Stephen Levine has led an extraordinary fife. One of North America's revered spiritual teachers shares the "heart's hunger" of his troubled youth, his work with the seminal figures of the Beat poetry and jazz scene in New York and the psychedelic sixties in San Francisco, and the seeker's journey that led him to encounters with Ram Dass, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and the Dalai Lama. In this intimate account of compassion and healing, Levine's narrative turns progressively inward as he describes his life's path toward a deeper understanding of "the way of things." A former drug addict become spiritual teacher, Levine describes how he learned to use his life as a jumping-off point from which to teach healing principles and guided meditations. The author lays bare his own understanding of mindfulness, loving kindness, and service (the fundamental pillars of Buddhism) in an account of a life rich with characters immediately recognizable as leaders of the modern Eastern spirituality movement. Levine, through his life and work, embodies the message that personal peace and transcendence are possible for all.