Mastering Life: A Unique Guidebook To Jewish Enlightenment

by Dov Ber Cohen

Nine countries. Nine lessons. One epic journey. From orphanages in Sri Lanka to silent meditation in Thailand; from fasting in India to temples in the Himalayas; from extreme martial arts in Korea, China, and Japan to the cobbled streets of Jerusalem… Mastering Life transports readers on an incredible adventure around the world and, more importantly, deep into themselves. Masterfully written and filled with · vivid descriptions of exotic cultures and landscapes; · extraordinary stories of survival, overcoming challenges, and celebrating triumphs; · poignant insights into how to find real meaning and joy in life; · deep Torah wisdom from our Sages; · paradigm-shifting perspectives on Jewish thought and practice; and · practical exercises to help integrate and implement the ideas. Mastering Life is a deeply empowering guidebook, navigating us along the path toward becoming real enlightened Jewish masters.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2019

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Following dov ber’s transformative story was so inspiring. I was engaged throughout this well written book constantly turning the page and highlighting for more wisdom

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very honest. Very powerful message.
Great advice.

[Ben Rothke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The late Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, in The Long Shorter Way—Discourses on Chasidic Thought, writes of mankind's complex nature as they strive to attain unity with the Divine One. In reading the spiritual journey of Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen in his autobiographical work Mastering Life - A Unique Guidebook To Jewish Enlightenment (Mosaica Press), he details his complex spiritual journey from his birthplace in England to the pagan temples of Thailand and Sri Lanka and finally to the sacred study hall of Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem. Cohen's common message here is to appreciate the things we have in life. He writes about how we can create an authentic relationship with the creator by appreciating all the positive things in our lives and recognizing where they come from. He quotes the Baal Shem Tov who points out that the Hebrew word b’simcha, with happiness, has the same letters as machshava, thought . The message is that if our thoughts are in the right order, we will have a positive outlook on life and be in a stable state of true happiness, not reliant on external circumstances, which are beyond our control, to make us feel happy. The book includes exercises to make the ideas he details real. The path to enlightenment is a journey, and Cohen invites you to go along on the ride with him.

[Jaden Livian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely read Jewish books that I feel confident would be a positive read for a non Jewish audience as well. Although incredibly transformative for Jews (observant and not yet observant alike), this book can and should serve as a model to curious, or uninformed non Jews about what Judaism and the Torah truly values. As someone with a personal relationship with Rabbi DovBer, his unique view of the world and Torah wisdom, which in truth are one, serve as the ultimate guide for how to achieve true growth and genuine pleasure in this world. Many times Jews in their personal journeys get caught up in trying to find a specific hashkafa or label to fall under. For me, the most striking and important part of this book comes at the end as Rabbi DovBer highlights his own lack of fitting into a specific label. He describes it as “CJO (consciously and joyously observant)” which should ultimately be the goal of Torah and Mitzvot. May everyone who reads this be blessed with success and the excitement of a journey to spiritual enlightenment!

[Ethan Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have officially mastered life… or at least read the manual.

While Cohen doesn’t exactly achieve or spell out how to the achieve the goal in which his writing is named, he does provide a compelling argument for Judaism by relating it his jewry to anything but Judaism. A great read for anyone and baal teshuvas in particular.