"What's this you're writing?... asked Pooh, climbing onto the writing table. "The Tao of Pooh,... I replied. "The how of Pooh?... asked Pooh, smudging one of the words I had just written. "The Tao of Pooh,... I replied, poking his paw away with my pencil. "It seems more like ow! of Pooh,... said Pooh, rubbing his paw. "Well, it's not,... I replied huffily. "What's it about?... asked Pooh, leaning forward and smearing another word. "It's about how to stay happy and calm under all circumstances!... I yelled. "Have you read it?... asked Pooh... ...Winnie-the-Pooh has a certain way about him, a way of doing things that has made him the world's most beloved bear, and Pooh's Way, as Benjamin Hoff brilliantly demonstrates, seems strangely close to the ancient Chinese principles of Taoism. Follow the Pooh Way in this humorous and enlightening introduction to Taoism, with classic decorations by E.H.Shepard throughout. Over a million copies sold.

Dated 1909, A dialogue took place between a man and his Lord, stretching beyond the imaginations of all and superseding the works of man Allama Iqbal raises a series of complaints titled; Shikwa. The East was swept back in total astonishment as the controversy had begun. But little did they know that where there is a complaint surely a response will follow and it sure did. 1913 was the year the Allama Iqbal reclaimed his lost glory with the much awaited responce publication of Jawaab-e-Shikwa. It was claimed a `masterpiece'. It would be unjust not to translate it and relay such a unique, classical piece of work of Iqbal's.

This book is part of the Islamic Teachings series compiled from the works and lectures of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. Zakah and Charity book provides readers with both a general overview and where needed, some in depth information and guidance on basics of Islam. All of the primary subjects within the three branches of Shariah, Aqidah (doctrine), Fiqh (jurisprudence), Tasawwuf (spirituality and self purification) are covered and a general basic understanding of Islam in a modern context through an easy way to follow question and answer format. Some of the most common yet unanswered, day to day issues are replied to using juristic methods from sound sources of Qur'an and Hadith. These are not only of benefit for the purpose of self study, for anybody of any age and from every walk of life, it is also a very useful reference source which caters for the needs of academic institutions, libraries and study circles.

In 1991, Ahmed Ali Haile returned to the chaos of his native Somalia with a clear mission: to bring warring clans together to find new paths of peace--often over a cup of tea. A grenade thrown by a detractor cost Haile his leg and almost his life, but his stature as a peacemaker remained. Whether in Somali's capital, Mogadishu, or among Somalis in Kenya, Europe, and the United States, Haile has been a tireless ambassador for the peace of Christ. Into this moving memoir of conversion and calling, Haile weaves poignant reflections on the meaning of his journey in the world of Islam. 144 Pages.

How would you feel, as a guest, about sitting in a suburban living room that is for women only? What if you wanted a baby but as a single woman could not have one outside of a marriage? Could you stay home to mourn a husband for four months and ten days? Headstrong Daughters takes us inside the lives of Muslim women in Australia today. They are working professionals, mothers, and students. At home they are finding ways to stay true to their faith as well as to themselves, navigating the expectations of their families and the traditions they brought with them to their new country. But things are not always what they seem. These candid, moving and sometimes surprising stories reveal a side to Australian life that is little known and often misunderstood. Inspiring, warm and determined, these women are the new face of Islam in Australia.

Ars Judaica is an annual publication of the Department of Jewish Art at Bar-Ilan University. It showcases the Jewish contribution to the visual arts and architecture from antiquity to the present from a variety of perspectives, including history, iconography, semiotics, psychology, sociology, and folklore. As such it is a valuable resource for art historians, collectors, curators, and all those interested in the visual arts. In this volume, Sarit Shalev-Eyni considers the Mahzor as a cosmological calendar, while Katrin Kogman-Appel looks at the work of Elisha ben Abraham, known as Cresques, in fourtheenth-century Mallorca. Evelyn M. Cohen discusses a surprising model for Charlotte Rothschild's Haggadah of 1842 and Ronit Sternberg examines sampler embroidery past and present as an expression of merging Jewish identity. Jechezkiel David Kirszenbaum's exploration of personal displacementis the subject of an article by Caroline Goldberg Igra, and the Great Synagogue on Tlomackie Street in Warsaw one by Eleanora Bergman. The Special Item by Sergey R. Kravtsov and Vladimir Levin is devoted to Perek Shirah on a wall of the Great Synagogue in Radyvyliv. The volume also includes book reviews and an appreciation of the life of Alfred Moldovan by William L. Gross. Contributors: Ziva Amishai-Maisels, Professor, History of Art Department, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Eleonora Bergman, Emanuel Ringelbaum Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw, Evelyn M. Cohen, Professor, Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), New York, Caroline Goldberg Igra, Guest Curator, Beit Hatfusot, Tel Aviv, William L. Gross, Collector, Tel Aviv, Katrin Kogman-Appel, Professor, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Sergey R. Kravtsov, Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Vladimir Levin, Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Sarit Shalev-Eyni, History of Art Department, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Larry Silver, History of Art Department, University of Pennsylvania, Ronit Steinberg, History and Theory Department, Bezalel Academy of Arts and design, Jerusalem Volumes of Ars Judaica are distributed by the Littman Library of Jewish Civilization throughout the world, except Israel. Orders and enquiries from Israeli customers should be directed to: Ars Judaica Department of Jewish Art Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan 52900 telephone 03 5318413 fax 03 6359241 email [email protected]

In 1839 a group of Hindu elite gathered in Calcutta to share and propagate their faith in a non-idolatrous form of worship. The group, known as the Tattvabodhinl Sabha, met weekly to worship and hear discourses from members on ways to promote a rational and morally responsible mode of worship. They called upon ancient sources of Hindu spirituality to guide them in developing a modern form of theism they referred to as "Vedanta." In this book, Brian Hatcher situates the theology and moral vision set forth in these hitherto unknown discourses against the backdrop of religious and social change in early colonial Calcutta. In doing so, he demonstrates how the theology of the Tattvabodhinl Sabha legitimated the worldly interests of Calcutta's emergent bourgeoisie. This 'bourgeois Vedanta' sanctioned material prosperity while providing members with a means of spiritual fulfillment.
Hatcher's important study includes the first ever complete, annotated translation of Sabhyadiger vaktrta, the earliest extant record of the Tattvabodhinl Sabha. The translation is supplemented with a detailed analysis of the text demonstrating that its twenty-one unsigned discourses were composed by such major figures in nineteenth-century Bengal as Debendranath Tagore, Isvaracandra Vidyasagara, Isvaracandra Gupta, and Aksayakumara Datta. In many cases, these are the earliest known writings we have for such individuals.
This rare set of discourses provides Hatcher with an opportunity to explore a decisive moment in the construction of modern Vedanta, and to comment on the concerns this Vedantic movement raised for contemporary Christian observers. Hatcher is able to demonstrate the decisive role played bythe Tattvabodhinl Sabha in both reviving and reformulating the teachings of Rammohan Roy, the founder of Vedantic reform in colonial India. At the same time, Hatcher suggests that the earliest members of the Sabha are best viewed as 'Brhamos without Rammohan.' Only later would they look to Rammohan as their founding father.
Apart from bringing to light the guiding ideals of an association that was to have a profound influence on religious and intellectual life in nineteenth-century Bengal, Hatcher's analysis will promote reflection on a variety of topics central to understanding the development of modern forms of Hindu belief and practice.

The world is facing a great dilemma due to despicable, inhumane and barbaric acts of terrorism, indiscriminate killings, warfare, anarchy, disorder and suicide bombings over the past two decades. It is not only destroying the peace of any specific region, group or country but has become a major threat to world peace. Young People and Students living in various western countries who do not have conceptual clarity regarding Islam are wronglyconsidering terrorism and indiscriminate killing to be Jihad and are being drawn towards it.A further disturbing issue with regards to this is that the terrorists declare their evil goals to be part of the Islamic concept of Jihad. Furthermore they speak of enforcing the Islamic Shariah according to their extremist and terrorist ideology. They call for the re-establishment of the Caliphate as part of their ideology; and they use the Islamic terminologies and concepts of Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) to legally justify their claims. By quoting the Qur'an, hadith and texts from the books of Islamic Law out of context, they influence common Muslims who are not acquainted with the true teachings of Islam, especially youngsters.There is a need to provide authentic, comprehensive material against extremism to all people, from every walk of life, according to their needs, so that the conceptual and ideological confusions which may lead to terrorismcan be eliminated. The Islamic Curriculum on Peace and Counter-Terrorism was prepared for this purpose. This curriculum has 3 parts and aims to provide resources from the Holy Qur'an, Hadith and authoritative books to provide a comprehensive ideological and theological background to all the key areas that are utilised to brainwash youngsters.The Islamic Curriculum on Peace and Counter-Terrorism has been compiled under the supervision and guidance of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri - who is the author of the Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings.

Despite the ongoing global expansion of Christianity, there remains a lack of comprehensive scholarship on its development in Asia. This volume fills the gap by exploring the world of Asian Christianity and its manifold expressions, including worship, theology, spirituality, inter-religious relations, interventions in society, and mission. The contributors, from over twenty countries, deconstruct many of the widespread misconceptions and interpretations of Christianity in Asia. They analyze how the growth of Christian beliefs throughout the continent is linked with the socio-political and cultural processes of colonization, decolonization, modernization, democratization, identity construction of social groups, and various social movements. With a particular focus on inter-religious encounters and emerging theological and spiritual paradigms, the volume provides alternative frames for understanding the phenomenon of conversion and studies how the scriptures of other religious traditions are used in the practice of Christianity within Asia. The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia draws insightful conclusions on the historical, contemporary, and future trajectory of its subject by combining the contributions of scholars in a wide variety of disciplines, including theology, sociology, history, political science, and cultural studies. It will be an invaluable resource for understanding Christianity in a global context.

Islam teaches that marriage is "half of religion". Because it fulfills so many basic needs of individuals and of society, it is the cornerstone upon which the whole Muslim life is built. This highly readable book takes the reader through the relevant passages in the Qur'an and Hadith, and goes on to discuss the main social, emotional and sexual problems that can afflict relationships, suggesting many practical ways in which these can be resolved.

The world is facing a great dilemma due to despicable, inhumane and barbaric acts of terrorism, indiscriminate killings, warfare, anarchy, disorder and suicide bombings over the past two decades. It is not only destroying the peace of any specific region, group or country but has become a major threat to world peace. Young People and Students living in various western countries who do not have conceptual clarity regarding Islam are wrongly considering terrorism and indiscriminate killing to be Jihad and are being drawn towards it.A further disturbing issue with regards to this is that the terrorists declare their evil goals to be part of the Islamic concept of Jihad. Furthermore they speak of enforcing the Islamic Shariah according to their extremist and terrorist ideology. They call for the re-establishment of the Caliphate as part of their ideology; and they use the Islamic terminologies and concepts of Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) to legally justify their claims. By quoting the Qur'an, hadith and texts from the books of Islamic Law out of context, they influence common Muslims who are not acquainted with the true teachings of Islam, especially youngsters.There is a need to provide authentic, comprehensive material against extremism to all people, from every walk of life, according to their needs, so that the conceptual and ideological confusions which may lead to terrorism can be eliminated. The Islamic Curriculum on Peace and Counter-Terrorism was prepared for this purpose. This curriculum has 3 parts and aims to provide resources from the Holy Qur'an, Hadith and authoritative books to provide a comprehensive ideological and theological background to all the key areas that are utilised to brainwash youngsters.The Islamic Curriculum on Peace and Counter-Terrorism has been compiled under the supervision and guidance of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri - who is the author of the Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings.

With over four million copies in print, Parmahansa Yogananda's autobiography has been translated into thirty-three languages, and it still serves as a gateway into yoga and alternative spirituality for countless North American practitioners. This book examines Yogananda's life and work to clarify linkages between the seemingly disparate aspects of modern yoga, and illuminates the intimate connections between yoga and metaphysically-leaning American traditions such as Unitarianism, New Thought, and Theosophy. Instead of treating yoga as a stable practice, Anya P. Foxen proposes that it is the figure of the Yogi that give the practice of his followers both form and meaning. Focusing on Yogis rather than yoga during the period of transnational popularization highlights the continuities in the concept of the Yogi as superhuman even as it illuminates the transformation of the practice itself. Skillfully balancing traditional yogic ritual, metaphysical spirituality, physical culture, and a flair for the stage, Foxen shows, Yogananda taught a proto-modern yoga to his American audiences. His Yogoda program has remained under the radar of yoga scholarship due to its lack of reliance on recognizable postures. However, as a regimen of training for the modern Yogi, Yogananda's method synthesizes the spiritual and superhuman aspirations of Indian traditions with the metaphysical and health-oriented sensibilities of Euro-American progressivism in a way that exactly prefigures present-day transnational yoga culture. Yet, at the heart of it all, Yogananda retains a sense of what it means to be a Yogi: his message is that the natural destiny of the human is the superhuman.

Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is the classic manual on the art of living, and one of the wonders of the world. In eighty-one brief chapters, the Tao Te Ching looks at the basic predicament of being alive and gives advice that imparts balance and perspective, a serene and generous spirit.

This book is about wisdom in action. It teaches how to work for the good with the effortless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao (the basic principle of the universe) and applies equally to good government and sexual love; to child rearing, business, and ecology.

Stephen Mitchell's bestselling version has been widely acclaimed as a gift to contemporary culture.

Ars Judaica is an annual publication of the Department of Jewish Art at Bar-Ilan University. It showcases the Jewish contribution to the visual arts and architecture from antiquity to the present from a variety of perspectives, including history, iconography, semiotics, psychology, sociology, and folklore. As such it is a valuable resource for art historians, collectors, curators, and all those interested in the visual arts. In this volume, Avraham Faust considers a unique phenomenon in the material culture of ancient Israel during the biblical period: pottery without painted decoration. Moshe Idel, an expert on Jewish mysticism, sheds new light on the figure of Helios in the Hammath Tiberias synagogue mosaic, comparing it to descriptions of angel 'Anafi'el in the Heikhalot literature and medieval Kabbalistic texts. Rahel Fronda attributes a group of medieval Ashkenazi Bible manuscripts containing similar micrographic ornaments to the same scribal workshop, possibly near Wurzburg. Alexander Mishory reveals a Scroll of Esther illuminated by one of the first Bezalel artists, Shmuel Ben-David, and focuses on his use of fowl and fox imagery deriving from an Arab fable. Artur Tanikowski discusses social awareness and humanist values in the work of Polish modernists of Jewish origin. The Special Item by Nurit Sirkis Bank is dedicated to hasidic wedding rings. A silver ring, square on the outside, round within, and engraved with the Hebrew letter he is understood as a symbol of unity and harmony between man and woman, the human and the Divine, nature and culture, and even good and evil. Contributor Information: Walter Cahn, Professor, History of Art Department, Yale University, Avraham Faust, Director, Tel 'Eton Excavations, Institute of Archaeology, Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, Bar-Ilan University, Rahel Fronda, Hebraica and Judaica Subject Librarian, Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, Carole Herselle Krinsky, Professor, Art History Department, New York University, Moshe Idel, Professor, Department of Jewish Thought, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Senior Researcher, Shalom Hartman Institute, David Malkiel, Professor, Department of Jewish History, Bar-Ilan University, Alec Mishory, independent scholar, Israel, Ilia Rodov, Lecturer, Department of Jewish Art, Bar-Ilan University, Nurit Sirkis Bank, Curator, Wolfson Museum of Jewish Art, Hechal Shlomo; doctoral candidate, Bar-Ilan University, David Stern, Professor, Jewish Studies Faculty, University of Pennsylvania, Artur Tanikowski, Graphic Department, Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw; Faculty of Humanities, Fryderyk Chopin Uiversity of Music, Warsaw; Curator, Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Warsaw Volumes of Ars Judaica are distributed by the Littman Library of Jewish Civilization throughout the world, except Israel. Orders and enquiries from Israeli customers should be directed to: Ars Judaica Department of Jewish Art Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan 52900 Telephone: 03 5318413 Email: [email protected]

This book comprises responses by a Sufi master, Hadrat Sahib of the Naqshbandi tradition, to letters written by students of the master. The questions posed in these letters cover a wide range of issues including, financial problems, health issues, family matters, education and bereavement. The advice given by the master reveals a deep spirituality which places the particular student's problem in context and details a specific method of offering oneself to God at all times. It is difficult to find such detail relating to spiritual practices in Sufi literature. These letters are inspirational and timeless. They provide a cure to a world dominated by materialism and all its attendant miseries.

The Dasam Granth is a 1,428-page anthology of diverse compositions attributed to the tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh, and a topic of great controversy among Sikhs. The controversy stems from two major issues: a substantial portion of the Dasam Granth relates tales from Hindu mythology, suggesting a disconnect from normative Sikh theology; and a long composition entitled Charitropakhian tells several hundred rather graphic stories about illicit liaisons between men and women. Sikhs have debated whether the text deserves status as a "scripture" or should be read instead as "literature." Sikh scholars have also long debated whether Guru Gobind Singh in fact authored the entire Dasam Granth. Much of the secondary literature on the Dasam Granth focuses on this authorship issue, and despite an ever-growing body of articles, essays, and books (mainly in Punjabi), the debate has not moved forward. The available manuscript and other historical evidence do not provide conclusive answers regarding authorship. The debate has been so acrimonious at times that in 2000, Sikh leader Joginder Singh Vedanti issued a directive that Sikh scholars not comment on the Dasam Granth publicly at all pending a committee inquiry into the matter. Debating the Dasam Granth is the first English language, book-length critical study of this controversial Sikh text in many years. Based on research on the original text in the Brajbhasha and Punjabi languages, a critical reading of the secondary literature in Punjabi, Hindi, and English, and interviews with scholars and Sikh leaders in India, it offers a thorough introduction to the Dasam Granth, its history, debates about its authenticity, and an in-depth analysis of its most important compositions.