This book addresses the ancient tradition of Hebrew Spirituality that is the foundation for Judaism and other religions and its relevance for today. Universal underlying themes of monotheism, monism, East-West connections, meditation, mysticism, Kabala, Yoga and Vedanta, are explored by the author/editor and guest contributors covering perspectives from Yoga, Judaism, Sufism, and Mystical Christianity. Specific topics include an overview of Kabala, Ibrahim and non-dualism in Sufism, Bibliyoga, a system for synthesizing yoga postures with biblical teachings, Victor Frankl and Logotherapy, spiritual activism and green yoga, and atheism, agnosticism and Jewish Secular Humanism.
Autobiographical writings of Steven J. Gold, (author of Yoga and Judaism, Explorations of a Jewish Yogi; IVRI: The Essence of Hebrew Spirituality; Torah Portion Summaries, With Insights from the Perspective of Jewish Yogi; and Basic Spiritual Principles) describing his early spiritual journey in prose, poetry, art and journal entries. The material is explained and tied together by retrospective narratives.
Grounded in the traditions of Torah and Veda, Steven J. Gold takes us on an oceanic tour of the depth and breadth of spiritual consciousness. Sharing personal stories and insights into various traditional scriptures as examples, he urges us to adopt a spiritual worldview, to "ponder infinity, awake and arise," to "find your inspiration and follow it." From the Introduction: Moving Beyond Ego to SpiritFor our own spiritual benefit, what if we could move beyond our egoic limitations that restrict us from having a broader, more inspiring and awesome perspective on ourselves and our place in the cosmos? Admittedly, for the sake of survival and sane functioning within the world in which we find ourselves, it is important to have some sense of self. But perhaps it does not have to be as all-consuming as it sometimes becomes. Perhaps many of us become, at least at times, more self-centered, self-absorbed, self-obsessed than we need to be for our own good - and for the good of those around us. Perhaps we might be better off, in the long run, if we didn't have so tight a grip on the reins of the ego-horses pulling our chariots. This book is about exploring the possibilities of what happens if we loosen our grip on those reins. The chapters jump between microcosmic and macrocosmic perspectives, sometimes between chapters, sometimes within the same chapter. "Microcosmic" is a fancy word for what occurs on a small scale - in this context, on an individual basis, both within oneself, and how one interacts with circumstances and people one encounters. "Macrocosmic" is a word for what is perceived as occurring on a more massive scale, outside of oneself - in this context, on mythical, archetypal, cosmic levels. The microcosmic sections involve intimate accounts of my own personal spiritual processes, experiences and adventures - to share them in the hope that others may relate to, and be inspired by them for the benefit of their own personal spiritual growth. The macrocosmic sections involve discussions of stories and descriptions of levels of functioning that appear to be outside of the individual, not personal to you or me - to illustrate the inspiration I derive from this material, in the hope that others will likewise be so inspired. Such depictions have captivated me and many others over the centuries, because they resonate within, due to a spiritual principle that "what is within is without" and vice-versa.
