Philokalia - Love of the Beautiful

This weekend I spent several hours browsing the Edward McKay used bookstore. I picked up a book that I couldn't put back down, The Philokalia:

Philokalia is defined as the 'love of the beautiful, the exalted, the excellent, understood as the transcendent source of life and the revelation of Truth.' The original authors were mostly monks, whose striving for purification of the heart and spiritual perfection are recurring themes in the Philokalia.

As much aversion as I have for Christian dogma, this book speaks the non-sectarian language of divine love. When exploring the essence of existence and the nature of our relationship with the divine, a certain pattern emerges across all traditions--that of pure, selfless devotion to our personal ishta devata.