Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind (Hardcover)

by Roger Walsh (Author) "Life is not always easy, but it can be ecstatic..." (more)
Key Phrases: seven perennial practices, awakening service, seven practices, Lao Tsu, Mother Teresa, Chuang Tzu (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Psychiatrist and philosopher Roger Walsh looks at seven common practices of the world's major religions to tease out a guidebook for contemporary spirituality. With gleanings from Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, Walsh offers seven chapters devoted to enlightenment. For example, "Practice 1" discusses how readers can reduce cravings and find the soul's desire (very relevant in an increasingly materialistic world). Once Walsh has laid out the goals and reasoning behind each practice, he offers an array of exercises, such as how to "Examine the Experience of Craving" or "Reflect on the Cost of Craving." Although this format is overtly self-help, Walsh has brought forth a wise and highly respectable book that integrates some of the best practices that the world's religions can offer. The introduction by the Dalai Lama gives Walsh great praise for helping readers become purer in motivation so that they can lead a more fulfilling life in service to love and compassion. --Gail Hudson

Product Description
Advance Acclaim for Essential Spirituality By Roger Walsh, M.D., PH.D. "Deceptively simple. Its power is rooted not only in Dr. Walsh’s formidable intellectual capacity to effectively deal with a vast body of religious literature but in his own deep spiritual practices in a multitude of disciplines over many years. An important contribution." —Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now "An absolute masterpiece … Essential Spirituality is helpful to both the unseasoned and seasoned seeker. The writing is deep, simple, and clear yet at the same time poetic and musical. A must read." —Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., author of Love Is Letting Go of Fear "Energetic, engaged, and occasionally electrifying…Roger is thoroughly grounded in actual spiritual practices, without which any writing on spiritual topics remains anemic and untrustworthy." —Ken Wilber, author of One Taste and A Brief History of Everything "Groundbreaking…Essential Spirituality is the first book that identifies and brings together the shared practices found in the world’s religions." —Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., author of The Four-Fold Way "I could not imagine a better person to write this book." —Charles Taft, Ph.D., author of Waking Up "A truly groundbreaking and seminal work…an invaluable guidebook for modern spiritual seekers." —Stanislav Grof, M.D., author of Beyond the Brain and The Cosmic Game "Essential Spirituality is as significant as Aldous Huxley’s The Perennial Philosophy and could be one of the most important books of our times. It deals with profound spiritual issues in a very clear and down-to-earth way and provides practical exercises that are simple, straightforward, and effective." —Peter Russell, author of The Global Brain Awakens "A wonderful and practical overview for anyone wanting to begin a spiritual journey." —Philip Moffitt, former editor of Esquire magazine

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (August 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471330264
• ISBN-13: 978-0471330264
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #838,559 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wisdom of Walsh, August 5, 2002

By	Nicq MacDonald (Sioux Falls, SD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind (Paperback)

Go into any bookstore and you'll find piles of books on spirituality, featuring spiritual paths ranging from Evangelical Christianity and pseudo-Vedantist guru worship to Americanized Zen and reconstructionist Neo-Pagan goddess worship. With people turning away from the churches they were raised in and world-weary atheists searching for spirituality, the spiritual marketplace is going through a boom period with no end in sight. But in the midst of such selection, how can one tell who's faking it, and who's the real deal? Is the teacher or author a committed seeker or a devious charlatan? Modern, sceptical Americans often avoid spirituality all together due to horror stories of silly cults and gurus perpetrating spiritual scams on the unsuspecting public. Who can we trust?

How about an Australian philosopher-psychiatrist with years of experience dealing with spirituality, transpersonal psychology, and mental illness? Roger Walsh makes no claims to have attained a spurious level of "enlightenment" beyond a measure of basic sanity in this world gone slightly mad. In "Essential Spirituality", Walsh provides the perfect companion to Huxley's classic "The Perennial Philosophy"- a book of practical spiritual exercises, advice, and wisdom from sages the world over. Divided into seven sections on what Walsh believes to be the seven essential practices of the world's "Wisdom Traditions", Walsh provides advice on reducing craving, cultivating emotional wisdom, living ethically, meditating, awakening the senses, growing intuition, and pursuing spiritual action. This isn't New Age mysticism- "Essential Spirituality" is grounded in the teachings of saints throughout the world and history, extensively documented by Dr. Walsh. Even the most sceptical mind can see the gentle wisdom in his approach to spirituality.

I give this book my highest recommendation to seekers of all faiths and none- may it help you on your way.

66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book!, June 30, 1999

By A Customer

This is a terrific book-perfect for beginners as well as psychologists and psychotherapists who wish to introduce meditation to their clients. Walsh has been at this for nearly 30 years, and it shows in his elegantly simple rendering of cross-cultural spiritual practices. A wonderful companion to Huxley's "Perennial Philosophy" and Harvey's "Essential Mystics." Those books leave out the "how" of practice. Walsh fills in the details.

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle and effective guidance, February 23, 2000

By A Customer

This small book contains gems from Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Confucianism. Not merely a compilation of sound bites, the author explores core practices revered by these major world religions. Most importantly, he provides concrete examples of how to incorporate these practices, little by little, into everyday life, until a new, throughly unique fabric is created by the reader's personal choices.

The individual chapters address craving, difficult emotions, ethics, calming the mind, vision, wisdom, and serving others. Each section contains a number of exercises that you can try, modify, or adopt completely as best suits your own life and outlook. As time goes on, the practices can serve as springboards to discovering new sources of inner guidance.

The discussion of various intersections of the religions is valuable for several reasons. The background provides specific reasons for engaging in spiritual practice. Rote repetition of formulas does not have the value of mindful attention to our actions, and these explanations help to put the practices in perspective. In addition, the discussion often reflects the gut-level experience of the seeker, and will likely resonate strongly with those on a spiritual journey. Also, the practices do not conflict with observance of any of these religions, and would instead enrich one's spiritual experience, irrespective of its formal context. Finally, the discussion of common ground is a beautiful example of how we can rejoice in our similarities, respect our differences, and share common goals for peace, rather than allow religion to divide us and breed hatred.

As the introduction by His Holiness the Dalai Lama states, a few minutes a day devoted to engaging in the practices and contemplating their significance will go a long way towards bringing compassion, and ultimately a sense of inner peace, into your everyday life.