For Love of the Real: A Story of Life's Mystical Secret

For Love of the Real: A Story of Life's Mystical Secret

A detailed description of the mystical journey to Absolute Truth from Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.    At the root of every mystical calling is the search for what is Real; this book follows this call, detailing the inner journey to Absolute Truth. Readers are guided through traditional experiences of the path—emptiness and the void, oneness, and communion with nature. Particular direction is given for how contemporary seekers can—and must—engage with challenges unique to our times, such as extreme materialism and ecological devastation. A pioneer in the subject of Spiritual Ecology Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee offers spiritual guidance on the vital need to restore a sacred connection to life and the environment. For Love of the Real  is a much needed in-depth exploration of the contribution spiritual life can make to our present environmental crisis.  “Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee’s explanation in For Love of the Real  of how to turn away from self-centeredness in the face of reality will appeal to readers who seek to lead a meaningful life.” —His Holiness the Dalai Lama "Its message speaks to people from many different traditions and backgrounds who aspire to lead lives of greater meaning, fulfillment, and depth." —Acharya Judy Lief, Buddhist teacher, Naropa University; author, Making Friends with Death: A Buddhist Guide to Encountering Mortality "Just what we need within the context of our ordinary lives in this modern day and age (and) will support your spiritual practice both immediately and for as long as you keep it close to you.” —Ari Goldfield, Buddhist teacher, psychotherapist, author “A penetrating, heartfelt look into Absolute Reality.” —Lama Palden, Buddhist Teacher; Founder, Sukhasiddhi Foundation Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee  is a Sufi teacher who has lectured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He is the founder of The Golden Sufi Center and the author of more than 15 books, including  Alchemy of Light ,  Return of the Feminine and the World Soul ,  Spiritual Ecology , and  Spiritual Power . He lives in Inverness, California. For Love of the Real A Story Of Life's Mystical Secret By Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Hilary Hart The Golden Sufi Center Copyright © 2018 The Golden Sufi Center All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-941394-25-0 Contents Foreword, Introduction: Before the Beginning, 1. Serving the Absolute, 2. The Hidden Face of God, 3. The Gift of Nothingness, 4. Oneness, 5. Two Poles of Love, 6. The Magic of Creation, 7. Veils of Light, Veils of Darkness, 8. Return to the Real, Epilogue: A Story of Life's Mystical Secret, Notes, Bibliography, Acknowledgments, CHAPTER 1 SERVING THE ABSOLUTE * * * The Absolute is real. It is the only thing that is real. The Absolute exists throughout every plane of creation and beyond creation in the dynamic dimensions of nothingness. And beyond even nothingness, It is the Source of all that is and is not. Every cell of creation contains a seed, or a substance, of the Absolute. Existence — what we call the visible world — is the light of the Absolute interacting with this substance. The light of the Absolute, traveling through the planes of nothingness and existence, is reflected off this substance in creation, and returns to the Source. This world of plants and animals, clouds and soil, beauty and horror, is both a veil and a reflection of the Real. Seen from the level of the ego, it is a veil, an illusion. Experienced through a heart aligned with Truth, it is a place of divine revelation. Just as the Absolute is a seed in every cell of creation, It is a seed within the hearts of humanity. The heart has a number of different chambers and the central chamber belongs only to the Absolute. In Sufism, this is called the "heart of hearts." This chamber in the heart is a doorway to what is Real. Through the heart of hearts, human beings have the birthright of aligning with the Absolute, of consciously connecting with Truth. This is the hallmark of a human being. But the Absolute is very purposefully veiled from most of humanity. As T.S. Eliot wrote, "Human kind cannot bear very much reality." Those who have glimpsed Reality without being prepared for it can find themselves overwhelmed. When the veils lift and we see, even for an instant, the brilliance and infinite nature of the Divine, we are thrown out of our ego-self. A fragile ego-consciousness or psyche can easily be shattered by the experience, by a Truth that the mind cannot begin to grasp or understand. Throughout the ages, spiritual masters have prepared seekers to experience the energy, the power, and the infinite nature of the Absolute through spiritual practices and initiations. These create a container in the consciousness of the seeker to enable her to perceive a higher level of reality without being overwhelmed or damaged by it. Different levels of initiation, a lifetime on the path, guide us nearer and nearer to the Real. But the rules have changed. Bec