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The Wisdom Way of Knowing: Reclaiming An Ancient Tradition to Awaken the Heart

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I have read Cynthia Bourgeault's THE WISDOM WAY OF KNOWING five times now. From start to finish, I find what I always find in her writing - the rich, inner tradition of Christianity which is so universally appealing. I have probably read her chapter on Freedom and Surrender ten times, and I quote my favorite lines, "Spirituality at its no-frills simplest is learning not to do anything in a state of internal brace. It is never worth the cost."

An Episcopal priest myself, time and again while reading "The Wisdom Way of Knowing" I wanted to jump up, rejoice and exclaim, "Yes, this is what I've come to about Christianity after all these years!" It was like drinking draughts of crystal clear water. With a graceful touch, the author peels back layer after layer of accretions to the faith to leave one close to the pulsing heart of the tradition. She obviously lives this path and warrants the name "teacher." Do read this book. And practice the prayer and path to which it points. (Couldn't resist a little sermon.)

This book won't appeal to those who believe that our rational mind is the source of our greatest meaning and truth. For, according to the ancient tradition known as Wisdom, the human mind's full scope includes heights and depths which rationality can never encompass. Neglecting these other regions of our being leads to a limited state of mind, known by the Wisdom tradition as sleep. Yes, that's right, the more invested we are in our intellect, our ego, and our attempts at logical control of the world around us, the more asleep we really are.

This book is about waking from that sleep. And Bourgeault, an ordained Episcopal priest, has written it very clearly and rationally. Which is fitting, since to find wholeness we want to expand our minds beyond rationality, not do away with it. Bourgeault's particular gift here is her ability to teach about the Wisdom tradition from an interfaith perspective, without presenting too much information about too many different religious paths. For Wisdom cannot be claimed exclusively by any path; rather, it underlies all the great paths to inner knowledge. Bourgeault organizes her material by focusing on the kernel of truths shared by the Christian, Jewish, and Sufi traditions.

She defines Wisdom, at the start of the book, as "a precise and comprehensive science of spiritual transformation that has existed since the headwaters of the great world religions and is in fact their common ground." And yet, even though this "science" appears worldwide, it has, in many cultures, been lost or watered down over the millennia for various reasons. In the second chapter, "How the Christian West Lost Its Wisdom," the author examines how in the early fourth century, the Christian Church changed its approach to spirituality, substituting "doctrinal mantras" for a direct, heart-centered encounter with Jesus. She then describes how in Medieval Europe, the Wisdom tradition didn't die, but rather took shelter underground, where it came up for air via outlets such as the arts, literature, and the teachings of esoteric groups.

After this historical chapter, the remainder of the book focuses on the process of spiritual transformation. In the chapter entitled "Three-Centered Knowing," she discusses in depth practices for balancing mind, heart, and body. She has some wonderful insights, like "trying to find faith with the intellectual center is something like trying to play a violin with a saw: it's simply the wrong tool for the job." She also presents a different definition of what she means by the term "heart" than the one many of us might know. Rather than the seat of feelings, passions, and emotions, in Wisdom teachings the heart is "an organ for the perception of divine purpose and beauty. It is our antenna. . .[it] is not for personal expression but for divine perception." That does not mean that we must suppress the emotions. But we do learn that it's advantageous to not let them dominate us.

Of all the teachings in this book, I found her chapter on surrender the most radical, and by "radical" I mean having the potential for re-forming us at the deepest layers of our being. She writes,
". . .in any situation in life, confronted by an outer threat or opportunity, you can notice yourself responding inwardly in one of two ways. Either you will brace, harden and resist, or you will soften, open, and yield. If you go with the former gesture, you will be catapulted immediately into your smaller self, with its animal instincts and survival responses. If you stay with the latter regardless of the outer conditions, you will remain in alignment with your innermost being, and through it, divine being can reach you. Spiritual practice at its no-frills simplest is a moment-by-moment learning not to do anything in a state of internal brace."

She makes a good point, but it's a hard teaching to learn to do. And for that reason, she discusses other practices that help us learn. Some of these practices, like centering prayer and lectio divina, are for Christian seekers. Others, like chanting and meditation, have a place in a great many traditions.

Bourgeault's book is short (120 pages), but she packs a lot into it. The book ends with a section on further resources for the different practices she recommends, as well as a good bibliography (with comments) that should keep you going further in your reading for a long time. It's a good resource for people just setting out on a spiritual path, as well as people who've been travelling for some time.

If you are a student of the Gnosis and want to learn more about it, and about mysticism within the Western Wisdom traditions, this is as good a place to start as anything. Unlike some other literature of this kind of subject, it is clear, lucid and very readable. The author is an ordained Episcopal priest, but esoteric Christianity is to her I believe a piece of a bigger puzzle, and a frame of reference in particular. She quotes a bit from other enlightened authors, past and present, such as Jakob Boehme. There is also an excellent recommended reading list for further study.

The book is short but covers a great deal of ground in little time, so kudos here for the editing.

Recommended with enthusiasm.

This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in meditation and contemplation.

The author is an Episcopal priest and retreat leader, but her message and her sources stretch well beyond the Christian world.

The book begins with a challenging forward by Thomas Moore. Who asks us to challenge some of the assumptions built powerfully into he roots of the modern world: that the best - perhaps only - way to understand something is to dissect it; that standardized education is the best way to educate the young and that prisons are an effective way to deal with crime. Each is questionable.

Cynthia takes these questions and many others in this beautifully written and satisfying book.

As an example, she takes the words:
Individual
Freedom
Happiness
Surrender

Each is deeply charged with meaning in our Western culture. The same words also have deep meanings in our spiritual heritage. The interesting thing is that in the two realms the words have diametrically opposite meanings.

It is very valuable to see and understand this: many people want to embark upon their spiritual journey without knowing what it entails. I once saw a man who came to an introductory presentation by a well-known teacher. He got very upset when it was suggested that the work would need some sacrifice, discipline and effort. He was not being asked to give a lot of money to the teacher, in fact quite the opposite. But he thought that the spiritual path was a shortcut for getting more "stuff." Cynthia demonstrates the fallacy of this belief.

She also shows that the genuine spiritual path is available to anyone who is prepared to dedicate a little time to it. And "little" is the operative word, and one of the reasons that I so like this book She points out quite correctly that meditation or contemplation should start with a few minutes wherever you are. I was also thrilled to see someone else advocate the value of practicing surrender wherever you find yourself: standing in line or sitting in traffic is a good place to start.

This is a short but deep and inspiring book that I recommend very highly.

Cynthia Bourgeault has a wonderful writing style that explains complicated ideas in a very easy-to-understand manner. This book is a must read for people interested in deepening their personal spirituality. A gifted writer who obviously is deeply spiritual helps those of us seeking find the path.

This is a wonderful book filled with information on establishing contact with God in his/her special dimension. An easy read although review page by page is often necessary. I have recommended this book to all of my friends on a spiritual journey.

This is a wonderful book and explains why western religion does not have the attraction for young people as it once did. It also helps explain the rise of the "mega churches- or praise churches." Maybe by reading this we can begin to repair our relationship with the world and with others. A book that makes one think.

When I received it, thought this small sized hardcover was going to be small fluff. Not at all. Want to read something rich that will have you pondering and changing constantly? Try on the chapter "Seeing with the Eye of the Heart". "Conscience... is the heart's own ability to see the divine hologram in any situation... and to move spontaneously and without regard for it's personal well-being in alignment with that divine wholeness." Good stuff. Laminate it.

I am almost finished with this book and it has been a revelation to my heart and spirit! Cynthia has a way of writing that confirms what you have already felt in your heart and expresses it with knowledge and experience. Then she proceeds to take you on a journey of understanding wisdom that will change you forever if you have an open heart and mind. I don't want to forget the lessons learned from reading it and I want to continue in this beautiful path of wisdom with all my heart!