THE DESTINY BOOK by Helena Lind is a spiritual book that inspires thoughtful reflection about destiny’s role in humanity’s search for meaning. Reviewed by Susan Morris.
The Destiny Book
Genre: Nonfiction / Spirituality
ISBN: 9781945884818
Print Length: 310 pages
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Reviewed by Susan Morris
In the preface to her book, The Destiny Book: Rediscovering the Mother of Spirituality, Helena Lind presents a profound conclusion: “Whether we are aware of it or not or believe in anything, we all share in our collective human Destiny.” But what is this destiny? The exploration begins with chapter 1.
Much of this book focuses on providing evidence on how humanity seeks purpose and understanding of the hard-to-explain or even unexplainable parts of life, whether from organized religion, belief in a fatalistic force like fate or destiny or some other less well-recognized form of individual spirituality.
“Numbers do matter. Worldwide, many, many millions believe in Destiny, also referring to it as fate.”
This is an extensive study on the concept of destiny that includes just about every topic related to it that you can ask for. If you’re looking for a multi-faceted, intricate conversation on destiny, this book will be a valuable resource. Religions, mythologies, philosophies, free will, determinism, serendipity—you name it, this book’s got it. And most from a refreshing perspective.
This book is a particularly good fit for those already entrenched in the fatalistic concepts; some of the conversations can be quite lofty. At times, I longed for more detailed context of the argument rather than the supporting argument in its favor.
To me, destiny has frequently meant fate, luck, and the unfortunate (or super fortunate) ways of the world; in essence, it’s an explanation for the hard-to-explain or even unexplainable parts of life; or stated another way, it’s one possible explanation for things outside of human control. So we are forced to ask, “How is destiny the Mother of Spirituality?”
This is not an easy book, even for those who frequently read philosophical and spiritual texts. Some of the brightest takeaway moments bring clarity to some complicated topics.
“[Destiny] is a faith-independent force embedded in humanity’s requirement for a higher source of attention, acceptance, balance, justice, and order. It is a legitimate spiritual alternative, and it can delight with a liberating perspective that continues to touch the lives of millions of people throughout the world.”
But what is the difference between fate and destiny? “Destiny gives the advantage of choosing which route to take, while fate is more a predetermined, unalterable course, sometimes seen as a one-way street. Fate is predominantly irrevocably woven to happen, no matter what.”
By the end, I was still asking, How is destiny the “Mother Spirituality,” and in what way do we share a “collective human destiny?” More importantly, how does a person apply this to our life? This is an in-depth introduction to these concepts, but some answers are best fit for the next book.
Will you leave with questions? Sure! But in some ways, you are supposed to. Lind is a captivating voice with apparent intellect and care for her subject. It’d be impossible to leave this book without a deeper interest on destiny’s role as a spiritual practice.
