퀘이커 지혜의 책
로버트 로렌스 스미스 (지은이),박기환 (옮긴이)
2021-05-01
원제 : A Quaker Book of Wisdom
양장본268쪽
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책소개
이상한 일이다. 무덤덤하고 싱거운 글일 뿐인데, 가슴이 차오르고 울컥 목이 막힌다. 이 책이 주는 경험이다. 과연 그러하다면 그것은 당신 안에 여전히 양심이 살아있기 때문일 것이다. 『퀘이커 지혜의 책』은 그 어떤 빛나는 가르침이나 무릎을 치게 하는 깨달음 없이, 무엇보다 우리 안의 양심에 조용히 호소하는 책이다.
‘퀘이커’는 한두 번쯤 이름을 들어보기는 했으나, 가시적인 형태의 교회도, 성직자도, 예배도 없는 이상한 교파라는 것 외에는 별로 알려진 게 없다. 조금 더 관심 있는 사람이라면 함석헌 선생 같은 퀘이커교도를 떠올릴 것이다. 하지만 퀘이커는 그 소박하고 신실하고 정의로운 평화의 사상으로 그 믿음이 시작된 300년 전부터 지금까지 세계의 수많은 양심들을 기르고 감화시켜 왔다.
개신교의 한 교파이기는 하지만, 이들이 말하는 침묵 속의 진리, 말이 아닌 행동, 비폭력과 봉사의 정신은 기독교를 믿지 않는 이들에게도 큰 영향을 미쳤다. 이 책은 미국의 존경받는 퀘이커 지도자가 자신의 체험을 통해 퀘이커 사상의 정수를 나직이, 그러나 감동 깊게 전하는 인생 에세이이다.
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목차
추천사 / 한인철(연세대학교 전 교목실장)
머리말 / 당신의 삶으로 말하라
1 침묵 Silence
2 예배 Worship
3 진리 Truth
4 단순함 Simplicity
5 양심 Conscience
6 비폭력 Nonviolence
7 봉사 Service
8 사업 Business
9 교육 Education
10 가족 Family
맺음말 / 퀘이커의 유산 - 인생 십훈
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옮긴이의 말 / 시대가 변해도 변하지 않는 메시지
책속에서
P. 26 “퀘이커주의는 이데올로기가 아니라 경험에 터한 아주 실용적인 종교입니다. 퀘이커들은 침묵이 유용하다는 것을 잘 알기에, 그것에 높은 가치를 매깁니다. 침묵을 연습하는 것은 우리에게 큰 도움이 됩니다. 왜냐하면 침묵은 우리 영혼에 잠깐 쉴 틈을 줘서 우리 삶을 풍부하게 하고 명확하게 정리해주기 때문입니다. 따라서 퀘이커들에게 있어 지혜는 침묵 속에서 시작됩니다. 퀘이커들은 우리의 목소리와 우리의 영혼을 침묵시킬 때에만 ‘고요한 내 안의 작은 목소리’를 들을 수 있다고 믿습니다. 그 목소리는 하느님이 우리에게 말씀하는 소리이며, 우리 행위를 통해 남들에게 들려주는 소리이기도 합니다.” (침묵)
P. 45~46 “퀘이커교에는 뚜렷한 교리도 없고, 성경 이외의 경전도 없으며, 글로 쓰인 신조도 없습니다. 전통적인 퀘이커 예배는 목사나 지도자들을 세우지 않습니다. 전례와 의식도 없습니다. 퀘이커교도들은 원죄라는 것을 받아들이지 않습니다. 또 사람을 벌주고 상주고 하는 그런 개인적인 하느님을 믿지 않습니다. 영원한 저주의 불구덩이는 잊어버리십시오. 구원? 마찬가지로 잊으세요. 천당, 지옥, 연옥도 잊어버리세요. 당신 안의 진리와, 침묵 중에 떠오르는 진리를 찾으십시오. 단순함, 사랑, 그리고 봉사의 삶을 사십시오. 말이 아닌 당신의 삶 자체로 이야기하십시오. 그리고 당신의 아이들이 당신을 본보기로 삼아 배운다는 것을 믿으십시오.” (예배)
P. 121~122 “인생이 우리에게 제공하는 가장 귀한 선물은 ‘선택’입니다. 한편 셰익스피어는 다른 맥락에서 ‘양심은 우리 모두를 겁쟁이로 만든다’고 했습니다. 내 생각에 그가 말하고자 했던 것은, 우리가 양심의 소리를 듣고 그 소리에 따라 선택하는 것은 무섭고도 외로운 일이라는 것입니다. 우리는 진실을 두려워하는 것과 같은 이유로 양심을 두려워합니다. 양심을 따르면 우스꽝스러워질 수 있고, 우리의 보호막이 벗겨져 버릴 수도 있기 때문입니다. 하지만 나는, 우리의 삶이 양심을 통해 말하면 진실을 말하는 것과 마찬가지로 우리를 자유롭게 한다고 생각합니다. 왜냐하면 우리는 오직 우리 안의 하느님에게만 답하면 되기 때문입니다.” (양심)
P. 164~165 “그들이 사는 아파트는 크리스마스 날임에도 불구하고 즐거운 기색은 전혀 없이 음울했고, 아무런 장식도 없었습니다. 병에 감염될까봐 아저씨는 나를 멀찍이 떨어뜨려 놓았지만, 나는 복도를 통해서 저쪽 침실의 모습을 볼 수 있었습니다. 아저씨는 천천히 그 아이 잠옷을 풀고 청진기로 아이를 진찰했습니다. 한편 아이 부모님은 침대 발치에서 손을 모은 채 근심 속에서 지켜보고 있었지요. 아저씨가 진찰을 마치고 아이 부모님과 가벼운 이야기를 주고받는데, 갑자기 그 좁은 방에 있던 이들 모두에게서 웃음이 터져 나왔습니다. 그 웃음이 제게는 크리스마스의 의미를 가장 잘 드러내는 것으로 여겨졌습니다. 아저씨는 그날 크리스마스 밤에 알고 있는 모든 방법을 동원해 한 아이의 생명을 구하고, 또 낯선 그들 가정에 희망을 주었던 것입니다. 나는 이렇게 숙련된, 이웃을 사랑하는 사람에게 내재하는 특별한 힘에 크게 감명을 받았습니다.” (봉사) 접기
P. 260 “세상 안에서 정의를 찾으십시오. 그러나 당신 삶을 위해 정의를 찾지는 마십시오. 케네디 대통령도 ‘원래 인생은 불공평하다’고 말한 바 있습니다. 세상에는 언제나 불의가 존재해왔습니다. 그리고 우리가 그 불의를 바로잡는 데도 끝이 없을 겁니다. 하지만 당신 삶이 처해 있는 불공평함에 매몰되지는 마십시오. 세상에는 언제나 더 많은 재능, 더 많은 자원, 더 많은 이점을 누리는 사람들이 있습니다. 그러니 당신 손에 든 것을 가지고 당신이 할 수 있는 일을 하십시오. 결코 남을 보지 마십시오.” (인생십훈) 접기
추천글
“이 책을 읽으면서 가장 가슴 깊이 다가온 것은 ‘당신의 삶으로 말하라’는 것이었다.
이 가르침은, 예수는 믿되 예수처럼 살지 않는 신앙인들을 치유하는 최고의 치유책이 될 수 있다. 믿음이 삶에 이르지 못하는 가장 큰 이유는 말로 믿기 때문이다.
그러나 퀘이커들은 말한다. ‘당신의 삶으로 말하라!’ 이 책이야말로 종교와 함께, 그리고 종교와 무관한 영역에서까지 우리 시대에 참 사람답게 사는 길, 그리고 더 나은 참 세상이 어떤 것인지를 보여준다.” - 한인철
“이 시대 퀘이커들의 한 모델로서 로버트 스미스는 잔잔하지만 감동적인 목소리로 우리의 평범한 일상을 일깨운다. 우리 삶에 의미를 던져주는 영혼의 처소, 그곳에 이르는 로드맵을 보여준다.” - 매리언 라이트 에델만 (민권운동가이자 마틴 루터 킹의 동료, 미국 아동보호기금 설립자)
이 책을 추천한 다른 분들 :
문화일보
- 문화일보 2021년 4월 30일자 '이 책'
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저자 및 역자소개
로버트 로렌스 스미스 (Robert Lawrence Smith) (지은이)
존경받는 퀘이커 지도자의 한 사람으로, 미국 대통령들의 자녀들이 다니는 학교로 유명한 워싱턴 DC의 퀘이커 학교 ‘시드웰 프렌즈 스쿨’의 교장으로 오래 봉직했다. 10년 동안 미국 사립교육위원회의 실행이사를 맡았으며 미 상원의원 토머스 이글턴의 교육 분야 전문위원으로도 일했다. 또한 워싱턴 지역사회재단의 성인문해력 프로그램을 자문하고 약물남용방지협회의 약물예방 프로그램 설계에도 참여했다. 현재는 워싱턴 DC 교외의 작은 도시인 메릴랜드 베세즈다에서 조용한 노년을 보내고 있다.
최근작 : <퀘이커 지혜의 책> … 총 4종 (모두보기)
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박기환 (옮긴이)
연세대학교 사회학과를 졸업하고, 뉴욕대학교 경영대학원에서 공부했다. 제약업계에서 일하며 미국에서 여러 해 동안 근무하였고, 한국과 중국에서 몇몇 제약회사들의 대표이사를 역임하면서 모교 경영대학의 연구교수로도 일하고 있다.
최근작 :
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출판사 제공 책소개
더 단순한 삶, 더 진실한 삶, 더 의미 있는 삶은 무엇인가?
3백년의 시간 동안 우리를 조용히 변화시킨 퀘이커들의 메시지
■ 우리들의 양심으로부터 말하는 책
이상한 일이다. 무덤덤하고 싱거운 글일 뿐인데, 가슴이 차오르고 울컥 목이 막힌다. 이 책이 주는 경험이다. 과연 그러하다면 그것은 당신 안에 여전히 양심이 살아있기 때문일 것이다. 『퀘이커 지혜의 책』은 그 어떤 빛나는 가르침이나 무릎을 치게 하는 깨달음 없이, 무엇보다 우리 안의 양심에 조용히 호소하는 책이다.
‘퀘이커’는 한두 번쯤 이름을 들어보기는 했으나, 가시적인 형태의 교회도, 성직자도, 예배도 없는 이상한 교파라는 것 외에는 별로 알려진 게 없다. 조금 더 관심 있는 사람이라면 함석헌 선생 같은 퀘이커교도를 떠올릴 것이다. 하지만 퀘이커는 그 소박하고 신실하고 정의로운 평화의 사상으로 그 믿음이 시작된 300년 전부터 지금까지 세계의 수많은 양심들을 기르고 감화시켜 왔다. 개신교의 한 교파이기는 하지만, 이들이 말하는 침묵 속의 진리, 말이 아닌 행동, 비폭력과 봉사의 정신은 기독교를 믿지 않는 이들에게도 큰 영향을 미쳤다. 이 책은 미국의 존경받는 퀘이커 지도자가 자신의 체험을 통해 퀘이커 사상의 정수를 나직이, 그러나 감동 깊게 전하는 인생 에세이이다.
■ 평범한 삶에서 발견하는 진리의 목소리
저자 로버트 L. 스미스는 퀘이커교 창시자 조지 폭스(1624~1691)의 말을 본받아 퀘이커의 신념을 “당신의 삶으로 말하게 하라”(Let your life speak)는 한 마디로 요약한다. 이 말 안에 모든 것이 들어있다. 어떤 위대한 생각도 당신의 삶으로 말하지 않으면 아무런 의미가 없다. 단순한 삶, 단순한 마음을 간직하라. 신이 누구에게나 심어준 내면의 진리를 발견하고, 무엇보다 그 진리를 말이 아닌 삶으로 드러내라. 약자를 돕고 자신과 가족을 사랑하며 양심을 따르라. 이보다 간단한 가르침이 또 있을까? 그러나 우리 안의 진리를 믿고 양심에 따라 자신과 이웃을 돌보며 살라는 이런 가르침은 오늘날 비현실적이고 순진하기 짝이 없는 조언으로 들릴 뿐이다. 과연 그러한가? 그렇다면 왜 그토록 ‘현실적’으로 살아왔는데, 세상은 이런 것일까?
『퀘이커 지혜의 책』은 많은 것을 말하지 않는다. 저자는 침묵, 진리, 단순함, 비폭력, 봉사, 사업, 가족 등의 10가지 주제를 가지고 우리의 인간됨과 세상의 정의를 회복하는 길을 간결하게 일러준다. 퀘이커 가정에서 자라나 90대 노년에 이르기까지 저자가 마주쳤던 삶의 순간들을 퀘이커의 눈으로 차근차근 해설하며, 우리가 잊고 있었던 가장 상식적이고 단순한 삶의 지혜를 일깨운다.
■ 내면적인, 그러나 지극히 실용적인 진리들
퀘이커는 독특한 종교적 원칙과 관행으로 유명하다. 예배당 없이 가정 또는 ‘미팅하우스’에서 회합을 하고, 성직자도 전례도 없이 침묵 속에 진행되는 모임으로 예배를 대신하며, 평등사상에 입각해 서로를 ‘친우’로 호칭하거나 ‘너’라고 말한다. ‘종교친우회’(Religious Society of Friends)라는 정식명칭이 있음에도, ‘기도 중에 몸을 떤다(quaked)’는 뜻의 조롱 섞인 ‘퀘이커’ 호칭을 기쁘게 받아들인다. 이들에게 중요한 것은 세상이 부여하는 외형적 가치가 아니라 내면에서 울리는 진리의 목소리이기 때문이다. 퀘이커주의는 그런 점에서 계시의 종교이자 내면의 신을 좇는 신비적(종종 ‘혁명적’과도 통하는) 경향의 사상이다. 하지만 겉치레 없는 실용적 정신과 인간의 합리성을 믿는 점에서는 지극히 객관적이고 현실적인 종교이기도 하다.
저자는 퀘이커 창시자인 조지 폭스와 미국 펜실베이니아의 개척자 윌리엄 펜 등 퀘이커 위인들을 말한 “내면의 빛을 따라라” “길이 열리는 대로 나아가라” “당신의 삶으로 말하라” “당신의 삶이 아닌 이 세상에서 정의를 추구하라” 등의 조언을 소개하면서, 그 뜻을 우리가 매일 만나는 현실 안에서 풀어낸다. 철학적이거나 추상적인 설명이 아니라, 현실의 삶에서 그것이 어떻게 적용되는지를 하나하나 보여줌으로써 그 조언들이 얼마나 구체적이고 실용적인 지혜인지 설득한다. 저자가 어렸을 때 친척 의사의 왕진을 따라갔던 경험(164-165쪽)이나, 가족이라는 ‘문제’를 대하는 태도(233쪽, 240-241쪽)는 사뭇 감동적이기까지 하다.
일 년에 한번 대가족 전체가 모이는 유쾌한 어느 크리스마스 밤, 어린 저자는 그 즐거운 자리를 포기하고 수십 리 떨어진 가난한 집 아이를 보러 급히 왕진을 가는 아저씨를 따라 나선다. 한겨울 추위를 뚫고 가서, 갖은 노력을 다해 아픈 아이를 치료하고 그 가난한 가족 모두에게 웃음을 선사한 아저씨를 보면서, 저자는 봉사가 봉사하는 이에게 얼마나 큰 기쁨을 주는지를, 쓸모 있는 삶이란 무엇인지를 깨닫는다.
우리에게 기쁨만큼이나 고통과 숙제를 안겨주는 ‘가족’이라는 존재에 대해서도 저자는 우리가 미처 깨닫지 못한 지점을 건드린다. 가족생활은 승부가 걸린 경기가 아니며, 가정은 ‘점수’를 매기는 곳이 아니라는 것이다. 자식을 잘 기르고 부부 자신을 위한다는 명목으로 끊임없이 서로를 평가하고 점수를 매기는 오늘의 가족들에 대해, “네가 옳은 일을 할 거라고 믿는다”는 믿음과 영적 자극이야말로 가족의 든든한 토대임을 설득한다.
■ 우리들 영성의 회복을 위하여
『퀘이커 지혜의 책』은 어찌 보면 문학적 인생잠언으로, 또 달리 보면 자기계발서로도 읽을 수 있다. 물론 한 사람이 그의 일생을 통해 길어낸 값진 성찰들에서 삶의 실용적 지침을 얻을 수 있는 것도 사실이다. 그러나 이 책은 무엇보다 우리들 인간의 ‘영성’에 관한 책이다.
때 묻고 바래고 식어빠진 냉소의 시대, 끝없는 욕망과 경쟁으로 점철된 시대, 모래처럼 흩어져 증오를 일삼는 이 시대에, 퀘이커는 여전히 침묵의 가치와 단순한 삶의 방식을 믿는다. ‘주어진 대로 맡겨두면 길은 열리게 되어 있다’는 인간에 대한 이 낙관적 믿음은 300년의 퀘이커 역사 동안 한 번도 흔들린 적이 없다. 그런 점에서 이 책은 우리에 대해 저마다의 마음속에 여전히 빛나는 별 하나, 어떤 ‘신성’을 간직한 가능성의 존재임을 선포하는 책이다. 어떤 거창한 성취가 아닌, 우리 자신의 평범한 삶에 대해서 말이다. 이 책이 그토록 잔잔한 어조로 깊은 감동을 전해주는 이유일 것이다.
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A Quaker Book of Wisdom: Life Lessons In Simplicity, Service, And Common Sense
by
4.06 · Rating details · 640 ratings · 72 reviews
The most valuable aspect of religion," writes Robert Lawrence Smith, "is that it provides us with a framework for living. I have always felt that the beauty and power of Quakerism is that it exhorts us to live more simply, more truthfully, more charitably."Taking his inspiration from the teaching of the first Quaker, George Fox, and from his own nine generations of Quaker forebears, Smith speaks to all of us who are seeking a way to make our lives simpler, more meaningful, and more useful. Beginning with the Quaker belief that "There is that of God in every person," Smith explores the ways in which we can harness the inner light of God that dwells in each of us to guide the personal choices and challenges we face every day. How to live and speak truthfully. How to listen for, trust, and act on our conscience. How to make our work an expression of the best that is in us.
Using vivid examples from his own life, Smith writes eloquently of Quaker Meeting, his decision to fight in World War II, and later to oppose the Vietnam War. From his work as an educator and headmaster to his role as a husband and father, Smith quietly convinces that the lofty ideals of Quakerism offer all of us practical tools for leading a more meaningful life. His book culminates with a moving letter to his grandchildren which imparts ten lessons for "letting your life speak. (less)
Using vivid examples from his own life, Smith writes eloquently of Quaker Meeting, his decision to fight in World War II, and later to oppose the Vietnam War. From his work as an educator and headmaster to his role as a husband and father, Smith quietly convinces that the lofty ideals of Quakerism offer all of us practical tools for leading a more meaningful life. His book culminates with a moving letter to his grandchildren which imparts ten lessons for "letting your life speak. (less)
Published August 18th 1999 by William Morrow Paperbacks
4.06 ·
· 640 ratings · 72 reviews
Jul 31, 2009R. C. rated it did not like it
Shortly after starting the chapter on pacifism I became annoyed. Why is someone who gave up his principles and went to war writing in support of that subject? As they say, being a pacifist between wars is like being a vegetarian between meals. Then I realized that he wasn't actually writing about satyagraha or even peace. He was writing a bunch of feel good mush, vague in the way horoscopes are, so they can apply to anybody no matter what's really going on.
Still, I hung in. My dearest friend gave it five stars and I didn't want to give up on it before reading her notes and talking to her. After all, she holds that place in my life because I always find her perspective enlightening.
But when the author ended the chapter with, "All we have to bring to the task is love, and the will to bestow it more generously than we have in the past," I had to restrain myself from throwing the book against the wall. (It's a library book.)
Do I need to explain why? I will. Because pacifism is SO MUCH HARDER than that. Who could apply that statement of the author's to real life? It makes you feel good, but how does it help you deal with questions like, "if we don't hurt them, will they hurt us?" or "what do we do with the anger this whole nation feels?" or "I just need my three-year-old to stop screaming and does one smack really hurt him?" It doesn't. It just makes you feel good while reading it.
Except for the few paragraphs at the start of each chapter describing the history of Quaker implementation of each virtue, this book was a bunch of simplistic drivel.
I reserve the right to completely change my mind after I see Ami's notes. (less)
Except for the few paragraphs at the start of each chapter describing the history of Quaker implementation of each virtue, this book was a bunch of simplistic drivel.
I reserve the right to completely change my mind after I see Ami's notes. (less)
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R. C. Okay. I read that chapter. In a sentence, I thought he was saying, "Simplicity means refusing to accept shopping as a means of entertainment, unless it's a good form of entertainment like having big family suppers so you need a big house and lots of nice plates, or going for drives in the country so you need a new car every three years and the gas to fill it." And I thought that was too vague, and kind of a cop-out. (less)
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Michael Cabus I agree with your assessment...that chapter was less about what pacifism means than it was a way he justified his choice...his definition of doing the right thing (simply "doing your best") lacks, in my mind, the real personal challenge religion provides...I read your review and it expressed exactly how I was feeling too (less)
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I think I like the Quakers the best. They have no church and no service, instead having "Meeting" at which someone may feel compelled to say a few words or it may be an approximate hour of complete silence. Silence is revered as a time of reflection, introspection, whatever.
Quakers refuse to take oaths, believing if you always are truthful an oath to be truthful is redundant. You cannot distinguish one truth from another by oath.
Simplicity is sought in all areas of life. All people are equal regardless of gender, color, age, occupation, etc. Education is a priority and many Quaker schools and colleges exist. Being pacifists, they avoid violence in any form. Service to all in need is their ultimate goal and life's objective.
The "Friends" seem to have adopted the best of human nature. Nothing crazy or freaky that i could discern. Oh yeah, and they have nothing to do with Quaker Oats but, if you like Cadbury eggs, thank the Quakers. (less)
A quiet & inspiring look at basic beliefs & tenets of living a life of love & service. A very nice little book with valuable & thoughtful ideas for today's world. (less)
Jun 29, 2016Jayson rated it it was ok
I've been attending Quaker meetings for close to three years now. I read this book toward the beginning of this phase of my spiritual trek. Though occasionally the book contains a gem of insight I don't think it accurately depicts the state of unprogrammed friends or their values with much accuracy. The author certainly doesn't speak for my experience in the society of friends; his qualifications for presenting the views of this very diverse bunch seem to be mainly that he was birthright and that he led a large friends school (itself not much of a qualification given the rampant elitism of most friends schools and their almost complete abandonment of what made them distinctly Friendly in the first place). His chapter on pacifism is particularly egregious as is his insistence on pointing out his Ivy League education on seemingly every page.
- Rex Ambler's the Quaker Way,
- pink dandelion's very short introduction to Quakerism, or
- John punshon's encounter with silence are better as far as introductions to unprogrammed Quaker experience, with the VSI demonstrating the extraordinary diversity existing amongst those that call themselves friends.
Apr 30, 2011Aaron Terrazas rated it it was amazing
Traditionally I am not a religious person, but there is something about the simple rationality and fairness of this book that speaks to me. It's lessons on finding one's own truth amid a noisy, chaotic, and uncertain world provide valuable insight and unintentionally oblige us to reflect on our own lives.
Favorite quotes:
“How much of life can we learn from books? … Deuteronomy reminds us ‘We all warm outserves by fires we did not build and drink from wells we did not dig.’”
“Life is not a problem that can be solved. It must be lived each day, and each day brings a jumble of choices that challenge our practical wisdom, our common sense, and our yearning for truth. Your choices in life are enormous. They come at you in battalions.”
“We miss the possibilities of the present by continuously thinking ahead to the next activity, planning for the next day, the next weekend, the future. Our conscious lives are continuous fast-forward. Others of us seek to escape current problems or dissatisfaction or boredom by constantly looking back to events that took place in the past." (less)
Favorite quotes:
“How much of life can we learn from books? … Deuteronomy reminds us ‘We all warm outserves by fires we did not build and drink from wells we did not dig.’”
“Life is not a problem that can be solved. It must be lived each day, and each day brings a jumble of choices that challenge our practical wisdom, our common sense, and our yearning for truth. Your choices in life are enormous. They come at you in battalions.”
“We miss the possibilities of the present by continuously thinking ahead to the next activity, planning for the next day, the next weekend, the future. Our conscious lives are continuous fast-forward. Others of us seek to escape current problems or dissatisfaction or boredom by constantly looking back to events that took place in the past." (less)
Jan 08, 2008Melissa Miller rated it it was amazing
Recommends it for: religious people, people seeking a path, people interested in religions in general
I loved this book. I am intrigued enough from this book that I think I'm going to find a Friends meeting in my area and attend. I'm also going to look more into the Quakers; I'm not very familiar with them and I'd like to know more. (less)
As the book description states 'this is a book which gives you practical advice on how to live a more meaningful life (less)
Jul 12, 2019John Tissandier rated it it was amazing
This is the best introduction to the Quaker way of life that I have come across. I'm not a Quaker, but there is a Meeting House very close to where I live and I attend some of the meetings.
"For Quakers wisdom begins in silence." (page 16)
It is both a mystical and a practical approach to life, that very much suits current eco-priorities: waste is anathema to Friends.
Absolute stress is placed on speaking truthfully. "The truth shall set you free." (John)
There is a story about Quaker farmer who was walking down the road and saw a shorn sheep in a field. When asked later if the sheep was shorn or not he said, "Well, certainly he was shorn on the side facing the road."
I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to gain an understanding of what it means to be a Quaker. (less)
"For Quakers wisdom begins in silence." (page 16)
It is both a mystical and a practical approach to life, that very much suits current eco-priorities: waste is anathema to Friends.
Absolute stress is placed on speaking truthfully. "The truth shall set you free." (John)
There is a story about Quaker farmer who was walking down the road and saw a shorn sheep in a field. When asked later if the sheep was shorn or not he said, "Well, certainly he was shorn on the side facing the road."
I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to gain an understanding of what it means to be a Quaker. (less)
I'm glad that I picked up this little gem of a book. It's pages are filled with pearls of wisdom. The book was written by the author as a living legacy for his family. When I picked the book up there wasn't much that I knew about the Quakers, this book opened up my eyes to their faith, and put me in tune with the "whys" of their simplistic life style. First and foremost I think it's very important to let my fellow readers know that Quaker wisdom begins in silence. Their founder, George Fox, asks fellow believers to listen to the "still small voice". The voice that dwells within us - the voice of God that speaks to us and that we express in our deeds. Fox believed that the divine spark is inside all of us, and that spark leads us towards the good, towards the best of ourselves. The Quaker's faith is very optimistic, not a lot of fire and brimstone. We are to seek our inner voice, heed it, and let our lives speak. (less)
Mar 07, 2020Gabriel Strong rated it did not like it
This is the kind of book Pat Robertson (or any other grotesquely wealthy white Boomer) would read if he wanted to learn more about Quakers, and that's not a compliment. The aspects of my faith that your average "prosperity gospel" Evangelical would bristle at (which is most of them) have either been filed down or omitted in favor of banal platitudes. I recognize that this was written as one of those feel-good inspirational books your grandmother might read at the beach, so it's not the banality that necessarily gets to me, as much as it is the misrepresentation of a belief system that for many of its disciples is based around radical direct action.
It's like ordering a pie and finding it has no filling! (less)
It's like ordering a pie and finding it has no filling! (less)
Mar 02, 2010Peg rated it really liked it
I originally picked up this book in hopes of finding a clue to my never ending search of how to simplify my life. I found instead a guide book for a way to live my life. Robert Smith talks about the ethics and simple guidelines that Quakers aspire to live by. He explains why telling the truth is just simpler and that the difference between happiness and pleasure is that pleasure is something you pay for. It is a fast read with chapters on service and family.
I had been looking at the teaching of Buddah for peace of mind. This book however says stop thinking about your own peace of mind and just get out there and help the world become a better place. "let your life speak" (less)
I had been looking at the teaching of Buddah for peace of mind. This book however says stop thinking about your own peace of mind and just get out there and help the world become a better place. "let your life speak" (less)
Mar 28, 2012Jennifer rated it liked it
I found this book sitting in a box of discarded items outside my apartment building. I am not at all a religious person, but I picked it up anyway. I was able to take away some important points and themes and bypass the parts that did not really speak to me. Historically speaking, they are an interesting group of people--they were anti-slavery and promoted peace, social justice, and sustainability.
I think the parts of the book that spoke to me personally were the sections on Silence, Truth, and Service. (less)
I think the parts of the book that spoke to me personally were the sections on Silence, Truth, and Service. (less)
Jan 23, 2009Amanda rated it really liked it
Quick and interesting read about the fundamentals of the Quaker religion. The "Ten Life Lessons" presented at the end of the book are helpful tools regardless of religious preference. Now if only I could better execute the concept of silence ... (less)
I loved this book. I took notes. I felt strongly. I'm still thinking about it today. (less)
Aug 11, 2011Jen rated it it was amazing
LOVED it. I'm so glad it was my first non-fiction book of the year. The first three chapers were full of jaw-dropping wisdom. I highlighted paragraph upon paragraph. (less)
Aug 05, 2015Alyssa rated it really liked it
required reading for my new job...I am thrilled to be working in in Friends school and love the ideals Quakerism strives to uphold. a wonderful inside look.
Apr 04, 2020Rob Saunders rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Well written and steady insider examination of the sometimes misunderstood Quaker viewpoint. I thought in spots humility wavered in biographical backdrop and flow was sometimes borderline preachy. These were my own picayune flaw interpretations. The silence aspect of Quaker Meetings remains mysterious to me, albeit one I'm curious to learn more about or experience. I would recommend the book to inquisitive searchers. This is a good book about a good way to live.
My favorite takeaway was this timeless observation. Smith wrote, "Most public discourse is suffocated by rhetoric in the service of an effect and argumentation that insults thought in the service of a chosen conclusion. Facts and Truth often seem to be incidental and accidental." Quite an apt description of fractious political discourse today.
Here are other thoughtful quotes:
Smith wrote:
[Truth seeking] is an interactive process that requires openness, diligence, and discipline in equal measure. The search for truth is a lifelong pact with our inner lives that encompasses seeking the truth, recognizing the truth, speaking the truth, and living the truth - which is to say, letting our lives speak. P. 27
Speaking the truth is the first step toward letting your life speak in a way that is honest and authentic. P. 27
Quaker simplicity in a nutshell...has little to do with how many things you own and everything to do with not letting your possessions own you. P. 36
At the end of the day, it isn't the things we accumulate and that have cushioned us that count for anything. What counts is our ability to recognize the small miracles sprouting in our midst and to share them with others. P. 40
The French philosopher and essayist Montaigne wrote, "If you have known how to compose your life, you have accomplished a great deal more than the man who knows how to compose a book. All other things - to reign, to hoard, to build - are, at most, inconsiderable props and appendages. The great and glorious masterpiece of man is to be able to live to the point." P. 41
History teaches us that darkness and death take different forms in every generation, but the challenge of gathering the forces of light and love to oppose them remains the same. P. 50
The sense of fulfillment in all altruistic efforts must come from the doing, not from tangible results - and certainly not from expressions of gratitude from the people you're trying to help. P. 66
"The light is available yesterday, today, and to eternity. What is thee doing about it?" Lucretia Mott p. 73
[E]veryone wants to buy from people that trust and avoid those they don't. If a manufacturer makes false claims for his products, he does fatal damage to the unspoken covenant with his customers. P. 80
In some ways it's become much more difficult to educate a child than it was in generations past. Students tote along with them to school, just as surely as they carry their backpacks, a media culture that functions as a highly competitive educational system. It is a culture focused on television, film, advertising, and pop music - media that promotes lifestyles that often include drugs, promiscuous sex, and misogyny. It is omnivorous in its consumption of idealism and masterful and it's substitution of lesser gods. It's seduces our children away from the habit of real thought and substitutes self-absorption and materialism. P. 84
Formal education is only a jumping-off point for a lifetime of learning and doing, and what concerns good schools are good teachers is how students apply the learning they acquired to living their lives. P. 84 (less)
My favorite takeaway was this timeless observation. Smith wrote, "Most public discourse is suffocated by rhetoric in the service of an effect and argumentation that insults thought in the service of a chosen conclusion. Facts and Truth often seem to be incidental and accidental." Quite an apt description of fractious political discourse today.
Here are other thoughtful quotes:
Smith wrote:
[Truth seeking] is an interactive process that requires openness, diligence, and discipline in equal measure. The search for truth is a lifelong pact with our inner lives that encompasses seeking the truth, recognizing the truth, speaking the truth, and living the truth - which is to say, letting our lives speak. P. 27
Speaking the truth is the first step toward letting your life speak in a way that is honest and authentic. P. 27
Quaker simplicity in a nutshell...has little to do with how many things you own and everything to do with not letting your possessions own you. P. 36
At the end of the day, it isn't the things we accumulate and that have cushioned us that count for anything. What counts is our ability to recognize the small miracles sprouting in our midst and to share them with others. P. 40
The French philosopher and essayist Montaigne wrote, "If you have known how to compose your life, you have accomplished a great deal more than the man who knows how to compose a book. All other things - to reign, to hoard, to build - are, at most, inconsiderable props and appendages. The great and glorious masterpiece of man is to be able to live to the point." P. 41
History teaches us that darkness and death take different forms in every generation, but the challenge of gathering the forces of light and love to oppose them remains the same. P. 50
The sense of fulfillment in all altruistic efforts must come from the doing, not from tangible results - and certainly not from expressions of gratitude from the people you're trying to help. P. 66
"The light is available yesterday, today, and to eternity. What is thee doing about it?" Lucretia Mott p. 73
[E]veryone wants to buy from people that trust and avoid those they don't. If a manufacturer makes false claims for his products, he does fatal damage to the unspoken covenant with his customers. P. 80
In some ways it's become much more difficult to educate a child than it was in generations past. Students tote along with them to school, just as surely as they carry their backpacks, a media culture that functions as a highly competitive educational system. It is a culture focused on television, film, advertising, and pop music - media that promotes lifestyles that often include drugs, promiscuous sex, and misogyny. It is omnivorous in its consumption of idealism and masterful and it's substitution of lesser gods. It's seduces our children away from the habit of real thought and substitutes self-absorption and materialism. P. 84
Formal education is only a jumping-off point for a lifetime of learning and doing, and what concerns good schools are good teachers is how students apply the learning they acquired to living their lives. P. 84 (less)
May 29, 2020Jennifer Elliott rated it it was amazing
This is a small book that takes the reader through the basic lessons of the Quaker life, written by a man whose forebears brought Quaker life to America. I enjoyed the lesson and found the book had a quiet dignity, with chapters on silence/truth/simplicity/ conscience/ non-violence/ service/ business/ education and family. I particularly enjoyed the Service chapter, and could relate to the essential beauty of service that can be seen in the life of people of many faiths. Robert Smith writes convincingly, emphasizing his belief in the essential godliness in all of us. Highly recommended. (less)
Aug 22, 2009 08:38PM · flag