Spiritual Genius : 10 Masters and the Quest for Meaning

Rating:
Summary: People Who Practice Faith Without Embarrassing God
Review: A dear friend of mine recommended this book to me. She said that it could be an influential step in life's journey. After reading about the ten individuals whom Winifred Gallagher characterize as having the unique human ability to seek life's meaning, I can see why. Society may have different kinds of names for these people. Some might call them saints, some might call them holy, some might call them good. They are quiet heroes who are moral, but moral in the sense of being compassionate; charismatic in the sense that they inspire others. In any case, they are a refreshing change from the usual types of heroes who inhabit the media today: the socialite who people admire because of her glamour; the guy we admire solely because of his ability to hit a jump shot.

From the brother to the teacher to the activist to the preacher to the intellectual to the interpreter, these are people who possess what Ms. Gallagher refers to as "spiritual genius". Genius here, as she is quick to point out, doesn't necessarily mean intelligence. It refers more to its Latin root: Animated spirit. And that means our own animated spirit as these people rise above the predicaments of the everyday world. Issues like poverty, health, oppression, and abuse are combated by these folks every day. They focus on three things: (1) a reality that more than meets the eye; (2) teaching by example - they don't "talk the talk", they "walk the walk", and (3) they inspire us by demonstrating the ultimate expression of our human potential. After reading the stories of these people, I came to realize just how little I've accomplished in my own life and maybe how much there still is for me to do.

As the title implies, this is not a book about religion, it is a book about spirituality. And while one could argue that religion may not be perfect, Ms. Gallagher states that it has recorded, to a degree, our search for life's meaning throughout history. She relates it to the "biochemical universe that lies between our ears". In this book, she tries to bridge science, which she studied, with spirituality, which she, as an author, is pursuing. Spirituality, as Ms. Gallagher says here, shows us that when the student is ready, a teacher appears.

The summation of this book is that despite tremendous personas and religious differences between these ten people, these "spiritual geniuses" are all onto the same thing. That is that human beings can develop a greater wisdom and commonality that will bode well for the future. As a holy man said to Tenzin Palmo, the "explorer" of this book, "You think we know some secret teachings that enable us to do great things but there is nothing that I know that you don't. The difference is that I am doing it and you are not." A lesson for us all, no doubt, as these people encourage us to allow our own light to shine. Regarding light, an example is made that if you open a door into a dark room, light floods in, not vice versa. Light, indeed, has the final say. Always. Thanks CK

Rating:
Summary: People Who Practice Faith Without Embarrassing God
Review: A dear friend of mine recommended this book to me. She said that it could be an influential step in life's journey. After reading about the ten individuals whom Winifred Gallagher characterize as having the unique human ability to seek life's meaning, I can see why. Society may have different kinds of names for these people. Some might call them saints, some might call them holy, some might call them good. They are quiet heroes who are moral, but moral in the sense of being compassionate; charismatic in the sense that they inspire others. In any case, they are a refreshing change from the usual types of heroes who inhabit the media today: the socialite who people admire because of her glamour; the guy we admire solely because of his ability to hit a jump shot.

From the brother to the teacher to the activist to the preacher to the intellectual to the interpreter, these are people who possess what Ms. Gallagher refers to as "spiritual genius". Genius here, as she is quick to point out, doesn't necessarily mean intelligence. It refers more to its Latin root: Animated spirit. And that means our own animated spirit as these people rise above the predicaments of the everyday world. Issues like poverty, health, oppression, and abuse are combated by these folks every day. They focus on three things: (1) a reality that more than meets the eye; (2) teaching by example - they don't "talk the talk", they "walk the walk", and (3) they inspire us by demonstrating the ultimate expression of our human potential. After reading the stories of these people, I came to realize just how little I've accomplished in my own life and maybe how much there still is for me to do.

As the title implies, this is not a book about religion, it is a book about spirituality. And while one could argue that religion may not be perfect, Ms. Gallagher states that it has recorded, to a degree, our search for life's meaning throughout history. She relates it to the "biochemical universe that lies between our ears". In this book, she tries to bridge science, which she studied, with spirituality, which she, as an author, is pursuing. Spirituality, as Ms. Gallagher says here, shows us that when the student is ready, a teacher appears.

The summation of this book is that despite tremendous personas and religious differences between these ten people, these "spiritual geniuses" are all onto the same thing. That is that human beings can develop a greater wisdom and commonality that will bode well for the future. As a holy man said to Tenzin Palmo, the "explorer" of this book, "You think we know some secret teachings that enable us to do great things but there is nothing that I know that you don't. The difference is that I am doing it and you are not." A lesson for us all, no doubt, as these people encourage us to allow our own light to shine. Regarding light, an example is made that if you open a door into a dark room, light floods in, not vice versa. Light, indeed, has the final say. Always. Thanks CK