Book Review
The book illusion is about the adventure of a reluctant Messiah as expressed by the title. Richard Bach likes flying, and as he travels all over United States, he gives people plane rides at $3.00 for ten minutes. One fateful day during his journey he comes across a man named Donald Shimoda who also likes doing what Bach is doing. He also flies a vintage plane, and he never has to clean his airplane, or even gas it up or eat or sleep, but it is always ready. Donald then becomes Richard’s mentor. Bach learns from Donald to be a teacher, and a master. He also realizes that one can do anything he decides to do and that everything is possible when determined. According to Donald Shimoda, life and the whole world in time and space is all an illusion which we can control how it will be in our existence and how we will handle it.
The two brainstorming men create up friendship. Shimoda is in a position to do impossible things and Bach realizing that Shimoda has stopped hanging to the bottom of the river, he wants to link up with him. He found a simple Messiah Manual with unnumbered pages that when one flops, it simply opens to the right page. Therefore, illusions are full of quotes from the manual a fact that makes it a Messiah manual of its own. A glance from one of the quotes in the Messiah Manual says that one teaches best when he mostly need to learn, which actually shows that a teacher is also a student. In many instances the one who teaches also acquires equally or more knowledge as the learner.
The book offers imaginary yet intellectually motivating options to the rigid concepts of Christianity. It is due to this that he performs what other people know as miracles and manipulation which is opposed to the laws of physics. Because of Donald Shimoda possession of an extraordinary ability to attract people and his highly appealing character, this makes the believers who are Christians see their faith reflected here.
It is necessary to mention that, Donald is always encouraging others to have an ability to leave that which makes them unhappy and to seek that which makes them happy. In addition, Budhist always wants everyone to experience joy and satisfaction. Donald’s opinion as reflected in the word “Is” is actually very Tatoist. Many Christians who reads this book should not be surprised that there are many times Christian terms as savior and Messiah are used while the information in the book is more of Eastern philosophy’s. Richard’s character in the book is borrowed mainly from his teacher Donald.. He thus states his intentions to life in one of the verses. He also says in verse 32 that in most cases someone would go where there are lots of happiness. The search for your happiness will guide your life, though it may not work in today's world which is full of conflicts of different governments and the intolerance of the opposing view of the western and eastern philosophies and their faith. On page 64, he says in front of truth that when one trusts himself that he knows the answers then he actually knows the answer. This is self-asserting because no successful business, professional or any talented rich could have made it to that position without struggling in school or in their work places. Then on the Messiah manual handbook page 71 in many cases problems arise because we entreat for them When you indicate that to the victims of violence, either ethnic, or crime violence, they may not believe you.
Donald believes that miracles can happen automatically without the master’s conscious decision. This is supported with his statement if one believes on what the universe is and how it operates then you will begin receiving miracles. Even though Mr. Bach is being referred as the Messiah, but he is also anti- traditional and that it is difficult to adjust to the traditional extraordinary behavior. He puts a lot of thought when he tries to perform miracles, for example when they were performing games of vaporizing clouds with their thoughts. Bach vaporizes one, but puts a lot of thought into it. Mr. Bach tries to convince us to believe we just brush aside a problem, and it will just go away. Donald castigates Richard with “if you need to get over a problem in your life, you do not over concentrate on it, you want to assume it, and nothing else. That is all there is to it.” Donald has a habit of oversimplifying thing as in the point “that’s all there is to it”. Though Donald exalts that “that there is no right and wickedness” which makes me think that sin should not be an issue of discussion. Later in the aphorism handbook he communicates to us ",Every individual and all that happens in their life takes place because you have attracted them there.” If this was true, then we can draw celebrities close to us and eventually become rich.
“Illusions” is an apologue of Taoist and Buddhist constructs, especially things that involving illusory nature of our being, and in this universe we stay. The mystical journey of Bach and Shimoda varies a lot in relation to the eastern and western philosophies. Western philosophies are established in intellectual thinking, and they concentrate more on the genesis and consequences. In contrast, Eastern philosophies deduce from the Buddhism and Taoism. However, it is full of oversimplified new age, which will only suit those who live in a saccharin pop psychology. It makes us believe that if we are a live then our goal in this world is not accomplished. The book teaches how to improve ourselves, and to be successful in our expectations. It also teaches how we may use the people around us to be our teachers, and to equip us with the knowledge we need.
There is many who still search for the Messiah whom they referred to us the savior,, but Richard Bach makes me learn that we are the saviors and teachers. And that each person is able to learn and perform extraordinary things when they are determined. That each person is divine in their own way. Most of the situations in our life are illusions produced by our feelings and mind. He also advises that if we can detach ourselves from the things that happen in our life either in the past present or future then we shall find happiness and suffer no more.
Work cited
Bach, Richard. Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. New York: Random House
Publishing Group, 2012.
