At the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda transformed Western thinking. He showed that, far from being an exotic novelty, Hinduism was an important, legitimate spiritual tradition with valuable lessons for the West. Pathways to Joy is a selection of 108 of his sacred teachings on Vedanta philosophy. In accessible and powerful prose, Vivekananda illuminates the four classical yoga paths — karma, bhakti, raja, and jnana — for the different natures of humankind. The messages focus on the oneness of existence; the divinity of the soul; the truth in all religions; and unifying with the Divine within. Invaluable and inspiring, the selections also explore karma, maya, rebirth, and other great revelations of Hinduism.
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The Indian guru Swami Vivekananda had the gift of being bicultural. He brought the Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism to the 1893 World Parliament of Religions and prepared the way for the flowering of yoga in the West. Vivekananda's accessible teachings have been edited and compiled in countless ways, and this edition by DeLuca, a student of Vedanta, is intended to offer students of yoga something to think about, since Indian yoga is more than a series of physical postures. The guru gently introduces what may be unfamiliar ideas from Hinduism, such as maya, or illusion. The book's organization into broad themes, including the four yoga paths, is logical in concept yet fuzzy in execution, because the writing doesn't always lend itself to clear differentiation. "Oneness" is a pervasive teaching for Vivekananda, and ruminations on it end up scattered throughout the book. The result is somewhat repetitive and disorganized. Nor are there citations showing where the writing is drawn from, except in the appendix. End material, including a reading list, glossary and biographical material, is helpful. This is not the best introduction to Vivekananda, but the swami is so clear himself that he needs little help.
India Journal
I highly recommend this beautiful collection of Vivekananda's revered writings as a vital addition to any spiritual library.
Midwest Book Review
No edition of Vivekananda’s teachings brings them to us more beautifully than Dave DeLuca's Pathways to Joy.
Swami Smaranananda,General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Mission
Dave DeLuca has done a wonderful service by compiling Swami Vivekananda's greatest teachings into one book. My hearty congratulations!
Reverend David Leonard, Pastor, Huntsville Church of Religious Science
This book is a jewel, and I highly recommend it to every serious student of Truth.
Swami Atmatatmananda, Ramakrishna Order
Pathways to Joy has brought Vivekananda to me anew, with greater vitality than ever before. What a joy!
Michael Nagler, author of The Search for a Nonviolent Future
Dave DeLuca has done us all a service with this accessible and attractive anthology of Swamiji's writings.
Pravrajika Vrajaprana, author of Vedanta:A Simple Introduction
Intelligently organized, thoughtfully presented, Pathways to Joy is an excellent introduction to the writings of Swami Vivekananda.
Reverend Edward Viljoen, Pastor, Center For Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa
A brilliant bridge-building work that allows New Thought readers to easily understand the original message of Oneness from the East.
Midwest Book Review
No edition of Vivekananda’s teachings brings them to us more beautifully than Dave DeLuca's Pathways to Joy.
Pravrajika Vrajaprana, Author of
Intelligently organized, thoughtfully presented, Pathways to Joy is an excellent introduction to the writings of Swami Vivekananda.
About the Author
Dave Deluca has presented thousands of seminars, classes and trainings on all aspects of personal growth during his 20 years as a professional speaker and seminar leader. A long-time student of the ancient Vedanta wisdom of Oneness, he has been one of the West's most passionate and highly regarded Vedantic teachers for over a decade. He presented Vedanta at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona, Spain, and continues to give keynote addresses, classes and seminars on spiritual growth at conferences, churches, temples, learning centers and retreats all over America and Canada.
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