Homer's "Odyssey "holds a timeless allure. It is an ancient story for every generation: the struggle of a man on a long and difficult voyage longing to return to love and family. Odysseus's strivings to overcome both divine and earthly obstacles and to control his own impulsive nature hold valuable lessons for us as we confront the challenges of daily life. "Sailing Home "breathes fresh air into a classic we thought we knew, revealing its profound guidance for the modern seeker.
Dividing the book into three parts--"Setting Forth," "Disaster," and "Return"--Fischer charts the course of Odysseus's familiar wanderings. Readers come to see this ancient hero as a flawed human being who shares their own struggles and temptations, such as yielding to desire or fear or greed, and making peace with family. Featuring thoughtful meditations, illuminating anecdotes from Fischer's and his students' lives, and stories from many wisdom traditions including Buddhist, Judaic, and Christian, "Sailing""Home "shows the way to greater purpose in our own lives. The book's literary dimension expands its appeal beyond the Buddhist market to a wider spiritual audience and to anyone interested in the teachings of myth and story.

"Chinese Religion" is a new introduction to the field of Chinese religion and culture. It seeks to guide readers through some of the primary source material and to introduce them to continuing, contemporary debates and interpretations of religious ideas, concepts and practices in China and beyond. Religious beliefs are never pursued and held in a vacuum; they are an integral part of a particular culture, interwoven and interactive with other elements of the culture and tradition. Chinese religion in this sense can be said to be part of Chinese culture and history. In this clear account, Xinzhong Yao and Yanxia Zhao move away from the traditional and outmoded definition of Chinese religion, the three institutional doctrines: Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, towards a multi-layered hermeneutic of the syncretic nature and functions of religions in China. Additional features include questions for reflection and discussion and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter.

This book is the first major reassessment of ancient Chinese religion to appear in recent years. It provides a historical investigation of broadly shared religious beliefs and goals in ancient China from the earliest period to the end of the Han Dynasty. The author makes use of recently acquired archeological data, traditional texts, and modern scholarly work from China, Japan, and the West. The overall concern of this book is to try to reach the religious mentality of the ancient Chinese in the context of personal and daily experiences. Poo deals with such problems as the definition of religion, the popular/elite controversy in methodology, and the use of "elite" documents in the study of ordinary life.

This study deals with examples of Buddhist and Sivaite dvarapalas or temple-guardians from mainland Southeast Asia, compared to examples from Indonesia which are still in situ, that is to say on their original location, within the architectural layout of Buddhist and Sivsite sanctuaries. Two issues are dealt with. Firstly, that foreign frameworks (notably from southern India, southern Vietnam and Cambodia) iconographically and stylistically founded the dvarapala in Indonesia. Secondly, that the dvarapala in this latter area is the outcome of a distinct acculturation process of adoption and reinterpretation, based on local developments. This book contributes to knowledge of the dvaralapa, and as well as the text, provides a collection of 100 black-and-white plates of dvarapala statues. It is suitable for archaeologists, and those interested in Asian iconography and cultural history.