For Love of the Real

Book excerpt: "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." —H.H. DALAI LAMA At the root of every mystical calling is the search for what is Real. For Love of the Real 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, for example. 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. For Love of the Real responds to the vital need for humanity to remember its own divine nature and restore mystical truth as the foundation of our inner and outer lives. Based upon forty years of following the mystical path, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee grounds this work in his own inner experiences and spiritual scripture. This is an intense evocation of the contribution that spiritual awareness can make, a clear and compelling call for humanity to return to the Real. "A penetrating, heartfelt look into Absolute Reality..." —LAMA PALDEN, Buddhist teacher and founder of Sukhasiddhi Foundation "Just what we need within the context of our ordinary lives in this modern day and age." —ARI GOLDFIELD, Buddhist teacher, author, and psychotherapist "... its message speaks to people from many different traditions and backgrounds who aspire to lead lives of greater meaning, fulfillment, and depth. [The] emphasis on such topics as emptiness and manifestation, the inseparability of relative and ultimate reality, our utter interconnectedness, and the transformative power of love, and his call to service, echo teachings dear to my own tradition of vajrayana Buddhism. Like Llewellyn, I believe that a shift of consciousness is possible, and in fact essential, if we are to regain what we have lost and heal our connection with the sacred, with mother earth, and with our fellow beings." —ACHARYA JUDY LIEF, Naropa University Buddhist teacher and author in the Tibetan Buddhist and Shambhala traditions