The
Holy Longing:
The Hidden Power of Spiritual Yearning
Connie Zweig, Ph.D.
Hardcover, $23.95
Tarcher/Putnam
This unique book focuses on
two aspects of the spiritual search: the longing for union with
God the beloved, and recovery from spiritual or guru abuse.
Connie Zweig relates personally
to both challenges. Though not subjected to spiritual abuse per
se, she experienced a crisis when competition and hypocrisy in
her Eastern meditation practice group caused her to leave that
group. This began a journey of recovery from disillusionment,
both with her former spiritual community, and with God. “I
had believed that a spiritual commitment would save me from shadow
suffering,” Zweig says. Through Jungian analysis, she eventually
came to accept a “less simplistic framework” for her
spirituality.
The second half of the book
gives graphic examples of abusive conduct, including the recent
Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal, and abuses by Eastern tradition
teachers. Zweig notes that, in “reclaiming action on our
own behalf, we can…act from adult conscious choice.”
In doing so, we go forward on our spiritual search as self-actualized
adults, though we sacrifice “certainty for mystery.”
This eloquently-written book provides a framework for healing,
and for a renewal of one’s faith.
—Jan Suzukawa
This is a course in miracles.”
Those were the first words Helen Schucman wrote one day in 1975,
as commanded by an inner Voice (as she described it), to begin
the now-famous spiritual text that bears that name. Over the next
several years, the Voice, which identified itself as Jesus, dictated
to Dr. Schucman material that eventually comprised three books.
Since that eventful day, the
Course in Miracles has influenced countless followers. Currently,
1-1/2 million copies of the Course are in circulation, and translations
exist in nearly a dozen languages.
This site introduces visitors
to how the Course came into being, what it comprises, and its
essential message. And what is that message? “Nothing real
can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace
of God.” These opening words of A Course in Miracles—simple
in construction, yet profoundly deep in meaning—provide
a valuable message that the world of today sorely needs.
—Cliff Johnson
Mindfulness and Money:
The Buddhist Path to Abundance
Kulananda and Dominic Houlder
Hardcover, $23.95
Broadway Books
Do you spend more than you
earn? Shop to feel good? Buy things you don’t need? Feel
trapped in your job? Mindfulness and Money was written to help
people “develop a healthy and balanced attitude to the question
of earning and spending.”
Ancient Buddhist teachings
take the reader through a path of discovery about his or her relationship
with money. As we gain awareness (become mindful) of our reactions
and behaviors with money, we are then able to take steps to take
charge of our (financial) lives. The authors—both practicing
Buddhists with extensive business experience—use examples
from their own lives, as well as from the lives of others.
Part I, “The Wheel of
Money,” presents stories of how people relate to money.
Part II, “The Path of Abundance,” gives us five basic
Buddhist precepts to teach us how to live on this path.
The First Precept, “Cultivate
Loving Kindness,” is about our relationships. The Second
Precept, “Develop Generosity,” is about giving, and
how to increase our sense of abundance and wellbeing. The Third
Precept, “Cultivate Content-ment,” asks us to examine
our spending, so that we can learn to spend our money on things
that enhance our lives. The Fourth Precept, “Be Honest,”
teaches us to cultivate authenticity, and be more honest with
ourselves about where we actually stand financially.
The Fifth Precept, “Be
More Aware,” shows us how paying attention to the world
and the people around us enables us to make purposeful and life-enhancing
choices—whatever our income.
—Mary Templeton
