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SPIRITUAL SIMPLICITY

Simplify Your Life & Enrich Your Soul

Spiritual Simplicity (Simon & Schuster, $22; Fireside $12) is a selection of the Rodale Book Club. Here is an excerpt from its pages:

Alone among God's creatures, men and women enter the world without a set of instructions. Whereas animals possess instincts and simple routines for satisfaction, we humans have yearnings, questions and anxieties, and a conscience that is only a rudimentary compass. Lacking a foolproof guidance system, we are inclined to complication -- treating our lives like a lottery, betting on many numbers in the hope that some combinations will come up winners. We seldom win.

Simplifying your life is a do-it-yourself project. The gift of simplicity is free and fits your schedule and your inclinations. Like Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, and less exalted millions before you, you can follow the path of simplicity, achieve integrity, and possess your soul.

You will have to spend some time thinking about contentment, but you will also have time for meditation. You will be on your own, but you will not be lonely. If you are on tolerably friendly terms with yourself and willing to confront your inconsistencies, you will succeed, emerging a happier person on your terms.

(Copyright 1997 by David Yount)

Note: Each chapter of this book includes a step-by-step guide for individual and group progress.