The Zen of my Soul, The Sin of my Solitude

The Zen of my Soul, The Sin of my Solitude
Author: J. O'Hughes
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 55
Release: 2015-01-03
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 1312803312

A very beautiful and awe inspiring book of Haiku poetry written from the heart of a mystic American poet. He unfolds his life, indeed the life of many, and all the sadness and trials we all experience. Yet through it all, he maintains hope to the very end with his esoteric views of the Universe and of the return of life for all people ... ready to begin again.

Journal of a Solitude

Journal of a Solitude
Author: May Sarton
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2014-07-22
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1497646332

The poet and author’s “beautiful . . . wise and warm” journal of time spent in her New Hampshire home alone with her garden, her books, the seasons, and herself (Eugenia Thornton, Cleveland Plain Dealer). “Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is richness of self.” —May Sarton May Sarton’s parrot chatters away as Sarton looks out the window at the rain and contemplates returning to her “real” life—not friends, not even love, but writing. In her bravest and most revealing memoir, Sarton casts her keenly observant eye on both the interior and exterior worlds. She shares insights about everyday life in the quiet New Hampshire village of Nelson, the desire for friends, and need for solitude—both an exhilarating and terrifying state. She likens writing to “cracking open the inner world again,” which sometimes plunges her into depression. She confesses her fears, her disappointments, her unresolved angers. Sarton’s garden is her great, abiding joy, sustaining her through seasons of psychic and emotional pain. Journal of a Solitude is a moving and profound meditation on creativity, oneness with nature, and the courage it takes to be alone. Both uplifting and cathartic, it sweeps us along on Sarton’s pilgrimage inward. This ebook features an extended biography of May Sarton.

Thoughts In Solitude

Thoughts In Solitude
Author: Thomas Merton
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Total Pages: 147
Release: 2011-04-01
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1429944072

Thoughtful and eloquent, as timely (or timeless) now as when it was originally published in 1956, Thoughts in Solitude addresses the pleasure of a solitary life, as well as the necessity for quiet reflection in an age when so little is private. Thomas Merton writes: "When society is made up of men who know no interior solitude it can no longer be held together by love: and consequently it is held together by a violent and abusive authority. But when men are violently deprived of the solitude and freedom which are their due, the society in which they live becomes putrid, it festers with servility, resentment and hate." Thoughts in Solitude stands alongside The Seven Storey Mountain as one of Merton's most uring and popular works. Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, is perhaps the foremost spiritual thinker of the twentiethcentury. His diaries, social commentary, and spiritual writings continue to be widely read after his untimely death in 1968.

A Hell of Mercy

A Hell of Mercy
Author: Tim Farrington
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 99
Release: 2009-02-06
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 0061972916

n this unflinching look at depression and the human struggle to find hope in its midst, acclaimed author Tim Farrington writes with heartrending honesty of his lifelong struggle with the condition he calls "a hell of mercy." With both wry humor and poignancy, he unravels the profound connection between depression and the spiritual path, the infamous dark night of the soul made popular by mystic John of the Cross. While depression can be a heartbreaking time of isolation and lethargy, it can also provide powerful spiritual insights and healing times of surrender. When doctors prescribe medication, patients are often left feeling as if part of their very selves has been numbed in order to become what some might call "normal." Farrington wrestles with profound questions, such as: When is depression a part of your identity, and when does it hold you back from realizing your potential? In the tradition of Darkness Visible and An Unquiet Mind, A Hell of Mercy is both a much needed companion for those walking this difficult terrain as well as a guide for anyone who has watched a loved one grapple with this inner emotional darkness.

The Desert Fathers

The Desert Fathers
Author:
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2003-03-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0141907002

The Desert Fathers were the first Christian monks, living in solitude in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. In contrast to the formalised and official theology of the "founding fathers" of the church, the Desert Fathers were ordinary Christians who chose to renounce the world and live lives of celibacy, fasting, vigil, prayer and poverty in direct and simple response to the gospel. Their sayings were first recorded in the 4th century and consist of spiritual advice, anecdotes and parables. The Desert Fathers' teachings and lives have inspired poetry, opera and art, as well as providing spiritual nourishment and a template for monastic life.

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Author:
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Total Pages: 308
Release: 1975-02-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0879079592

`Give me a word, Father', visitors to early desert monks asked. The responses of these pioneer ascetics were remembered and in the fourth century written down in Coptic, Syriac, Greek, and later Latin. Their Sayings were collected, in this case in the alphabetical order of the monks and nuns who uttered them, and read by generations of Christians as life-giving words that would help readers along the path to salvation.

The Light Inside the Dark

The Light Inside the Dark
Author: John Tarrant
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 280
Release: 1999-11-03
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0060931116

In this landmark guide to the spiritual journey, respected Zen teacher and psychotherapist John Tarrant brings together ancient Eastern traditions and the Western passion for the soul. Using real-life stories, Zen tales, and Greek myths, The Light Inside the Dark shows how our darkest experiences can be the gates to wisdom and joy. Tarrant leads us through the inevitable descents of our journey--from the everyday world of work and family into the treasure cave of the interior life--from which we return with greater love of life's vivid, common gifts. Written with empathy and a poet's skill, The Light Inside the Dark is the freshest and most challenging work on the soul to he published in years.

Citadel of God

Citadel of God
Author: Louis De Wohl
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2010-12-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1681491028

Another of the popular historical novels by the distinguished de Wohl, telling the dramatic story of St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism, who played such a major role in the Christianization and civilization of post-Roman Europe in the sixth century. De Wohl weaves an intricate tapestry of love, violence and piety to recount with historical accuracy the story of St. Benedict and the tempestuous era in which he lived. Since there are no contemporary biographies of this major saint of history and the Church, de Wohl's inspired account is of significant importance on the subject of saint's lives for today's spiritual seekers. Having lived in an era of great immorality and vice, not unlike our world today, Benedict's story has a strong message for modern Christians who seek, as he did, to turn away from the wickedness of the world to find Christ in prayer, study and solitude.

Sounding Solitude

Sounding Solitude
Author: Sr. Mary Paul Cutri, OCD
Publisher: ICS Publications
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2010
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0935216812

Solitude is not foreign to anyone. It is a universal reality that permeates all our experiences. But why write a book about it? One answer: God. God is the One we seek in solitude. Solitude, which is a listening to God, a being with God, an attentiveness to God’s word and wisdom, and a being-in-love with God, is worth the journey into it. Persons who enter into solitude and taste its fruits will no longer see as they saw before. Solitude offers another way of seeing. When we are open to discover and to receive, the mystery of solitude purifies the sight, the seeing, the beholding of each person. When solitude brings us to God, God brings us into new vision. This book is directed to all who seek God and who long to “see” God and to know God’s ways more truly. This book is for those who are so eager to be transformed in Christ that they are willing to wade into the waters of solitude. This book invites you to an exploration that begins with the desires to pray: to pray because the hunger for God pursues you; to pray because you believe the value of prayer. Solitude is a milieu of prayer: it beckons us to seek God. Prayer will lead you into the solitude God wants for you. Prayer opens the door to a solitude which will open you to God. Once you read this book, solitude will not be a solitude of emptiness; love will be near.