It is a collection of religious and philosophic texts gathered and translated into Coptic by fourth-century Gnostic Christians and translated into English by dozens of highly reputable experts. First published in 1978, this is the revised 1988 edition supported by illuminating introductions to each document. The library itself is a diverse collection of texts that the Gnostics considered to be related to their heretical philosophy in some way. There are 45 separate titles, including a Coptic translation from the Greek of two well-known works: the Gospel of Thomas, attributed to Jesus' brother Judas, and Plato's Republic. The word gnosis is defined as "the immediate knowledge of spiritual truth." This doomed radical sect believed in being here now--withdrawing from the contamination of society and materiality--and that heaven is an internal state, not some place above the clouds. That this collection has resurfaced at this historical juncture is more than likely no coincidence.--P. Randall Cohan

    The Gospel of Thomas, from manuscripts discovered in Nag Hammadi

    Also known as Miriam of Magdala, Mary Magdalene was considered by the apostle John to be the founder of Christianity because she was the first witness to the Resurrection. In most theological studies she has been depicted as a reformed prostitute, the redeemed sinner who exemplifies Christ's mercy. Today's reader can ponder her role in the gospels of Philip, Thomas, Peter, and Bartholomew--the collection of what have come to be known as the Gnostic gospels rejected by the early Christian church. Mary's own gospel is among these, but until now it has remained unknown to the public at large.Orthodox theologian Jean-Yves Leloup's translation of the Gospel of Mary from the Coptic and his thorough and profound commentary on this text are presented here for the first time in English. The gospel text and the spiritual exegesis of Leloup together reveal unique teachings that emphasize the eminence of the divine feminine and an abiding love of nature over the dualistic and ascetic interpretations of Christianity presented elsewhere. What emerges from this important source text and commentary is a renewal of the sacred feminine in the Western spiritual tradition and a new vision for Christian thought and faith throughout the world.

    V.S. Sukthankar was engaged to deliver four lectures on the 'Meaning of the Mahabharata' under the auspices of the University of Bombay. However, the fourth and last lecture was not delivered on account of his sad sudden demise on the morning of the day fixed for it. The Manuscript (Ms.) of these lectures-a veritable treasure to cherish had remained lost to the world of scholars for the long period of fifteen years. It beared the title "Four Lectures on the Meaning of the Mahabharata." This rather heavy-looking title has been abridged here in publication into the substantial title "On the Meaning of the Mahabharata." In a great many places, sentences or paragraphs have been placed in rectangular brackets in pencil. This bracketed material has been retained in the body of this book. Secondly, an alternative word or phrase is occasionally found written with a pencil in the margin along with an underscoring of the relevant word or words in the text. It is thought advisable to retain the text of the script as it stands, leaving such marginal alternatives alone. However, there is one exception: Dr. Sukthankar had rewritten in pencil almost a whole para at the end of the third lecture. This pencil-script is incorporated in the body of the book. A facsimile of this page is reproduced as the frontispiece. An English rendering of the German quotation from OLDENBERG is given in an Appendix for the convenience of the general reader. In Index I Sanskrit quotations are printed in Devanagari for the benefit of those not quite conversant with the transiliteration.

    

    

    The health benefits of yoga are numerous, including stress-relief, physical exercise and therapeutic relief from ailments, such as chronic back pain, hypertension, migraine headaches and insomnia. Teach Yourself VISUALLY Yoga will provide step-by-step instructions that will help readers quickly get started experiencing the benefits of yoga. The book will contain detailed, full-color photographs that will give readers an easy-to-follow guide to performing common yoga poses, as well as useful information to keep in mind when trying new yoga poses. One of the many benefits of yoga is that it is accessible to everyone, regardless of age or fitness level. Teach Yourself VISUALLY Yoga will include useful tips to help readers adapt yoga poses to meet their individual needs. In addition to outlining common yoga poses, Teach Yourself VISUALLY Yoga will recommend sequences of poses readers can perform to achieve various goals, such as relaxation or fitness. Once readers become familiar with the basics of yoga, they can follow the advice in the book to design their own individualized yoga sessions. Teach Yourself VISUALLY Yoga should include sections on:What is yoga? The health and fitness benefits of yoga. Breathing techniques. Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions and accompanying full-color photographs for performing common yoga poses correctly and safely. Useful tips to help readers adapt poses to meet their individual needs. Appropriate clothing for practicing yoga and equipment that can be used.Warm-up exercises that can be performed at the beginning of a yoga session. Relaxation techniques and poses. Suggested sequences of poses for yoga sessions, such as beginner sessions, relaxation sessions and fitness sessions, as well as tips for designing your own sessions. Yoga meditation techniques.

    Yet the original Sanskrit version, attributed to the sage Valmiki. It is revered thoroughout India, as the original spiritual story of Lord Ramachandra, and his eternal wife Sitadevi.

    

    

    Manasseh is recorded in the Bible as one of the most idolatrous kings of Judah (2 Kings 21:1–18; 2 Chronicles 33:1–9). Chronicles, but not Kings, records that Manasseh was taken captive by the Assyrians. (2 Chronicles 33:11–13) While a prisoner, Manasseh prayed for mercy, and upon being freed and restored to the throne turned from his idolatrous ways. (2 Chronicles 33:15–17) A reference to the prayer, but not the prayer itself, is made in 2 Chronicles 33:19, which says that the prayer is written in the "history of the seers."The prayer is considered apocryphal by Jews, Catholics and Protestants. It was placed at the end of 2 Chronicles in the late 4th-century Vulgate. Over a millennium later, Martin Luther included the book in his 74-book translation of the Bible. It was part of the 1537 Matthew Bible, and the 1599 Geneva Bible. It also appears in the Apocrypha of the King James Bible. Pope Clement VIII included the prayer in an appendix to the Vulgate stating that it should continue to be read "lest it perish entirely."The prayer is included in some editions of the Greek Septuagint. For example, the 5th century Codex Alexandrinus includes the prayer among fourteen Odes appearing just after the Psalms. It is accepted as a deuterocanonical book by some Orthodox Christians, though it does not appear in Bibles printed in Greece. The prayer is chanted during the Orthodox Christian and Byzantine Catholic service of Great Compline. It is used in the Roman Rite as part of the Responsory after the first reading in the Office of Readings on the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (along with Psalm 51). It is used also as a canticle in the Daily Office of the 1979 U.S. Book of Common Prayer used by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.The prayer appears in ancient Syriac, Old Slavonic, Ethiopic, and Armenian translations. In the Ethiopian Bible, the prayer is found in 2 Chronicles."Wikipedia

    ISBN: 0983063915