Download FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE What Mystics Can Teach Us About

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
What Mystics Can Teach Us About Prayer
New Book by Sufi Teacher Embraces Christian Mysticism
Pt. Reyes Station, CA—January 2012— Sufi teacher and author Llewellyn
Vaughan-Lee has drawn upon the wisdom of Christian mystics repeatedly
over his forty years on the Sufi path. In Prayer of the Heart in Christian and
Sufi Mysticism (pub. date: May 1, 2012), he shares the deep connection he
has experienced between these two traditions, giving insight into the inner
life of prayer to which they both belong.
Vaughan-Lee brings together Christian and Sufi sources, such as St. John of
the Cross, Rumi, Attar, and The Cloud of Unknowing, to describe how prayer
is first born of need, but then takes one deep within the heart into real
communion with God. He looks at specific Christian practices, such as the
Prayer of Quiet and the Jesus Prayer, relating them to the silent Sufi
meditation and dhikr, or repetition of sacred words. Readers will find
especially valuable the in-depth description of the stages of prayer, informed
by St. Teresa of Avila’s autobiography and the author’s own experiences from
forty years of practice.
“... with the understated simplicity of a true spiritual
master, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee seamlessly weaves these
complementary traditions into a single tapestry of singular power
and beauty.” —Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, from the Foreword
Prayer of the Heart includes a chapter on the need to pray for the well-being
of the Earth, reminding readers of their sacred role as guardians of the
planet. Vaughan-Lee describes the power of prayer to reconnect and reaffirm
the sacred bond between the Creator and creation, and how prayers can
bring grace and love where they are most needed within the world.
"... draws together the Christian and Sufi traditions of mystical prayer ...
Vaughan-Lee's clearly written little guide will be gratifying and
absorbing for those interested in mysticism and alternate routes toward the
love of God."
—Library Journal
"... parallels the prayer practices of Sufi and Christian mysticism with ease....
Vaughan-Lee's prayerful prose is poetic, inclusive, and intelligent."
—Publishers Weekly
“... an excellent book ... As we recover more and more of the ancient
contemplative traditions, we are finding immense similarities in goal,
practice, and effects. At the mystical level, we are seemingly talking about
the same experience, despite our different vocabularies and styles! Llewellyn
Vaughan-Lee makes this sacred journey both clear and inviting.”
—Fr. Richard Rohr, Franciscan Priest and author,
Center for Action and Contemplation
“Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee has produced something unique: not an
academic treatise, but a poetic book on prayer meaningful to the everyday
lives of seekers in both traditions, a prayer of the heart in its own right.”
—Neil Douglas-Klotz, author, Prayers of the Cosmos
and The Sufi Book of Life
About the Book
TITLE: Prayer of the Heart in Christian and Sufi Mysticism
AUTHOR: Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
PUBLISHER: The Golden Sufi Center
DISTRIBUTOR: Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
PUB DATE: 5/1/2012
PRICE: US $12.95/ Canada $13.95
BINDING: Paperback
ISBN: 9781890350352
CATEGORY: Spirituality/ Religion & Theology
PAGE COUNT: 128 pages
TRIM SIZE: 5.25” X 7.25”
Includes foreward by Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, index and bibliography
About the Author
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D., is a Sufi teacher. He has specialized in the
area of dreamwork, integrating the ancient Sufi approach to dreams with the
insights of modern psychology. In recent years, the focus of his writing and
teaching has been on spiritual responsibility in our present time of transition,
and the emerging global consciousness of oneness
(www.workingwithoneness.org). Author of nearly twenty books, Llewellyn
has lectured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Founder of The Golden Sufi Center (www.goldensufi.org), he lives in
California.
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