a commentary on the spiritual life
A Few Excerpts
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This is an abbreviated version of the first book we published several decades ago. It was born of a collection of notes I made in the first version of my vademecum as well as some of Nancy's art … and some other stuff. It is no longer available from us in book form. If I were writing this material now, some of it would be different, but not necessarily better.
The spiritual search is the most important journey any of us will ever undertake. It is the only one that matters. It is all that matters. Early on in the journey it becomes clear, dimly at first, but increasingly over time, that there is nothing — no thing, however defined — that is purposeful or relevant to life but the interminable, unavoidable reach for Truth. It is that realization and the process that flows from it that is meant by the way, and the way is what this book is about.
Everything written here is personal; which is to say, each thought has come of my own inner struggle to See, and has been presented as I see it now. That some part of these contents might have meaning for or give direction and encouragement to other seekers is my hope and the reason for their publication. That this might not be the case is, I recognize, quite possible; for the journey to spiritual realization is by its nature a personal one, and while the landscape for all of us is similar, each will see it and describe it in the light of his current condition, and in that we are all different.
I said that the material here has been offered as I see it now, and I stress the word now. With every step of this search vision changes, with each stage of growth our understanding of what has gone before is altered. Thus, we can speak only from where we are today, and today I see it as presented here. I am fully aware that there lies much difficult terrain ahead, and that for the treading of it I will change and so too will my view of these thoughts. The only guarantee against eventual revision is the alternative not to speak at all, and it is a valid one, chosen by many. I have opted for the other because it seemed right at the time of choice; that too may be seen differently ahead.
A brief word about the format of this book may be helpful. The reader will notice that it consists of a series of individual thoughts interrupted by some of the same ideas treated at greater length. Each entry has been the subject of my own meditation along the way and was born of it. Those that have been expanded upon are ones which were particularly difficult for me to accomodate and which therefore seemed to warrant additional discussion. These essays, if that's what they are, are not intended to exhaust their subject, not in any sense to cover its every aspect and ramification, but merely to assist the reader in his own exploration of it.
On a matter of procedure, the reader will see that I have used capitals for the first letter of certain words. My purpose there is simply to indicate ideas or concepts which are intended to convey a meaning greater than or different from that which the words employed carry in normal usage. So that, for example, I may write God with a capital G because while I don’t know exactly what I do mean, I think I know what I don’t mean, and god, with the lower case, seems to me more the latter. Were there a better word, I would have used it. I expect that in the final analysis, there is no word. But we aren't there, and we start from where we are, with the tools — in this case, language — at hand.
Eastern Sky by Nancy Nadzo
Finally, there is nothing in this book that you don’t already know. And more. If you would but see it.
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“There Is A Way” is
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Published by Eden’s Work June 1980
Library of Congres Catalog Card #80-66831
ISBN 0-937226-00-9