“Robert Gonzales was pivotal in deepening the practice of NVC from a linguistic tool to a pathway of self-development. He offered insights into the reality that we have a transformational choice in all we say and do—and that the beauty of all human values is ultimately shared. Consequently, that idea that compassion for another is also self-compassion plays a large part in my own life and the lives of many others. This wonderful book brings all these ideas together.”
—Richard Broadbent, author of Choosing Life, and The Spirit of Compassionate Communication
“Where Marshall Rosenberg pioneered Nonviolent Communication, Robert Gonzales illuminated it as a complete spiritual path. In these pages, he offers an inner map that bridges NVC with the great wisdom traditions and points us toward liberation, tenderness, and the very nature of life itself. Many of us who teach NVC as an embodied, meditative path began by walking in Robert’s footsteps. May his transformative teachings inspire a new generation of spiritual seekers to actualize the Divine–not just on one’s own, but in relationship with all life.”
–Catherine Cadden and Jesse Wiens Chu, co-authors of The Ongo Book: Everyday Nonviolence
“Robert Gonzales’ work of Living Compassion, which is offered in this book, gave me a taste of what the term mutuality—being aware of my own needs as much as the needs of the other—could mean in a deep, spiritual, and felt sense.When I remember Robert’s radical honesty, his presence, his sense of humor, and his compassionate clarity, my heart is full of joy and love. I remember him saying, ‘We need more and more people on this planet whose souls are on fire.’ I hope that the heart energy in this book will ignite the fire in your own heart.”
—Elke Dobkowitz, Living Compassion Trainer