Buddha was a revolutionary. His practice was subversive; his message, seditious. His enlightened point of view went against the norms of his day--in his words, "against the stream." His teachings changed the world, and now they can change you too.

Presenting the basics of Buddhism with personal anecdotes, exercises, and guided meditations, bestselling author Noah Levine guides the reader along a spiritual path that has led to freedom from suffering and has saved lives for 2,500 years. Levine should know. Buddhist meditation saved him from a life of addiction and crime. He went on to counsel and teach countless others the Buddhist way to freedom, and here he shares those life-changing lessons with you. Read and awaken to a new and better life.

Can there be God-conscious organizational behaviour in the real world of today's capitalist corporations and the alternatives? In this overview of God-consciousness as a moral-awareness model of preference formation, functions, structures, and programs of organization within the purview of institutions and society, the authors explain and compare the major ethical issues of organizational behaviour and structure in Islamic economic theory and application. By analysing the nature of inclusive organizations and institutions, and the ethical preferences in Islamic choice framework, the authors from Saudi Arabia, Australia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Canada, Indonesia and the UK, can highlight individual aspects to show whether capitalist organizational behaviour is sustainable. They describe how The Tawhidi epistemological framework governing conscious moral decision-making by institutions and organization, are used to establish the meaning and potential application of the concept of sustainability, and whether organizational moral objectives achieve their goals of life-fulfilment development, Poverty alleviation and the equitable distribution of wealth and resources.

In 1977, Kenneth Leech wrote the book Soul Friend, which quickly became one of the classic contemporary explorations of the Christian practice of spiritual direction. Out of print for many years, a revised edition of this book, mildly updated to include changes in the spiritual climate since 1977, is now available. Leech's scholarly, yet accessible, exploration examines the climate in which spiritual direction takes place today-the influence of the drug culture of the 1960's, Eastern influences on prayer and spiritual practice, the Pentecostal movement, and others. He then provides background on the history of spiritual direction, both Protestant and Catholic, from the earliest Church through the twentieth century. Leech also explores other questions of interest to directors and those seeking out direction: the relationship between counseling and direction; the practice of prayer in Christian spiritual tradition; and the prophetic role of the spiritual director, not just for the individual but for the larger society. An excellent course book, and a fascinating book for those contemplating direction, Soul Friend will continue to be a classic for years to come.

Jonathan Edwards' theologically sophisticated psychology of grace remains one of the deepest and most fertile theological psychologies in the Protestant tradition. The heart of his account lies in his foundational doctrine of spiritual perception where he locates the psychological core of the engraced Christian life. This work revisits Edwards' doctrine from the perspective of recent work in the philosophy of emotions and other related philosophical sub-disciplines. The aim is to recover this often neglected theme in contemporary theology and renew it by bringing Edwards' theological insights into conversation with various spheres of contemporary philosophical discussion. The account of spiritual perception that emerges from this interdisciplinary dialogue is one that seeks to revise, update and deepen Edwards' own thinking on the matter in five major ways. The book concludes by arguing that the capacity for spiritual and emotional perception of the supreme good is grounded upon a wisdom-like seminal virtue centred upon the incarnate Christ (i.e., Christocentric wisdom). Such wisdom, on the renewed account, is considered the psychological core of transforming grace and the foundational basis upon which all other Christian virtues are formed.

`There is a physical world, which we all accept as real, but there is also a spiritual world, which interpenetrates this material world and is its cause and foundation. Between these two worlds exists a threshold that can be felt, seen clairvoyantly, traversed and passed through by anyone with a real desire to do so... At this threshold there is a guardian, whose task is to stop humans from passing across it unprepared...' - From the Introduction. Based on first-hand knowledge, Are Thoresen offers insights into the meaning of the threshold to the spiritual world. He describes his own experiences in encountering this threshold and going beyond it. But there are many thresholds to the spiritual world, he says, and many ways to pass them - as there are many aspects to the `guardian of the threshold' and versions of the so-called `animals at the threshold'. The worlds beyond, too, have a variety of different constructions - or, as the Bible says: `In my Father's house are many mansions'. The author describes the methods and techniques for opening the spiritual sense organs required to cross the threshold, and clarifies the differences between Imagination (seeing spiritual `pictures'), Inspiration (understanding those pictures) and Intuition (living `inside' the spiritual reality). Structuring the book on his own biography, Thoresen conveys many of the lessons he has learnt through decades of familiarity with the invisible dimensions. However, he warns that there is only one good reason to attempt to cross the threshold, and that is to serve God and humanity in the name of love. If we do it out of curiosity, or to enhance our personal development, it would be better not to try.

The practice of walking to a sacred space for personal and spiritual transformation has long held a place in the British imagination. Art and the Sacred Journey in Britain examines the intersections of the concept of pilgrimage and the visual imagination from the years 1790 to 1850. Through a close analysis of a range of interrelated written and visual sources, Kathryn Barush develops the notion of the transfer of 'spirit' from sacred space to representation, and contends that pilgrimage, both in practice and as a form of mental contemplation, helped to shape the religious, literary, and artistic imagination of the period and beyond. Drawing on a rich range of material including paintings and drawings, manuscripts, letters, reliquaries, and architecture, the book offers an important contribution to scholarship in the fields of religious studies, anthropology, art history, and literature.

The object of this book, first published in 1928, is a study of the ways in which those who were once called 'primitives' conceive of their own individuality. The author inquires into the notions they possess of their life-principle, their soul, and their personality, often encountering that many peoples only had 'pre-notions' of such concepts.

This lavishly illustrated guide to iconography explains through words and pictures the history, meaning, and purpose of Christian icons as well as the traditional methods that religious painters use to create these luminous, spiritually enlivened works of art. / Solrunn Nes, one of Europe's most admired iconographers, illuminates the world of Christian icons, explaining the motifs, gestures, and colors common to these profound symbols of faith. Nes explores in depth a number of famous icons, including those of the Greater Feasts, the Mother of God, and a number of the better-known saints, enriching her discussion with references to Scripture, early Christian writings, and liturgy. She also leads readers through the process and techniques of icon painting, illustrating each step with photographs, and includes more than fifty of her own original works of art. / Deeply inspiring and utterly unique, The Mystical Language of Icons serves to inform both those who are familiar with the rich tradition of religious art and those who are not. Even more, it is a powerful devotional resource that Christians everywhere can turn to again and again. / This beautifully illustrated book provides the reader with an excellent guide to understanding icons. . . . For anyone interested in the production and meaning of icons, this book will be essential reading. Theological Book Review / Solrunn Nes has produced a fine guide to iconography in her Mystical Language of Icons. The book is lavishly illustrated in full color throughout with Nes's own icons, each in the style of one of the various schools with which she is most conversant. All are striking and luminous and fully in accord with the objective canonical tradition. Her work reveals how one committed prayerfully to the latter can nonetheless produce art of obvious creativity. This book is unreservedly recommended. Touchstone"

"The truest help one can render a man bent with the burdens of life, is to call out his best energies and efforts, so that he himself by himself may raise his sagging spirit, and not only cope with conditions, but come out triumphant in the highest spiritual sense of the word". This quotation from the Exhortation is an expression of what Dr. Thind hoped to accomplish with this book. The chapters include: Union with God; the Unknown Is in the Known; Ego vs. Individuality; Unification and Reunion; Sikh Religion Made Plain; and, The Song of the Soul Victorious.

After being the subject of many studies up until 1914, totemism seemed to disappear from the literature. The publication of Freud's work Totem and Taboo was initially greeted with silence, and subsequently with critical and hostile reactions. C. Levi-Strauss was one of the few to devote a book to totemism but considered it as an illusion, although a number of prominent members of the English school of Social Anthropology contested this view, describing the direction adumbrated by Freud's enquiry as "highly pertinent". Totemism appears in Freud's work as a way of dealing with one of the canonical forms of human destructiveness, namely parricide. Why did eminent men find it impossible to utilise Freud's book and those studies that followed it in the interwar period? The mass murders in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia, however different they may have been, both generated a profound sense of horror that made their consequences largely unrepresentable for Europeans for more than thirty years. Did this delay, and the attitudes of the following generations towards authority, result from an unconscious logic of "resistance" aimed at re-establishing refusals that did not take place at the time? The Western world seems to have forgotten the strength of the mixed family ties of tribes, casts, and religions that are in fact at work in the psychic life of a great number of men and women in the world.

Tested Universal Science of Individual Meditation implies a greater whole being, whole knowledge and whole-power is needed to weld all into a greater unity of whole life. Each individual must have a high and strenuous mental and moral ideal controlling and uplifting the vital and the physical man in us and no spiritual ideal liberating him from himself into his inner being. In order to know the part, one must have the knowledge of the whole it forms a part of. The soul is larger than the ego, and larger than the unconscious, the subconscious, and the super conscious. There is the back lying power of God which co-ordinates and correlates all into unity and synthesis; its name is Nam. This self awareness of Nam is only received by the Grace and power of His Holy Nam, whose knowledge is vouch-safed by the gracious Guru. The eight lessons presented in this book by the author Pooran Avatar Sat-Guru Bhagat Singh Thind to the truth seekers of the world give guidance, truth, and wisdom to all who are ready for self and God realisation. Dr. Thind's words stimulates and renders active those powers which are normally latent, and which the seeker unassisted cannot evoke.

Foreword INDIES 2020 Book of the Year Award (SILVER Winner for Religion) 2021 Georgia Author of the Year Award (Inspirational) 2021 Midwest Book Award (Silver Winner for Religion/Philosophy) Native is about identity, soul-searching, and the never-ending journey of finding ourselves and finding God. As both a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation and a Christian, Kaitlin Curtice offers a unique perspective on these topics. In this book, she shows how reconnecting with her Potawatomi identity both informs and challenges her faith. Curtice draws on her personal journey, poetry, imagery, and stories of the Potawatomi people to address themes at the forefront of today's discussions of faith and culture in a positive and constructive way. She encourages us to embrace our own origins and to share and listen to each other's stories so we can build a more inclusive and diverse future. Each of our stories matters for the church to be truly whole. As Curtice shares what it means to experience her faith through the lens of her Indigenous heritage, she reveals that a vibrant spirituality has its origins in identity, belonging, and a sense of place.

This book will interest clinicians who have wondered what professional practice would be like in the corporate setting and want to learn more about the psychological and organizational dynamics that 'drive' executive behavior. Based on the premise that leadership effectiveness is a function of both leader productivity and health, this book reviews the latest information and research data and offers case studies to illustrate specific strategies for maximizing executive health. Len Sperry has been consulting to executives and organizations for 30 years and has written numerous articles and several books on executives and workplace dynamics.

While a rational consciousness grasps many truths, Gananath Obeyesekere believes an even richer knowledge is possible through a bold confrontation with the stuff of visions and dreams. Spanning both Buddhist and European forms of visionary experience, he fearlessly pursues the symbolic, nonrational depths of such phenomena, reawakening the intuitive, creative impulses that power greater understanding. Throughout his career, Obeyesekere has combined psychoanalysis and anthropology to illuminate the relationship between personal symbolism and religious experience. In this book, he begins with Buddha's visionary trances wherein, over the course of four hours, he witnesses hundreds of thousands of his past births and eons of world evolution, renewal, and disappearance. He then connects this fracturing of empirical and visionary time to the realm of space, considering the experience of a female Christian penitent, who stares devotedly at a tiny crucifix only to see the space around it expand to mirror Christ's suffering. Obeyesekere follows the unconscious motivations underlying rapture, the fantastical consumption of Christ's body and blood, and body mutilation and levitation, bridging medieval Catholicism and the movements of early modern thought as reflected in William Blake's artistic visions and poetic dreams. He develops the term "dream-ego" through a discussion of visionary journeys, Carl Jung's and Sigmund Freud's scientific dreaming, and the cosmic and erotic dream-visions of New Age virtuosos, and he defines the parameters of a visionary mode of knowledge that provides a more elastic understanding of truth. A career-culminating work, this volume translates the epistemology of Hindu and Buddhist thinkers for western audiences while revitalizing western philosophical and scientific inquiry.

Following in the tradition of The Invitation and The Dance, The Call is based on an inspirational poem, exploring how to live well, and continue to live a life full of integrity, commitment, happiness and passion. The Call continues the inspiring work create by Oriah Mountain Dreamer in her previous best selling books The Invitation and The Dance. In The Call she takes her message to deeper levels which will appeal to both her long term followers and new readers alike. Each chapter of this book begins with a line from her new poem, and explores our ability to open up to the adventure of living.

A practical guide to simple daily techniques for rapid spiritual progress Enlightenment means becoming a light unto yourself. But how does one get on the path to enlightenment? In this practical spiritual guide, Simon Chokoisky shares 11 time-tested yet simple daily techniques to help you find your spiritual path, or "dharma," no matter what your spiritual background--be it Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or Agnostic. He explains how everyone has a unique learning style as well as a spiritual style--your "Dharma type"--and how the Dharma method allows you to pick any seven of the 11 methods described in the book to practice. You can even change them daily, all based on your unique needs. And by holding to the 7/11 "rule" daily, you'll soon find yourself on the road to rapid spiritual progress and personal enlightenment. In this book, the author explains how he distilled these 11 spiritual techniques from centuries of methods used by spiritual masters from around the world. He details the 5 different Dharma types and provides personality tests to determine your type. He provides routines, tips, and tricks to keep you on track as well as thoughtful exercises to help you apply spiritual principles in your everyday life. Showing how spirituality is inherent in each of us and is abundant, free, and easy to cultivate, the author reveals how you can best cultivate your spiritual light and share it with the world.

Neither Here nor There: The Many Voices of Liminality draws together the expertise, experience, and insights of a coterie of authors, all of whom relate the core concepts of liminality to their unique contexts. The experience of and inquiry into liminal phenomena have developed into a distinct discipline of study which now crosses and informs many areas of thought, including anthropology, sociology, theology, psychology, literature and education. New vistas of interdisciplinary study have opened as a result of sharing the common language and symbol system of liminality. This anthology reflects the current resurgence of liminality and provides a critical source book ideal for individual reflection, study groups, classes and seminars. From the inner workings of spiritual life to large social transformations, liminality now provides a powerful interpretive tool and effective method for spiritual direction, teaching and leadership.

A new 'The Doors of Perception' for the 21st century? A visionary journey from cynicism to shamanism by a brilliant young US writer. Daniel Pinchbeck was an essentially sane and rational person, living the life of a sophisticated urbanite. But one disenchanted day he felt he'd exhausted the shallow aspirations of the contemporary scene. So he went on a quest. And he went all the way: to West Africa to test Iboga, a psychedelic herb which can cause such profound insight that one dose equals twenty years of psychoanalysis; to the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert where cutting-edge technology meets radical self-exploration; to Mexico and to the Amazon where shamanic traditions are practised daily. Sceptical but curious, following in the footsteps of Aldous Huxley and Terence McKenna, Daniel Pinchbeck guides his readers on an astonishing journey around the world and through the mind. Are you brave enough to suspend your post-modern cynicism and break open the head with him?

El libro de Urantia tiene la capacidad de hacer una contribucin significante al pensamiento religioso y filosfico de todos los pueblos. El mensaje del libro es que todos los seres humanos son una familia, hijos e hijas de un Dios, el Padre Universal. Nos informa sobre la gnesis, la historia y el destino de la raza humana y sobre nuestra relacin con Dios. Tambin incluye una presentacin nica y convincente de la vida y las enseanzas de Jess. Abre unas nuevas perspectivas sobre el tiempo y la eternidad y revela unos nuevos conceptos sobre la aventura ascendente del hombre para encontrar al Padre Universal en este universo amistoso y cuidadosamente administrado. Una y otra vez, gente por todas partes del mundo ha descubierto que el libro ha cambiado a impresionado profundamente su vida - los ha inspirado y estimulado para alcanzar nuevos niveles de crecimiento espiritual y realzamiento de su vida. Aunque casi toda generacin produce una cantidad de gente que se presenta como portadores de una 'nueva revelacin,' El libro de Urantia no habla en favor de una nueva religin organizada. El punto de vista de EL libro de Urantia se construye sobre las herencias religiosas del pasado y presente, fomentando una religin personal y viva, basada en la fe y el servicio a nuestros semejantes. La visin de EL libro de Urantia de la ciencia, la filosofa y la religin es probablemente la integracin ms clara y ms concisa de estos temas que est disponible al hombre contemporneo. Verdaderamente tiene el potencial de modelar el destino del mundo.

A devotional-style book for the modern seeker, intended to help them remember the divine wisdom they carry within and utilize it to create a life that is authentic. Are you ready to activate your inner goddess? 365 Days of Divine Feminine Wisdom is a devotional-style book for today's spiritual seeker. In it, you will learn how to deepen your connection with yourself and your spirituality, discover who you really are, and find the courage to create a life you love by using your innate gifts and power. Each daily entry reflects upon the different aspects of Divine Feminine energy that are always active within us, regardless of age or experience: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. These aspects are linked to the milestones that we experience throughout our lives as we get in touch with the goddess within us. These aspects are also connected to the phases of the moon, as well as to the seasons. Each daily entry draws wisdom from the three-part feminine archetype, according to the time of year: January to April provides inspiration from the Maiden aspect; May to August offers guidance from the Mother aspect; and September to December reveals knowledge from the Crone aspect. This helps readers gain a full understanding of their innate gifts and wisdom, as well the phases they naturally go through each year as they continue to grow, evolve, and live their best life.