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Spirals: The Connection
Can mysticism and logic work together? The world is full of contradictions, and humans have struggled for all the millennia of their existence with the moral and ethical dilemmas created by conflicts between what's reasonable, what's right, what's expected, and what's expedient. We've learned to choose sides--idealist, pragmatist, realist--and in all these centuries we've yet to reach consensus or find a unified road.
Mysticism and logic taken together provide a solution to this dilemma--spiritual growth and spiritual awareness. Mystics agree that there is something within the human heart or soul that is indivisible. When we connect with this oneness and apply logic, we gain profound understanding, compassion, and knowledge and are able to accept life as it is. Mysticism and logic work together, allowing us to see that the contradictions that consume us are no more than partial truth facing off against partial truth.
The paradox inherent in translating the mystical experience into language is the reason The Connection was written--words cannot contain it, yet it must be said. Others have tried, claiming "union with an infinity of love, bliss, and peace so inexpressibly magnificent that it defies description." But if something "defies description" how can we write about it?
The Connection is different. Going to the core of spirituality, it looks directly at a personal experience of the divine and discusses how this spiritual vision impacts thought, belief, and behavior. What makes the book unique is that rather than talking about how the experience affected and transformed her, the author describes what she actually saw and demonstrates how this vision impacts our ordinary lives, thus making it possible for others to see it as well. For Ms. Greenspan, "seeing God" was seeing the structure of reality, "the rhyme and reason behind events, the framework upon which the matter and energy of the universe is laid."
The purpose of The Connection is to apply logic to mysticism, thus revealing the governing structure hidden beneath everyday events, making the reader spiritually aware of the joining of contradictions that is the nature of truth, thereby opening the doors to his or her own spiritual awareness. By explaining the relationships between life and death, men and women, good and evil, power and love, freedom and responsibility, disease and health, and God and self, the author uses mysticism and logic to lead the reader to an awareness of how opposites connect, and beyond that coupling, to the vastness of "all-that-is" that is the source of spirit and of life itself.
The Connection stimulates individuals to grow toward greater spiritual growth and spiritual awareness of themselves and of each other, affecting them at the very core of their experience where mysticism and logic meet.
Mysticism and logic taken together provide a solution to this dilemma--spiritual growth and spiritual awareness. Mystics agree that there is something within the human heart or soul that is indivisible. When we connect with this oneness and apply logic, we gain profound understanding, compassion, and knowledge and are able to accept life as it is. Mysticism and logic work together, allowing us to see that the contradictions that consume us are no more than partial truth facing off against partial truth.
The paradox inherent in translating the mystical experience into language is the reason The Connection was written--words cannot contain it, yet it must be said. Others have tried, claiming "union with an infinity of love, bliss, and peace so inexpressibly magnificent that it defies description." But if something "defies description" how can we write about it?
The Connection is different. Going to the core of spirituality, it looks directly at a personal experience of the divine and discusses how this spiritual vision impacts thought, belief, and behavior. What makes the book unique is that rather than talking about how the experience affected and transformed her, the author describes what she actually saw and demonstrates how this vision impacts our ordinary lives, thus making it possible for others to see it as well. For Ms. Greenspan, "seeing God" was seeing the structure of reality, "the rhyme and reason behind events, the framework upon which the matter and energy of the universe is laid."
The purpose of The Connection is to apply logic to mysticism, thus revealing the governing structure hidden beneath everyday events, making the reader spiritually aware of the joining of contradictions that is the nature of truth, thereby opening the doors to his or her own spiritual awareness. By explaining the relationships between life and death, men and women, good and evil, power and love, freedom and responsibility, disease and health, and God and self, the author uses mysticism and logic to lead the reader to an awareness of how opposites connect, and beyond that coupling, to the vastness of "all-that-is" that is the source of spirit and of life itself.
The Connection stimulates individuals to grow toward greater spiritual growth and spiritual awareness of themselves and of each other, affecting them at the very core of their experience where mysticism and logic meet.
172 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2010
227 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 10, 2013
*****FIVE STARS!*****
Unlike any other spiritual book out there. This is a book that has earned a permanent place on my book shelf. I loved reading this book! Some of my favorite parts include:
"And life is in the river;the joy of life is in letting the river carry us where we are destined to go, even when this means struggling against it to get there." What a great analogy!
"For in compassion, we know that all things are One, and that the suffering of one is the suffering of all." Beautifully put.
"Nothing in life has an ending, everything changes form and changes form again. Seeds become flowers, flowers become fruit, fruit becomes seeds...." Love the way this is illustrated.
"The difference between victim and victor is simply a matter of viewpoint" Amen! You can chose to be a victim or a survivor, the choice is yours.
The part I think i enjoyed the most was the chapter on Power and Love. The example you gave here was great. I never looked at it in that perspective and really learned a lot. If nothing else this chapter will change the way you view relationships and make you more conscious of the give/take exchange. Thank you!
The chapter that I did not care so much for was the chapter on Good and Evil. It personally did not resonate with me as much as the other chapters. This may be because of my own personal beliefs. Adam and Eve could have been left out of it. Personally, I believe that Good can be gained in the Bad. Its all a matter of perspective when it come down to it.
Another thing that I thought was great was the explanation on the part about the continuum of the dualities. The examples happy - sad. The continuum is grief, sad, depressed, okay, nothing , content, happy, joy. Very enlightening!
And Finally i really liked the chapter Freedom and Responsibility. "Responsibility - the ability to respond - is power!"
"Taking responsibility for our lives simply means learning to respond to our problems in a constructive way."
These are some of my favorite parts of the book but there are many other parts that I did not share.this book is worth the time and money spent. I look forward to other works produced by this author especially if they are similar to this one. GREATREAD!
Unlike any other spiritual book out there. This is a book that has earned a permanent place on my book shelf. I loved reading this book! Some of my favorite parts include:
"And life is in the river;the joy of life is in letting the river carry us where we are destined to go, even when this means struggling against it to get there." What a great analogy!
"For in compassion, we know that all things are One, and that the suffering of one is the suffering of all." Beautifully put.
"Nothing in life has an ending, everything changes form and changes form again. Seeds become flowers, flowers become fruit, fruit becomes seeds...." Love the way this is illustrated.
"The difference between victim and victor is simply a matter of viewpoint" Amen! You can chose to be a victim or a survivor, the choice is yours.
The part I think i enjoyed the most was the chapter on Power and Love. The example you gave here was great. I never looked at it in that perspective and really learned a lot. If nothing else this chapter will change the way you view relationships and make you more conscious of the give/take exchange. Thank you!
The chapter that I did not care so much for was the chapter on Good and Evil. It personally did not resonate with me as much as the other chapters. This may be because of my own personal beliefs. Adam and Eve could have been left out of it. Personally, I believe that Good can be gained in the Bad. Its all a matter of perspective when it come down to it.
Another thing that I thought was great was the explanation on the part about the continuum of the dualities. The examples happy - sad. The continuum is grief, sad, depressed, okay, nothing , content, happy, joy. Very enlightening!
And Finally i really liked the chapter Freedom and Responsibility. "Responsibility - the ability to respond - is power!"
"Taking responsibility for our lives simply means learning to respond to our problems in a constructive way."
These are some of my favorite parts of the book but there are many other parts that I did not share.this book is worth the time and money spent. I look forward to other works produced by this author especially if they are similar to this one. GREATREAD!
September 1, 2013
Excellant! Very enlightening and soulfully peaceful! Very well done.
September 5, 2013
Although there is nothing new here, sometimes that's exactly what you're looking for in an inspirational book. "Spirals" is uplifting with short anecdotes and helpful advice.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews