Love and Loss

Many books have been written as histories recounting events that shaped the life of a group, society, nation, or civilization, or as biographies recounting events and achievements relating to one person's life and work. Many books have been written putting forth ideas, philosophies, and words of wisdom to live by. Some of these we call holy books, or scripture. Fewer books have been written like this one, which go behind the scenes of history, lay bare the feelings behind the philosophies, and document the painful and joyful inner path along which historical events and philosophical ideas emerge. This book is intensely, even shockingly, personal, not clinical or abstract or detached. It is an intimate, detailed, sensual, and sometimes disturbing account of a life lived on the cusp that bridges time and eternity. Its focus is narrow; it does not reveal much at all about anyone s visible public life or accomplishments, but it explores in great depth the invisible contents of minds, hearts, and souls. The scriptures and scriptural commentaries of most religions describe a path to salvation or bliss, and provide instructions or guideposts for moving along the path, but they are still only theoretical, hypothetical, mythical or metaphorical accounts. This book seeks to show how the theories and hypotheses play out pragmatically in real time and space, how the myths come alive in flesh and spirit, how the metaphors become the very things they symbolize. How does daily life look from inside someone in the throes of awakening? How does she know who or what she is? How is her destiny revealed? How do seemingly ordinary mundane events become miracles? This book begins to answer those questions.