All That Is (and All That Will Ever Be)

A pocketful of daily miracles to contemplate on the go.

At 34, Black had lost seemingly everything, from his house to his friends. Fearing he might also be losing his marbles, he did what scores of other shamans, gurus, and mystics have done before him: he camped out in a tent and invited the universe to grant him wisdom. This collection of quasi-Buddhist thoughts and Oprah Winfrey aha moments is the result of that desperate soul-searching. Far Eastern–tinged wisdom doesn’t get any easier to digest than the bite-sized offerings Black provides in this slim volume. Whether taken whole or parceled out over the course of a few days, these Zen-rooted gems might just be what the uninitiated need to get started on their own eightfold path—or at least get out of his or her own way. Each of the concise offerings occupies a page. Some, like “There’s a big difference between putting the effort in—and trying too hard” or “By constantly trying to solve other people’s problems, we’re avoiding solving our own,” already seem familiar and are thus readily absorbable. Others, however, such as “Life is a remembrance of who we truly are” or “our labyrinth is thoroughly known,” are a bit more esoteric and harder to grasp. In either case, the author urges earnest readers to ask what each of the sayings might mean to them and how the concepts might apply to their individual lives. Building from “Once we make a start, we are shown The Way” and continuing through “All is One,” each of the modest tracts is meant to subtly progress in profundity. A short “interview” section follows the collection of koans. In it, Black provides a little more background about himself, his philosophy, and how his observations coalesced following his own “dark night of the soul.”

Economical entreaty to the mighty wisdom of the “Eternal Now.”