The Heart of the World reviews
THE HEART OF THE WORLD
Adrian Hekel
Sos Print & Media
Sanjay was only a boy when his father said just before he died, ‘Son, the most important thing in life is to discover the heart of the world.’ Sanjay had almost forgotten his wise father’s words when a gypsy woman rekindled the memory.
What did his father mean? Sanjay embarked on a journey determined to find the meaning to life. He travelled from India to the United States where he learned physics. However deep in his spirit he was still dissatisfied. Next he learned about the mind and the brain and how they worked together. Still his soul was discontented. Later he met an abbot who led him in Christian meditation and openly shared his own journey but still the peace that passes human understanding eluded Sanjay. Eventually after more frustrating experiences Sanjay retreats to the wilderness and there in solitude he finds in the depths of his own heart the meaning of life.
Adrian Hekel in The Heart of the World draws primarily from Buddhist spirituality. He emphasises the interconnectedness of all of life. Perhaps the statement that appealed to me most was …great prophets such as Jesus or Mohamed. Although at times there were differences in belief which led to conflict, he saw that this was rarely the fault of the religions themselves, but rather extremist groups who ignored the universal values embedded in their own religion. DS