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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious experience > General
Within Western Buddhism, practitioners are often assumed to be
white and middle-class. Based in ground-breaking empirical
research, Cosmopolitan Dharma: Race, Sexuality, and Gender in
British Buddhism explores the stories of Buddhists from minority
communities, through a rich analysis of their lived experiences.
Smith, Munt and Yip explore their various contestations of dominant
white and heteronormative cultures in Western Buddhism. Using
cosmopolitanism as the theoretical lens, Cosmopolitan Dharma argues
convincingly that the Buddhist ethos of human interconnectivity
needs to be further developed to truly embrace the 'Other' of
different kinds (not least Western Buddhism's own internal
'Others'). Cosmopolitan Dharma, through Buddhists' own narratives,
explores how cultural politics from the ground up can offer a more
inclusive philosophy and lived experience of spirituality.
"Toine Knipping has taken to heart the statement, 'One day your
life will flash before your eyes. Make sure that it is worth
watching.' In a very engaging, lucid style, he draws the reader not
only into his philosophy of entrepreneurship but also explains how
to live a well-rounded life. This is a book full of wisdom-highly
recommended to anyone interested in acquiring a deeper
understanding of the inner theatre of the entrepreneur." -Manfred
F. R. Kets de Vries, Clinical Professor of Leadership and
Organizational Change, The Raoul de Vitry d'Avaucourt Chaired
Professor of Leadership Development "While you may or may not agree
with everything Toine Knipping says, one thing is for sure: he is
an inspiration to all entrepreneurs. Mind Your Business is a
practical and necessary read for anyone who wants to succeed in
business." -Chip Conley, Founder of Joie de Vivre Hotels and author
of PEAK and Emotional Equations "Mind Your Business is a rare book
that combines eminently practical and valuable advice for would-be
entrepreneurs with wise reflections that imbue the whole activity
with a larger purpose. Toine Knipping is a hugely successful
entrepreneur who has valuable observations not only about business
but also about the business of life. Mind Your Business should not
only be read by budding entrepreneurs but by everyone who is
involved in business life and is struggling to give this life more
meaning." -Sudhir Kakar, World-renowned Psychoanalyst and Author of
numerous books including The Inner World
"Nothing Gold Can Stay "is a richly described reminiscence of
childhood on an extended family farm in the late 1940s and in the
1950s. It is written in a beautifully lyrical style and told with
disarming honesty. A unique history of one unforgettable place in
time, it details a distinct way of life in an America that no
longer exists. Thanks to author Gloria June Reed's clarity of
memory to the smallest of details, Nothing Gold Can Stay will gift
you with accounts of:
the fortitude and hardships of immigration as both sets of Reed's
grandparents leave the Volga Valley in Russia and emigrate to
America;
family strength and courage during World War II;
surviving the Great Blizzard of 1949;
the freedom to be a child and explore the wonder and fascination
of the natural world;
the adventures and pranks of farm children in the long, golden
summer days;
memories of a unique country school;
the significance of both past and place in forging a life.
The stories within Nothing Gold Can Stay are of America's golden
age, when family and faith were strong, Judeo-Christian values and
patriotism flourished, and America was both a manufacturing capital
and a beacon of freedom for the world. It was a refreshingly
innocent time. But nothing ever stays the same, and eventually the
farm and its way of life are destroyed by affluence, greed,
demographics, changing values, and the resultant assault of swift
changes in the world.
This history of a bygone era and the people in it will engage
and delight you. The richness of life on this farm will endure in
your memory. You'll finish the book with the satisfaction of having
read something of value that needed to be told.
Is everything just as it should be, or is the world spiraling out
of control and we must try to save it? Is life simple, once we
understand how it works, or is it so complicated only a nuclear
physicist could understand it? The authors claim that life is
simple, but only if we accept what we encounter with equanimity and
are willing to replace old ideas with new ones that make more
sense. Attachment, resistance, and emotional reactions are what
make life difficult. Is there a personal God? Does Satan exist? Do
politics have a role in the spiritual development of our world?
What part does sex play in our spiritual development? This is not a
"safe" book. The authors have answers for all these questions and
more, but not all readers will agree with them. And that is as it
should be, according to them. Their concepts of how life works,
based on Ancient Wisdom teachings, will make you analyze, ponder
over, and re-assess your entire belief system. The overall message
is one of assurance. As one reader said, "It gave me hope. I never
considered myself a spiritual person until I read this book." "This
book speaks in today's language to seekers of all ages. Whether a
seasoned student or a beginner, it opens new doors and fresh vistas
on the soul's journey to wisdom. It is indeed a practical guide, at
the same time surveying all the principles necessary for
understanding the wisdom-tradition we know as Theosophy. This book
brings the Ancient Wisdom into the 21st century " - Joy Mills,
author of Reflections on an Ancient Wisdom "Ancient Wisdom for a
New Age provides some very important advice for those who want to
live the spiritual life. The chapter on reincarnation is especially
well-done. Hunt and Benedict are to be commended for making a noble
effort to help spiritual pilgrims on their way. By far the most
practical chapter in the book is 'Your Spiritual Practice'." -
Quest Magazine
The Vita Christi of the fourteenth century Carthusian, Ludolph of
Saxony, is the most comprehensive series of meditations on the life
of Christ of the late Middle Ages. Ludolph assembles a wealth of
commentary from the fathers of the church and the great medieval
spiritual writers and weaves them into a seamless exposition on the
Gospel. This is the first English translation of this classic work,
and it also is the first edition in any language to identify the
thousands of sources used by Ludolph, both those he quotes and the
many he cites without attribution. It will be of great interest to
students of Christian spirituality, but it is intended, as was the
original text, for ordinary believers seeking to enter more deeply
into the meaning of the life of Christ. When complete, there will
be 4 volumes.
Eric Hanson claimed to follow the most remarkable person in
history, yet his life was as exciting as sugarless gum. Confronted
with a disparity between a promise of abundant life and what he saw
in life surrounding him, he left everything behind for a year to
travel around the globe through the world's poorest countries.
Refugees, hermits, prostitutes, mobs, secret police, monks, and
a motorcycle gang. A dangerous journey introduces us to a fresh
side of faith, God, and a fulfilling life.
"My eyes were opening to whole new levels of pain and poverty,
darkness and despair, I saw new and altogether beautiful things
become real to me. The Bible is full of God's promises of healing
and restoration, but those words always seemed plastic and hollow
to me. For the first time in my life, I began to see God move and
heal-to truly touch people in the midst of unbearable pain. And in
that, God's message of restoration suddenly took on a significant,
real-life meaning to me.
As I watched Jose's transformation, my heart was ripped from my
chest and squeezed until my muted soul could hear God whispering
that this-real change, real love, not contrite phrases in an old
book-was the heart of God for His people."
"Eric has written a powerful, endearing account of his
adventures around the world. But this isn't a book that will leave
you feeling helpless. It will give you faith in your own story and
hope for living a more meaningful one." -Jeff Goins, author,
Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life
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