He ought to be the most terrible one because he presides over destruction, whereas Brahma and Vishnu are associated with creation and preservation respectively. Yet Shiva is as much loved by mortals as Vishnu is. He inspires fear in the hearts of the wicked, love and affection in the hearts and the pious. From his snowy abode on Mount Kailasa, Lord Shiva travelled for and wide, answering the prayers of his devotee. But he was often in disguise to ensure that his favours went only to the deserving. And so it was that he battled with the dauntless Pandava Arjuna, cast his net into the sea as he mingled with humble fisherfolk, and emerged from the sand to kick aside even the mighty Yama, God of death.

    Since that time, the work has established a powerful hold on the western popular imagination, and is now considered a classic of spiritual literature. Over the years, The Tibetan Book of the Dead has inspired numerous commentaries, an illustrated edition, a play, a video series, and even an opera. Translators, scholars, and popular devotees of the book have claimed to explain its esoteric ideas and reveal its hidden meaning. Few, however, have uttered a word about its history. Bryan J. Cuevas seeks to fill this gap in our knowledge by offering the first comprehensive historical study of the Great Liberation upon Hearing in the Bardo, and by grounding it firmly in the context of Tibetan history and culture. He begins by discussing the many ways the texts have been understood (and misunderstood) by westerners, beginning with its first editor, the Oxford-educated anthropologist Walter Y. Evans-Wentz, and continuing through the present day. The remarkable fame of the book in the west, Cuevas argues, is strikingly disproportionate to how the original Tibetan texts were perceived in their own country. Cuevas tells the story of how The Tibetan Book of the Dead was compiled in Tibet, of the lives of those who preserved and transmitted it, and explores the history of the rituals through which the life of the dead is imagined in Tibetan society. This book provides not only a fascinating look at a popular and enduring spiritual work, but also a much-needed corrective to the proliferation of ahistorical scholarship surrounding The Tibetan Book of the Dead.

    In learning about these archetypes, we come to recognize them in ourselves -to gain a clearer perception of our powers and weaknesses and to achieve a common thread, a link to the collective unconscious. Susan Seddon Boulet s magnificent paintings and Michael Babcock's insightful text offer a brilliant vision of the female pantheon.With paintings on one side and brief biographies on the other, these 48 fact-filled Knowledge Cards are a great source of condensed information all in a deck the size of a pack of playing cards! You ll learn essential facts about the featured art and artists in this concise, stimulating compilation. Perfect for connoisseurs, art fiends, students, teachers, and the purely inquisitive, this deck is sure to spark your curiosity and admiration, and to encourage you to learn more on your own.

    For centuries Indian children have grown up hearing Ganesh's story--how his mother, Parvati (an incarnation of the great mother goddess), created a small boy from sandalwood soap and commanded that he guard the palace against all intruders while she took her bath. How her husband, Shiva (the fearsome god of destruction), didn't take kindly to being barred from his own home. How Shiva beheaded the boy during the cosmic war that followed, but then, when he realized that the balance of the entire universe was at stake, brought the boy back to life by grafting an elephant's head onto his body and made him the people's intercessor against the powers of destruction. Ganesh's timeless story teaches children about the steadfast power of dedication to duty, the awe-inspiring power of a mother's love for her child, and the gentle power of compassion, which holds the world together. Accompanied by rich, color illustrations prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon, How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head will transport children to a magical world filled with ancient wisdom.

    Tokala's just a younger son who bears the visible disfavor of the gods, a long white tail. Dano's the forbidden child with an unknown father and a mother who left the world as he came in. Everything is not always as it seems and the gods don't always agree about favor, or lack there of. As Tokala and Dano grow to adulthood, an attraction growing between them, obligations of adulthood also demand their payment. Tokala is betrothed to the heir to the throne, who is determined to see him made over from a silent, horse loving, blond man into a knight. Dano's unaware of the temple watching him and his songbird magic that his foster family neglected to report to the temple. Someone's an Emprial bastard and the living key to opening the last gate protecting the goddess of love from the greed of the god of logic.