| Book: Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O’DonohueCritic: Dr. Glenville AshbyAnam Cara is a philosophical exploration of life’s purpose that dwarfs the works of pioneers in this field of epistemology, such as Victor Frankl and Rollo May.The book cover of Anam CaraAnam Cara is transcendental in scope, almost abstruse to a culture that steeped in literalism and linear thinking. It is anecdotal and poetically warm, brimming with aphorisms and oral traditions. To feel and experience life requires the awakening of the soul and our creative expression. However, this gift is not bestowed through the intellect. The awakening of the spirit allows one to peer through the dimensions without limitations of space and time.In many ways,Dallas Mavericks Jerseys, Anam Cara makes a bold statement on contemporary society. We race about, sometimes blinded by repetition with little time to feel and blend with the nature. The profound benefits of quietude and self reflection are lost. We are today’s Sissyphus, engaging in daily challenges that are tedious, shifting our attention away from the clarion call of the soul.The story of French philosopher, Baudrillard is recaptured with marked clarity. Its theme of internal harmony is reflected in the wisdom of African workers who refused to budge after days of ceaseless travel despite the urgent demands to quicken their pace. When Baudrillard asks why his commands are ignored, their response speaks volumes: “We have moved too quickly to reach here; now we need to wait to give our spirits a chance to catch up with us.”But how can we break the mold that separates us from experiencing the divine. O’Donohue’s detailed definition of the term Anam Cara holds the key.“It originally referred to someone to whom you confessed; revealing the hidden intimacies of your life…This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. When you have an Anam Cara your friendship cut across all convention, morality and category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the “friend of the soul.”Through trust,Cheap Stitched Jerseys, intimacy and affection toward self and one’s Anam Cara, inner wounds and counterproductive impulses are confronted. We must face the hurt and turbulence; the tenebrous thought forms that imperil our wellness. One’s Anam Cara helps integrate the many disjointed aspects of self.O’Donohue raises the most provocative of psychoanalytic questions: Should we reopen wounds as we struggle for inner peace? Or,Wholesale Jerseys China, should we let be and allow time, our friend, to heal our misgivings and wrongs?He writes: “…..the soul has its own natural rhythm of healing. Consequently,NFL Jerseys Cheap Authentic, many of your wounds are very well healed and should not be opened up again. If you want to you could select a list of your wounds and spend the next thirty years opening them…If you engage in this practice of woundology, you could turn your soul into a mass of weeping sores.”The concept of the Anam Cara (Soul Friend) is as broad as it is profound. In a mundane sense, the Anam Cara in today’s society is what is called a soul mate – a term that is loosely used with little understanding of its immeasurable spiritual significance.In a society riddled with individualism, competitiveness and distrust – where every man is a proverbial island – can the concept of the Anam Cara be embraced?Indentifying one’s Anam Cara can happen in a twinkling of an eye. One’s inner impulse can prove to be the consummate judge. In some religious cultures,Wholesale Jerseys, as in the Yoruba tradition, the baba or Iya (male and female leaders,Curry 1 Lux Mid Leather, respectively) refers to their devotees as their children and there is that unmistakable bond, but it is pales in comparison to the spirit of Anam Cara.Notably, one’s Anam Cara need not be one who has perfected life or transcended its vagaries and challenges. In many ways the relationship is symbiotic – each learning and growing from each other.An equally interesting approach is accepting the Anam Cara on both levels – mundane and otherworldly. One’s Anam Cara could well be one’s guardian angel or in New Age terms, a spirit guide that helps inch us towards inner peace.O’Donohue’s explores the rhythm of the human experiences with unchallenged depth. Our body, mind and soul must act in unison, he argues. We are replicas, microcosms of a breathing universe. The exploration of the mind and the soul shouldn’t be undertaken at the expense of our corporeal self. The body, the conduit of our senses and sensuality is a veritable temple that shouldn’t be pilloried by self abnegation and self mortification. The body should be celebrated with dignity and fearlessness. Not a single piece of the puzzle should be sacrificed. Our every thought, word and action, rightly performed, draws us ever closer to the seat of wisdom. Only then can we fulfill our divine mission…..with the help of our soul friend, our Anam Cara.***Anam Cara: A book of Celtic Wisdom by Jon O’Donohue, 2004Publisher: Harper Perennial, New York, New YorkISBN: 0-06-092943-xAvailable: amazon.comRating: Essential |
