The Mystic Heart : Discovering the Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions Book

Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama	xiii
Preface by Dr. Beatrice Bruteau	xvii
Acknowledgments	xxi
Part I: Finding What Unites Us
Introduction The Mystic Heart: Our Common Heritage	3
The Interspiritual Age
• The Parliament of the World's Religions
• The Turn to Spirituality
• A Dot on a Blackboard
Chapter 1 A Bridge Across the Religions and Beyond	15
What Is Spirituality?
• Spirituality in the Religions
• The Nature of Mysticism and Spirituality
• What Is Interspirituality?
• The Treasure of Community
Chapter 2 Crossing Over: Pioneers of Interspiritual
Wisdom	31
The Meeting of Christianity and Hinduism
• Dialogue Between Catholicism and the Other Religions
• Buddhism Comes to the West
• Finding Your Place in the Interspiritual Movement
Chapter 3 The Mirror of the Heart: Consciousness As the
Root of Identity	51
Hinduism: Supreme Identity in the Mahavakyas
• Buddhism: Enlightenment, Shunyata, Nirvana, and the Doctrine of No-Self
• The Greeks: Plato and Aristotle
• The Christian Understanding
• Who We Are Is Where We're Going
• A New Paradigm of Identity: We Are Consciousness
• Quantum Physics Shows Us Reality and Self-Identity
• The Nature of the Divine
Chapter 4 "The Paths Are Many But the Goal Is the
Same": Discovering the Way	79
The Inner Path: The Way of Contemplation
• The Outer Path: The Way of Action
• The Place of Spiritual Transformation
• The Asramas and Margas: Living the Sacred
• The Integration of Action and Contemplation
• The Goal of the Spiritual Journey
Part II: The Practical Nature of the Mystical Way
Chapter 5 The Mystic Character	105
The Problem of the Ego-Driven Life
• The False Self
• Actual Moral Capacity
• Solidarity with All Living Beings
• Deep Nonviolence
• The Mystic or Contemplative Character
• Who Is a Saint?
Chapter 6 Spiritual Practice: The Crux of Inner Change	125
Humility
• Spiritual Practice
• Mature Self-Knowledge
• Transformation As the Reality of Inner Change
Chapter 7 Out in the World: The Spirituality of Action	147
Simplicity of Life
• Selfless Service and Compassionate Action
• The Prophetic Voice
• The Fruits or Capacities of the Spiritual Journey
• The Fruits of Spirituality Work Together
Part III: The Mysticism of the Natural World
Chapter 8 Natural Mysticism: Reading the Book of Creation	173
• Readers of the Book of Nature
• Natural Contemplation As the Capacity to Read the Books of Creation and Life
• A Spirituality of Creation
• The Mystical Experience of Totality
• The Spirituality of Pilgrimage
• Nutrition and Spirituality
• Yoga and the Martial Arts
• Toward a Holistic Spirituality
• Natural Meditation
• Discourse of the Rose
Part IV: Global Mysticism
Chapter 9 The Promised Land of the Spiritual Journey	211
An Intermystical Bridge: The Guidelines for Interreligious Understanding
• The Summit of the Spiritual Life
• Mystic Visitations: Personal Experience of the Summit
• Stations of the Mystical Summit
• Dreams: Channels of the Sacred
• Experimental Mysticism
• Reaching the Further Shore of the Spiritual Journey
• Becoming Cosmic in the Center
Chapter 10 Opening the Heart of the World: Toward a
Universal Mysticism	235
A Universal Communal Spirituality
• Beauty in the Intermystical Journey
• Discovering the Mystic Heart Together
• A Special Message to the Young
• The Church As Matrix of Interfaith Encounter
• A Universal Order of Sannyasa
Chapter Notes	251
Glossary	263
Recommended Reading	273
Index	279