Light from a Rising Soul

In this rich and nuanced book, the spiritual writer, Dr. Donald Vessey, presents many of his ideas in the form of a fictional character, Daniel Beck. As a member of the U.S. Army Rangers in the Vietnam War, Dan is captured and ends up a POW housed in a small-town jail in North Vietnam. There he meets Bac Thay, a wise and compassionate Buddhist Master who is jailed for protesting the war. During their incarceration and his subsequent stay at Master Thay's monastery, Thay opens Dan to a deep understanding of the divine nature of humanity, and helps him develop his experience of the spiritual dimension. This leads to a new appreciation for his Catholic upbringing. Dan returns home determined to help people find the love, joy, and meaning of authentic living beyond all conditioning and belief. He feels that being a Catholic priest would offer a way to impart this to people. As a result, Dan enters Catholic Seminary at the end of the war and becomes a priest. In his role as Father Dan, he helps a variety of people deal with difficult problems in very wise ways. However, he struggles to reconcile Buddhist teachings and his own personal understanding with the rigid doctrine of an organized religion. In his first full assignment as a parish priest, he encounters a variety of characters, both lovable and difficult. The story of the mysterious departure of his predecessor also unfolds. His attempts to unravel questions surrounding his experiences with an old girlfriend helps him examine his attempt to live a whole life. Full of practical spiritual wisdom, humor and heartwarming situations, as well as unforgettable characters, it is a book that is hard to put down all the way to its dramatic conclusion.