WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually Independent: Sacred Teachings Annotated and Explained, by Rami Shapiro & foreword by Richard Rohr

• This is a rich resource; we encourage you to get a copy. It is an anthology of sacred texts on different themes, with thought-provoking and insightful commentary. Although the cover proclaims the contents as ‘for the millions of Americans who are moving away from traditional houses of worship in their quest for the sacred’, the book is of course of global interest – including for us, wherever we are – and relevant.
• Rabbi Shapiro, who is a scholar and mystic practitioner of the world’s faiths and spiritual traditions, offers much insight. As well as the intrinsic value of the sacred texts which Shapiro opens up for us, the introduction, ‘What is Perennial Wisdom?’, is also a very helpful summary exploration of this important concept: ‘just as a perennial flower cycles through periods of birth, thriving, death and rebirth, so this wisdom keeps appearing and disappearing in almost every human civilisation. The heart of this wisdom is simple: everything is a manifestation of the One Thing, call it God, Tao, Brahma, Krishna, Allah, Great Spirit, or any other name you wish.’

The Tao Te Ching, translations, such as a free and inclusive language version available online here: Tao Te Ching Translation – Taoism.net (Link)

• We encourage you to read a variety of translations of this Chinese Daoist classic, comparing and contrasting. Where possible, seek insight into realistic Chinese cultural and philosophical understandings of other ancient Chinese texts such as the I Ching, and Book of Changes, as well as more universalist interpretations. For example:

The Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu, interpretation by Ursula Le Guin.

• This is a well-known and liked version by a popular but profound writer who offers an interesting interpretation drawing on a lifetime of a personal relationship with this ancient text, which contributes a sense of intimacy using inclusive language.

God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Mirabai Starr

• We encourage you to read this book, which is a heart-warming personal engagement with the Abrahamic faiths, in a way of love and interconnected wisdom. Mirabai Starr comes from a place of deep searching and humanity, which adds significant personal meaning to this exploration of these world faith paths, from a mystical perspective.

Plum Village, Thich Nhat Hanh

• You might enjoy visiting the Plum Village website and the many resources on a Zen Buddhist approach to the West, developed by renowned peace-activist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who also wrote many books which you may wish to explore. The Plum Village Tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World by John O’Donohue

• The concept of a ‘soul friend’ traces way back in Celtic spirituality of the monastic tradition, and has much to contribute to contemporary understandings of spiritual accompaniment and deep listening. As the blurb says, ‘Irish poet and scholar John O’Donohue shares with us the secrets of this ancient world. Using authentic Irish prayers and blessings, he reveals the treasures that lie hidden within your own soul and the ‘secret divinity’ in your relationships.’ This is often a very popular book on our training programmes, which you may enjoy!

Starting Spiritual Direction: A Guide to Getting Ready, Feeling Safe and Getting the Most Out of Your Sessions, by John R Mabry.

• This is interesting as it has an interfaith/interspiritual approach and while coming from the perspective of a person seeking accompaniment, offers much insight into the nature of the relationship which is also helpful to the practitioner.

Foundations in Spiritual Direction by Beverly Lanzetta.

• Please don’t go to great expense, but if you can get hold of a copy, this is a beautiful and not-so-well-known book from a deeply contemplative and Interfaith perspective, including questions for self-reflection, very much in the spirit of our Cherry Tree Pathway approach.

Nonviolent Communication: a language of life by Marshall B Rosenberg

• Please acquire a copy of this essential resource for regular reference. The course prominently features its theme, and its content is pertinent to all our communications as it aids in refining our interaction skills and reflecting on our learning opportunities from less skilful exchanges. We’ll explore specific chapters or concepts from this text, which provides practical guidance on enhancing our listening skills and addressing personal judgments, reactivity, defensiveness, and biases. Marshall Rosenberg presents a profound and relatable approach to compassionate communication, rich with years of experience in the area, centring around the idea that it’s in our nature to both enjoy and benefit from giving and receiving compassion.

The Power of Connection by Hedy Schleifer

• We recommend you watch this Ted Talk by Hedy Schleifer, which we will refer to during the training. TEDxTelAviv – Hedy Schleifer – The Power of Connection (youtube.com)

All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks

• This New York Times bestseller is an insightful and personal perspective, heart-stirring and perhaps challenging, by a ‘renowned scholar, cultural critic and feminist’, on how we can rekindle the love in our way of living and in the world, drawing on personal experience. You are not required to ‘believe in’ what bell hooks offers here, but you are invited to find out and listen to/read more from bell and reflect on how you might enter into a conversation with her.

Boundless Love: Transforming Your Life with Grace and Inspiration by Miranda Holden

• Miranda MacPherson’s books, including her more recent work “The Way of Grace,” are recommended for their spiritual inspiration and insight into Miranda, a key figure in OneSpirit’s history. Having founded our organization in the UK after her Ministry training in the USA, Miranda’s journey—from mental health challenges to finding peace through the power of love’s surrender—is engaging. While you don’t need to fully embrace Miranda’s views, you’re encouraged to reflect on and potentially dialogue with her perspectives.

Everything is Workable: A Zen Approach to Conflict Resolution by Diane Musho Hamilton

• We recommend this book, in which Diane Hamilton interweaves her own personal life experience as a mother coming to terms with parenting a child with Downs Syndrome, with her own Zen practice to listening and communication skills, inspired by and working particularly with Ken Wilbur, in developing a robust spiritual approach to conflict resolution.

The Hope: a Guide to Sacred Activism by Andrew Harvey

• We recommend reading this book, described as ‘compassion in action – the marriage of practical action with spiritual wisdom to create a holy force capable of transforming our world crisis and preserving our planet.’

Why I am No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Roni Eddo-Lodge

• The title speaks for itself, inviting us to engage further, as Roni Eddo-Lodge opens up an important conversation on issues of racism in society, with influential depth and insight from her own experience of contemporary life in Britain. We strongly encourage you to read this book.

Soil, Soul. Society: A New Trinity for Our Time, by Satish Kumar.

• We recommend reading this book in which Satish Kumar opens up Eastern wisdom of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain teachings for a Western readership, interweaving care of the natural environment, personal self-care and regard for societal values as essential in developing a new approach to living simply and sustainably.

The Power of Ritual by Rachel Pollack

• Rachel is better known for her bestselling books about Tarot, but here she provides a rich and comprehensive introductory resource on rituals and ceremonies of the world faith and spiritual traditions and explores the scope for creative, culturally respectful development of our ceremony work.

The Book of Uncommon Prayer by Annie Heppenstall

• There’s no obligation to purchase this book. In the past, Annie has authored a variety of works; however, we only refer to them when they are directly relevant. Commissioned by the Christian publisher Kevin Mayhew, similar to her previous works, Annie crafted this book to assist individuals in creating ‘alternative’ ceremonies or rituals, drawing from nature, earth spiritualities, and Biblical natural and feminine imagery. It offers practical advice, prayer and ceremony resources, and background information aimed at those on the fringes of Christianity and Earth Spiritualities, looking to embrace a shared sacredness. While it is rooted in the Bible, it does not require a Christian belief and focuses on eco and feminist perspectives.

Shamanic Path Workbook by Leo Rutherford

• This highly creative and insightful book offers an interpretation of ways inspired by and rooted in Indigenous shamanic practises, to work with real-life situations through vibrant and personally meaningful ceremony.

We encourage you to keep a journal of your OneSpirit journey if you don’t already. This can simply be a notebook, which you can replace whenever you need a new one. There are also various printed journals available, such as keeping a daily gratitude list.

The following example is perhaps well suited to accompanying the training in a general way. You might begin with this structure and over time, think about how to adapt it for your own preferences for example to include a more specifically spiritual dimension.

Journalling for Mental Wellbeing by Gabriela Ribeiro Beese & Carmen Beese.

• This journal is written by a psychologist and has an informative introduction about why journalling can be helpful. The blurb says, ‘The habit of writing is fantastic for organising thoughts, feelings and getting to know yourself more deeply. Having a journal works as an escape valve for different stressful situations in everyday life. While it may seem like a simple habit, journalling regularly has huge long-term mental health benefits.’ Again, no pressure whatsoever to get this, but certainly it’s worth getting into the habit of journalling in some form.