 |
This is a guidebook for those who believe that there must be a plane of existence that supersedes our physical human life. The author, L. E. Madden, seeks to establish that such a level of awareness does exist and is accessible to all, as indicated in holy scripture. He provides various techniques, or keys, to this awareness. Among the “keys to the kingdom” enumerated are reflective prayer, linking to universal resonances, making happiness a life priority, looking beyond the physical, harnessing energies including sexual energies, using positive emotion, moving beyond self-interest, and ultimately, at Key 119 comes the realization that “I” (meaning God) is all there is. The final key, Key 120 is simply, “I”! Madden states that this realization does not belong exclusively to any single religion: “No one so far in history has produced a legal document that has been signed between God and man.” God is fully present, perfect, and does not “punish.” Therefore when a flower withers, for example, it is “a perfect flower in a withered state.”
Madden has worked in industry at management level. In 1989, he had a spiritual transformation and began to incorporate high ideals gleaned from that experience into his daily life. This gave him the impetus to share the knowledge he gained with others, creating a story that has implications, he believes, for all of us who have to live in an increasingly complex world. His writing is educated but straightforward, treating with subject matter that is dense and ponderous. He offers a bibliography that includes works of many of the world’s great spiritual guides from various religious backgrounds. Offering an aid to readers in seeing beyond everyday physical reality, The Kingdom Within may provide a gateway for sincere spiritual seekers.