Yosemite Reverie

Set in the "Range of Light," this adventure story explores not only a particular place - but also one person's quest for light. On this epic adventure, the narrator talks with some of the world's greatest wisdom teachers. Greek philosophers Heraclitus, Socrates, and Plotinus, the Apostles John, Thomas and Mary, all come to life in moving, spirited prose. Though the narrator's improbable encounters may be imaginary, every word of philosophy or spirituality spoken by the ancients is a direct quote from primary source material, retranslated for modern readers. The Endnotes and Bibliography make it easy for those interested in deeper study to consult the original texts. Walking with the narrator in the High Sierra, we are transported into a new world, a higher perspective, a broader horizon. This new world offers an escape from the relentless, restless cacophony of modern life and an entrance into the relaxed, quiet, profound rhythms of nature. To enter this world is to disconnect from the reactive, instant superficial communication of our age, and instead commune with the oldest, most meaningful messages drawn from the deepest well of human consciousness. As he explores the fundamental questions - who am I? why am I here? where will I go? - we are drawn into our own exploration. The narrator makes no assertions, draws no conclusions. Like many who set out to find certainty, he comes to realize that, in the words of the poet Rilke, joy lies not in finding the answers, but in living the questions. This book arises out of the author's experience of more than forty years of relationship with a living master, daily meditation practice, and study of spiritual literature, but it's not a memoir. It's not a treatise. It's a story. Like Alice's Looking Glass, Harry Potter's Platform Nine and Three Quarters, or the Scottish standing stones in the Starz TV series "Outlander," the wilderness of the high Sierra serves as a portal to another world. Yes, there's philosophy and history and wisdom from ancient teachers, but there are bears and storms and adventures, too. The primary insight of the Reverie is that there's no Eastern or Western philosophy, no ancient or modern teaching - just one radiant truth, delivered with consistency by teachers of all times, present to each one of us now.