The One True Adventure – Theosophy and the Quest for meaning

Mills balances these words of caution with words of inspiration and hope from notable scientists, theologians, philosophers, mystics, novelists, poets, and public servants. Whether citing The New York Times or Madame Blavatsky’s The Secret Doctrine; quoting the 19th century British explorer Edward Whymper or the Secretary-General of the UN, Mills leads her readers on a fascinating pilgrimage where all those who dare to partake are sure to find love in the pursuit of wisdom. The journey toward transformation is what Joy Mills calls "the one true adventure." Now in her eighties, Mills shares her remarkable Theosophical insights with audiences across the globe in this thought-provoking collection of essays. The One True Adventure: Theosophy and the Quest for Meaning features a cross-section of her best writings spanning six decades. Revealing a youthful vibrancy throughout the text, she explores ideas that are "eternally applicable to the human condition." While she acknowledges that the human condition often seems riddled with endless misery and folly, Mills asserts that we have not yet become fully human and that there is great hope in our potential for growth. Before that can happen, however, we must turn our gaze inward. "The struggle to become a person, to become human, takes place within," she expounds. To become fully human is to uncover "our essential unity, our immortal destiny; our potential divinity." In The One True Adventure Mills groups her essays to correspond with the four stages in the quest for meaning: The Human Condition, Our Hidden Potential, Esoteric Teachings, and Self-Transformation. This text is not simply the summary of a wise woman. They are also a guidebook to the acquisition of wisdom by anyone who follows their guidance. In her essay "Seek Out the Way," for instance, Mills employs the metaphor of life as a journey. On the journey of life we participate either as tourists, enjoying life in a superficial sort of way, or as pilgrims, seeking a deeper sense of life’s meaning and purpose. The true quest is not for the passive spectator. To engage fully requires that we are willing to pay the price by assuming full responsibility for our own choices, and "a readiness to risk all for the sake of the journey."