Surrendered—The Sacred Art

Rami Shapiro, a longtime member of Twelve Step recovery, a rabbi and Twelve Step spiritual director, is a frequent lecturer and attendee at Twelve Step retreats, seminars and meetings. An award-winning storyteller, poet and essayist, he is also author of Recovery—The Sacred Art: The Twelve Steps as Spiritual Practice; The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness: Preparing to Practice; Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually Independent: Sacred Teachings—Annotated & Explained (both SkyLight Paths) and many other books.

“Rami Shapiro’s Surrendered is a masterpiece. Which is to say that Rami’s book is Wisdom speaking through his lifetime of spiritual study and mastery. Surrendered will not only be an enduring and singular contribution to persons in Recovery — it will be a happy discovery for those who delight in seeing the world’s Wisdom traditions in spirited conversation.” — Gordon Peerman, author of Blessed Relief: What Christians Can Learn from Buddhists about Suffering.“In an age when addiction, especially the addiction to the self, is so rampant, Rabbi Shapiro brings the wisdom of the ancients to bear in a most elegant and transformative way. As he says in his Preface, ‘It is an affirmation of freedom emerging from the realization that there is nowhere to go, no one to be, and nothing to change, a freedom that comes with a radical acceptance of and being surrendered to what is.’ This is the truth beyond person, time and space, no matter what culture, religion or ethnicity you are: there is no truth outside nor within the self, for you are the Truth.”– D. Genpo Merzel, Zen Master, author of Big mind/Big Heart “This book moved me from curiosity to puzzled surprise, from surprise to resistance, and from resistance to dawning hope. I ended up with a big grin on my face, utterly surrendered. Delivers good news for anyone--addicted or not--who struggles to be free.” -- Margaret D. McGee, author of Sacred Attention: A Spiritual Practice for Finding God in the Moment.“Surrendered—the Sacred Art is a WebMD for the soul. It’s a guide for the perplexed that shouldn’t just be read. It should be consulted daily by those struggling to cope with “the embarrassment of just being you.” – Terry Taylor, author of A Spirituality for Brokenness: Discovering Your Deepest Self in Difficult Times“What a breath of fresh air! My shoulders (and my blood pressure) eased as I read Rabbi Rami Shapiro’s healing words about letting go of control and living ‘surrendered.’ This book is a much-needed balm for our autobahn world and our fretful hearts.” -Rev. Susan Sparks, author, Laugh Your Way to Grace and Preaching Punchlines“If you are addicted to self-help books, here--at long last--is a self-helpless book, in which Rabbi Rami exposes the illusion that any of us can manage our own surrender to the sacred. If you know his work, you know that you don't have to be a Twelve-stepper to benefit from his wisdom. We are all in recovery, and he is the perfect guide on our way to the freedom that has been ours all along. If you don't know his work, what are you waiting for? This book has your name on it.” -Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others“A must-read courageous book for those ready and willing to plumb the mysterious depths of surrender. Rami Shapiro generously shares his journey of recovery and profound contemplative practice to assure us that surrender is not what we think it is. We cannot possibly do it, and we must. The book’s subtitle says it all and the book delivers: Shattering the illusion of control and falling into grace. Reading this book makes that grace palpable. Dive in. Find out.” –Ellen Grace O’Brian, author of The Jewel of Abundance: Finding Prosperity through the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga.“Rami Shapiro speaks from his heart and from his lifelong study of philosophy, theology and spiritual practices in this brilliant tour de force of spiritual focus on the first three steps of Twelve-Step recovery. He incorporates diverse sources of wisdom - from Albert Einstein to Alan Watts to Rick Warren to the Dalai Lama to Anne Lamott to Marie Kondo and many more - as he explores the use of language and distinctions that provide a new framework for possibility. His stories will touch your heart and his wisdom will transform your thinking.” -Kay Lindahl, author of The Sacred Art of Listening