Stephen Levine
Stephen Levine
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Stephen Levine was a renowned American author, poet, and spiritual teacher. He is often referred to as Steve Levine.
Birth and Death Dates
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Stephen Levine was born on November 4, 1947, and passed away on September 27, 2016 at the age of 68.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Levine held American nationality and was a spiritual teacher, author, poet, and meditation instructor. He spent many years studying Buddhism and Taoism, and his teachings often incorporated elements from these Eastern traditions.
Early Life and Background
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Stephen Levine was born in New York City to a Jewish family. His early life was marked by a strong interest in spirituality and the arts. In his late teens, he began exploring various philosophical and spiritual traditions, including Buddhism, Taoism, and Sufism. This exploration would eventually shape his approach to teaching and writing.
Major Accomplishments
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Levine's work had a significant impact on many people around the world. He is widely recognized for:
Authoring numerous books on spirituality, meditation, and personal growth, including "A Year to Live" and "Who Dies."
Establishing a spiritual community, the Spiritual Growth Center in Portland, Oregon.
Creating a retreat center, the Ojai Foundation, which offered workshops and retreats focused on spiritual growth and healing.Notable Works or Actions
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Some of Levine's most notable works include:
"A Year to Live" (1997) - A book that explores the idea of living as if each day were the last.
"Who Dies?" (1982) - A meditation on death, grief, and the afterlife.Impact and Legacy
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Stephen Levine's teachings and writings have influenced countless individuals from diverse backgrounds. He is remembered for his:
Innovative approach to spirituality, which emphasized practical application over dogmatic adherence.
Empathy and compassion, as he encouraged readers to confront their own mortality with courage and curiosity.Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Stephen Levine's enduring popularity can be attributed to his:
Accessible and engaging writing style.
* Inspirational message of living in the present moment, embracing mortality, and cultivating compassion.
His teachings continue to inspire people from all walks of life to live with greater awareness, acceptance, and love.
Quotes by Stephen Levine
Stephen Levine's insights on:
If you want the other person more than anything else in the world, you’re in major trouble and the relationship is a wobbly pivot. It’s different if the thing you want most in the world is truth, and your partner is the person you want most in the world.
It is trust in our vast ‘don’t know’ that allows room for the truth, that allows the next intuition to float to the surface.
Aging teaches us to follow our life force inward. It is an object lesson in how awareness is gradually drawn towards the center...
Sometimes pain and illness are not meant to be removed. You can’t second-guess God. Rather than praying for it to go away, it’s often wiser to pray that you learn as much from it as you possibly can.
In Chinese, the word for heart and mind is the same – Hsin. For when the heart is open and the mind is clear they are of one substance, of one essence.
Open yourself to discomfort. Meet it with mercy, not fear. Recognize that when our pain most calls for our embrace, we are often the least present. Soften, enter, and explore, and continue softening to make room for your life.
Forgiveness is mental floss! Build the capacity to forgive slowly – start with little unkind acts, otherwise you’ll sabotage yourself. When we forgive, we forgive the actor, not the action.
You can call it wisdom, or sanity, or health, or enlightenment. I use the word God as a short-cut. I am comfortable with the word God because I don’t have the foggiest idea of what it means.
Buddha left a road map, Jesus left a road map, Krishna left a road map, Rand McNally left a road map. But you still have to travel the road yourself.