Open your heart and mind and
discover—through the sacred art of
lovingkindness—the image and likeness of God in yourself
and others.
"The question at the heart of this
book is this: Will you engage this moment with kindness or with
cruelty, with love or with fear, with generosity or scarcity,
with a joyous heart or an embittered one? This is your choice
and no one can make it for you…. Heaven and hell are both
inside of you. It is your choice that determines just where you
reside.”
—from the Introduction
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.
“Powerful and rich … written
so skillfully and accessibly that it will be read by peoples
from all traditions. Opens for us the great beauty and
necessity of kindness in the world today.”
—Roshi
Joan Halifax, abbot, Upaya Zen
Center
“[A] masterpiece … a
practical, inspiring, engrossing and very helpful ecumenical
how-to based on the Jewish supermantra.”
—Rabbi
Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, author of
First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit:
Reb Zalman’s Guide to Recapturing the Intimacy and
Ecstasy in Your Relationship with 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
“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
