Don't try to Short Circuit Your Spiritual Journey!

They were all spiritual seekers. But it may have turned out that they were seeking spiritual "thrills."

Three out of 50 of them paid with their lives;18 more were hospitalized, then released.


It all happened in beautiful Sedona, Arizona this past week.

Only about 2 hours drive from the Grand Canyon, Sedona is a place so beautiful you always feel God in the air. As you stroll through the many shops now interspersed among the Red Rock, you can't help but think of this as "God's Country."

To go to DIE there almost seems like some sort of travesty...or poetry...or script.

This past week, the script was written by James Arthur Ray.

What could have gone wrong at the sweat lodge and weeklong retreat for which 50 people had paid thousands of dollars?


From news reports, I learned that Ray had rented the Angel Valley Retreat Center for his five-day "Spiritual Warrior" event that culminated in the sweat lodge ceremony. Participants paid between $9,000 and $10,000 to attend the retreat.


The deaths are now being investigated as homicides, according to reports.

I say, "Correctly so!"

I also say that it's instances like these that give "New Age" a BAD name!

I'm not taking anything away from James Arthur Ray's power of persuasion, but the truth is that every time I received one of his communications, I cringed...yet, interestingly, I never sought to "UNSUBSCRIBE."

There is something addictive to anyone offering solutions to life's myriad problems, especially when it comes to short-cutting and short-circuiting the true process of Spiritual Growth.


THAT...Spiritual Growth...the Spirtual Path...is DIRTY STUFF!
When someone is authentically on the spiritual path, it is NOT PRETTY.

All sorts of DIRTY STUFF comes up to be aired out. There is much dirty linen that comes up to the surface of a person's Soul that has to be laid out and washed out.

It's a dirty business...and someone has GOT to do it!!

If you're a spiritual seeker and you're smart, I'll tell you: the ONLY SOUL to do it is your OWN Soul, as that's where God resides.

Some of you may object to my bluntness, but I sometimes say that God is in the "Sewer Business."

When we truly start an authentic walk with our Spirit, it has to go into the "gutter" of our Soul, with all the mess of all the years that got put in there and clogged up, and God has to help us clean up the mess!

Even, he, God, can't do it in one swipe! Even he, can't do it for you! You have to walk through it...and yeah...he'll be right there beside you, "never leaving you or forsaking you."

You know that line from the 23rd Psalm: "Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death."


Yep, it begins to make PERFECT SENSE!

Why does James Arthur Ray and others believe that they can circumvent this process?
[Ray is pictured with one of his spiritual leaders]

One week and $9,000 and now you're GOOD FOR LIFE!

I thank God that I wasn't RICH ENOUGH to pay anyone that kind of money, OR misguided enough to listen to ANY SOUL but my own.

Go figure.

God is the master planner. Yet, he can't "unravel" his own stuff!

Yes, Life IS a labyrinth, but it ALL has a GRAND DESIGN...and it all IS unfolding as it should.

Don't let ANYONE TELL YOU...that they can give you a quick "FIX" on your spiritual journey. There aren't any "quick fixes."


You got to walk through the mud, the dirt, the bramble, the filth, the desert, the heartbreak, the heartache, the HELL...YES, the pure HELL...

Don't wonder if Hell is on the other side. Hell is right here, right now, each moment that we feel separated from God!

So, the next time, you believe that you can short-circuit your way through the maze of life and go looking for a "body" to help you through: think AGAIN!

That "Body" is also going through its own stuff...his own process....as successful as he or she may be! Don't be lulled into acceptance and idolatry, because you see all the glitter and the glory that come from "SUCCESS!"


There's hell to pay there, too....especially...especially...if it wasn't earned by right of true Spiritual Consciousness!


The HUMAN Will can accomplish much. You know the saying that "where there's a will, there's a way!"

Yeah, Go ahead and MAKE IT HAPPEN: You've earned it!

So, now you've earned it, yes, a certain level of PEACE does come with Success.

But I tell you, unless and UNTIL, it comes from the Spirit of God within you...then WATCH OUT!

I feel sorry for James Arthur Ray.

He was always so positive. So insightful. He always had the answers.

Now, what?

Could it be that at LAST, his TRUE spiritual journey will begin...and...from within?

Namaste',

Che'
EDITOR'S NOTE: The letter below came through from James Arthur Ray on Wednesday, October 21. Judge for yourself whether he went "within" for guidance on this.

Regarding the Recent Events in Sedona
For me, for the families and friends of the sick and deceased and for many people who believe in the important work we do, these have been the most difficult ten days of our lives.People are throwing out accusations and disparaging me and our mission. Yet despite that, and despite considerable criticism, I have chosen to continue with my work. It's too important not to. One of the lessons I teach is that you have to confront and embrace adversity and learn and grow from it. I promise you I am doing a lot of learning and growing. I have taken heat for that decision, but if I chose to lock myself in my home, I am sure I would be criticized for hiding and not practicing what I preach.It means a great deal to me that so many of you have come to see me speak this week and last--that you are investing your time and energy into creating more fulfilling, successful and productive lives. It reaffirms my decision to continue my schedule and these event experiences. I want to use this forum to address the families of those whose lives were lost, James, Kirby and Liz. I have reached out to all of the families personally, but feel the need to say more. I feel your pain. I accept your anger. And I pray for you all to have some measure of peace and comfort. I want you to know that I too want to know what happened that caused this horrible tragedy. My team and I are working with the appropriate authorities and have even hired our own investigators to find out the truth. I believe the best way to honor their amazing lives and everlasting memory is to continue this important work. Please join me in a moment of silence to pay homage to their lives and to pray for the speedy recovery of others taken ill.

(signature eliminated)
James Arthur Ray
President/CEO
James Ray International, Inc.