The Secret Life of God: Discovering the Divine within You

by David Aaron

Overview

How much does our perception of God really matter? Many of us aren't conscious of our image of a "higher power." For some of us, that unspoken image is a Judgmental Parent or an exacting Old Man in the Sky. For others, God is an Imaginary Friend who is there to fix problems after we create them.

David Aaron can help you discover a mature, new understanding of God and lead you to discover the wellspring of Divinity within you. By drawing on teachings of Kabbalah that were secret for millennia, he helps you to reclaim the power you've given away to negative images of God or passive images of yourself. These mystical secrets of Judaism can offer reassuring guidance, meaning, and purpose to the lives of people of all faiths.

In the journey to discovering God's secret life you will:

   •  Awaken to your life's deepest purpose
   •  Delight in a deeper connection to your true inner self, God, and others
   •  Learn to experience God's infinite love for you
   •  Rise to new heights, cope with challenges, and make courageous choices
   •  Achieve true peace of mind and freedom from anxiety


Aaron shares these profound ancient teachings in simple, everyday language with a touch of wit and humor. Rich in personal stories and anecdotes, his examples from daily life help us tap the transformational power hidden within and illuminate the surprising paradoxes of spiritual growth. Awakened to finally experience a personal connection to God, we are at last able to receive God's love unconditionally and discover our ultimate identity, divine purpose, and true happiness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590302392
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	07/12/2005
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	263,166
Product dimensions:	5.62(w) x 8.56(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Rabbi David Aaron, the son of a Holocaust survivor, has struggled since early youth to understand the world's potential for hatred and paradoxical yearning for meaning, love, and creativity. His own spiritual journey led him to Israel, where he studied Torah and Jewish mysticism under the tutelage of the great masters. He received his rabbinical ordination in 1979 from the Israel Torah Research Institute (Yeshivat ITRI). A popular lecturer in North America and a frequent guest on radio and TV, he is the founder and dean of Isralight (www.isralight.org), an international organization with programs throughout North America, South Africa, and Israel. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Chana, and their seven children and three grandchildren. For more information visit www.rabbidavidaaron.com.

What People are Saying About This

Gerald Schroeder

One can study music in two ways: looking at the notes written on paper or hearing the music. The same is true for the study of Kabbalah. With Rabbi David Aaron we hear and feel the marvelous music of this ancient source of wisdom.
—author of Genesis and the Big Bang Theory, The Science of God, and The Hidden Face of God

David A. Cooper

It is simple and simultaneously profound; a secret that can transform lives. This is an essential read for any serious spiritual aspirant.
—Rabbi, author of God is a Verb.

Gabriel Cousens

The Secret Life of God is the most brilliant and profound exploration of the Kabbalistic teachings and philosophy about our transcendent and immanent relationship with the Divine that I have read in twenty-six years of Kabbalah study. Rabbi David Aaron has revealed and clarified deep Kabbalistic insights in a way that make them accessible to every level of spiritual seeker.
—M.D., director of the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, Patagonia, Arizona

Joseph Telushkin

With David Aaron's characteristic common sense and extraordinary array of life experiences, he fills The Secret Life of God with wise advice that can help every reader.
—author of The Book of Jewish Values

Simon Jacobson

Many signposts are needed in our lonely spiritual journey. Heartwarming, personal, and soulful, The Secret Life of God is a very welcome companion to travelers on the challenging roads that lie ahead. It infuses us with hope and direction.
—author of Toward a Meaningful Life

Editorial Reviews

"With a tone that is soft but firm, Aaron offers a particularly embracing sort of guidance. His approach, open and honest with a nice dose of humor, makes the mysteries of God less frightening."—Publishers Weekly

"This is a very inspiring work on a subject that deserves more exploration. Rabbi Aaron has given us much to think about with his rich reservoir of fresh images. His advice is simple and sound."—Spirituality and Health

"Aaron's humor, engaging narrative style, and use of anecdotes makes the biblical material and philosophical concepts he delineates accessible. The Secret Life of God offers individuals of any religious background assistance in dealing with some of the paradoxes of the mystical life."—Dragonfly



"David Aaron is a wise, compassionate, brilliant teacher who uses irony, paradox, and gentle humor to reveal the deepest, ultimate teaching of Jewish mysticism. It is simple and simultaneously profound. . . . An essential read."—Rabbi David A. Cooper, author of God Is a Verb

"The most brilliant and profound exploration of the Kabbalistic teachings and philosophy about our transcendent and immanent relationship with the Divine that I have read in twenty-six years of Kabbalah study."—Gabriel Cousens, M.D., director of the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, Patagonia, Arizona

From the Publisher

According to one ancient sage, "Kabbalah is not the path to paradise but the path to paradox." Yet Rabbi Aaron untangles enough of that paradox to leave us with a much clearer picture of paradise. He takes the existential and makes it tangible; his answers of "yes" to either/or questions somehow make sense, and at the end of the day, his love for and delight in the study of kabbalah is contagious. With a tone that is soft but firm, Aaron offers a particularly embracing sort of guidance. His approach, open and honest with a nice dose of humor, makes the mysteries of God less frightening. Contemporary analogies share time with family anecdotes and Talmudic lessons. He gently pushes the boundaries of what we think we know to be true and encourages us to broaden our perspective. Most striking is his ability to logically explain a theological abstraction. For example, "when the Kabbalah talks about why God created the world, it is not asking `For what reason?' but rather, `For what purpose?' " He illustrates his point by asking why Henry Ford invented the car for what reason? To please his mother? Impress a girlfriend? No one knows. Ask for what purpose and the answer is simple: transportation. Aaron notes that "When we talk about God, we are not simply saying we don't know the reason why God created the world, but rather that there really is no reason. There's a purpose for which God created the world, but not a reason. Although the world is purposeful, it's still unreasonable." Though at times a bit repetitive in a sermonic kind of way, anyone seeking answers about the nature of God those familiar with Aaron's writings and teachings and those new to the study of kabbalah and even Judaism will feel equally comfortable within these pages. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

A lecturer and founder of the spiritual retreat center Israelight, Rabbi Aaron (Seeing God) is also a popularizer of the insights of the Kabbala. Here he argues that the true nature of God is not to be found in a simple reading of the Scriptures alone but to be intuited by mystical perception, such as that found in the Kabbala. God's perfection is of two kinds, the first static and unchanging, the second a kind of "becoming." It is in this second perfection that human beings can participate, so as "to reveal a dynamic perfection of becoming, to overcome our failings, choose goodness, and grow for God's sake." Not all readers will find Aaron's reasoning easy to follow, but many will find the journey fascinating. For most collections. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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