Practical information on the advanced practices of yoga presented in straightforward language.

    The product of several years of research, it is an exhaustive and user-friendly compilation, with information on sources and usage. For the first time, this classic work is available in a two-volume set, divided into names for boys and those for girls, making it more accessible. Including modern names and those which are popular, The Penguin Book of Hindu Names for Girls serves as a practical guide for choosing the perfect name for your daughter. It is also a precise and invaluable sourcebook for scholars and lay readers alike who would like to know what familiar (and not so familiar) Hindu names actually mean.

    The author discusses all the major concepts and offers valuable corrections for many existing misconceptions. He also introduces the reader to the core Tantric practices of meditation and mantra recitation, focusing on the ten Wisdom Goddesses". --Georg Feuerstein

    Editorial Reviews Hixon, a disciple of both Ramakrishna's wife and his spiritual successor, provides contemporary commentary based on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and The Great Master . This retelling in clear contemporary English requires no background knowledge and makes accessible the ideas of a most remarkable Hindu saint who worshipped Kali, the Divine Mother, but also experienced union with Jesus, Muhammad, and Allah. Hixon claims his book ``is not a conventional biography but a workbook'' to provide Ramakrishna's guidance to the spiritually inclined reader of any religious tradition and to clarify the mystical path. Hixon is self-effacing: what shines through is Ramakrishna sanctity and wisdom, as well as the devotion of his disciples. Recommended for most libraries.

    The timeless wisdom of India is expressed in the Vedas, ancient Sanskrit texts that touches upon all fields of human knowledge. Originally preserved through oral tradition, the Vedas were first put into writing by Srila Vyasadeva, the "literary incarnation of God." After compiling the Vedas, Srila Vyasadeva was inspired by his spiritual master to present their profound essence in the form of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Known as "the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic literature," Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most complete and authoritative exposition of Vedic knowledge.After writing the Bhagavatam, Vyasa taught it to his son, Shukadeva Goswami, who later spoke the Bhagavatam to Maharaja Parikshit in an assembly of sages on the bank of the sacred Ganges River. Although Maharaja Parikshit was a great rajarshi (saintly king) and the emperor of the world, when he received notice of his death seven days in advance, he renounced his entire kingdom and retired to the bank of the Ganges to seek spiritual enlightenment. The questions of King Parikshit and Shukadeva Goswami's illuminating answers, concerning everything from the nature of the self to the origin of the universe, are the basis of Srimad-Bhagavatam.This edition of Bhagavatam is the only complete English translation with an elaborate and scholarly commentary, and it is the first edition widely available to the English-reading public. This work is the product of the scholarly and devotional effort of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the world's most distinguished teacher of Indian religious and philosophical thought. His Sanskrit scholarship and intimate familiarity with Vedic culture combine to reveal to the West a magnificent exposition of this important classic.

    In this collection of fourteen talks, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda teaches students how to cultivate yoga discipline of the senses on the Siddha Yoga path.

    Over 160 large photographs show Hatha expert Sri Swami Satchidananda performing more than 80 postures, breathing practices, relaxation, cleansing and concentration techniques. Instructions are easy to follow and describe how the body and mind benefit from each pose. Practice routines for beginning, intermediate and advanced students are suggested.

    Reveals the stories of the deathless masters, the siddhas Agastyar and Boganathar, who belonged to the '18 Siddha Tradition', famous among the Tamil speaking people of southern India and Babaji, the immortal master made famous by Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi.

    These teachings of Sage Vasistha imparted to Lord Rama, contain the true understanding about the creation of the world. The Supreme Yoga, with Romanised text, is a translation into English of this complete work and is accompanied by brief expositions by Swami Venkatesananda. This book brings this store house of wisdom to our world and makes the philosophy comprehensible to scholars and common people alike.The Yoga Vasistha has been a favourite book of spiritual seekers in India these several centuries. Its special appeal lies in its thoroughly rational approach. and in its presentation of Vedanta as a philosophy which dares, like the The Bhagavad Gita, to bridge the gulf between the secular and the sacred action and contemplation. in human life. through a comprehensive and lofty spirituality. The reader will come across passages such as the verse entry for 31 st January. highlighting the importance of reason:"The remark of even a child is to be accepted, if it is in accordance with reason: but the remark of even Brahma Himself; the creator of the world, is to be rejected like a piece of straw, if it does not accord with reason."It is this philosophy of a comprehensive spirituality. rational and practical. that man in the modern age needs to rescue himself from his stagnation of worldliness and put him on the high road of creative living and fulfilment.The text abounds in repetitions which are, however, not repetitious. If you do not like (or need) repetition, then readjust this one verse: "This world appearance is a confusion: even as the blueness of the sky is an optical illusion. I think it is better not to let the mind dwell on it, but to ignore it. "(I - 3/2) "This verse occurs several times in the scripture and it sems to be the very essence of the teaching. If that is not quite clear to you now, read the scripture. The numerous ways in which this truth IS revealed will help open your mind.An oft recurring expression in this scripture is 'kakataliya' - a crow alights on the coconut palm tree and at that very moment a ripe coconut falls. The two unrelated events thus seem to be related in time and space, though there is no causal relationship.Such is life. Such is 'creation'. But the mind caught up in its' own trap of logic questions why, invents a 'why' and a 'wherefore' to satisfy itself, conveniently ignoring the inconvenient questions that still haunt an intelligent mind.

    His life changes inexplicably after he meets a mysterious man who leaves him a series of profound writings. One of the writings is a firsthand account of Judas’s life with Jesus and the events leading up to his betrayal. The writings also contain extraordinary insights into the lives of Judas, Jesus, and the Disciples, which seem to correlate with the recently discovered Gospel of Judas. Could these be the teachings of Judas Iscariot and his account of his relationship with Jesus? Could this be Judas’s attempt to clear his name in an effort to change the world’s perceptions and help humanity in its spiritual quest?

    Their methods of self-reliance and their sublime knowledge profoundly impacted society, such that the dominant powers felt threatened and the tradition was forced to disappear from public view. Now, after centuries of obscurity, the Gnostics have re-emerged, still carrying their profound message of Gnosis: knowledge of self and the Divine. In a simple and elegant way, Samael Aun Weor explains the basic methodology for people in today's world to begin to approach the greater mysteries of the Gnostics. In this basic and practical guide, Samael Aun Weor offers a breadth of exercises guiding the reader to discover within themselves a wealth of insight and understanding. Gnosis, after all, is Greek for "knowledge," and the seeker is told, "Know thyself, and thou shalt know the universe and its Gods." "A great author deduced that the human being needs eight important things in life: health and the conservation of life, nourishment, sleep, money and the things money can buy, life in the beyond, sexual satisfaction, the well-being of his children, and a sense of proper importance. We synthesize these eight things into three: Health, Money, Love. If you really want to acquire these three things, you should study and practice everything that this course teaches you. We will show you the path of success." - Samael Aun Weor

    Containing simple narrative, ecstatic poetry, complex argument, and discourse, Adi Da’s autobiography reveals the miraculous story of his unique incarnation and revelation in the west for “the sake of liberating all beings.” The revised edition includes an expanded description of Adi Da’s early life leading up to his divine reawakening in 1970, as well as revelations about the spiritual work of the great realizers in his lineage. "From time to time, there is a book that challenges, and eventually changes, the entire perspective of a civilization. In modern times, Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species was such a book–and, centuries before Darwin, On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres of Copernicus (the first publication of the theory that the earth orbits the sun). The Knee Of Listening is such an epoch-making book–in an entirely different way. Appearing at the beginning of the third millennium of the Common Era, it carries a Revelation that has the potential to transform all future time. This book is not about how life on earth physically evolved, nor the design of the solar system (of which this planet is a part). The Knee Of Listening is about Reality Itself, the Reality within which this earth and its cosmic locale arise—the Blissful, Effulgent, Conscious Force of Being which is always so, and which can be located and enjoyed under every possible condition, and in every dimension of space-time."—from the Introduction by Carolyn Lee, PhD

    Informed in part by Gnostic concepts of the separate soul in search of its divine origins ("spirit held by matter"). This dualistic vision is cast in contemporary terms and seeks resolution of these tensions through acceptance.

    . . a powerful expression of faith in the transforming power of Christ's love.--Publishers Weekly (starred review)Son of Man is Andrew Harvey's most basic statement on Christ, and it has already become a treasured work to readers interested in Christian mysticism. For the first time in any of his books, Harvey provides spiritual exercises--centuries-old rites previously available only to a few--that allow the reader direct experience with the mystical Christ. Son of Man also includes an easily accessible section of classic readings and meditations on the nature of Christ, making it the comprehensive experience in the Christ of the new millennium.

    For millennia, Tantric adepts have harnessed this force as a means of attaining the summits of the mystical life. The energies fueled by passion are used to nourish the inner flame that burns away the egotistical perception of the mind. Desire explores the subtle techniques of Tantra that enable the seeker to attain the triple mastery of the breath, thought, and the natural processes of the body. Tantrics believe that the body is the temple and divinity lies at its heart. In order to arrive at profound awareness, the body needs to be perfectly tuned and working toward a state of perfect fluidity. Desire reveals many of the secret practices intended for this purpose that have been passed down in the major Tantric treatises such as the Vijnanabhariva Tantra and Ch'an master Chinul's treatise on the Secrets of Cultivating the Mind, including the important techniques of the ritual sexual observances known as Maithuna.