Byways of Blessedness

by James Allen

Right Beginnings, Small Tasks and Duties, Transcending Difficulties, Hidden Sacrifices, Forgiveness, Abiding Joy, Silentness, Solitude, Standing Alone, Understanding the Simple Laws of Life, etc.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Christian

202 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1904

About the author

The James Allen Free Library

Allen was 15 when his father, a businessman, was robbed and murdered. He left school to work full-time in several British manufacturing firms to help support the family. He later married Lily L. Allen and became an executive secretary for a large company. At age 38, inspired by the writings of Leo Tolstoy, he retired from employment. Allen — along with his wife and their daughter, Nohra — moved to a small cottage in Ilfracombe, Devon, England to pursue a simple life of contemplation. There he wrote for nine years, producing 19 works. He also edited and published a magazine, "The Light of Reason".

Allen's books illustrate the use of the power of thought to increase personal capabilities. Although he never achieved great fame or wealth, his works continue to influence people around the world, including the New Thought movement.

Allen's most famous book, As a Man Thinketh, was published in 1902. It is now considered a classic self-help book. Its underlying premise is that noble thoughts make a noble person, while lowly thoughts make a miserable person.

Following his death in 1912, his wife continued publishing the magazine under the name, "The Epoch".

Reviews

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book, next to "As a Man Thinketh" for James Allen that I have read so far. I have put many quotes in this review and plan to review them again and again as time goes bye. An excellent book for self growth. I plan on reading all of his books and putting vital quotes on my reviews. He talks about replacing the 'dark parts' of our life with 'light parts".

[Itinerant Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

ਬੰਦੇ ਖੋਜੁ ਦਿਲ ਹਰ ਰੋਜ ਨਾ ਫਿਰੁ ਪਰੇਸਾਨੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥

Eliminate passion, folly and selfishness from your mind and conduct and you will eliminate suffering from your life. Burden-dropping consists in abandoning the inward selfishness and putting pure love in its place. Go to your task with love in your heart and you will go to it light-hearted and cheerful.

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav · Rating 5 out of 5]

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To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

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Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

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" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

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Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

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[Christina Dent · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because it was really important in a friend‘s life journey. I found it to be a little too detached from reality. Some of the ideas are good, but it feels like they are taken to an extreme in the book. Life just doesn’t fit in neat boxes like that. And then some of the ideas I think just do not jive with human nature in the broken world we live in. Some wheat and some chaff. But a book can be the right thing for a particular person at that moment in their life.

[Yuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The path to enlightenment through discipline of thought, hard work, and a high moral standard is described in this book.

On a personal note, the book really hit home when I read it as it's a spiritual path I've been on my entire life. Allen describes certain ways of thinking so precisely, I got shivers of awe many times during the course of the book. He understands something fundamental to the spirit of man in the same way I do, and it is nice knowing there are others like me out there. I felt a kind of kinship with James Allen while reading this book, and I still feel connected to him somehow. Definitely recommended!

[Micke Sandlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

En bok som påminner väldigt mycket om Allens "As a Man Thinketh". Boken som jag hämtade uttrycket "Burdendropping" ifrån där Allen menar att vi ofta lägger en droppe efter en droppe på våra bördor och varje droppe i sig är inget som väger men den totala vikten blir hela tiden mer och mer. Ett ord som borde översättas till svenska då det är mer aktuellt än någonsin att inse det som Allen var inne på för 100 år sedan.

[Micke Sandlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

En av de bättre James Allen-böckerna efter klassiker som "As a Man Thinketh":

[johhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains lots of timeless wisdom. For me, when the student was ready, the teacher appeared.