The Direct Path: Creating a Journey to the Divine Using the World's Mystical Traditions

HWhen Harvey (Son of Man, 1998) was six years old growing up in India, he sat on the balcony of his home and learned that God was everywhere. He watched in amazement as the kindly, drunken family cook played a drum ecstatically, stopping suddenly to pray. The man explained that God was always listening, always loving us just as we are. This wonderfully bold book is Harvey's latest offering, his song of faith and praise. He begins with a call to spiritual revolution. With great passion, Harvey describes the spiritual longing that led him to abandon a fellowship at Oxford to search in India and other countries for a guru. The wrenching disillusionment he experienced with his guru helped him realize that everyone has the ability to make a ""direct and unmediated contact with the Divine."" To help others discover the ""direct path,"" he offers a rich compendium of exercises taken from the world's traditions, from prayer to tantric lovemaking to a Taoist laughing dance. Harvey describes each practice with a down-to-earth clarity and simplicity, writing not as a guru but as a spiritual friend eager to share the tools that others have shared with him. Some readers will shy away from Harvey's radical stand, but the friendly wisdom of this book will encourage many others to claim their own power and possibilities. Author tour. (Mar.)