The Secret Life of God: Discovering the Divine Within You

by Rabbi David Aaron

How much does our perception of God really matter? Many of us aren't conscious of our image of a "higher power." For some of us, that unspoken image is a judgmental Parent or an exacting Old Man in the Sky. For others, God is an imaginary Friend who is there to fix problems after we create them. Rabbi David Aaron, an inspiring and gentle guide, can help you discover a mature new understanding of God and lead you to discover the wellspring of Divinity within you. By drawing on teachings of Kabbalah that were secret for millennia, he helps you to reclaim the power you've given away to negative images of God or passive images of yourself. These mystical secrets of Judaism can offer reassuring guidance, meaning, and purpose to the lives of people of all faiths. In the journey to discovering God's secret life you Awaken to your life's deepest purpose Know that you matter and that everything you feel and do is important to God Delight in a deeper connection to your true inner self, God, and others Learn to experience God's infinite love for you Rise to new heights, cope with challenges, and make courageous choices Achieve true peace of mind and freedom from anxiety Rabbi Aaron shares these profound ancient teachings in simple, everyday language with a touch of wit and humor. Rich in personal stories and anecdotes, his examples from daily life help us tap the transformational power hidden within and illuminate the surprising paradoxes of spiritual growth. Awakened to finally experience a personal connection to God, we are at last able to receive God's love unconditionally and discover our ultimate identity, divine purpose, and true happiness.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Jewish, Judaism, Judaica

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2004

Reviews

[Jeffrey (Akiva) Savett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a former student currently studying at yeshiva in Israel, this book is REVELATORY. Life changing. The hard part is remembering.

R. Aaron’s message is not one I’ve never heard; it just hit me in the right way at the right time. In a nutshell, the book is about Kabbalistic non-dualism. Conceptually, it is very similar to Jay Michaelson’s book Everything Is God. But something about the way Rabbi Aaron presented this material felt incredibly compelling. This book was also the culmination in some weirdly cosmic way of several months of my spiritual and intellectual life. Just last month, I delivered a TEDx talk about poetry, Kabbalah, non-dualism and my Crohn’s Disease. This book in many ways mirrors what I said, but taught me ways to DEEPEN my spiritual practice. The hard part is remembering.

[Milly Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

what´s so great abut you is that you are not so great

what is perfect about this world is the chaos

life is a divine drama

results are God´s department

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this in the BYU bookstore on clearance and though I'd pick it up. It's a Jew's perspective on the nature of God as taught by the Kabbalah.

Although it's interesting, the jury is still out...

Well, having finished it, I must say it was revealing of the consequences of missing a few doctrinal points. The ideas it put forth were most often intensely confusing and contradictory. What this book did for me was to make me appreciate the simplicity of pure truth and pure doctrine.

[Alex Pintea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este o carte din categoria cartilor destinate studiului despre Cabala. Autorul reuseste cu succes sa gaseasca argumente suficient de credibile despre faptul ca situatia actuala a omenirii este din cauza liberului albitru. Dumnezeu invata alaturi de noi din suferintele noastre, din experientele noastre de viata. Este un mod complet diferit de a aborda partea spirituala asa cum se cunoaste din scrierile biblice.

[Hanna Mihentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Fiecare lucru valoros are un preț: binele există doar cu posibilitatea răului, dragostea cu riscul urii, fericirea cu șansa tristeții, iar victoria cu posibilitatea eșecului.
-Viața este o piesă divină, iar tema sa este provocarea, alegerea, dezvoltarea personală și dragostea. Noi suntem actorii principali, iar sufletul nostru, o scânteie din Dumnezeu(adevăratul sine). Misiunea noastră este să transformăm provocările în servicii aduse Domnului, găsind sens în colaborarea cu El într-un proces dinamic al devenirii perfecte. Dumnezeu trăiește prin noi, dacă îi permitem.
-Greșelile ne oferă ocazia de a învăța, de a simți regretul și de a trece printr-o luptă interioară care ne ajută să găsim curajul necesar pentru a deveni mai buni. Greșelile sunt un catalizator al creșterii și transformării personale.
-Răul există pentru a ne da șansa să alegem binele. Adevăratul bine apare atunci când învingem răul, iar lumea este locul unde putem face asta.
-Porunca de a iubi înseamnă să alegem să arătăm respect și bunătate, chiar dacă suntem diferiți. Ea ne reamintește că, la un nivel profund, toți suntem conectați.
-Trebuie să învățăm pacea și arta râsului. Pacea supremă unește idei aparent opuse, care, de fapt, sunt doar perspective diferite ale aceluiași adevăr. Când vom înțelege acest lucru, vom râde cu adevărat.

[Becky Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read all of it yet, but this ideas this book presents really align with my soul. Despite the entire purpose of it being spiritual, the author really brings you into thinking this way through practicality. It really works.

[Avi Eisenman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and intriguing. This book provides a peek into the Kabbalistic perspective on the concept of God. Good food for thought.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting observations derived from the kabbalah on why there is evil in the world, what is the human purpose, and who God really is. Very relevant to many people's (including mine!) questions about the nature of good and evil and God's role in it. A far cry from what you might have previously learned. I especially like the observation that God is on our side and is not hoping to catch us in failure.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very, very well-written, clear guide of how Kabbalah views G-d. I don't usually read about Kabbalah, although I've been an observant Jew for over a decade and a half. I learned some new things and also had many familiar, yet seemingly unrelated, concepts tied together for me by Rabbi Aaron.

Authentic enough a book for Orthodox readers, yet totally accessible to those who are not. I'm contemplating buying a few copies to hand out to friends.

[Sara Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Complex. Read his other books first so that this one is more approachable. Some of Aaron's books are like a primer in basic Judaism; others demonstrate much more sophistication. I needed to go to the first book and read them forward and then try again on Secret Life...BINGO !! Now I get it. So good.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It talks about our relationship with God and how we can grow in him and be free of our anxiety and have good relationships.