There is a book that I recommend to my clients that I feel has a great deal of practical wisdom for everyone, but specifically for those diving deep into their own journey of spiritual discovery.
There Is Nothing Wrong with You: Going Beyond Self-Hate
It’s not meant to be read straight through, but to be taken in a bit at a time. The teachings are simple and yet that intense. I read from it myself from time to time and I enjoy the fact that it’s printed in a font that looks like it’s hand written and that there are little cartoony line drawings to keep things from getting too intense. Here’s one of my favorite passages (pg 70):
Spiritual Practice Doesn’t Begin Until the Beatings Stop
I’m suggesting that you stop beating yourself. Many spiritual teachers suggest that hatred is not the answer. They say things about love, forgiveness, generosity and gratitude. They hardly talk about beating people and hating people and this sort of thing. They say, “No, folks, this is the direction. This is the way to go. If you really want to wake up and end your suffering and find joy and peace and bliss, this is the way to do it.” And the response is “Nah, I don’t think so. I’m not going to do that.”
So, here’s the deal. If you were to, say for instance, find the willingness to stop beating yourself for just one day, and if you turned into a more hideous person than you are now, the next day you could beat yourself twice as hard and catch up. I’m just suggesting that you might consider taking the risk.