Religion

Here are the inspirational life and teachings of Awa Kenzo (1880-1939), the Zen and kyudo (archery) master who gained worldwide renown after the publication of Eugen Herrigel's cult classic Zen in the Art of Archery in 1953. Kenzo lived and taught at a pivotal time in Japan's history, when martial arts were practiced primarily for self-cultivation, and his wise and penetrating instructions for practice (and life)—including aphorisms, poetry, instructional lists, and calligraphy—are infused with the spirit of Zen. Kenzo uses the metaphor of the bow and arrow to challenge the practitioner to look deeply into his or her own true nature.

This new selection of Gandhi's writings taken from his books, articles, letters and interviews sets out his views on religion, politics, society, non-violence and civil disobedience. Judith M. Brown's excellent introduction and notes examines his philosophy and the political context in which he wrote.

Originally published: Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, c2003.

A survey of the teachings associated with the feminine principle of Sophia in Christianity's mystical past.

RELIGION / CHRISTIAN STUDIESThe familiar story of Judas, betrayer of Jesus, is striking because of its incomprehensibility. Why would one of Christ's disciples and companions of the heart deliver him up to his enemies and a barbarous, ignominious, and certain death for thirty pieces of silver? Jean-Yves Leloup's careful investigation of the gospels, various apocryphal texts, and most importantly the Coptic codex known as the Gospel of Judas leads him to conclude that there is more to the familiar story of Judas than a simple demonstration, viewed through one man, of humanity's inherent failings.In this reconstruction, based on these classic texts, Leloup offers an alternative explanation for Judas's actions, complete with illustrative dialogue. The betrayal of Jesus to the Romans was Jesus's idea, explains Leloup. Jesus persuaded Judas to play the role of "evil" in humankind by telling him that this enactment was crucial to God's plan and would set Judas by Jesus's side in eternity: "There where I am," spoke Jesus to Judas, "is where I wish you, too, to be."But to get there, Judas--a metaphorical representation of the darker side present in all human beings and the "shadow" counterpart to his Messiah dying on the cross--must first shed all his human qualities. His failings of greed, deceit, and cowardice--and even his faith and hope--are washed away in the despair that engulfs him. A parallel moment occurs for Jesus on the cross, when he comes to know the despair of separation from God. The moment Judas "loses" his life and all that gave it meaning--his God, his law, his justice, his Messiah--is the very moment he finds that which cannot be discarded--life eternal. Thus, in the moment of his ultimate extremity, Judas receives Jesus's true message and his intended gift.JEAN-YVES LELOUP is a theologian and founder of the Institute of Other Civilization Studies and the International College of Therapists. His other books include The Sacred Embrace of Jesus and Mary, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, The Gospel of Philip, and The Gospel of Thomas. He lives in France.

Unique, unchanging, and formed five months before birth, fingerprints have been an accepted and infallible means of personal identification for a century. In LIFEPRINTS, Richard Unger presents a groundbreaking method of self-discovery and offers a daily compass for meaning and fulfillment. Combining the science of dermatoglyphics (the study of fingerprints and related line and hand shape designations) with the ancient wisdom of palmistry, the LifePrints system is a simple yet profoundly accurate means of mapping one's life purpose. Like examining an acorn to know what kind of oak tree may one day emerge, reading our fingerprints reveals who we are meant to become. • A guide to discovering one's life purpose by decoding the map revealed in our unique combination of fingerprints. • This new system is based on the author's 25 years of research and fingerprint statistics for more than 52,000 hands. • Features step-by-step instructions for identifying the fingerprints and mapping the life lessons for reaching our full potential. • Includes detailed case studies plus fingerprint readings for Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Amelia Earhart, Walt Disney, Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Charles Manson, and others.

A collection of Scripture-based readings that offer encouragement to individuals dealing with illness, loss, or other personal problems.

Includes essays on various issues relating to gender roles, written from an egalitarian standpoint.

The De Doctrina Christiana ("On Christian Teaching") is one of Augustine's most important works on the classical tradition. Undertaken at the same time as the Confessions, it sheds light on the development of Augustine's thought, especially in the areas of ethics, hermeneutics, and sign-theory. This completely new translation gives a close but updated representation of Augustine's thought and expression, while a succinct introduction and select bibliography present the insights of recent research.

In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Durkheim investigated the enduring source of human social identity and fellowship by studying the simplest form of documented religion, totemism among the Aborigines of Australia. His book about the origin and nature of religion and society continues to enthrall sociologists, anthropologists, ethnographers, philosophers, and theologians.

This book gives the beginner and experienced practitioner alike a modern, 21st century view into the powerful and often misunderstood magical current called 'Chaos Magick'. Written in a clear and easily accessible style it examines the theory behind many techniques used in magical, artistic, religious and scientific systems of thought; then links and applies them towards desired goals. Separated into two volumes the book can be used by the reader as a workbook with rituals, techniques and exercises to be followed, as a window into contemporary magical thought at the turn of the century or simply as a rollercoaster of a good read! However you choose to use it, this book will leave you feeling positive, inspired and ready to apply any of the methods presented to your own life.

This biography of one of the few women in her generation to devote herself entirely to the pursuit of meditation also includes Dipa Ma's spiritual teachings, which have made her a major figure in contemporary Buddhism.

The darkness and the light and the real Da Vinci code

The NIV Application Commentary helps readers with the vital task of bringing the ancient message of the Bible into a contemporary context. It gives preachers and teachers the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

The NIV Application Commentary helps readers with the vital task of bringing the ancient message of the Bible into a contemporary context. It gives preachers and teachers the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

Why don't people heal? Why do they stay wounded--some even driven to suicide by their pain-despite the best that organic and psychological medicine can offer? To find the answers, Russian--born psychiatrist Olga Kharitidi traveled to exotic Samarkand, a major cultural and spiritual crossroads, and ancient capital of Uzbekistan, in the heart of Central Asia.No stranger to mystical and shamanic experiences, Dr. Kharitidi had already immersed herself in Siberian native traditions of seeing and healing. Now, at the invitation of an emissary from an ancient secret brotherhood, Dr. Kharitidi set out to learn first-hand the secrets of healing deep emotional wounds. As she quickly discovered, to master these methods she would first have to heal herself.Under the tutelage of the mysterious and charismatic Michael, the master of lucid dreams and protector of esoteric teachings first given millennia ago, Dr. Kharitidi entered another world altogether. There, she saw how our deepest emotional traumas are held in place by baleful spirits and can only be overcome by the technique of dreaming while awake.A major contribution to experiential psychology and a vivid revelation of little-known ancient teachings, The Master of Lucid Dreams describes a startlingly different and effective approach to inner healing.

7 lectures, Rotterdam, August 15-22, 1938The focus of this book is the spiritual work in the "school" (or community) of Michael. What does this mean? At the end of the eighteenth century, the Archangel Michael revealed the new mystery that has manifested on Earth as spiritual science--Anthroposophy. Its essence involves the renewal of our knowledge of the mysteries of karma and human destiny. Those who are drawn to this school have a special relationship to the human faculty of thinking--their inner feeling for truth has the strength of iron. This feeling for truth helps them to become companions of Michael at the threshold of the spiritual world.These talks deal with the spiritual path of Anthroposophy in its Christian-Rosicrucian aspect. Tomberg speaks openly and honestly about meditation, the various stages of consciousness (imagination, inspiration, and intuition), the "guardian of the threshold," and the esoteric trials one encounters along the way. He concludes by describing the life of Rudolf Steiner as the life of a Christian initiate.This book was originally published in German as Sieben Vorträge über die innere Entwicklung des Menschen.

This book reveals the origin of self-hate, how self-hate works, how to identify it, and how to go beyond it. It provides examples of some of the forms self-hate takes, including taking blame but not credit, holding grudges, and trying to be perfect, and explores the many facets of self-hate, including its role in addiction, the battering cycle, and the illusion of control. After addressing these factors, it illustrates how a meditation practice can be developed and practised in efforts to free oneself from self-hating beliefs.

Both an exposition of Eckhart's mysticism and an exemplary work of contemporary philosophy.

A collection of 11 articles - 9 in English and 2 in French - on the medieval councils, decretals and collections of canon law. There are additional notes and fully revised and detailed indexes for this second edition.

Highlighting the concepts guiding research into religion, media, and culture, this book offers a conceptual map of the field. It includes essays on the relationships between media and religion.

Martin Buber presents the essential teachings of Hasidism, the mystical Jewish movement which swept Eastern Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries.

'The book covers every side of Muslim life . . . a remarkable collection of new information, which will be of deep interest to students of European history' R.W. Southern, NEW YORK REVIEW

This second edition includes virtually every piece produced during the first 100 years of Christian history. Ehrman shows how the canon of the New Testament was formulated and how other texts were excluded from the canon. He also provides brief up-to-date introductions to each of the texts.

In this book, two great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries challenge us to critically examine our materialistic preoccupations and think carefully about how we want to spend the rest of our lives. At the same time, they provide practical guidance in following the Buddhist path, starting from the most basic motivation and culminating in the direct experience of reality beyond the reach of conceptual mind. The root text is a teaching in verse written in the nineteenth century by Patrul Rinpoche, one of the outstanding teachers of his day. In the accompanying commentary, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910–1991)—lineage holder of the Nyingma school and one of the great expounders of the Dharma in Europe and North America—expands upon the text with his characteristic compassion and uncompromising thoroughness. Patrul Rinpoche''s fresh and piercing verses combined with Khyentse Rinpoche''s down-to-earth comments offer a concise yet complete examination of the Buddhist path.

Is there a higher purpose behind the relationships we have with domesticated animals? The answer is a resounding "yes". This work explains the divine purpose of our association with domesticated animals, and the important role humanity has to play in their evolution.