An Unconditional Relationship to Life [Paperback]

Andrew Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1995

This book is a strikingly original and powerfully experiential journey through the modern spiritual world, both East and West. Describing the evolution of his own understanding through his meetings with teachers from various traditions, Andrew weaves and exposes that which is simultaneously provocative and uplifting. Through questioning many of the current spiritual paradigms, he opens a door to a deeper understanding, revealing what the goal of liberation actually is, unencumbered by the usual myths and superstitions that are so prevalent in the spiritual world today. Andrew's bold call to think independently challenges the reader to look beyond that which may have become all too familiar.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An Unconditional Relationship to Life draws on Cohen's experience as a spiritual teacher over the last nine years, weaving a biography of personal experience with spiritual insights which probe differences between Western and Eastern thinking and values. Accounts of Cohen's meetings with spiritual leaders and his reflections on his own questioning process and path through life make for an involving story. -- Midwest Book Review, Fall 1995

A common man sets out on a journey in search of spiritual truth and enlightenment. Along the way he finds himself exposed to many possible pathways and gurus, questioning many of society's basic spiritual underpinnings. He begins to feel our religious beliefs are little more than myth and superstition. On the quest for the Holy Grail of spiritual truth, Cohen finds himself. Now fully comfortable with his own personal truths and beliefs, he becomes a liberator, teacher and catalyst for others wanting to look beyond the answers that have been supplied to them, to find their own personal truths. An Unconditional Relationship to Life is a powerful book. It starts out with an ordinary man and ends with a spiritually aware liberator. -- Magical Blend, Fall 1995

Andrew shows his own understanding but also describes his meetings with various teachers. The information is very revealing and Andrew is not shy about offering criticism when he feels it is justified. Many of the people he challenges are named. Others are described so that it is easy to guess who is being talked about. The author is willing to ask some questions that might make some upset or nervous. It is natural to want one's teacher to be pure and difficult to face that he or she may not be what they claim to be.

This book asks and answers the question: "Can we expect our teachers to live an exemplary life, one guided by the precepts they teach?" Andrew points his readers in the direction of being able to develop a new relationship to life -- an unconditional one of zestful welcome to all facets of our existence. -- New Times, Seattle, September 1995

In this book Andrew Cohen recounts his journey through life and his investigations into spiritual life. He draws on his experiences of nine years as a spiritual teacher and shares his inquiry into the spiritual world. Part personal story, part candid accounts of his meetings and observations of prominent spiritual teachers of our time, this book is a colourful and revealing look inside the contemporary spiritual scene. -- Rainbow Network, Dec 95/Jan 96

The controversial Cohen doesn't hesitate to raise questions in his search for Truth as he relates meetings with teachers from various traditions. Cohen is distressed by the myths and superstitions in today's spiritual world, as well as by spiritual leaders who take advantage of their positions and succumb to the temptations of power, money and desire. Nevertheless, he fervently believes in true spiritual awakening. He cautions that it is never easy to seek enlightenment, but, through his example, has nevertheless inspired many to the task. -- NAPRA ReView, Fall 1995

The quest for answers has taken Andrew Cohen on an incredible journey on which, through his "inability to compromise," an integrity so often lacking is set as an example.

Compelled to share his life with those who are interested in trying to understand the relationship between love and truth has resulted in a book which displays both at every turn of the page. Each experience tells us of the rigorous dedication applied to the search and details the many conversations with masters in various spiritual traditions. This book honestly ensures its place on my bookshelf. -- Human Potential, England, Su --Mind-Expander, Fall 1995

From the Publisher

"A hurricane of fresh air" is how one reader describes Andrew Cohen's fourth book, An Unconditional Relationship to Life. A bold and insightful account of this remarkable man's journey through life, it is also a compelling investigation into spiritual life's most crucial questions. Drawing from his experience as a spiritual teacher over nine years, Andrew Cohen shares his own profound inquiry through a unique weave of personal story, penetrating exploration and a provocative critique of the modern spiritual world. The reader quickly finds themselves in the midst of a riveting and mind-expanding adventure, plunged into a worldwide roller coaster ride of meetings with extraordinary people, intriguing tales and a passionate inquiry into the nature of human life. Over the past thirty years since spiritual pursuit has become increasingly popular, many of the East and West's most prominent spiritual leaders have succumbed to the lure of power, money and sexual desire, leaving much confusion and disbelief in their wake. What is the goal of spiritual awakening? Can it truly free us from selfishness, corruption and greed? Is it possible to consistently express the highest human values in every area of one's life? His quest to find answers to these and other questions has led Andrew Cohen to initiate probing dialogues with some of the most prominent spiritual leaders of our time. Candid accounts of these meetings and his own observations as a teacher give a colorful and revealing look inside the contemporary spiritual scene, as he shares many of the ground-breaking answers that his investigation has yielded.

Continuously inspiring the reader to observe for themselves, to think independently and to make distinctions that few venture to make, An Unconditional Relationship to Life draws the reader into an explosive investigation that challenges them to reach far beyond intellectual inquiry alone. This experiential odyssey has the potential to transform not only our views about spirituality, but the very way we live our life. A revolutionary statement on the cutting edge of spiritual discovery, An Unconditional Relationship to Life stands alone as a powerful testament to the possibility of true spiritual awakening in this life.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 159 pages
• Publisher: Moksha Press (February 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883929040
• ISBN-13: 978-1883929046
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,925,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andrew Cohen is a spiritual teacher, cultural visionary, and founder of the global nonprofit EnlightenNext and its award-winning publication EnlightenNext magazine. His original teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment redefines spiritual awakening within the context of cosmic evolution and highlights a new understanding of God or Spirit as the creative impulse toward change in both self and culture. After a transformative meeting with the renowned Advaita Vedanta master H.W.L. Poonja in 1986, Cohen began teaching internationally and almost immediately started reshaping the larger cultural conversation about the purpose and significance of enlightenment in our time. He founded EnlightenNext magazine almost twenty years ago as a forum for serious spiritual and philosophical inquiry, and has since become known for his unique capacity to foster culture-changing dialogues among leading thinkers from a wide array of traditions and disciplines. 

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars garbage, November 9, 2007

By 

kuffar harbi (switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Unconditional Relationship to Life (Paperback)

This guy Cohen is a fraud and his books an endless and relentless stream of unmitigated glibness. He inhabits the realm of the merely plausible and is a dark angel of the imaginary. Beware of soft shoe shufflers dancing round inside your head who take you on the road to nowhere and then abandon you. It's a callous and cruel trip exclusively tailored for weak minded suckers. Following a guru destroys the followers and the teacher....submission to the will of another is a total abdication of responsibility and a shameful act. Cohen encourages and indeed coerces his disciples to do this and he is thus guilty of a heinous spiritual crime against humanity....he is a man immersed in the corruption of his own egomania, a prisoner of darkness. Read this book at your peril.