By Gregg Sanderson
The first time I experienced unconditional love, I literally ran out of the room.
We were invited to a friend’s house to meet some folks who live on a yacht and are into some pretty interesting stuff. When I walked in and met this wheelchair bound Hippie who radiated a “peculiar” energy, I explained I had early morning computer time and got out of there as fast as I could.
That was my first encounter with Ken Keyes, author of the Handbook to Higher Consciousness. Our next direct contact was a few years later.
In the interim, I had taken several workshops on his Living Love System and began to teach it on my own. Ken had set up his center in Berkeley, CA, and I was forming “The Next Step,” a growth center in the ghost town of Kingston, NM.
I wrote to Ken to tell him what we were doing and that I wanted to be sure I didn’t violate any copyrights. His response brought tears to my eyes. It still does when I think of it.
“The Living Love System is a gift to the world. You are welcome to use it in any way you choose. How can I help?”
He then gifted us with a case of his books to distribute, and kept us up to date on his latest research, all without further communication from me. I learned then that unconditional love was real, not just “woo woo.”
Fast-forward a few more years. Ken and I were separately writing relationship books. I didn’t read his Conscious Person’s Guide to Relationships before I published my book, and surely he didn’t read mine either. Our styles are different, but any observer would consider them competing products for the same market. Not so in the world of unconditional love.
By this time, Ken was in Santa Cruz, CA, and our book tour took us nearby, so we went to visit. The first words out of his mouth after our initial greetings were, “Who’s your printer?”
He referred us to his printer, which lowered our cost from $2.30 per copy to 62 cents. Again, demonstration way beyond the words. There are many Spiritual paths that talk about unconditional love. I’m glad I chose one that does more than talk
Living Love has been the foundation of my personal growth for over 30 years, and has enabled me to peacefully go though situations that could drive others to suicide (Business failure, divorce, death, separation, bankruptcy, etc). Combine that with the teachings of Science of Mind (Ernest Holmes), and I am where I am today.
Where am I today? I’m here to tell you about BOB, the Being Of Bliss — the Intelligence, Force, Love, and Substance that is everything and every one of us, and the RACE Trap* — the illusion, delusion, and confusion that keeps BOB’s game interesting.
You can read all about it in Spirit With A Smile — The World According To BOB, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be hearing more about Unconditional Love vs. The RACE Trap in future columns and books.**
Stay tuned.
*RACE: an acronym for Righteousness and Approval Complicate Everything.
Gregg Sanderson has a rare view of the metaphysical universe. He traveled the road from Christian Science through Judaism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Living Love, Psychic Development, Spiritualism, Teaching of the Inner Christ, all the way to the International Centers for Spiritual Living where he is a licensed practitioner. He is the author of What Ever Happened To Happily Ever After? and Split Happens – Easing the Pain of Divorce. Gregg’s latest book is Spirit With A Smile — The World According to BOB (www.Transformation-Publishing.com) gregg@spiritwithasmile.com.