‘If we harbor thoughts of violence or hatred, or seek revenge or
retribution, we are contributing to the wounding of the world; if
we transform those thoughts into forgiveness and compassion, and
then move beyond them to actually make amends or restitution, we
are contributing to the healing of the world. This timely, powerful
and compassionate book helps show us the way.’
–Deepak Chopra
‘Nothing will help us survive the present age more than breaking
the tragic cycles of violence and revenge that threaten our very
existence. To do so, we must honor our soul’s desire for deeper
forms of reconciliation, a process that Phil Cousineau reveals here
as being on the other side of forgiveness, in the ancient ritual of
atonement. His book is a profoundly important contribution to the
healing of the world, and I give it my blessing.’
–Robert A. Johnson, author of Transformation,
Inner Work and Owning Your Own Shadow
As indispensable as forgiveness has been to the healing process
throughout history, there is another equally profound action that
is needed for ultimate reconciliation, which Arun Gandhi, grandson
of Mohandas Gandhi, calls ‘the other side of the coin.’
Turning over the coin of forgiveness, we discover atonement,
the half-hidden, much-overlooked other half of the reconciliation
process.
Beyond Forgiveness shows how acts of
atonement–making amends, providing restitution, restoring
balance–can relieve us of the pain of the past and give us a
hopeful future. This rich and powerful book includes 15 thoughtful
contributions by high-profile thinkers and activists including
Huston Smith, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Azim Khamisa, Rabbi Michael
Lerner, Jacob Needleman, Michael Nagler, Diane Hennacy Powell,
James O’Dea, Arun Gandhi, Kate Dahlstedt, Ed Tick, Richard J.
Meyer, Rev. Heng Sure, Douglas George-Kanentiio and Katharine
Dever. Atonement is put forward as a process that we must all learn
to practice–from individuals to nations–if we are to
heal our wounds and move forward.
Tabella dei contenuti
Foreword: Atonement as a Spiritual Path (Huston Smith).
Preface: The Next Step in Forgiveness and Healing (Phil
Cousineau).
Introduction: The Revival of an Ancient Awareness (Richard J.
Meyer).
PART ONE Forgiveness and Beyond.
1 Forgiveness as Spiritual Liberation (Michael Bernard
Beckwith).
2 The Wisdom of Atonement (Jacob Needleman).
3 We Can Work It Out: Heart, Mind, and Action in the Struggle
for Atonement (Michael N. Nagler).
4 At-One-Ment: Becoming Whole (Diane Hennacy Powell).
5 Burying the Stone: Rituals and Ceremonies of Atonement
(Kate Dahlstedt).
6 Taking the Crucial Step: Forgiving the Other and Forgiving
Yourself (Katharine Dever).
7 A Twelve-Step Approach to Atonement (Anonymous).
PART TWO Stories of Atonement.
8 Memories of My Grandfather: Atonement the Gandhi Way (Arun
Gandhi).
9 Healing the Wounds of War: Atonement Practices for Veterans
(Edward Tick).
10 After the Death of My Son: My Journey of Forgiveness and
Atonement (Azim Noordin Khamisa).
11 Ten Days of Atonement (Rabbi Michael Lerner).
12 The Iroquois Great Law of Peace: Atonement Among the
Haudenosaunee (Douglas M. George-Kanentiio).
13 Talkin’ ‘bout My Generation: The New Face of Atonement
(Stephanie N. Van Hook).
14 Buddhist Bowing and Atonement (Reverend Heng
Sure).
Conclusion: Creative Atonement in a Time of Peril (James
O’Dea).
The Contributors.
The Editor.
The Beyond Forgiveness Project.
Acknowledgments.
Circa l’autore
The Editor
Phil Cousineau is an award-winning writer and filmmaker, editor and lecturer, cultural observer and TV host. He has published twenty-six nonfiction books, written fifteen documentary films, and is currently the host and co-writer of Global Spirit on Link TV. Learn more at www.beyondforgiveness.org.