In his book Fr. Painadath explores the meaning of the divinization of the human according to the Christian faith. It is divided into eight chapters the first five chapters are on the mystical experiences. The central insight is that God-in-Christ is the true subject of Christian life. Many references from St. John's Gospel and some Upanishads are used to highlight this aspect. The encounter between Christian faith and the Upanishadic Vedanta provides the inner dynamism for this spiritual pursuit. The author explains that Asia is a great womb of the world's spiritual heritage, rich in its experience of the Divine. Questions like 'Who am I?' are answered in this "inward Journey." This section is very informative and inspiring for a real seeker who is truly in search of the Absolute. The journey of Jesus to the Divine core of his life started with this question, "Who am I?" this journey of Jesus is expressed in the mystical symbols (Father,and Mother, the Tree, the Well, the Word, the Feeding breast, the Fountain) with a hidden Trinitarian dimension of the Reality (p.30). Jesus presents himself as the way in the process of this realization. He communicates his experiences to us, his disciples, who believe in him as the way (p.41)
In the Chapters six to eight the author reflects on the effects of the mystical perspective on the Christian understanding of the mystery of the Divine, as well as the social and ecological consequences in spiritual life. The perspective that God -With- us in Christ as the God who suffers with us and transforms everything into a new creation has radical social demands which are illustrated in the fellowship meals of Jesus. The ecological consequences are clarified in relation to the mystery of the Eucharist as the sacrament of the mother Earth. The Earth is not just inert matter, but is the extended form of our body. The human body is Earth waking to consciousness (p. 99). And the Eucharist makes one realize that human labour is not just a technological manipulation of the earth but a creative and contemplative involvement with the Earth in order to bring it to full blossoming (p. 111).
This work is a beautiful attempt to facilitate the human search of authentic spiritual experiences. the author has succeeded in blending two traditions, the Christian faith and Upanishadic Vedanta, as a help in our inner journey. The basic concern of
The Spiritual Journey is to awaken the mystic and alert the prophetic spirit within us. The author has illustrated brilliantly the way to reach to the core of God , to discover the secret place of the most High, by getting into the depths of oneself, but keeping one's focus on Jesus Christ. The reflections are deep and down to earth especially enriched by the thoughts on the Eucharist.