The Healing I Took Birth For
Practicing the Art of Compassion
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- USD 16.99
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- USD 16.99
Descripción editorial
For more than 32 years, Stephen and Ondrea Levine have provided emotional and spiritual support to those who face life-threatening illness and their caregivers; deeply affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the process. The Healing I Took Birth For, which was begun after Ondrea’s own medical prognosis that foretold the end of a lifetime of spiritual exploration, is the culmination of her work. Their collaboration, in the service of the dying, especially during the height of the AIDS epidemic, set them both more deeply on the path of compassion—compassion for self, for others, for all.
The Healing I Took Birth For is the heartfelt sharing of Ondrea’s life of service and a deeply inspiring example of how one faces illness and great personal difficulties, with a deep spiritual practice and grace. It is the most “intimate collaboration” she and Stephen have worked on and it will inspire readers to find their own way toward living a life of compassion.
Praise:
"...enlightening and heart opening." —Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness
"In this exceptional book, Ondrea uses the depth of her mind and heart to heal her body and finds, in her suffering, compassion." —Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now and Still Here
"Interweaving her own story with perennial teachings on mindfulness practice and devotional yoga. This book is a profound healing." —Miribai Starr
“This is a brave and intimate, tender and healing story. Great love, strong medicine, just what the heart needs.” —Jack Kornfield, author of The Wise Heart
Ondrea Levine and Stephen Levine are close collaborators in teaching, in practice, in life. Together they are the authors of more than eight books, some of which bear Stephen's name only as author, but all of which Ondrea had a hand in. Together they are best known for their work on death and dying. They are also the parents of Buddhist teacher and writer Noah Levine. Visit them online at www.levinetalks.com.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Fans of Stephen Levine (One Year to Live) know that his wife, Ondrea, is always part of the creative process behind his many popular books. In this seeker's memoir, Ondrea's voice is the one in the spotlight, as Stephen transcribes her story. Stephen writes in the first person as Ondrea, with less ease and intimacy than readers have come to expect. Her voice seems to have traveled some distance to Stephen's pen. While there's an unavoidable remoteness inherent in writing on someone else's behalf, the effect may also be intentional. Ondrea's childhood with her undemonstrative parents and her struggles with dyslexia have made it challenging for her to communicate clearly and intimately; Stephen has preserved Ondrea's distancing by passively describing watershed moments rather than showing us directly how Ondrea experienced them. Details of the exceptional life the two have shared in their work with the dying and grieving, such as their interactions with Ram Dass, are more vivid. While reading Ondrea's secondhand memoir is not a true "getting to know you" experience, it's still inspiring to see how she has transformed her unhappy early experiences into a life's work of helping others.
