupt any piece of the system without disrupting the entire system.

3)  The survival of human kind is completely dependent upon the survival of the other life forms on planet Earth.  

The  fourth purpose of The Book of Timeless Truths & Wisdom  is to foster creating a balance between human population levels and the capacity of the environment to accommodate and care for those people on a long-term, sustainable basis.

Views From The Other side of Life by all definitions, must be one of the ultimate books of heresy.  Why?   Because we encourage you to:

In a closed mind,  the truth is no match for a good fantasy.
In an open mind,  even the grandest fantasy is no match for the truth.

The creation of this collection is currently being hosted and made possible through the facilities of  The Life Center, a small, independent, Southern California-based, state and federally recognized, non-profit organization.

  This book does not make claims that insult your intelligence.

  This book does not claim exclusive access to the truth.

  This book does not claim exclusive access to God.

  This book does not claim superiority over anyone, anything, 
     or any sacred text.

  This book does not exclude any ideas as wrong, stupid or evil.

  This book brings you views from all sides of controversial issues.

  This book brings you perspectives on life that you may not 
     have thought of before.

  This book encourages you to think for yourself -- to find your own truth

Should you throw away your present sacred text?

Of course not!   This text is an answer, not the answer.   It is simply one more place to look while seeking to answer your own spiritual and philosophical questions -- questions such as:  "Who am I?   What am I?   What am I doing here on Earth?"

If you accept someone else's answers to these questions, you are cheating yourself.   The answers to your questions are within you, not in this book or in any other book.

You and you alone know what's best for you.   The wise listen to the words of others, read the written words from past generations, and then consciously make decisions for themselves.   Choice, responsibility, and the consequences reside with you, not in a book and not in what someone else tells you.

As former President, Harry Truman once said, "The buck stops here."   And, as numerous spiritual teachers have told us,  "There are no victims; there are no enemies; there are only unconscious creators."   So if you want to know who is in charge of your life, who is responsible for what you are experiencing, and who can make change your life, look closely into your bathroom mirror.

That's a question you get to answer.  Below are some ideas the editors have come up with about what is to be included.  We are open to and invite your suggestions, ideas, and contributions.   The book is divided into two parts.

Part One --  Traditional Perspectives

  Questions, etc.  Designed to Uplift -- to Inspire

         to Invite Visions, Potentials and Possibilities

  Words from famous people

         in Human History

  Words from famous people

         of the Twentieth Century

  Words from regular people --

         People like You and Me -- People of the Present Era

  Words from Bibles and From

         Other Religious Writings

  Words from Tyrants and Despots

  Light and Humorous Short Stories

         Stories with a message; stories that invite you to think;  
         stories that offer an unusual perspective on life.  

  And Any Additional Thoughts  

         and Visions that  You Desire to Have Included

Part Two -- Views from the Other Side of Life

The section above (Traditional Perspectives) offers some very inspiring, some well-known, and some useful ideas.  That's nice, but unless we deal with all the topics covered in the section,  Views from the Other Side of Life, all our nice words are like whipped cream on garbage and like building our house on a sand foundation.   Why?   Because all the wonderful truths mentioned in the above section are presently being undermined by a self-deceptions, by illusions, and by fairytales that many people simply accept as real even in the face of overwhelming evidence that their beliefs are not real.

Views from the Other Side of Life offers you ways of viewing the world  that you may not have thought of before.  The topics covered include: