The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness: Preparing to Practice (Art of Spiritual Living) [Paperback]

Rami M. Shapiro (Author), Marcia Ford (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2006 | Series: Art of Spiritual Living

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

"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

From the Inside Flap

Choose to live out the likeness of God and awaken to your holy and most true self.

More than a how-to guide, this extraordinary resource will help you cultivate lovingkindness in all aspects of your life. Drawing from his own personal journey as well as from sacred practices of the world's major faith traditions, Rami Shapiro provides the ingredients, inspiration and step-by-step exercises that you need to develop a personal strategy for embracing the world--fearlessly and honestly--with compassion.

Practical exercises include:
Manifesting creativity through mindfulness meditation
Cultivating compassion through metta practice
Exploring the five-fold path to forgiveness
Living grace through Sabbath keeping
Learning to let go through nama-japa
Preserving kindness through ethical wills
And much, much more

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Publishing; 1 edition (May 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594731519
• ISBN-13: 978-1594731518
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most consciousness changing books I've read, June 11, 2007

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Warrior Woman "Common Intelligent life form" (Bolingbrook, Il United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness: Preparing to Practice (Art of Spiritual Living) (Paperback)

I could feel my attitudes changing as I read this book, slowly, chapter by chapter. I am so grateful to this author for teaching me about how to cultivate equanimity and what anger really is and how to try my best to avoid falling into it. This is one of the best books I have ever read because it tells me that I will fall short of my intention to be a better person, and that's ok, as long as I keep pursuing my spiritual growth. Thank you for writing this book, Rabbi Rami Shapiro! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to cultivate a healthier, more rewarding spriritual life no matter what religion they do or don't practice.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insights you can use every day, August 31, 2008

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NNE "NNE" (Northport, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness: Preparing to Practice (Art of Spiritual Living) (Paperback)

With insight, grace and humor this writer elaborates on the attributes of lovingkindness. He weaves the wisdom of many religious disciplines into his stories.

Rather than feel that he's behind an invisible pulput, his teaching seems to simply unfold, making it sweetly accessible to heart, mind and soul.

His medium and his message are one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical Chesed, April 29, 2010

By 

Eric Maroney (Trumansburg, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness: Preparing to Practice (Art of Spiritual Living) (Paperback)

Chesed, kindness in Hebrew (often translated loving kindness) is the subject of this book. In it, Rabbi Shapiro gives very practical examples of how to be less judgmental, harsh and unkind to others and to yourself.

By far the best chapter is 5, equanimity in the moment. For here Shapiro gets to the heart of his ideas about God and religion: "God is bigger than our theologies" "...the things we rely on to bolster our understanding of God and justice are transient. The certainty we took for granted fades... This is the beginning of spiritual awakening."

For Shapiro, uncertainty is the basis of wisdom. Not-knowing with certainty is the key to his concept of spiritual life. For many, this message will be inadequate. For those who want a more complex response to various spiritual dilemmas, who can be satisfied with a maybe instead of an emphatic yes, this book is for you.