Religion

Now available in paperback: The Great Transformation is nothing less than a global account of the time when religion was born. 'A remarkable history... fascinating and highly readable... profoundly relevant.' Julie Wheelwright, Independent

"Better than sex!" That's how Ajahn Brahm describes meditation, and his enthusiasm is contagious. A self-described meditation junkie, Brahm, the author of the popular "Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?, " shares his recipe for bliss in this practical, energizing new book. "The Meditator's Handbook" is a complete, stem-to-stern guide to the subject, with precise step-by-step instructions for traversing the stages of practice and overcoming obstacles. Drawing on his working-class roots, Brahm explains difficult concepts clearly and easily, so that beginners understand them, while those who already meditate gain new insight. Full of surprises, delightfully goofy humor, and entertaining stories that inspire, instruct, and illuminate, "The Meditator's Handbook" encourages novices and gives a shot in the arm to more experienced practitioners.

In How on Earth Did Jesus Become a God? Larry Hurtado investigates the intense devotion to Jesus that emerged with surprising speed after his death. Reverence for Jesus among early Christians, notes Hurtado, included both grand claims about Jesus' significance and a pattern of devotional practices that effectively treated him as divine. This book argues that whatever one makes of such devotion to Jesus, the subject deserves serious historical consideration.Mapping out the lively current debate about Jesus, Hurtado explains the evidence, issues, and positions at stake. He goes on to treat the opposition to -- and severe costs of -- worshiping Jesus, the history of incorporating such devotion into Jewish monotheism, and the role of religious experience in Christianity's development out of Judaism. The follow-up to Hurtado's award-winningLord Jesus Christ (2003), this book provides compelling answers to queries about the development of the church's belief in the divinity of Jesus.

This modern spiritual classic highlights a trick we play on ourselves and offers a brighter reality: liberation by letting go of the self rather than working to improve it The Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa calls attention to the commonest pitfall to which every aspirant on the spiritual path falls prey: what he calls spiritual materialism. "The problem is that ego can convert anything to its own use," he says, "even spirituality." The universal tendency is to see spirituality as a process of self-improvement-the impulse to develop and refine the ego when the ego is, by nature, essentially empty.Trungpa's incisive, compassionate teachings serve to wake us up from these false comforts. Featuring a new foreward by his son and lineage holder, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism has resonated with students for nearly thirty years-and remains as fresh as ever today.

Over the past twenty-five years A. H. Almaas-widely recognized as a leader in integrating spirituality and psychology-has been developing and teaching the Diamond Approach, a spiritual path that integrates the insights of Sufism, Buddhism, Gurdjieff, and other wisdom traditions with modern psychology. In this new work, Almaas uses the metaphor of a "spacecruiser" to describe a method of exploring the immediacy of personal experience-a way of investigating our moment-by-moment feelings, thoughts, reactions, and behaviors through a process of open-ended questioning. The method is called the practice of inquiry, and Spacecruiser Inquiry reveals what it means to engage with this practice as a spiritual path: its principles, challenges, and rewards. The author explores basic elements of inquiry, including the open-ended attitude, the focus on direct knowledge, the experience of not-knowing, and the process of questioning. He describes the experience of "Diamond Guidance"-the inner wisdom that emerges from our true nature-and how it can be realized and applied. In this process Almaas looks at many of the essential forms of Diamond Guidance, including knowing, clarity, truth, love, intelligence, compassion, curiosity, courage, and determination. Also included are exercises and questions and answers from the original talks by Almaas on which the book is based.

Massmarket edition of this spiritual guide to making the most of life, through bad times as well as good, from bestselling author Pema Choedroen. This accessible book has been on the US bestseller lists consistently for four years now.

In The Gateless Gate, one of modern Zen Buddhism''s uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the Mumonkan, one of Zen''s greatest collections of teaching stories. This translation was compiled with the Western reader in mind, and includes Koan Yamada''s clear and penetrating comments on each case. Yamada played a seminal role in bringing Zen Buddhism to the West from Japan, going on to be the head of the Sanbo Kyodan Zen Community.The Gateless Gate would be invaluable if only for the translation and commentary alone, yet it''s loaded with extra material and is a fantastic resource to keep close by: An in-depth Introduction to the History of Zen Practice Lineage charts Japanese-to-Chinese and Chinese-to-Japanese conversion charts for personal names, place names, and names of writings Plus front- and back-matter from ancient and modern figures: Mumon, Shuan, Kubota Ji''un, Taizan Maezumi, Hugo Enomiya-Lasalle, and Yamada Roshi''s son, Masamichi Yamada. A wonderful inspiration for the koan practitioner, and for those with a general interest in Zen Buddhism.

Dating for around 300 BC, this is an early work of the Chinese school of philosophy called Taoism. It offers a complete view of the cosmos and how human beings should respond to it. It has mystical insight into the nature of things and forms a basis for a humane morality and political utopia.

Combining elements of science fiction and spiritual philosophy, this novel is a tale of the devastating consequences of a scientific mission to make contact with an extraterrestrial culture.

A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, catapulted Henri Nouwen into a long spiritual adventure. In his highly-acclaimed book of the same title, he shares the deeply personal meditation that led him to discover the place within which God has chosen to dwell. This Lent course, which has been adapted from the book, helps us to reflect on the meaning of the parable for our own lives. Divided into five sessions, the course moves through the parable exploring our reaction to the story: the younger son's leaving and return, the father's restoration of sonship, the elder son's resentment and the father's compassion. All of us who have experienced loneliness, dejection, jealousy or anger will respond to the persistent themes of homecoming, affirmation and reconciliation. Each session contained on the CD includes extracts from the book by Henri Nouwen, and background information about Henri Nouwen's life, as well as suggestions for reflection. Notes for Group Leaders and written questions for group discussion are also included in the enclosed booklet.

Tantra-often associated with Kundalini Yoga-is a fundamental dimension of Hinduism, emphasizing the cultivation of "divine power" (shakti) as a path to infinite bliss. Tantra has been widely misunderstood in the West, however, where its practices are often confused with eroticism and licentious morality. Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy dispels many common misconceptions, providing an accessible introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of this extraordinary spiritual tradition. The Tantric teachings are geared toward the attainment of enlightenment as well as spiritual power and are present not only in Hinduism but also Jainism and Vajrayana Buddhism. In this book, Georg Feuerstein offers readers a clear understanding of authentic Tantra, as well as appropriate guidance for spiritual practice and the attainment of higher consciousness.

A transcendental debut novel from a multiple prize-winning poet; a story of mothers and sons, empires, and what it might mean to strive for love in a world that feels consumed by loss.

Do you long for an intimate relationship with your Creator, but He seems elusive? Perhaps it is because something utterly essential is missing---holy fear. Don't let this frighten you. Fearing God is very different than being afraid of God. It's the key to everything.

The complete version of Nahjul Balagha, translated with precision and care, is a treasure trove of wisdom and insight for seekers of truth and knowledge. This unparalleled collection of sermons, letters, and aphorisms by Imam Ali (AS), the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is a masterpiece of Arabic literature and a testament to the richness and complexity of Islamic thought.The translation of Nahjul Balagha allows readers to delve deep into the heart of Islamic spirituality and discover the depth and breadth of Imam Ali's teachings. With its concise yet powerful language, Nahjul Balagha covers a wide range of topics, from theology and ethics to politics and governance, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of Islam and its values.As one of the most significant works of Islamic literature, Nahjul Balagha has been studied and revered by scholars and students of Islam for centuries. It's timeless wisdom and universal appeal make it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of Islam and its teachings.This translation of Nahjul Balagha, with its accessible language and insightful commentary, is an invaluable addition to the libraries of both scholars and laypeople alike. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of Islam and Imam Ali's (AS) teachings.

An old cat considers himself as wise as can be, until he hears of a solitary ancient pine far away, under the boughs of which infinite insight can be found. So begins his journey to seek out this tree, along the way he meets a range of animals with their own stories to tell, each offering a piece of zen wisdom. Beautiful illutrated throughout.

Hidden in the darkness is an ancient secret suppressed by every aspect of our light-drunk modern worldthere is a Great Mother from the bottom of time who has always guided us through perils and calamities. Now is the hour of Her return.An exigent, affecting summons to rediscover the night.Kirkus ReviewsIs darkness synonymous with ignorance and evil? Or is it the original matrix from which all life emerges, and the Mother to whom it returns? Higher and higher levels of artificial illumination have suppressed our contact with the numinous since the Industrial Revolution, with dire consequences for society, our planetary ecology, and our souls. This mystical testament weaves together paleobiology, memoir, history, science, and spiritual archaeology to lead readers back into the lost mysteries of the dark. Not sinceThe Teachings of Don JuanorIshmaelhas a book diagnosed with such urgency and cultural coherence the problems at the heart of modern life.InWaking Up to the Dark, Clark Strand offers penetrating insight into the spiritual enrichment that can be found when we pull the plug on our billion-watt culture. He argues that the insomnia so many of us experience as the Hour of the Wolf is really the Hour of Goda wellspring of rest and renewal, and an ancient reservoir of ancestral wisdom and inspiration. And in a powerful yet surprising turn, he shares with us an urgent message for the world, received through a mysterious young woman he calls Our Lady of Climate Change (aka THE VIRGIN MARY), about the challenges we all know are coming.

'The monk who taught the world mindfulness' Time In this enlightening series world-renowned spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh shares the essential foundations of mindful practice and meditation.

Tells the story of two men, one white and one Native American, connected by their own understandings of life yet struggling to find a common voice. As they journey together through small Indian towns and down forgotten roads, these two men will travel beyond myth and stereotype, revealing an America few people ever get to see.

This is the 6th Edition and 5th revised version of this translation.The Qur''─ün is, in its own words, "light," which means that it is self-manifesting, with no need of an external source of illumination; other things need light to become visible and manifest. With it God guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace, and brings them out from darkness into light by His will, and guides them to a straight path (5:16).Of course, the Qur''─ün is not an exception among revealed scriptures in that it is a source of light and guidance. According to the Qur''an, so were the Torah and the Gospel, scriptures given to Moses and Jesus. All scriptures of Divine origin are a source of light and guidance.Nothing is more important for man than the knowledge of the very Source of reality. Any knowledge that is not informed with this awareness is just a kind of ignorance. All effort that does not derive from this knowledge is ultimately fated to end in futility and failure. The Qur''─ün claims to be the most reliable source of this knowledge and the best guide for human endeavor. It teaches that the Source of being is also the chief Source of guidance.Expert Opinions About This Translation:This is a wonderful translation. It is both faithful and fluent. [The translator has] struck a nice balance here. It is a real improvement over existing translations.-Dr Muhammad LegenhausenWhat Qarai has accomplished... is a revival of the art of translation as an adjunct to the understanding of the original, skillfully adapted to the needs of the English-speaking student of the Qur''an... He has opted always for the maximum degree of closeness to the Arabic compatible with comprehensibility, thereby coordinating translation with original in the most substantial of ways.Although Qarai envisions his translation as a paraphrase of the Qur''anic meanings, as a tool for gaining access to the original, it must be stressed that his translation reads extremely well even if regular cross-reference to the Arabic not be the purpose of the reader.The language Qarai has chosen is clear, chaste, straightforward and dignified, distant from both the archaisms and the modernisms that have been affected by other English translators of the Qur''an.... It is plain, indeed, that a serious and profound appreciation of the Qur''anic message has animated the whole of Qarai''s successful labours. We warmly recommend his translation to all with a serious interest in the Qur''an-Prof. Hamid AlgarAs a person who was part of a team that worked on a translation, I was often asked during this process what translation I recommend.... What I want to do in this video is first talk about two translations that I do recommend and I have often recommended, which are those by A. J. Arberry and the one by Ali Quli Qarai.... I really found this (Ali Quli Qarai''s) translation to be quite excellent, and I was really surprised when I came upon it, because hardly anybody has spoken about it. One of the great things about this translation for somebody who is learning Arabic is that the translation has Arabic right next it, but it has it phrase by phrase-not just the whole verse, but the exact phraseis next to the exact Arabic. So if you are studying Arabic, you can use this very well to identify the exact translation and the Arabic.. . . [I]t is more accurate and more consistent than almost any other translation and more accurate than Arberry, in fact. I dont''t think I found any passage where I could say that Ali Quli Qarai made an egregious mistake.-Prof. Joseph Lombard (member of the team of translators of The Study Qur''an, in a video talk)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjsyGOaWEBw

Silver Winner, Personal Growth & Self Help, Nautilus Book Awards "A rare achievement that discusses the witch wound with historical depth and also offers practical invitations to heal the wound on a personal and collective level."--Danielle Dulsky, author of The Holy Wild You were born to live a magical life. Deep within your soul, you know this; it is why you picked up this book. But there is another reason why you now hold this book in your hands: because some part of you feels it is unsafe to fully embrace the magic that exists within and around you. This part of you carries an age-old wound--one that keeps you from claiming your magic, owning your power, and shining fearlessly in your truth. This is the "witch wound." Healing the witch wound is not about going back in time or dwelling on the atrocities of the past--quite the opposite. This work is about taking steps now to reclaim your power, live a more magical life, and embody your most authentic self. This book will lead you through a diverse range of practices, including spell work, rituals, meditations, and journal prompts to help you uncover and work through feelings of reticence, uncertainty, and fear. Some practices may not resonate for you, while others may be deeply impactful. Take what works, adapt and customize where you can, and leave the rest. This is your journey.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fright..."What if St. Nicholas was really a young, mad trickster and you had the one thing he wanted? What if the only person who agreed to protect you from him had a past of letting those he's meant to protect die? What if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you gained the ability to see a whole other world tucked into the cracks of your own?Helen Bell is a student with a past she'd rather not remember and a high school social life that doesn't exist. Almost everyone she passes either forgets she's there or doesn't notice her in the first place. She survives her life in the shadows by focusing on her studies. Until the day everything changes. When a strange encounter leaves Helen able to see a species of invisible people existing among us, naturally she assumes she's going delusional or is getting ill from the cold Canadian weather. But when a young, handsome Winter guardian appears to aid her in a crisis, and a train horn starts blasting over the city in a search to hunt her down, she finds herself in the middle of a war where nothing is quite as it seems, and what's "right" isn't always right. "No matter what happens," her Winter guardian warns as creatures all down the street begin to shriek and freeze in place, "Don't move a muscle..." Zane Cohen is a young, retired Patrolman. Even though he craves mischief and would rather play tricks on snow rabbits than get dragged back into the guardian life, he finds he can't help himself when he meets Helen Bell. She's not suitable to play the games of the Rime Folk. If she's not careful, she's going to get herself killed. And he shouldn't care, but... But a long time ago, he believed in an ancient "Truth". This same Truth begins calling Helen's name across the snow, forcing her to make the ultimate decision to either run back to her empty life, or do the unthinkable-to face off with the Snow Queen in The Quarrel of Sword and Bone; a match that takes place in a Winter arena before one thousand witnesses and will likely mean certain death. So, the retired Patrolman becomes not so retired after all. A Soul as Cold as Frost is Jennifer Kropf's debut novel, ideal for fans of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms by Meredith Rusu and Ashleigh Powell. Book Facts:*The Winter Souls Series is an adventure for ages 10+, loved by teens and parents alike.*This series contains a Christian allegory.*A Soul as Cold as Frost was rewritten, reimagined, and reformatted with illustrations by Kyannah Durocher in 2024 for a better reading experience."Wow, I loved this book! This book was a magical twist between Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, and Spirited Away, yet somehow read as effortlessly original. It was gripping, fast paced and full of action, yet not lacking in heart. Highly recommended for young YA readers upwards." - Alice Ivinya, USA Today Bestselling author of Stars May Burn"Fans of Alice in Wonderland would love this story. The Christian allegory is also beautiful and so well done. I love how this story emphasizes the power inherent in speaking the truth." - Stefanie Lozinski, author of the Storm & Spire series "The Chronicles of Narnia meets Harry Potter. This fantastic winter tale is the perfect blend of classic portal fantasy and the magical world co-existing with our own. This magical Christian fantasy adventure totally hits the spot and got everything right. It is a beautiful reminder of what is truly important in life." - USA Today Bestselling author Astrid V. J.

A road map to harness the power of our collective human consciousness as a source for healing our traumatized worldWe are all interconnected-and dependent on each other to shape the world in which we live. Yet even though technology has allowed us to digitally share our lives with more people than ever, the result has been a growing pattern of personal isolation, alienation, and division. Why is this? "We are seeing the manifestation of collective trauma," says luminary Thomas Hübl, who has reached thousands of people around the world through his teachings on mysticism and healing. "The profoundly complex challenges we face demand a new level of human collaboration." In Attuned, Hübl, together with writer Julie Jordan Avritt, shares a visionary guide for individuals, therapists, and other professionals committed to healing our struggling world. Attuning to a person, group, or organization means coming into resonance by listening mindfully to the inner sensations, feelings, images, and information that arise. At the core of the book is the "relational field"-a vast matrix of energy through which information is shared within, around, and between us. In each chapter, you'll find insights and practices for perceiving and tuning in to oneself and others, and ultimately contributing to the healing of this field, including:. The mystical and evolutionary principles behind human development and connection. Resources for embodying resilience, processing toxic stress, and regulating our individual and collective nervous systems. Attunement practices for working with the effects of trauma in yourself and across communities. Transparent communication-a practice of relating through authentic awareness and vulnerability. Guidance for group facilitators, healing ancestral trauma, and moreBy embracing our interdependence, we can activate what is needed to respond to and evolve through the challenges of our age. "It may take only a small number of us," explains Hübl, "to establish a new level of collective coherence-to share our light, heal our wounds, and realize the unawakened potential of our world."