A book from Jewish Lights, SkyLight Paths’ sister imprint
Ideal for anyone who has ever wondered how—or if—exploring other spiritual traditions can enrich one's own, this compelling collection of Rabbi Zeller's remarkable experiences within a variety of faiths assures us that no spiritual lesson truly learned is ever lost.
Rabbi David Zeller
Hardcover
6 x 9, 288 pp | 978-1-58023-272-2
What Happens When Your Spiritual Path Leads You Far from Home?
Many who embark on a spiritual quest discover that the people they meet along the way ultimately point them back home, into the very soul of the religious tradition they had left behind. So it was with David Zeller, whose spiritual odyssey took him across the globe, through traditions including Zen Buddhism and Hinduism, and into relationship with some of the world’s most compelling spiritual teachers.
Thoughtful and endearing, provocative and witty, Zeller’s delightful stories recall his meetings with the likes of Carl Jung, Shlomo Carlebach, Alan Watts, Sri Pad Baba, the “Mother” (Sri Aurobindo Ashram), Carlos Castaneda and many others, well known and unknown—and the experiences and teachings that ultimately allowed him to rediscover his own spiritual heritage.
From the stimulating days of California’s Bay Area in the 1960s, to a kibbutz in Israel, to the time he spent as a sadhu in India living outdoors and bathing in rivers, these stories of Zeller’s spiritual adventures remind us all that even the most meandering path can, in the end, bring us to our true spiritual home.
“What a journey! Opens a dimension of the Jewish heart and spirituality that is rarely seen.”
—Rabbi Marcia Prager, author of The Path of Blessing: Experiencing the Energy and Abundance of the Divine
“Touches the heart. [Zeller’s] life project of unifying the spiritual and physical, the traditions of East and West, gathers force through the stories he gently tells.”
—Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, author of The Beginning of Desire: Reflections on Genesis
“Fascinating…. Intriguing and delightful to read, and filled with the wisdom of many traditions. An important book for anyone who has seriously contemplated following a spiritual path.”
—David A. Cooper, author of God Is a Verb and A Heart of Stillness: A Complete Guide to Learning the Art of Meditation
“A moving and heartfelt tale of a unique spiritual journey, one that is also the story of a generation of seekers. Accessible and intimate with humor and insight.”
—Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg, outreach director, The Institute for Jewish Spirituality
“Takes you into [Zeller’s] searching heart…. Amazing stories in which the soul surprises the mind.”
—Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, author of First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit
“A beautiful book, rich in wisdom and love. Rabbi Zeller’s stories awaken the sacred story in us all.”
—Rabbi Karyn Kedar, author of God Whispers: Stories of the Soul, Lessons of the Heart
“Everyone who has loved David Zeller’s sweet and graceful singing will find his same delightful spirit illuminating these tales.”
—Sylvia Boorstein, author of That’s Funny, You Don’t Look Buddhist
“Explores worlds outer and inner to meet wise men and women, realize their wisdom, and bring back their gifts…. I heartily recommend these heartful tales, told by a true teacher, to anyone interested in progressing on the great highway of spiritual awakening.”
—Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within; founder of the Dzogchen Meditation Centers
