If you are interested in learning more about meditation and contemplative spirituality, check out my book, Finding God in the Body: A Spiritual Path for the Modern West. It draws from a variety of different traditions—including Buddhism, contemplative Christianity, Judaism, and 12 Step spirituality—to present, not a smorgasbord, but a synthesized and actionable path structure that resonates with the modern Western mind.
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Official Description:
Finding God in the Body turns inward to examine the human condition, meeting personal suffering with heartfelt insight and transformative practice. It steers clear of the wishful thinking, unfounded beliefs, and cynicism that define much of the spirituality genre.
Ben Riggs leaves no stone unturned, addressing each stage of the journey as he explores the space between fundamentalism and atheism to uncover a spirituality that resonates with the modern, Western mind. Then he binds that view to an actionable path of self-analysis, prayer, and meditation, which introduce the reader to the God of the body.
This book is a much-needed addition to the corpus of spiritual literature, and a must-read for all modern seekers.
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Reviews:
“In Finding God in the Body, Ben Riggs shows us the possibility of experiencing God as an intimate, intensely personal, and deeply affecting presence. Within our bodily awareness, in the immediacy of the present moment, we can behold God’s mind, His love, and His glory throughout the universe. And in doing so we can experience true salvation and find our own place within the infinity of divine reality. This is a most remarkable, unusual, profound book that is certain to transform the spiritual lives of all who read it.”
~ Dr. Reginald Ray, author of Touching Enlightenment: Finding Realization in the Body and spiritual director of the Dharma Ocean Foundation
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“In Finding God in the Body Ben Riggs delivers a heartfelt and deeply experiential message of engaged faith. He outlines some pragmatic methodologies of contemplative and progressive Christianity, drawing on personal experience and practice of Buddhist and Christian meditation. He offers relevant and meaningful analysis of scripture along with the words of mystics and philosophers from diverse traditions. Riggs invites exploration through self analysis, study, prayer and meditation. He gently coaxes, guides and rekindles our connection to God in a way that profoundly speaks to modern Western sensibilities.”
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“Finding God in the Body recasts the teachings of Jesus in a contemplative light, outlining a path for Western Buddhists to do the work that Thich Nhat Hanh has implored us to do; that of reconciling with our root tradition. Drawing lines between bodhicitta and prayer, meditation and contemplation, Mr. Riggs reminds us that Christian spirituality does indeed provide a practice-based approach to the God within each of us. He does us all a great service in showing us that there is no place like home.”
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“In Finding God in the Body, Benjamin Riggs takes the reader on an autobiographical journey, starting with his initial introduction to meditation via Tibetan Buddhism , through using suffering as a vehicle of transformation to realizing the God that lives within all of us. The journey contains many twists, turns and road maps, including several exercises to help the reader move along the path. Yet, it is a journey without an end; a spiritual pathway that only leads to deeper levels of self-awareness and understanding. You will meet several writers and thinkers along the way; open yourself to the challenges these voices offer. In short, take the journey offered in this remarkable text and be prepared for a spiritual adventure.”
~ Dr. David Otto, author of The Miracles of Jesus and Professor of Religious Studies at Centenary College
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