"The 8 Steps to Enlightenment" was first published in July 2009.  It is 10 cm (4") wide by 14.7 cm (5.8") long, and approximately 7 mm (9/32") thick. It easily fits into a purse or even a back pocket. It contains 8 poems plus Epilogue spread over 106 pages.

Please note: This book is NOT connected to Buddha's Eight Steps to Enlightenment."

What follows is the Introduction to this book:

On the 7th of July 2007, I wrote 7 poems which ended up becoming the contents of a book called “The 7 Tiers of Life.” With the symmetry of the 8th of the 8th of the 8th approaching (8 August 2008), I thought to myself, can I do it again? Of course, this time, it was going to be 8 poems.

In preparation for this adventure, I wondered what could I write about? The idea of “The 8 Steps to Enlightenment” popped into my head. The title resonated with me, although the subject, seemed far too important for such an adventure. Still, in the days preceding the 8th of the 8th of the 8th, I pondered on possible titles for the 8 poems. Sure enough, by the time the 8th of the 8th of the 8th arrived, I had found them.

So it came down to the day in question, could I do it? How would I do it? Ironically, on the 8th of the 8th of the 8th, I found myself many miles from home visiting relatives. As such, I was outside my comfort zone, and only one poem was written on the day.

Do I abandon this quest, or put it aside for another day? As it turned out, it would be put aside for many days. In fact, it was over two months before I got back to the poems. Then inspiration and determination kicked in, and off on the adventure I went.

The ideas, thoughts and concepts of what appears in this book are mine. They are based on my observations of life, and my beliefs. They are not based on fact or research, proven or otherwise.

Subsequent to writing this book, I discovered that there are Eight Steps to Enlightenment, espoused by Buddha. None of what appears in this book is in anyway connected to Buddha’s teachings.

The words in this book are the ramblings of my mind, and could be, totally wrong. Is that a distraction or a test?

In reality, you as the reader, will determine whether the words resonate with you or not. I am not here to tell you, what is right for you. I am here to share some ideas and thoughts. I offer these words as a possibility of a direction that you may want to explore in your life.

I now invite you to read “The 8 Steps to Enlightenment.”

Gary Dodd
June 2009

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