In April 1993 I lost my mind. All the light in my life had been extinguished and I was left in utter darkness. I suppose I could call that terrifying state of crisis I was in the dark night of my soul. My husband, who I was wildly and passionately in love with, had died suddenly from a massive heart attack which had killed him instantly. I found him dead on our living room floor. Then there was darkness.
It would have been impossible for me to find my way out of that maddening void of grief without a lot of help. And I was blessed to get a tremendous amount of help, including a book that was like a shining beacon for me: Jack Kornfield's
A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life. That book turned my life around and guided me along a path that would lead to the healing of my broken mind and my shattered heart, the spiritual path of meditation.
And now here I am many years later, still meditating, still following a path of devotion and spiritual work. I do practice a different kind of meditation now which is not the Buddhist method that Jack teaches, but nevertheless, meditation has become my way of life and I would like to bless Jack Kornfield for being the first to show me its value, for lighting that lamp in my darkness, and for showing me the way.
So I have a very tender affection for Jack Kornfield and I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered he had written a new book! I was very excited to read
A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times and now that Jack Kornfield has touched me deeply once again, I must sing the praises of this sweet, inspiring book!
A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times is a precious gem of a book. For those of you who have read Jack Kornfield before, you already know what a splendid storyteller he is as well as an engaging teacher. Meditation is a powerful tool for physical and mental relaxation, as well as for personal and spiritual growth. It is a process of inner transformation and the integration of spiritual work into our daily lives. During these unsettling, chaotic times in our often manic American way of life, meditation is all the more relevant and necessary for finding our equilibrium and maintaining balance.
A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times will help.
Just by picking up this book and reading Jack's wonderful writing my heart was made to soar! Jack is down-to-earth, smart, funny and overflowing with grace. I love his wide range of pertinent anecdotes, stories and quotations! Jack is a PhD in clinical psychology and this book is full of psychological as well as spiritual insights.
A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times is so alive with wisdom and clarity, inspiration and encouragement, tenderness and compassion... the pages pulsate to soothe every nerve.
One of Jack's sidebars really struck me with its powerful relevance and I must share it with you:
"If you can sit quietly after difficult news; if in financial downturns you remain perfectly calm; if you can see your neighbors travel to fantastic places without a twinge of jealousy; if you can happily eat whatever is put on your plate; if you can fall asleep after a day of running around without a drink or a pill; if you can always find contentment just where you are: you are probably a dog."
A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times is an extraordinary tool for dealing with life's issues in a mindful way. It features eight guided meditations for navigating the challenges of our stressful modern life. Each meditation is recorded on the accompanying audio CD, spoken in Jack's beautiful, calming voice that vibrates with pure healing energy.
This is a marvelous book for beginners as well as the experienced traveler on the path of spiritual living. It is short, simple, organized, and practical. Most of all it is accessible. With
A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times Jack Kornfield will show you how to ignite, or to re-ignite, that lamp within your heart. It will also help you to compassionately encourage others to do the same.
I also recommend
A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life and
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path, two more wise and gentle guidebooks by Jack Kornfield for reaching a deeper, more peaceful inner life in this crazy world in which we find ourselves.
