Book Club: Eat, Pray, Love: 10-12

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 10:30 pm by Ambaa Choate

Book Club: Eat, Pray, Love: 10-12 2015-03-13T22:30:27-04:00 Ambaa Choate

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The second book in our book club series is Eat, Pray Love. Is it a Hindu book? Not exactly, but it is very relevant to the experiences of non-Indian Hindus. The author has a Hindu guru (whose identity has been rather easily found out by those familiar with the world of Indian gurus). Julia Roberts after playing the author in the movie, claimed to have become a Hindu. So I think it will be worthwhile to examine the experiences and stories that led these women towards Hinduism…

Bead 10

Gilbert has set off for Italy.

In order to set off on her year of travels she gives up her house, her apartment, puts her belongings in storage and is free to take off to find herself.

I’ve heard criticism that it taints the authenticity of her spiritual experience that “I can actually afford to do this because of a staggering personal miracle: in advance, my publisher has purchased the book I shall write about my travels.”

This doesn’t bother me. The publisher paid for her to tell the story of her travels, whatever that story may turn out to be. It is up to Gilbert to put the work in and to shape that narrative into a spiritual discovery.

I might be severely lacking in cynicism, though. 😉

But seriously, I feel like her story is very familiar to me and yet I have never been to Italy and I had much of my spiritual awakening before making it to India. I think we can have that growth where we are but it wouldn’t make for as compelling a book to read. Take her journey as a metaphor for your own. Sure it helps to break away from all responsibilities and travel to a new place to have the time and space for self-contemplation but you don’t have to.

Bead 11

The satisfaction of Gilbert’s first meal in Italy, gorgeously described as it is, feels more about the release of worry and control.

Her savoring of a variety of Italian foods looked to me like the very first act of surrender.

Bead 12

Gilbert says she has always wanted to learn Italian. No particular reason for that language, she just loves it. I feel a similar way about Hindi. People often ask me to say why I picked that language to learn (as my great struggles with language study make it unlikely I’ll get a third one). Hindi isn’t a Hindu language, they say, Sanskrit is. Yeah, well, Sanskrit doesn’t “speak” to me the way Hindi does.

Gilbert has an exercise of reading a newspaper story in Italian every day, no matter how long it takes her or how many words she has to look up. I should really add something like that to my practice.

It’s fun to see the delight that she takes in learning this language she loves for no purpose beyond joy. Just for the pure love.

Book Club

eat pray love

liz gilbert

Previous Post

October 23, 2014

When We Say "All Religions Are the Same"

Next Post

October 27, 2014 The Responsibility of a Blogger

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Club Hindu Holiday How Am I Being a Hindu This Week? Inside the Life Meet a God Meet a Guru Movie Club Philosophy Corner Resources Scripture Uncategorized Wild Card

Select a Month February 2020 September 2019 May 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What year was the Temple in Jerusalem destroyed by the Romans?

Select your answer to see how you score.

120 AD 70 AD 586 BC 33 AD