His painting Net of Being--inspired by a blazing vision of an infinite grid of Godheads during an ayahuasca journey--has reached millions as the cover and interior of the band TOOL’s Grammy award–winning triple-platinum album, 10,000 Days. Net of Being is one of many images Grey has created that have resulted in a chain reaction of uses--from apparel and jewelry to tattoos and music videos--embedding these iconic works into our culture’s living Net of Being. The book explores how the mystical experience expressed in Alex Grey’s work opens a new understanding of our shared consciousness and unveils the deep influence art can have on cultural evolution. The narrative progresses through a successive expansion of identity--from the self, to self and beloved, to self and community, world spirit, and cosmic consciousness, where bodies are transparent to galactic energies. Presenting over 200 images, including many never-before-reproduced paintings as well as masterworks such as St. Albert and the LSD Revelation Revolution and Godself, the book also documents performance art, live-painting on stage throughout the world, and the “social sculpture” called CoSM, Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, that Grey cofounded with his wife and creative collaborator, artist Allyson Grey.

    In this condensed edition, you'll find all the spirit animals from the original edition plus some new ones in a format that makes it even more user-friendly. Just as our ancestors and indigenous peoples knew, when an animal comes to you in an unusual way or repeatedly, whether in physical or symbolic form, they are serving as spirit guides attempting to get a message to you.

    Teresa of Avila, ‘Attâr, St. John of the Cross, and Rûmî. Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee describes the stages of prayer: how prayer is first born of need, but then takes one deep within the heart, into the stages of union and ecstasy. Through mystical prayer, one is drawn into the silence of real communion with God. Here, in the silence within the heart, a meeting and merging takes place that carries one beyond the self into the mystery of divine presence. This exploration delves into the secret of how to pray without ceasing, in which prayer becomes alive within the heart, and includes a chapter on the need to pray for the well-being of the Earth. It brings together the Christian and Sufi mystical traditions and will benefit any practitioner of prayer who is drawn to discover a relationship with God within their heart.

    The Lankavatara Sutra is the holy grail of Zen. Zen’s First Patriarch, Bodhidharma, gave a copy of this text to his successor, Hui-k’o, and told him everything he needed to know was in this book. Passed down from teacher to student ever since, this is the only Zen sutra ever spoken by the Buddha. Although it covers all the major teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, it contains but two teachings: that everything we perceive as being real is nothing but the perceptions of our own mind and that the knowledge of this is something that must be realized and experienced for oneself and cannot be expressed in words. In the words of Chinese Zen masters, these two teachings became known as “have a cup of tea” and “taste the tea.” This is the first translation into English of the original text used by Bodhidharma, which was the Chinese translation made by Gunabhadra in 443 and upon which all Chinese Zen masters have relied ever since.In addition to presenting one of the most difficult of all Buddhist texts in clear English, Red Pine has also added summaries, explanations and notes, including relevant Sanskrit terms on the basis of which the Chinese translation was made. This promises to become an essential text for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding or knowledge of Zen.

    Desperate to find her, the police called physicist Russell Targ and Pat Price, a psychic retired police commissioner. As Price turned the pages of the police mug book filled with hundreds of photos, suddenly he pointed to one of them and announced, "That's the ringleader." The man was Donald DeFreeze, who was indeed subsequently so identified. Price also described the type and location of the kidnap car, enabling the police to find it within minutes. That remarkable event is one reason Targ believes in ESP. Another occurred when his group made $120,000 by forecasting for nine weeks in a row the changes in the silver-commodity futures marketAs a scientist, Targ demands proof. His experience is based on two decades of investigations at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), which he cofounded with physicist Harold Puthoff in 1972. This twenty-million dollar program launched during the Cold War was supported by the CIA, NASA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Army and Air Force Intelligence. The experiments they conducted routinely presented results could have happened by chance less than once in a million. Targ describes four types of experiments:Remote Viewing, in which a person describes places and events independent of space and time. For example, while in California Price drew to scale a Soviet weapons factory at Semipalitinsk with great accuracy later confirmed by Satellite photography. In another remote viewing, Targ accurately sketched an airport in San Andreas, Columbia himself.Distant Mental Influence, where the thoughts of the experimenter can positively or negatively affect the physiology (heart rate, skin resistance, etc.) of a distant person.Whole field isolation, where someone in a state of sensory isolation accurately describes the visual experiences of someone else in another placePrecognition and retrocausality, showing that the future can affect the past. That is, the elephant you see on television in the morning can be the cause of your having dreamed about elephants the previous night.Final chapters present evidence for survival after death; explain how ESP works based on the Buddhist/Hindu view of our selves as nonlocal, eternal awareness; discuss the ethics of exercising psychic abilities,and show us how to explore ESP ourselves. "I am convinced," Targ says, "that most people can learn to move from their ordinary mind to one not obstructed by conventional barriers of space and time. Who would not want to try that?"

    You know you have a calling but you don't yet know what it is or how to go about finding it. The Lightworker's Source is a much-needed guide for newly awakened or even fully conscious Lightworkers to reveal their authentic selves and find fulfillment in the lives they are destined to live. You will be inspired by true stories of fellow Lightworkers who have awakened to the divine intention of their own lives, and learn practices to enhance your own Lightworker gifts.The Lightworker's Source will help you understand:The signs and symptoms of awakening to your Lightworker roleWhat the "Dark Night of The Soul" is and why it is a Lightworker rite of passageHow to avoid the "One Way Flow," which will create roadblocks to your own happinessHow to use your dreams for guidance and as a gateway to your higher selfThe Lightworker's Source is the practical roadmap to the higher self you've been searching for.

    This is the amazing story of a woman who survived a near fatal explosion. Incredibly, that was only the beginning of her story. During the event, she experienced a NDE (Near Death Experience). She retained vivid memories of going to the spirit side and from that unique out-of-body perspective; she helped celestial beings put her body back together so she could return to life. She wanted to share what the experience was like as viewed from the spirit side. A true tale of survival and courage, sure to empower others who read it.

    Nicholson's critical edition is based on the oldest known manuscripts, including the earliest, dated 1278 and preserved in the Mevlana Museum at Konya. It remains the standard text and is provided with diacritical marks to assist the student. The prose translation, similarly, is intended to be an exact and faithful guide to the Persian. The three volumes of English translation can either be bought as a set, or individually; together they comprise a complete translation. Volume 6 comprises a translation of Books V and VI.

    In the course of the exposition, the concepts of the Initiatic Dream are traced to furthest antiquity, epitomized by the participatory nature of the Mystic within the Oneiric Realm. The axiomata of Dream Reification and Rarefaction are introduced as defining processes of this twilight pilgrimage, both of a gnostic and illuminative character. At the time of his matriculation, Chumbley had already established a solid reputation as an occult author and practitioner of widely varying spiritual disciplines. His highly-acclaimed books Azoëtia (1992) and Qutub (1995) arose not only from the solid foundation of magical practice and theory, but also from a highly complex mystical dream-praxis, perfected for many years. Though forming the core of his coursework, 'Mysticism' - together with the bulk of his SOAS essays - were written in a transcendent dialogist style altogether in concord with the body of his occult work. Drawing upon sources as diverse as the dream-vision of the Christian saints, Sufic oneiric texts, and Bonpo termas, Chumbley here presents an arcane cartography of the dream as the eternal vessel for the perichoresis of matter and spirit.Three Hands Press Occult Monographs is a new esoteric reference series. The vision of the project is to produce, in limited edition, a serial compendium of authoritative occult monographs by contemporary writer-practitioners. The works are drawn from a deep well of authorial talent, featuring some of the most influential names in magic and occult mysticism today. Each single-author monograph concerns a single subject from the dual perspective of empirical inquiry and magical practice. Many of the titles will not be available elsewhere. 6-8 monograph titles will be released per year. Many titles will be illustrated.

    Grof's consciousness research over the last five decades has shown that the deepest roots of trauma often lie in experiences from birth or in events from human history that have not yet been resolved and are still active in the collective unconscious. This unresolved personal or collective history then expresses through an individual or group that has some connection to the earlier events. Traditional therapeutic approaches which focus only on events in the personal biography or tranquilizing medications do not access or heal these deeper wounds in the human psyche. From a more general perspective, Dr. Grof examines the broad problems of violence and greed in society and finds that the widespread fear and aggression between individuals and groups may also originate in large part from the unconscious acting-out of unresolved historical traumas from the collective unconscious. The message of Dr. Grof and this book is, however, a hopeful one: there are approaches to therapy which utilize a specific non-ordinary state of consciousness which enables individuals, with support, to access and heal these deeper levels of trauma from the personal and collective unconscious. He has named this state of consciousness Holotropic, a composite word which means "oriented toward wholeness" or "moving in the direction of wholeness" (from the Greek holos = whole and trepo, trepein = moving toward or in the direction of something). Dr. Grof describes various approaches to achieving this Holotropic state and using it for healing, with his focus on Holotropic Breathwork, which he developed with his partner Christina, and psychedelic therapy, which he pioneered in the 1950s and which is now experiencing a renaissance of clinical research for treatment of addictions and PTSD.

    She asked Nasruddin to tell the boy to stop eating sweets. He said to bring him back in four weeks. When they returned he said, "Boy, I order you to stop eating sweets!" The mother asked, "Couldn't you have said that at the beginning? Why make us wait four weeks?" "No, I couldn't have said that even two weeks ago," Nasruddin replied. "Why not?" asked the mother. "Because I love sweets myself. First I had to control my own love for them. Only then could I tell your son to stop eating them."That is, words are empty unless backed by experience, says Robert Frager. People will not change until they hear from those who have lived what they teach. Frager has indeed lived his teaching. Founder of the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology in 1975, in 1976 he became a student of the Sufi master Muzaffer Efendi. Since becoming a sheikh in 1985, he has given many sohbets-a Turkish word for the spiritual conversations Sufi teachers hold to inspire their students. The sohbets he presents here are compiled from his talks over the past decade and represent Sufism as it is now practiced in the United States.Frager believes that the wisdom in such talks flows through the sheikh from his teacher and his teacher's teacher all the way back to the Prophet Mohammad and God; the sheikh is merely a channel for something greater than any individual. Moreover, these talks are not lectures but rather living connections going both ways between heart and heart. Indeed, the warm, personal immediacy to Frager's voice is rarely found. Like the tales of Nasruddin, he teaches through colorful anecdote and metaphors. Sufi practice has two sides, he says: one is to develop our love of God; the other is to become less self-centered. We need both, just as a bird needs both wings to fly."How can I put my knowledge into practice?" is the question we must ask. As the Qur'an states, those who fail to live by their understanding are like donkeys carrying a load of books. The books won't change them. They can carry the holiest books but will still be donkeys.Among the practices Frager teaches are zikr, or remembrance of God through chanting; halvet, or spiritual retreat; and adab, or "right action." Thus do we develop character-or, rather, restore the character we had at birth. "I've never seen a baby with a bad character," he says. "We are all born in a pure state. With hard work and God's blessings we can return to it." Other topics include Obstacles on the Path, Reducing Narcissism, Inner Work, Prayer, Marriage, Generosity, Taking Responsibility, and Waking before We Die.No matter what one's religion, the reader will find such universal wisdom in this book that he will agree with Frager's teacher Muzaffer Efendi who once advised, "You can tell these stories ten thousand times and people will still benefit from them"

    This journey defines our humanity, for it is a journey toward our source and our fulfillment, described in Christian theology as union with God. If we remain open to God as our sense of self awakens, we experience a deeper consciousness of being in him. The self that emerges during this process is larger, more enlightened, and whole.David Benner, who has spent thirty-five years integrating psychology and spirituality, presents psychological insights in a readable fashion to offer readers a deeper understanding of the self and its spiritual development. Drawing on a broad range of Christian traditions, Benner shows that the transformation of self is foundational to Christian spirituality.

    He exercised enormous influence on Byzantine, medieval, Renaissance and German Classical philosophy, ranking among the top five of ancient philosophers in terms of the number of preserved works. Despite this he is rarely studied now, the enormous intricacy of his system making the reading of his treatises difficult for beginners. This book provides the first comprehensive introduction to all the basic areas of Proclus' thought. It carefully guides the reader through his metaphysics, theology, epistemology and theory of evil, as well as his sophisticated philosophy of religion. It also sets Proclus in the historical, social and religious context of late antiquity, offering a synthetic account that will appeal to historians and students of ancient religion.

    The emphasis is thus on identifying the underlying motivation that governs behavior in these two important areas of our lives. The discussion further reveals how both sex and money are used by the ego to support its doctrine of separate interests--the principle of one or the other--and therefore how the Holy Spirit can use these very same forms as a means of teaching us that our interests are not separate, and that no one has to suffer or be sacrificed in order that our needs be met.

    The evidence is consistent over more than a millennium: there had been a female deity in Israel, the Mother figure in the Royal cult, who had been abandoned about 600BCE. She was almost written out of the Hebrew text, almost excluded from the canon.This first of two volumes traces the history of the Lady in the Temple, and looks forward to the second volume in which Barker will show how the Lady of the Temple is reclaimed in the advent of Christianity, and becomes the Lady in the Church. The result is breathtaking, and like all Barker's work, is impossible to put down.

    1193) was the ninth prior of the Grande Chartreuse. His Ladder of Monks is one of the great spiritual classics that has inspired the method of lectio divina -spiritual reading of the Holy Scriptures- since the early Middle Ages. We find its influence, for example, in the reflection of Saint John of the Cross on lectio divina -see: "When God Speaks: Lectio Divina in Saint John of the Cross," and it provides the key to understanding William of Saint-Thierry's "On Contemplation."

    Deluxe cloth boards with folio. Edition limited to 222 copies.Collection of 25 short stories: 10 by John Howard (all original) and 15 by Mark Valentine (12 original, 3 reprint).Baltersan’s Third Edition - Mark Valentine Secret Byzantium - Mark Valentine The Silver Eagles - John Howard Silence and Fire - Mark Valentine The Other Salt - Mark Valentine The White City - John Howard The Baltic Circles - John Howard The Girl with the Violin - Mark Valentine The Goat-Eyed - Mark Valentine The Lion of Chaldea - Mark Valentine Westenstrand - John Howard The Unrest at Aachen - Mark Valentine Prince Aziz - Mark Valentine The Hunting Castle - John HowardThe Atelier at Iaşi - Mark Valentine A Minor Official - Mark Valentine The Way of the Sun - John Howard Wandering Paths - John Howard A Lantern for Carpathia - Mark Valentine The High Places - John Howard The Fall of Ashes - Mark Valentine Cabaret Zoltaire - Mark Valentine The Waltz of Masks - John Howard The Second Percussionist - Mark Valentine A Gift for the Emperor - John Howard

    Inspired by the bizarre and uncanny, it is an attempt to use science and rationality to lift the veil off the irrational. Its ways are unconventional: weaving along its path one finds UFOs and fairies, quantum mechanics, analytic philosophy, history, mathematics, and depth psychology. The enterprise of constructing a coherent story out of these incommensurable disciplines is exploratory. But if the experiment works, at the end these disparate threads will come together to unveil a startling scenario about the nature of reality. The payoff is handsome: a reason for hope, a boost for the imagination, and the promise of a meaningful future. Yet this book may confront some of your dearest notions about truth and reason. Its conclusions cannot be dismissed lightly, because the evidence this book compiles and the philosophy it leverages are solid in the orthodox, academic sense.

    Author Peter Crisp's perceptive and poetic rendition reimagines the ancient philosophical text as a friendly, accessible, and modern companion.

    The 5 Star Oberoi Hotel was one of their targets. The Oberoi was also where M.C. Cannon, leader of the Synchronicity Foundation for Modern Spirituality in Virginia, and 24 of his associates were staying. Four in the group were wounded and two were killed. When rescued by SWAT teams and interviewed by the press, Synchronicity survivors expressed immediate compassion and understanding towards the terrorists. During interviews and press conferences following the attack, they repeated words of forgiveness, not accusation. This ignited an international tsunami of stunned curiosity and thousands of e-mail messages and phone calls flooded in. I am inspired by your response. How did you get to be the way you are? And, How can I learn to do that? This book is a response to those inquiries.This book uses the Mumbai siege as a context for a revolutionary explanation of what true forgiveness really is and how to live the Holistic Lifestyle in a state of awareness where true forgiveness becomes instinctive.

    Ancestry in the guise of race, has been used as a tool to divide. Even so, it might yet help us move in greater harmony. Are we playing out the motifs of our family history, or making our own lives? Are we held back by the past, or empowered by it? And why does any of this matter? Druidry and the Ancestors will take you on a journey into how you imagine yourself, and how you can take control of your identity and future. Druid, author, bard and dreamer. Nimue Brown is OBOD trained, a founding member of Bards of The Lost Forest and Druid Network member.

    This kind of listening is vitally important to our religious movement. In order to create a beloved community--one that shares a powerful love and shapes a common purpose--we must know one another. In order to know one another, we must hear each other's stories, see the world through each other's eyes." - Rev. Peter Morales, from the ForewordIn Voices from the Margins, Jacqui James and Mark D. Morrison-Reed have compiled a multicultural collection of reflections and meditations from Unitarian Universalist ministers. These writings remind us of both what we miss when we don't listen to marginalized voices and the amazing insights we stand to gain when we do.Jacqui James is a longtime religious educator who focused on developing multicultural ministries and curricula. Now retired, she is a member of First Unitarian Society in Newton, Massachusetts, and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.Rev. Mark D. Morrison-Reed served for twenty-six years as co-minister with his wife, Donna, in Rochester, New York, and Toronto, Ontario. He is the author of several books, including Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism from Skinner House Books.

    Explores the profound truth behind all the world's mystic traditions: Living a spiritual life has nothing to do with fixing ourselves. It is simply a matter of awakening to what we already are. This artful book traces the steps and stages of the delicate process of awakening in a unique and inspiring way. He also highlights over 100 evocative images and metaphors -- as varied and colorful as the sages themselves -- to kindle imagination and spark intuition-to shift perspective and into an awareness that no amount of explanation can achieve. When we put aside society's hand-me-down map of the mind, we can go to work, raise a family, take out the garbage and still experience the wonders and oneness of life with deep reverence, gratitude, and joy.

    In Full Stop! John looks directly at the root cause of suffering; the assumed separate entity and the misidentification with that assumed entity. John's unwavering focus, and his gift for guiding sincere questioners towards clarity, makes this a must-have book for any sincere seeker.

    He retooled classic concepts of the Jewish mystical tradition to shape a Judaism that would appeal to a new generation of Jews in the early twentieth century, liberated from the bonds of traditional society but seeking a profound, open-minded, and universalistic version of Jewish teachings. His work complements that of his contemporary, Martin Buber. While Buber looked primarily to the Hasidic tales for inspiration, Zeitlin offered a version of Hasidic theology addressed to seekers who lived outside the Hasidic community. Largely neglected in the postwar era, Zeitlin's writings will have much to say both to contemporary Jews in search of ways to reembrace mystical teachings as a part of their tradition and to Christians interested in modern expressions of classic mystic truths that reach across all conventional borders. Zeitlin was martyred in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942. This is the first time his works have been translated into English. +

    By severing ourselves from our heart intelligence, we are left with our selfish, survival-oriented reptilian brains, which create and reinforce “strange loops” between potential and actual reality, leading to our modern world’s endless cycle of self-inflicted disasters and societal crises. Pearce explains that in order to break these cycles and transcend a life focused solely on surviving the results of our own reactive patterns, we must reconnect with the compassionate intelligence of the heart. Offering a rich variety of evidence, Pearce explores neurological research, lost and enduring nurturing cultures, personal experiences, and accounts from the lives and writings of modern sages such as Jane Goodall, Maria Montessori, and Rudolf Steiner. He shows that by activating the original matrix of the Heart-Mind--the engine of our spiritual evolution and our innate connection to the universe--we can teach our brains new ways to think, amend our destructive behavior loops, and enter into a future of peace, spiritual connection, and conscious evolution.

    A Trappist monk, Merton was both a poet and a theologian who pondered monastic life. He was praised for his meditations and conversations with God, as well as interfatith dialogue, tolerance, and non-violent activism during the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War. On Christian Contemplation, edited by Merton scholar Paul Pearson, is a collection of the great monk’s work, compiled into a gift-size edition. With poems, reflections, and social commentary, this is the perfect book to nurture the spirit of faith and duty guided by one of the twentieth century’s leading voices of theology and social justice.

    Jung's Red Book in October, 2009 was a signal event in the history of analytical psychology. Hailed as the most important work in Jung's entire corpus, it is as enigmatic as it is profound. Reading The Red Book by Sanford L. Drob provides a clear and comprehensive guide to The Red Book's narrative and thematic content, and details The Red Book's significance, not only for psychology but for the history of ideas.

    But precisely how to changeremains an open question.In Earth-honoring Faith, Larry Rasmussen answers that question with a dramatically new way of thinking about human society, ethics, and the ongoing health of our planet. Rejecting the modern assumption that morality applies to human society alone, Rasmussen insists that we must derive a spiritualand ecological ethic that accounts for the well-being of all creation, as well as the primal elements upon which it depends: earth, air, fire, water, and sunlight. He argues that good science, necessary as it is, will not be enough to inspire fundamental change. We must draw on religious resourcesas well to make the difficult transition from an industrial-technological age obsessed with consumption to an ecological age that restores wise stewardship of all life. Earth-honoring Faith advocates an alliance of spirituality and ecology, in which the material requirements for planetary life arereconciled with deep traditions of spirituality across religions, traditions that include mysticism, sacramentalism, prophetic practices, asceticism, and the cultivation of wisdom. It is these shared spiritual practices that can produce a chorus of world faiths to counter the consumerism, utilitarianism, alienation, oppression, and folly that have pushed us to the brink.Written with passionate commitment and deep insight, Earth-honoring Faith reminds us that we must live in the present with the knowledge that the eyes of future generations will look back at us.

    From the first Sufi centre established in Mehrauli by Khwaja Qutub Bakhtiar Kaki during the early days of the Delhi Sultanate to later nineteenth century Sufi retreats in the city, the author explores the spiritual, cultural and historical legacy of the Delhi Sufis, making this book as much about Delhi as it is about Sufism.For centuries, the dargahs of Delhi have attracted large numbers of devotees belonging to different countries, faiths and backgrounds who seek spiritual solace and grant of their wishes. The magnetism of dargahs emanates from the personalities of the extraordinary Sufis buried in the premises. Through a simple narrative, Sadia Dehlvi brings to life the philosophies and stories of their lives.About the AuthorSadia Dehlvi is a well-known columnist whose writings for over thirty decades have focused on women, culture, heritage and Muslim communities. Both on television and in print media, Dehlvi articulates moderate and enlightened narratives of Islam. She frequently speaks on the subject in schools, universities, seminars and other national and international forums. Dehlvi is the author of Sufism: The Heart of Islam (HarperCollins, 2009) and is currently working on a book that tells stories of Delhi as experienced by her family.

    From the first moments of creation ancient forces of light and darkness have been locked in conflict for the energetic domination of the universe. Earth is now a minor battleground in a grand war between the cosmic adversaries. Cyrus Zade seems like a young man who has everything going for him, he is well educated, has a promising career and a loving family. But beneath this shiny facade lies a childhood haunted by vivid nightmares and the inexplicable death of a dog. Cyrus must come face to face with an empire of evil to unravel the mysteries of his past. This knowledge will cost him and those he loves dearly. Driven by a promise made before birth, Cyrus must transform into something he never believed possible. More than his life depends on this metamorphosis; his very soul is at stake, as is the fate of the world. Show More Show Less

    Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Frank Charles Laubach was an Evangelical Christian missionary and mystic known as "The Apostle to the Illiterates." One of his most widely influential devotional works was a pamphlet entitled "The Game with Minutes." In it, Laubach urged Christians to attempt keeping God in mind for at least one second of every minute of the day. In this way Christians can attempt the attitude of constant prayer spoken of in the Epistle to the Colossians. The pamphlet extolled the virtues of a life lived with unceasing focus on God. Laubach's insight came from his experiments in prayer detailed in a collection of his letters published under the title, "Letters by a Modern Mystic."

    Taking up Gershom Scholem’s call to plumb the “tremendous poetic potential” concealed in the Kabbalistic tradition, Peter Cole provides dazzling renderings of work composed on three continents over a period of some fifteen hundred years.In addition to the translations and the texts in their original languages, Cole supplies a lively and insightful introduction, along with accessible commentaries to the poems. Aminadav Dykman adds an elegant afterword that places the work in the context of world literature. As a whole, the collection brings readers into the fascinating force field of Kabbalistic verse, where the building blocks of both language and existence itself are unveiled.Excerpts from The Poetry of Kabbalah have been featured in the Paris Review, Poetry, and Conjunctions.

    These practice guidelines were first offered in 1892, to her advanced students at Chicago Theological Seminary and were modified several times over the years until their final presentation around 1918, after the publication of her last book, HIGH MYSTICISM.

    Their teaching speaks to any who follow the way of Christ; it is concerned more with action and behaviour than with mystical experience, with compassion, forbearance, self-knowledge and facing inner conflict.

    Readers will love the focus of the book, which is a veritable pharmacopoeia of Quranic verses related to specific ailments affecting one's spiritual and physical being. In addition Shaykh Taner has included valuable chapters containing practical guidance for purification, diagnosis, the use of the Divine Names in healing, treatment of Jinn possession, and the use of spiritual geometric designs (taweez) that have traditionally been used for healing. Finally, recipes for soups and teas that Shaykh Taner adds in an appendix complete this book that is certainly a generous cup overflowing with God s Mercy.

    The holiest of all saints and above the distinctions of religion, he styled himself as the messiah reborn. Yet the Mughal emperor was not alone in doing so. In this field-changing study, A. Azfar Moin explores why Muslim sovereigns in this period began to imitate the exalted nature of Sufi saints. Uncovering a startling yet widespread phenomenon, he shows how the charismatic pull of sainthood (wilayat)--rather than the draw of religious law (sharia) or holy war (jihad)--inspired a new style of sovereignty in Islam.A work of history richly informed by the anthropology of religion and art, The Millennial Sovereign traces how royal dynastic cults and shrine-centered Sufism came together in the imperial cultures of Timurid Central Asia, Safavid Iran, and Mughal India. By juxtaposing imperial chronicles, paintings, and architecture with theories of sainthood, apocalyptic treatises, and manuals on astrology and magic, Moin uncovers a pattern of Islamic politics shaped by Sufi and millennial motifs. He shows how alchemical symbols and astrological rituals enveloped the body of the monarch, casting him as both spiritual guide and material lord. Ultimately, Moin offers a striking new perspective on the history of Islam and the religious and political developments linking South Asia and Iran in early-modern times.

    Through self-knowledge and inner peace, we gain insight. In contemplation and communion, we may hear the voice of spirit. This book offers a broad range of meditative practices and explains how to develop your own visualisations.

    Those who have sought out and followed spiritual paths, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, Kabbalism, etc., have often found themselves coming up against a kind of ceiling in their longing for spiritual awakening. This can be a result of the religions cultural context or a belief system that may not see awakening as something within the reach of adherents. So, many serious spiritual students have turned to non-sectarian teachers to further their practice. These readers will find The Open Path to be an excellent guide to the realisation of the silent ground of all being and to the expression of that realisation in the diverse conditions of their lives. The book includes very helpful exercises and practices that foster a sense of equanimity and natural insight, as well as methods and teachings from many sources: Sufism, psychology, meditation traditions, and both Eastern and Western non-dual teachers.

    In fact, the images of the "Hidden Mountain" and the "Secret Garden" are ancient metaphors for contemplative prayer, a kind of prayer that begins and ends in faith. This book is especially for those whose prayer is a search for the loving eyes of One who has conquered death. This kind of prayer beholds the wonder of Christ's living but hidden presence in one's highest thoughts and most noble aspirations as well as in one's instinctual urges and deepest longings. The ecstasy of this kind of prayer extends beyond even the vast unexplored horizons of the human heart and opens to an immensity of such excessive mercy that all else is forgotten -- and only love remains. The whole world needs this love: it is the secret garden, the hidden mountain, the inexhaustible riches only prayer knows and an excess of grace only prayer can make known. This is why Blessed John Paul II told the Church not to be afraid to open wide the doors of our hearts to Christ and it is why He told the young people of the world to be proud to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord. For those brave souls who have faithfully open their hearts to the Lord through this discipline of this kind of prayer, every Christian owes you a debt of gratitude. For those who want to join them, this work encourages you along the way -- for the journey you endeavor is at once the most perilous, the most heart-rending and the most wonderful adventure this world has ever known. "Dr. Anthony Lilles has authored an introduction to prayer that is inspiring and encouraging. For those desiring to pray this is a resource that is full of practical advice - written simply and attractively. This book bears the mark of a man - husband, father and teacher - who is not only imbued with the wisdom of the Saints, but who has also, through his own prayer, learned how all of us can, through prayer, foster faith in and love for Jesus and his Gospel." THOMAS G. WEINANDY, O.F.M., CAP. Executive Director for the Secretariat for Doctrine United States Conference of Catholic Bishops This is a wonderful book. I've taught spiritual theology many years and I wish I had had this text use. In fact, I wish I had written this book. It is scriptural, patristic, historical, theological, mystical, experiential and user friendly. Dr. Lilles takes us through the spiritual journey of prayer, citing Fathers and doctors, saints and even sinners to guide us on our Christian way toward contemplation. Weaving many themes into a harmonious whole, he opens up the life of contemplation for all Christians, our baptismal birthright in a way that is accessible and attractive. This is a book one will read more than once. FR. GILES DIMOCK, O.P., S.T.D University Parish of St. Thomas Aquinas At the University of Virginia In this book we find the real meat of the new evangelization. The church in America will not be renewed by "facts about Jesus" but only through one's choice to let Christ reach the heart and change it from within. It is an ancient message received by only few: Do not be afraid of letting go of what now defines you. Let Christ tell you who you are. Dr. Lilles is one of the ablest guides to lead us through to such a choice. Will I stay with knowledge about Jesus or will I enter the garden of prayer and finally come to know Him!! Do not be afraid to be loved, read this book. DEACON JAMES KEATING, PH.D, Institute for Priestly Formation, Omaha, NE

    The book is thematically organized in terms of the central contexts, practices, and concepts associated with the mystical life in early, medieval, and early modern Christianity. Written by leading authorities and younger scholars from a range of disciplines, the volume both provides a clear introduction to the Christian mystical life and articulates a bold new approach to the study of mysticism. The book looks beyond the term mysticism, which was an early modern invention, to explore the ways in the ancient terms mystic and mystical were used in the Christian tradition: What kinds of practices, modes of life, and experiences were described as mystical? What understanding of Christianity and of the life of Christian perfection is articulated through mystical interpretations of scripture, mystical contemplation, mystical vision, mystical theology, or mystical union? What practices and experiences provided the framework within which one could describe mystical phenomena? And what topics are at the forefront of the contemporary study of Christian mystical practice and experience?"