The Second Miracle: Our Fundamental Call to Connection and Belonging

I read many books on spirituality for research and rarely do I find enough material in books worthy of me pulling out my highlighter. For Richard's book I found myself highlighting something on nearly every page - a definite keeper. A very solid bit of writing on the proposition of awakening, but perhaps a bit beyond those who have not yet had an experience of awakening or are relatively new to the process.I met Richard once and asked why this phenomenal book was not more popular. He stated he was not sure but guessed it was because it was "basically preaching to the choir." Of the people I have seen present at conferences he definitely carries the work with him - much more so than most. For me he (and his work) comes up on a very short list of spiritual teachers whom I consider "full-spectrum" teachers. A gem!

I haven't read them all, but I have read many and Richard's life teaching as put forth in The Second Miracle clearly stands out as one of the most lucid descriptions of the process of Realization I have encountered. After experiencing his own profound Awakening some 30 years ago while practicing Medicine, he has devoted his life to teaching others the awakening process. This book is the culmination of what he has learned thus far and if the reader feels called to stay with it, as the material has great depth of meaning that may escape the ego mind,it will resonate with the Soul. It is a book to be read and reread and lived over time to discover it's riches.I'm on my third time and am always amazed at the new layers to be absorbed.I wish more people could discover this great teacher.

I loved this book. It is deep and wide and presents a lot of room for growth in unexpected ways. I actually bought it about 4 or 5 years ago, but it sat on my shelf because I clearly wasn't ready yet to absorb its implications. This is a book about maturation and the ego clearly needs to be ready to accept the change and expansion without claiming it as its own. I have read a myriad of books about enlightenment, and believe me, this takes it all to a higher and more inclusive level. The Second Miracle does not negate "the first miracle", which as Dr. Moss describes, is more or less the development of the human ego in which subject and object (or other) are perceived as separate. But rather it takes that first miracle ego and expands our attention to "restore the sense of soul, that innate essence in all things that is part and parcel of the continuity of existence." Dr. Moss explains that to be "referent to infinity" is to release finite notions of ourselves and move into "flow". He also cautions us not to let the ego co-opt the experience. In my estimation this is critical. Then by stepping beyond causality and notions of victimization, we become far more then what we were. The hardest part for me to grasp was the chapter on suffering, an important ingredient in the soul's journey to growth and healing. Here we learn about suffering from a personal as well as a society's point of view. We also learn how and why to make room for differing and opposing ideas to resonate comfortably within us and grow from there.Getting your mind around this book is not easy but it is well worth the stretch. We all want to understand this journey of incarnation and this book is an excellent step to that end. In The Second Miracle you will learn to "accept and embrace the ordinary life" as a sign of complete maturation and experience the "evolution of consciousness as we express the Great Intelligence of the Universe."