Nearly two thousand years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion human beings attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God. Killing Jesus will take readers inside Jesus's life, recounting the seismic political and historical events that made his death inevitable - and changed the world forever.

    This book explores how meaningful coincidence operates in our daily lives, in our intimate relationships, and in our creative endeavors. The Power of Coincidence will help you to: interpret a series of similar happenings, open yourself to assisting forces around you, understand how your dreams can guide you through life events, use your creative imagination in life choices—and live in accord with your deepest needs and wishes, as revealed to you by meaningful coincidences. Originally published under the title Unexpected Miracles, the author has fully revised and updated the book for this edition.

    And as we learn to hold questions in one hand and answers in the other, we discover new depths of faith that will remain secure even through the storms of life.

    This is why Professor Michael Puett says to his students, “The encounter with these ideas will change your life.” As one of them told his collaborator, author Christine Gross-Loh, “You can open yourself up to possibilities you never imagined were even possible.”These astonishing teachings emerged two thousand years ago through the work of a succession of Chinese scholars exploring how humans can improve themselves and their society. And what are these counterintuitive ideas? Good relationships come not from being sincere and authentic, but from the rituals we perform within them. Influence comes not from wielding power but from holding back. Excellence comes from what we choose to do, not our natural abilities. A good life emerges not from planning it out, but through training ourselves to respond well to small moments. Transformation comes not from looking within for a true self, but from creating conditions that produce new possibilities.In other words, The Path upends everything we are told about how to lead a good life. Above all, unlike most books on the subject, its most radical idea is that there is no path to follow in the first place—just a journey we create anew at every moment by seeing and doing things differently.Sometimes voices from the past can offer possibilities for thinking afresh about the future.A note from the publisher: To read relevant passages from the original works of Chinese philosophy, see our free ebook Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi: Selected Passages, available on Kindle, Nook, and the iBook Store and at Books.SimonandSchuster.com.

    Twenty-five centuries later, humans have transformed everything about our world—except our brains, which remain the same powerful yet flawed instruments possessed by our ancestors. What if the solution we seek to the psychological problems of life in the digital age—distraction, anxiety, addiction, loss of deep meaning—had already been worked out by the Buddha in ancient India? Appealing to readers of Eastern wisdom and Jon Kabat-Zinn, as well as to fans of bestsellers by Oliver Sacks and Malcolm Gladwell, acclaimed science writer and practicing Buddhist James Kingsland reveals how scientists are now unlocking the remarkable secrets of Siddhartha’s brain.Moving effortlessly between science and scripture, Kingsland charts Siddhartha’s spiritual journey and explains how new research by leading neuroscientists and clinical psychologists—many of whom are interviewed in these pages—suggests that mindfulness practice reconfigures our brains to make us sharper, smarter, healthier, and happier, and that it can help treat stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, hypertension, and substance abuse. There have even been hints that meditation can enhance immune function, slow cellular aging, and keep dementia at bay. Featuring six guided meditations, Siddhartha’s Brain is a practical and inspiring odyssey of mind and spirit.“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.”—Siddhartha

    Using just five minutes of mindfulness, relaxation, or imagery techniques during their morning routines, readers can set their intentions and greet the day feeling calm, centered, and energized.What difference can five minutes make in the crazy, nonstop course of a sixteen-hour day? For people feeling overwhelmed with responsibility, bored with the same tired routine, or frustrated about how to create meaning in their lives, a little time well spent can lead to extraordinary changes. This book shows readers how to dramatically improve their lives in just a few moments each day. The concept is powerfully simple: Readers take the time each morning to be fully present, to set a clear intention for themselves, and to really engage in any of 100 fun and easy-to-follow practices. Soon they will discover that amazing things can happen in just five minutes.The book provides guided imagery, relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation practices-fun activities that relieve stress and create meaning and purpose in the reader's day. These practices help readers feel good, get motivated, and become inspired to change their lives for the better. Over time, these activities become guideposts readers will return to throughout the day, providing energy and inspiration when they need them most. In other words, the time readers of this book take for themselves in the morning might just be the five good minutes that change their lives.Five Good Minutes is a trademark of New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

    Full of wisdom, humor, common sense, and hands-on tools for spiritual living and loving, this book offers practical tips for countering negative habits and destructive relationships, and living more successfully each day. For information about the movie Spiritual Warriors, produced by John-Roger, D.S.S., and JSU Garcia, please visit www.spiritualwarriors.com or email henryv@earthlink.net or jsu@msia.org.

    Meditation Now: A Beginner’s Guide provides friendly advice, step-by-step guidance, and a range of ten-minute meditations that fit easily into tight schedules. Filled with time-honored practices and insightful discussions, Meditation Now: A Beginner’s Guide makes it easy to learn meditation, with: • Step-by-step instructions for 18 meditation techniques that can be practiced anytime, anywhere • 14 “Take Ten” meditations to promote mindfulness in everyday situations like traffic jams and work presentations • Essential advice and guidelines for overcoming common obstacles like boredom and relating skillfully to thoughts and emotions • 3 focused 28-day meditation plans for those months when you need extra emotional support, happiness, or relaxation • Inspirational quotations and practical tips that motivate you to deepen your practice With Meditation Now: A Beginner’s Guide, peace, clarity, and wisdom can be yours with just ten minutes of restful breathing a day.

    

    You grow impatient with someone you're trying to help. A cell phone user annoys you on a train. Would your first response to these situations be kindness? In The Kindness Handbook, Sharon Salzberg explores with insight and clarity how kindness for ourselves and others can be the quality we choose to steer our lives by. From the foundation of this transformative practice and its entry point through you, to its daily expression in your life, this book features a thoughtful collection of anecdotes, stories, and practical tools to inspire kindness for any life situation. The Kindness Handbook is your personal companion to explore the rich landscape of kindness-and help you see just how it might shift and open up your life to greater joy, meaning, and compassion. "For kindness to be more fully realized, it needs to be distinguished from being ineffectual or meek. It also needs to be infused with wisdom, supported by courage, and threaded with balance." -Sharon Salzberg, author of The Kindness Handbook "This book is like having Sharon and her gentle wisdom on call, 24-7, to remind you that in every moment, kindness can make a huge difference in how the next moment unfolds, in yourself and in others. This simple practice will light up and lighten your life." -Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our Senses and Arriving at Your Own Door "Sharon Salzberg is a powerful teacher of the enduring value of kindness. Here she brings her teachings to us in a beautiful and accessible form through moving stories and powerful exercises. The world needs more kindness. Sharon is showing us the way." -Roshi Joan Halifax, abbot at the Upaya Zen Center "With the deep wisdom gained by her many years of dharma practice and the greatness of her Being, Sharon leads us gently with confident strength and inspiration down the path to true happiness and love. Sleep with this book under your pillow!" -Krishna Das, author of Flow of Grace

    It’s time to start reconsidering.

    God. Two words that jar against each other and yet describe Jesus perfectly. Jesus was fully human and fully divine, which is extraordinary. But He was also ordinary in the most counterintuitive way: His life shows us what normal humanity is supposed to look like. Jesus came to earth to redeem humanity itself, and through Him, that redeemed humanity is available to us all.In Sneezing Jesus, Brian Hardin journeys through vivid Gospel stories, pointing to a revolutionary truth: If Jesus was a normal human living a normal human life, then His death and resurrection didn’t just save our souls—it saves our humanity here and now.