This view of spirituality from traditional religion to contemporary culture reveals the common thread that joins Mahayana Buddhism and Hasidic Judaism, the Islamic Sufi poet Rumi and the Catholic St. Thomas a Kempis, people of every traditional religion and people who describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” This book describes spiritual life as the simple but extraordinarily difficult choice to face life's rigors and disappointments by developing certain key virtues. As we become more mindful, accepting, grateful, compassionate, and lovingly connected to others, we become more sp ... More

This view of spirituality from traditional religion to contemporary culture reveals the common thread that joins Mahayana Buddhism and Hasidic Judaism, the Islamic Sufi poet Rumi and the Catholic St. Thomas a Kempis, people of every traditional religion and people who describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” This book describes spiritual life as the simple but extraordinarily difficult choice to face life's rigors and disappointments by developing certain key virtues. As we become more mindful, accepting, grateful, compassionate, and lovingly connected to others, we become more spiritual. These virtues oppose both the conventional social ego's attachment and arrogance, and any habitual, unreflective religiosity; and the spiritual path towards them can be shared equally by people inspired by belief in one God or many, the divinity of nature or the sacredness of life. The book spiritual teachings from both within and outside of traditional faiths, explains the origins and meaning of today's widespread spiritual detachment from institutional religion, and offers illuminating accounts of practices such as yoga, meditation, and prayer. The book also contains innovative and penetrating accounts of the role of spirituality in modern medicine, nature and the environmental crisis, and political activism.