The Art of Serenity: The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of TimesSimon and Schuster, 2003 M02 20 - 256 pages We all face adversity, both man-made and natural. How do we survive the loss of a loved one, a betrayal, illness, even impending death, and still find meaning in our lives? Even a "normal" life can seem empty, in spite of material possessions, success, power, and pleasure. In our search for fulfillment and meaning, we work through our past and present conflicts, cuddle our inner child, and redesign our outer adult. We attend workshops on life and secular spirituality and explore the comforts of traditional religion. We get married and divorced, experiment with drugs and alcohol, change jobs. And while our restlessness and unease may abate temporarily, the hollow feeling that there is something missing always returns. In his profound and accessible work, The Art of Serenity: The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of Times, Dr. T. Byram Karasu offers us the key to an extraordinary state of mind -- authentic, soulful happiness -- in the face of everything our life has to offer and take away. The door to this state of mind is opened by a combination of soul and spirit. It involves the soul through the love of others, love of work, and the love of community. It involves the spirit through belief in the sacred and belief in transformation. It culminates in the love of and belief in God. Brilliantly synthesizing psychology and spirituality, Dr. Karasu will guide you to explore the deepest yearnings of your heart. There is no end to the journey to real happiness; there is no best place to start or best time to begin. So where and when to start? Start here, where you are, and start now. |
Contents
The Love of Work | 41 |
The Love of Belonging | 67 |
THE WAY OF SPIRIT IS BELIEVING | 103 |
Believing in Unity | 133 |
Believing in Transformation | 159 |
THE WAY OF GOD | 189 |
Believing in the Existence of God in | 201 |
The Love of God | 209 |
Untying the Ends Fallibly | 219 |
Sources | 227 |
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anxiety asked awareness become behavior believe belonging body Charlotte Joko Beck Christy Coleman Barks Copyright couldn’t Course in Miracles culture death depressed divine doctor dying everything existence experience fact feel forgiveness friends give Glenn God’s Word happiness Harold Kushner healing human individual inner intimacy Jalalu’l-Din Rumi Jean-François Revel Joe and Lisa Kushner live look Lynne Cox man’s Marge Piercy Marianne Williamson marriage matter means mother mystical myths nature ness never mind O’Reilly ofhis ofit oflife ofLiving ofthe one’s ordinary other’s pain past person Philip philosophy prayer psychological rabbi relation relationship religion replied rituals Robert Fulghum sacred says Scott Peck seek sense sexual Shunryu Suzuki solitude someone soul mate Spiritual Literacy story Sufi symptoms talk tells Thelma therapist things thought tion totally trans transformation ultimate wife woman wondered York Yunus Emre