eating God has now been expanded
to 104 pages. Press Release
blesstheworld.com
eating God
blesstheworld.com is pleased to announce the publication of eating God, a book of spiritual and romantic poetry by Roy Anthony Shabla.
eating God is a cycle of ecstatic poems describing the development of a personal relationship with God. The progression of poems becomes a meditation primer on the soul and a handbook on love.
These poems originated in dharma talks given by the author over several years at The Blessings Center in Los Angeles. Many of the poems retain the semblance of a sermon while others speak directly to God.
The tradition of such poetry extends to the earliest literature of both Eastern and Western cultures. Rumi (currently the most published author in the world), Kabir, Hafiz, the Zen Poets; Blake, Whitman, the Beat Poets ~ all come from this tradition.
God offers you soup.
you say,
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’m not cold.”
God offers you a seat.
you say,
“I’m not weary.”
“I’m not talkative.”
are you ashamed to be honored?
are you ashamed to admit
your true hunger?
your true weariness?
the preparation of food is God’s work.
and the service of food is God’s work.
the eating of food is devotion.
the offering is God’s work.
acceptance is ours.
While eating God is accessible to non-poetry and non-spiritual readers, it becomes a meditation class to the student, a counselor to the seeker, a comfort to the troubled. This book will be a favorite and regular reference.
Roy Anthony Shabla is a meditation teacher and spiritual healer in Los Angeles. He has been meditating and writing since childhood and his work has changed the lives of thousands of people.
A book tour is being scheduled with readings planned in Santa Fe, Berkeley, Columbus, Portland, Washington, D.C., and Toronto.
Review
Hailed as the poetic reincarnation of Rumi (the 13th Century Sufi poet and first whirling dervish), Roy Anthony Shabla writes with a subtle, timeless resonance that laps at your soul like a quiet lake.
His book, eating God, is a gentle exploration of loneliness, aging, true love, true compassion ~all in the context of spiritual awakening and spiritual communion. It is highly recommended for adults of any age and any faith.
if it is not a love poem,
it is not a poem;
if it is not love,
it is not poetry.
love is the only language,
the only communication;
love is the only reality,
the only true life.
words cannot express
what the heart truly intends;
song cannot express
how the soul truly delights.
poems are a poor facsimile
of longing for God
but like a lock of golden hair
tied with a ribbon,
they remind of the truth
no words can convey.
eating God
by Roy Anthony Shabla
blesstheworld.com
88 pages.
$11.99
ISBN: 1-4116-3533-7
blesstheworld.com is developing a series of spiritual projects including The Karma Cookbook, to be published in 2006.
eating God is available from blesstheworld.com, amazon.com, borders.com, and your local bookseller. For further information, contact the website.
Review eating God
©2005 Roy Anthony Shabla
blesstheworld.com
88 Pages, $11.99
I haven’t opened up a book of poetry that I haven’t put down after two or three pages in a long, long, time, and then came eating God…. Modern day translations of Rumi and Hafiz come to mind and I am swept away by the starkness, by the audacity, by the deliciousness, and by the graphic melding of mind with body, with spirit, with words, with verse. Poet Roy Anthony Shabla is not only a great writer but his vocation as a spiritual consultant and healer light up the pages. I eat up every word!
I’ve never been the type of writer or poet who related to the use of obscure metaphor and, what seems to me, elitist wordology (i.e. if you can’t understand it, you’re not smart enough to…..dummy), but I’m no stranger to depth and resonance and being clobbered over the soul with imagery that takes me way beyond words into the shadows of….well….let’s just let Roy speak for himself:
your heart is a feral cat.
I place out soul food to coax it near.
you approach cautiously, sniffing the air.
a false start, then you snatch the delicacy
and flee.
each day, I place out food for the soul;
each day, a little nearer my heart.
sometimes, an extended hand
to smooth your coat
does not receive a claw or tooth in return.
it is not that you want to be unloved;
it is that you don’t know how to trust
the lover.
God is a sanctuary for wild cats
and skittish hearts.
come in out of the loneliness storm~
it is warm and dry.
come in for the love-feast and a nap in the sun.
Can you feel it?! This is poetry for poets, for seekers, for lovers, for people who normally hate poetry but seek meaning and depth and romance and beauty in every facet and moment of their lives. Using words to nourish the soul, to relate to the world and to the divine, to bring this power and observation and relevance into every moment of our lives – into the primal urges, into the ancient needs.
I race through the words; I am stunned and let them sit and sink in; and mostly, I am simply touched. If poets could be superstars, at least in this time and country, then Mr. Roy Anthony Shabla would be the man to watch.
Spirit of the Valley, Winter 2005 www.spiritofthevalley.info
Review
Genre: Inspirational Poetry
Title: eating God
Author: Roy Anthony Shabla
A strange title to be sure but this little book is full of surprises. Intended as a meditation primer, the poetry in this book can be inspiring and uplifting aside from instruction.
eating God documents a personal relationship with God and is written in the style of the Eastern traditions of ecstatic poetry. It will appeal to all spiritual seekers.
Each page is filled with gentle, thought-provoking metaphors in free verse:
in the moonlight:
a slight opening
in the armor of your heart;
a gentle snowfall of cherry blossoms
covering the world.
who has seen such a moment
and not wept?
even God responds:
morning dew on the garden of dreams.
The author is filled with the spirit of God and it is reflected in his words. In “eating God”, physical sustenance is compared to sustenance for the soul~ God’s love is the food we both desire and need to survive. This author invites you to partake of the “food” of the spirit and revel in its ultimate feeling of fullness and completion.
Author, Roy Anthony Shabla is a spiritual consultant, healer, feng shui master, and meditation teacher. He is the founder of blesstheworld.com and lectures on spiritual healing.
Looking for something a little different? I truly enjoyed it!
Recommended by reviewer: Shirley Roe, Allbooks Reviews.
Hello Roy,
I recently met you when you were in Berkeley (to read from your new book, eating God)...
I don't know if you recall, but I had you autograph two books for me. One was to a family friend who is 90 years old. She enjoyed the book so much she wants me to order two more for friends of hers.
When you autographed the book to my friend, I didn't tell you anything about her; but you inscribed her book that she was an inspiration to others. And she truly is. She really relished that you picked up on her spirit.
All the best,
Linda
Hi Roy,
I received your wonderful package yesterday, and was amazed at the beauty and wisdom contained within. Not to mention the love...
Opening your box was like being a kid at Christmas, and discovering he received more than he'd wished for. You are such a beautiful soul; there's no other way to say it, other than to beat around the bush and write akwardly.
I love your poetry and writing, and find it resonates within me greatly.
With all I read, to "prep" for an interview, nothing else has moved in the heart chakra region so vividly. It's as if I didn't know what I didn't have in my life before, but was pleasantly surprised to find it there.
Does that make any sense at all?
Anyway, I just had to tell you how awesome you are. I look forward to hearing from you.
Love,
Lance
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