This book is a 40-year spiritual odyssey with some of the most fascinating spiritual teachers of the last half-century. Mark's travels take him from the mountains of Pennsylvania to exotic temples in China and Tibet and eventually to the wild and dangerous hills of Malibu, California. Mark chronicles his ten-year training in an ashram in Florida, his year with a famous Zen Roshi in California and his intense 28-year apprenticeship to the powerful Daoist wizard he meets in China.
The book is written from the perspective of a self-proclaimed enlightened being, who insists that enlightenment and nature are both overrated. It covers many valuable topics—the importance of spontaneity and intuitive response; the power of love, presence and fearlessness; the role of chaos and paradox; the need for moderation and inner stillness; how to recognize an avatar; the three conflicting schools of Feng Shui; activating your meridian and auric bodies; Daoist sexual practices; the nine secrets to a life of Play; and more.
The central message is that if an ordinary boy from Pennsylvania can learn to live in an abiding state of Play, then surely you can too. Mark will not rest until this book is in every motel room in the country.
