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Open your heart and mind and discover—through the sacred art of lovingkindness—the image and likeness of God in yourself and others.
"The question at the heart of this book is this: Will you engage this moment with kindness or with cruelty, with love or with fear, with generosity or scarcity, with a joyous heart or an embittered one? This is your choice and no one can make it for you…. Heaven and hell are both inside of you. It is your choice that determines just where you reside."
—from the Introduction
We are all born in the image of God, but living out the likeness of God is a choice. This inspiring, practical guidebook provides you with the tools you need to realize the divinity within yourself, recognize the divinity within others, and act on the obligation to manifest God's infinite compassion in your own life.
Guided by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, you will explore Judaism’s Thirteen Attributes of Lovingkindness as the framework for cultivating a life of goodness. Shapiro translates these attributes into practices—drawn from the teachings of a variety of faith traditions—that allow you to actualize God’s glory through personal deeds of lovingkindness. You will enrich your own capacity for lovingkindness as you:
- Harvest kindness through compassionate honesty
- Make room in your heart for reality
- Recognize the manifestations of God
- Embrace the paradoxical truth of not-knowing
- Be present in the moment
- Do right by others
With candor, wit, and honesty, Shapiro shows you that by choosing to act out of love rather than fear, with kindness rather than anger, you can transform how you perceive the world and ultimately lead a more complete spiritual life.
"Powerful and rich … written so skillfully and accessibly that it will be read by peoples from all traditions. Opens for us the great beauty and necessity of kindness in the world today."
—Roshi Joan Halifax, abbot, Upaya Zen Center
“[A] masterpiece … a practical, inspiring, engrossing and very helpful ecumenical how-to based on the Jewish supermantra.”
—Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, author of First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit: Reb Zalman's Guide to Recapturing the Intimacy and Ecstasy in Your Relationship with God
“Touches the very heart of spirituality. Its message has the ring of universal truth. Drawing from many traditions and faiths, [it] highlights the essence of all spiritual teachings and the secret of inspired living.”
—Swami Adiswarananda, Minister and Spiritual Leader, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York and author of The Vedanta Way to Peace and Happiness
“A blessing—both as a book and as a roadmap for spiritual growth…. Renders the path of the heart clear and accessible with insight, wisdom, and humor. This may be my favorite book of all times.”
—Joan Borysenko, PhD, author of A Woman’s Journey to God and Seven Paths to God
Foreword
Introduction: What Is Lovingkindness?
1. The Image and Likeness of God: Realizing the Divinity of Self, Realizing the Divinity of Others
2. God as Creative Force: Cultivating Creativity
3. Fearless Compassion: Harvesting Kindness through Compassionate Honesty
4. Engaging Life through Grace: Being Present in the Moment
5. Equanimity in the Moment: Making Room in Your Heart for Reality
6. Acts of Kindness and Giving: Doing Right by Others
7. The Truth of Our Story: Embracing the Paradoxical Truth of Not-knowing
8. Preserving Kindness for the World: Remembering and Retelling Tales of Kindness
9. Feelings and Forgiveness: Forgiving Iniquity, Forgiving Willfulness, Forgiving Error
10. Cleansing Delusion to See Clearly: Recognizing Manifestations of God
11. The Greatest Obstacle to Lovingkindness
Conclusion: An Invitation to Become a Hidden Saint
Notes
Suggestions for Further Reading
Index of Prayers and Practices
Acknowledgments