Beloved Son: Letters Concerning the Search for Meaning

When his son began to lose his bearings on the other side of the continent, author Michael Kressy began putting together a series of letters outlining in clear and easy-to-follow terms a foundational belief system, together with suggested techniques for achieving peace and equilibrium. Beginning with his opening letter, where he states, “I’m not suggesting I have all the answers, but I know after some twenty-five years of meditation practice where they can be found and the discipline and dedication required to find them,” Kressy helps the reader build confidence in his or her own ability to access inner wisdom by offering a convincing series of arguments pointing to mind as the only reality there is. The letters that follow describe the obstacles that confront us (the ego, guilt, fear, and the split mind) and suggest how we can overcome them by developing healthy relationships instead of debilitating ones; learning to recognize authentic love; and going beyond thought and language in order to experience real peace. In the final letter, Kressy offers practical suggestions for developing a meditative practice that emphasizes relaxation, developing the ability for sustained focus, learning how to become a disinterested witness to our own thoughts and, finally, experiencing liberation by entering into pure awareness itself. Accompanying his discussion of finding spiritual fulfillment are illuminating experiences drawn from his own life, including the lessons he has learned from them.