'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah (d. 923/1517) of Damascus was one of the great women scholars in Islamic history. A mystic and prolific poet and writer, 'A'ishah composed more works in Arabic than any other woman before the twentieth century. Yet despite her extraordinary literary and religious achievements, 'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah remains largely unknown. For the first time her key work, The Principles of Sufism, is available in English translation. The Principles of Sufism is a mystical guide book to help others on their spiritual path. She recounts the fundamental stages and states of the spiritual novice's transformative journey, emphasizing the importance of embracing both human limitations and God's limitless love. Drawing on lessons and readings from centuries-old Sufi tradition, 'A'ishah advises the seeker to repent of selfishness and turn to a sincere life of love. In addition to his lucid translation, Th. Emil Homerin provides an insightful introduction, notes and a glossary to 'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah's remarkable account of the pursuit of mystical illumination. A bilingual Arabic-English edition.

The twelve studies here are arranged in three distinct groups - Arabic and Judaeo-Arabic philosophy, Jewish mysticism, and modern philosophy. One theme that appears in various forms and from different angles in the first two sections is that of 'Images of the Divine'. It figures not only in the account of mystical imagery but also in the discussion of the 'Know thyself' motif, and is closely allied to the subject-matter of the studies dealing with man's ascent to the vision of God and his ultimate felicity. In the third section three thinkers are discussed: the English Deist, William Wollaston, who is shown to be steeped in the medieval Jewish traditions of philosophy and mysticism; Moses Mendelssohn, the philosopher of eighteenth-century Enlightenment, whose thesis asserting Spinoza's influence on Leibniz's doctrine of the pre-established Harmony is investigated critically; and Franz Rosenzweig, the most brilliant religious philosopher in twentieth-century Jewry, whose notion of History is analysed. Originally published in 1969, this is an important work of Jewish philosophy.

Studies on Sufism in Central Asia reproduces 12 studies which explore previously unstudied sources with an eye to identifying prominent developments in the social and organizational history of the major Sufi groupings of the region; The chronological range reflected in the studies included here runs from the 13th century to the 17th, with a somewhat uneven distribution between the earlier half of the period (13th-15th centuries, with six articles, Nos. II, IV, V, VII, VIII, and XI) and the later half (16th-17th centuries, with four pieces, Nos. III, IX, X, XII), and two studies (Nos. I and VI) spanning the entire period. In terms of specific Sufi traditions, the studies included here reflect DeWeese's attention to groups and individuals that might be identified (despite the focus of some of his more recent work on questioning the use and meaning of such labels) as KubravAE", YasavAE", and KhwAE jagAE nAE"/NaqshbandAE", with four studies focused entirely on 'KubravAE"' circles (Nos. I, II, V, XI), five on 'YasavAE"' subjects (Nos. III, VII, IX, X, XII), and one on the KhwAE jagAE n (No. VIII), as well as one dealing with YasavAE"-NaqshbandAE" relations (No. VI) and another exploring a group that falls outside these labels (No. IV). KhwAE jagAE nAE" and NaqshbandAE" history has a strong 'background' presence, nevertheless, in five other articles (Nos. I, III, IV, VII, and IX), reflecting the steady rise of the NaqshbandAE"ya to predominance among Central Asian Sufi traditions.

Discover the essential power of the seven chakras, including their colors, sounds, and key rituals, in this beautifully illustrated mini guidebook. Get to know your seven energy centers -- muladhara, svadisthana, mapura, anahata, vishuddha, ajna, and sahasrara --in this enchanted introduction to the world of chakras. From the earthiness of the root chakra to the warmth of the solar plexus, explore the body's energetic focal points and bring balance to your wellness practice. Gain inspiration as you learn the crystals, essential oils, and meditations that activate and calm each chakra in the full-color, illustrated mini book.

Mystical and practical wisdom for daily life.

The least known of the Hasidic masters teachings the "hanhagot, " or spiritual practices are at the heart of this book. These short lists of instructions were created for their followers, inspirational treasures intended to be carried with you at all times. They were to be read again and again providing spiritual guidance, centering, and aid in bringing joy and God s presence into daily life.

Practical, personal, and wise, these brief teachings range from straightforward instructions to visualization exercises, meditations, and mantras. Also included are the "hanhagot" of two neo-Hasidic thinkers: the modern journalist and mystic Hillel Zeitlin (1871 1942), and the contemporary theologian Arthur Green.

The headlines are filled with the politics of Islam, but there is another side to the world's fastest-growing religion. Sufism is the poetry and mysticism of Islam. This mystical movement from the early ninth century rejects worship motivated by the desire for heavenly reward or the fear of punishment, insisting rather on the love of God as the only valid form of adoration. Sufism has made significant contributions to Islamic civilization in music and philosophy, dance and literature. The Sufi poet Rumi is the bestselling poet in America. But in recent centuries Sufism has been a target for some extremist Islamic movements as well as many modernists. The Garden of Truth presents the beliefs and vision of the mystical heart of Islam, along with a history of Sufi saints and schools of thought.

In a world threatened by religious wars, depleting natural resources, a crumbling ecosystem, and alienation and isolation, what has happened to our humanity? Who are we and what are we doing here? The Sufi path offers a journey toward truth, to a knowledge that transcends our mundane concerns, selfish desires, and fears. In Sufism we find a wisdom that brings peace and a relationship with God that nurtures the best in us and in others.

Noted scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr helps you learn the secret wisdom tradition of Islam and enter what the ancient mystics call the "garden of truth." Here, liberate your mind, experience peace, discover your purpose, fall in love with the Divine, and find your true, best self.

Antoine Fabre d'Olivet (December 8, 1767-March 25, 1825) was a French author, poet, and composer whose biblical and philosophical hermeneutics in?uenced many occultists, such as Eliphas Lvi and Gerard Encausse (Papus), and Ren Gunon. D'Olivet spent his life pursuing the esoteric wisdom concealed in the Hebrew scriptures, Greek philosophy, and the symbolism of many ancient cultures as far back as ancient India, Persia, and Egypt. His writings are considered classics of the Hermetic tradition. His best known works today are his research on the Hebrew language (The Hebraic Tongue Restored), his translation and interpretation of the writings of Pythagoras (The Golden Verses of Pythagoras), and his writings on the sacred art of music. In addition to the above works, Hermetica has published in consistent facsimile format for its Collected Works of Fabre d'Olivet series Cain and The Healing of Rodolphe Grivel, as well as Hermeneutic Interpretation of the Origin of the Social State of Man and the Destiny of the Adamic Race. D'Olivet's mastery of many ancient languages and their literatures enabled him to write (in the time of Napoleon) this extraordinary text which remains a landmark investigation of the deeper esoteric undercurrents at work in the history of culture. The Golden Verses of Pythagoras, so remarkable for their moral elevation, and standing as the most beautiful monument of antiquity raised in honor of Wisdom, were originally transcribed by Lysis, though it is to Hierocles that we owe the version that has come down to us. Fabre d'Olivet has translated them into French verse of special form (eumolpique), and in his Discourse upon the Essence and Form of Poetry in the present volume he explains and illustrates this melodious style. In his Examinations of the Golden Verses, which comprises the last division of this book, he has drawn with the power of his great mind the metaphysical correlation of Providence, Destiny, and Will.

What would happen if a Hasidic rabbi from Eastern Europe suddenly found himself in the 'Old West' of the American 1850s? This is the question Bahir Davis answers in the delightful and often profound stories of The Light Giver, in which Reb Ya'ir, a Hasidic Jew from the Polish town of P'shyskha embarks on an adventure through the 'New World, ' trying to reach San Francisco, where he has been offered a position as rabbi. Along the way, he finds that the true purpose of his coming to America has little to do with his destination. Rather, it lies in the journey of discovery, in the meeting of different cultures, in the wisdom he gains from fugitive slaves, Native American medicine men, and settlers on the frontier. And we, the readers, benefit from the light that he shares from his own spiritual tradition. In each story, a different Jewish holiday is experienced and explored in a unique and inviting manner. An accomplished storyteller, Bahir Davis, a circuit-riding rabbi and founder of Rocky Mountain Hai in Lafayette, Colorado, skillfully combines his love of 'Old West' lore with his true vocation as a spiritual teacher in this wonderful book of Jewish wisdom for the American frontier. Praise for The Light Giver: "What fun it is to follow Reb Bahir's rabbi-hero on his journey through the Wild West and the Jewish calendar. A wonderful read, it sneaks in solid teaching wrapped in a rollicking tale." - Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founder of the Jewish Renewal Movement "Jewish mystical stories were born at the strange, hazy crossroads between uncommon wisdom and common sense. The Light Giver hearkens back to the time when rabbis didn't lecture from podiums and write blog posts from iPads, but went on adventures into the wild, befriending runaway slaves and dodging Injun arrows, throwing themselves into the wide world because G-d created it all. Written in the fine tradition of Reb Shmuel Munkes and The Frisco Kid, the stories in this book are funny, sad, innocent and world-weary, and truly, truly wise." --- Matthue Roth, author of Yom Kippur A Go-Go: A Memoir "At once funny, touching, and profound, The Light Giver takes us on a journey through the Jewish calendar, the Jewish spirit and into the Jewish soul. Rabbi Davis is by no means conventional, and this book is unlike any other. Within it there are sparks of Divinity waiting for us to unearth. This book is a delight to read and learn from." --- Mayim Bialik, actress and author of Beyond the Sling

Third Edition God, the Universe, and Man-their essential unity and fundamental attributes as seen through the eyes of Jewish esoteric tradition-is the subject of Leo Schaya's masterly study of the Kabbalah. Unlike most works on the subject, which focus on the history of the Kabbalah or the Kabbalah as literature (not to mention countless 'new age' rants), this penetrating text expounds the universal teachings of the Kabbalah on the relationships of all things to their supreme archetypes, the ten Sephiroth, or principial aspects of God. In addition to the Old Testament and the Talmud, Schaya draws on one of the classical sources of Jewish mysticism-the Zohar, or Book of Splendor-fromwhich he extracts an all-embracing synthesis of the numberless degrees of All-Reality, to which correspond the multiple states of human being, from earthly individuality to essential identity with the Absolute. This work, acclaimed by reviewers and scholars alike, fittingly concludes with an illuminating chapter on the Name of God, which saves 'all those who invoke him in truth.' Students of comparative religion will find an abundance of information here, for striking parallels both with the Hindu cosmological doctrines and the metaphysical insights of the Vedantic sages are among the surprises interlaced in this account of Judaic esoteric wisdom. In this, Schaya carries on the extraordinary work of three great 20th-century metaphysicians of the philosophia perennis: Ren Gunon, Frithjof Schuon, and Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. This book will be extremely useful to anyone who is, in the words of Maimonides, 'perplexed' by the Bible in the sense of having exercised his best thinking about it and who now stands 'broken' before its apparent contradictions and its overwhelming emotional authority. The Kabbalah, or esotericism, is the communication to man of what Schaya calls principial ideas, ideas that are to thought and actions what the sun is to its rays. Standing between metaphysical ideas and the symbolic language of the Zohar and the Old Testament, he allows each side to penetrate the other. -Jacob Needleman, author of Lost Christianity, A Sense of the Cosmos, etc. This book fills an urgent need. To rediscover the deepest meaning of the Old Testament is something that could haved a most tonic and enlightening effect on the whole of Christian thought today; no clearer interpreters are to be found than the masters of the Kabbalah. -Marco Pallis, author of The Way and the Mountain, A Buddhist Spectrum, etc. Leo Schaya was born in Switzerland in 1916. He received a traditional Jewish upbringing, but from an early age devoted himself to the study of the great metaphysical doctrines of East and West, particularly those of Neoplatonism, Sufism, and theAdvaita Vedanta. His works include, in addition to The Universal Meaning of the Kabbalah (first published in French in 1958 as L'Homme et l'Absolu selon la Kabbale), La Doctrine Soufique de l'Unit, La cration en Dieu: la lumire du judasme, du christianisme et l'islam, and Naissance l'esprit, as well as numerous articles.

Despite the obvious contradictions, complexity, and apparent randomness that assault any human being day after day, everything is somehow nevertheless connected, orchestrated. The universe is filled with meaning .

In Jewish mysticism, the river is a metaphor for the Holy Oneness that unifies all creation. Just imagine it: a sacred stream, luminous and ubiquitous, a river of light. from the Preface to the Anniversary Edition

This is an invitation to wade into a deeper spiritual consciousness. Taking us step-by-step, Kushner helps us to allow the river of light the deepest currents of consciousness to rise to the surface and animate our lives.

This is accessible and reliable survey of Kabbalah's key elements, uniquely exploring the contemporary phenomena of its popularity and the notoreity of some its modern purveyors. "Kabbalah: A Guide for the Perplexed" is a concise and accessible introduction to the major elements of the prevalent metaphysical system of Judaism, Kabbalah. The book covers the historical and theoretical essence of Kabbalah, offering a clear definition of the term and the limitations of what Kabbalah is and is not. Pinchas Giller provides an overview of the history of the movement, reflecting the sweep of Jewish history as a whole, and examines its metaphysical system, the advanced mythos of early and later Luria, doctrines of the soul, and the mysteries of Jewish religious practice and law. The book concludes with a summary of the contemporary kabbalistic phenomena, particularly in light of the notoriety of some modern purveyors of Kabbalah. As cogent and objective as possible, this is the ideal companion for those wishing to gain a sound understanding of this often perplexing mystical aspect of Judaism. "Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

One of the most important contributions of Chasidut to Judaism has been in the realm of psychology. Chasidic teachings interpret and apply the myriad Kabbalistic metaphors to the realm of the human psyche and soul. Yet, for all the expansive analyses and discussion of the human psyche produced by the Chasidic masters (specifically the Rebbes of Chabad-Lubavitch), there has been a pronounced lack of an ordered and modern review of the psyche.<p> In the early years of the 20th century, Dr. Fischel Schneersohn, a colleague of Sigmund Freud and a relative of the then Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Schneersohn, took it upon himself to translate the Chasidic nomenclature and discourse on the psyche into scientific language that would be useful to the modern psychologist. Unfortunately, for whatever the reasons may be, his yearning to share the Torahs wisdom on the psyche was not to be fulfilled. Since then, the need for introducing these teachings to the public in general and to the professional field of psychologists has only grown.<p> This book is an important contribution to the creation of psychology and therapeutic techniques based purely on the Divine wisdom of the Torah and specifically its inner dimensions of Kabbalah and Chassidut. By offering a structured review and explanation of the psyche and its place in the larger and more complex super-structure of the soul, this volume provides a foundational guide for mental and spiritual health practitioners as well as for those wishing to deepen their understanding of Kabbalah and Chassidut.

Quite simply, the easiest introduction to Jewish mysticism you can read.

An insightful and absorbing introduction to the ten gates of Jewish mysticism and how they apply to daily life. "There is a place that is as far from here as breathing out is from breathing in. For the word is very near to you. Where life forever holds gentle sway over death, where people are human with the same grace that a willow is a willow, where the struggle and the yearning between male and female is at last resolved.... It is to begin with, all inside us." from the Introduction

"In the past decade I ve read "Honey from the Rock" at least half a dozen times. Every time I read it I wonder if I have ever read it before. Either it keeps changing, or I do. Maybe it s both.... As someone told me: 'Lawrence Kushner is a mystic. He gives you flashes of insight.' from the Publisher s Preface to the Anniversary Edition

Ours is the first generation in modern times to understand the truly universal human condition and to seek to bring all peoples of the earth together in peace and harmony. We are the first generation to truly understand that we are faced with the challenge of either inhabiting our planet harmoniously or not inhabiting it at all.<p> Filling our future is the fundamentalism that threatens to pit one religion against another. But, our different relationships and understandings of G-d should not be the reason for conflict but the source of goodwill in building our relationships with one another and our ability to understand others. The covenant with the Jewish people was not the first made between the Almighty and mankind.<p> Before the revelation at Mt. Sinai, G-d commanded Adam and then made a covenant with Noah, giving them the guidelines for the universal religion of mankind. The most well-known part of this covenant is the seven universal commandments, or the Seven Noahide Laws. For this reason, Judaism and Jews do not proselytize, but rather seek to guide the nations of the world in developing their own relationship with the Almighty and implementing these potentially unifying laws of basic human nature.<p> This book offers you a glimpse into the tremendous mystical power and meaning of G-d's covenant with humanity and the Seven Noahide Laws, as explained in Kabbalah. It focuses on their spiritual and inner dimensions and inspires a deeper look at our best hope for achieving world peace and a better future for all beings.