Overview

A report of the spiritual journey of the author. Childhood in Japanese prison camp in Indonesia during WWII; return to Holland; several years in Italy, where her quest for spiritual knowledge starts; again return to Holland and study of astrology, Theosophy and New Age ideas of Findhorn Community in Scotland; brief acquaintance with teachings of Gurdjieff; encounter with Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan and long studies and work in Sufi Circle; pilgrimages to tomb of Inayat Khan in Delhi, India; encounter in Holland with Russian Master of Christian-Hermetic tradition on terrace of Sufi temple. This last event changes her life and leads her back to the spiritual homeland of her soul: the Christian core of Freemasonry and the inspiring mysticism of Orthodox Christianity. In a supplementary chapter a discourse on 'Faust in the 21st century'.

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9789083267623

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Spiritual Autobiography: From esoteric schools to Orthodox Christianity (Excellent: FIVE STARS) This spiritual autobiography by Maria Toonen, a Dutch woman, takes the reader along a path that is not so commonly traveled. In the format of a journal, the author records her keen observations and life incidents, as she explores a range of esoteric schools and religious movements, active during the last fifty years or so in Europe, mainly: Theosophy, Findhorn, the Sufi circle (of Hazrat Inayat Khan), and the Freemasons. These adventures are followed by a turn toward Orthodox Christianity, which concludes her search and the book. The story of this life begins in Dutch Indonesia, occupied by the Japanese during the war. As a young child, Maria is imprisoned with her family in a Japanese concentration camp. The hardships there, and the death of her father, shake her sense of security. The camp children, she says, were left with a 'Cinderella feeling' as if 'no-one is behind you'. Her spiritual enthusiasms, subsequently, seem to redeem the loss. She strives to realize the presence of an ultimate and trustworthy divine source. This source is found within and with the help of guides (on both earthly and spiritual planes). At this stage, her quest is oriented toward self-discovery, self-development, and self-transformation by means of sacred doctrines (theosophy), nature mysticism (Findhorn), transpersonal love (the Sufis), and personal and social responsibility (the Freemasons). An emerging interest in Christian Orthodoxy ushers in a new stage. Her quest is now oriented toward transcendence. Her restless passion for God settles into an institutional context, if broadly conceived. In Amsterdam, the author encounters some Russians from the mystical underground; their spirituality, forged in secret in the former USSR, is expressed in unconventional ways (by drama, soulful confrontations, and vodka parties). The descriptions of the culture and personalities, here, are intriguing, though their exact teachings are hard to figure out. (The Russian missionaries are not prepared at first for the culture of Western Europe with its individualism and critical spirit.) Over time, Maria Toonen marries one of these Russian friends. After this, the narrative builds toward the author's ultimate conversion into the Russian Orthodox Church. This part of the story demonstrates her deepening commitment to the church, by way of icon painting, studies of the Bible, devotions to the Mother of God, and observances meant to prosper the dead. The author's evolution, from heterodox to orthodox movements, is captivating and well described. She captures the mystical depths of Russian Orthodoxy and its satisfactions. .... This passage suggests a respect for the critical and humanistic spirit that has changed Western Christianity (e.g., intellectually, via critical methods of scriptural interpretation; and, socially, via struggles for gender equality and liberation, among others). Given that the Orthodox Church has such a different culture (and ecclesiastical and political organization) in very important ways, how has she accommodated this shift? Overall, this book is insightful, throughout, and quite fascinating.

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