Having grown up in India and after studying with spiritual teachers around the globe, Andrew Harvey has great respect for all the world's religions. He believes that the mystical traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have specific practices that can draw out and activate our divine nature. In this superb teaching book, Harvey presents The Direct Path whereby individuals can, in the words of Hildegard of Bingen, become "co-creators with God of a new world." The author of Son of Man: The Mystical Path to Christ maps out the renewal of consciousness needed to commune with God in private and to commit oneself publicly to political, social, sexual, and economic transformation.
The Direct Path revolves around "a disciplined, ethical, unselfish life and daily humble spiritual practice." Whereas others have laid out exercises from their own tradition, Harvey's presentation is ecumenical. His instructions for 18 sacred practices are incredibly helpful and energizing. Among these are a Sufi heart practice, a Tibetan heart practice, the Buddhist practices of tonglen and metta, and the Jewish practice of expanding the circle of love.
These meditations and prayers are designed to keep us grounded in the Divine Presence in the midst of everyday life. Harvey's ambitious attempt to outline the divinization of all human activities concludes with a broad-ranging section filled with ideas on diet and fasting, physical exercise, reducing daily stress, sacred sexuality, creating sacred space, and facing death.
