"I have come to you for instruction, Venerable One," he said to the old hermit in a low voice. In response, the hermit instructed the monk in true cosmic laws and in the universal order that governs nature and humankind. He told of deep, dark secrets which had been passed on to him by a mysterious "Higher Order" who have protected and guided humans since the dawn of creation. The old hermit told of a trip inside a "great metallic body" (a UFO perhaps) and of the visit to a vast cavern where he was surrounded by various beings: "Here were small men and women, seemingly perfect in every detail and of god-like mien, radiating an aura of purity and calm. Others were also man-like but with a curious, quite bird-like head complete with scales or feathers and with hands which, although human in shape, still had astounding scales and claws. Also there were the giants, immense creatures who loomed like statues, and over-shadowed their more diminutive companions." Though blind, the old hermit was handed an amazing "sight box" which enabled him to view scenes that had been hidden from humankind for centuries to protect them from unnecessary self-abuse and harm.

    "Kabbalah For Dummies" also shows how Kabbalah simultaneously presents an approach to the study of text, the performance of ritual and the experience of worship, as well as how the reader can apply its teaching to everyday life.

    The book encourages a critical discussion of the different approaches and looks at some of the most important thinkers and their influence.

    Indeed, he may have lived centuries ago, but his name is still thrown around in the world today whenever a disaster or global event occurs. From his work as a doctor fighting against the plague with mixed success to becoming the physician of the French royal family, this is a tale of an individual who was not afraid to reveal his true self at a time when this was certainly frowned upon. Inside you will read about... - Early Years as a Doctor - Altercation with the Inquisition - The Start of the Occult - The Prophet of Satan - Nostradamus' Predictions - Sharlatan or Visionary And much more! The story of Nostradamus is tougher to determine than one would have ever imagined. Considering the books that have been written about his predictions, his own story is often shrouded in mystery. That is a mystery which we are going to attempt to undo as far as the historical sources will allow us. How exactly did this man go from a small village in the south of France to becoming one of the most famous people alive at the time? How has he managed to stay relevant in the world today? Was he as good at predicting the future as some believed him to be? These are all pertinent questions, and by the end of this book, you will have hopefully been able to piece together some of the answers to the questions that you have about the individual known simply as, Nostradamus.

    Bringing new developments in the field and its renowned pedagogical design, the third edition offers an exciting and engaging introduction to the study of psychology. This book’s scientific approach, which brings together international research, practical application and the levels of analysis framework, encourages critical thinking about psychology and its impact on our daily lives.

    Sambia boys experience ritualized homosexuality before puberty and do not leave it until marriage, after which homosexual activity is prohibited. The implications are developed cross-culturally and contextualized in gender literature.

    Before his success as an author Goodkind worked primarily as a painter, as well as doing carpentry and woodworking. Goodkind is a proponent of Ayn Rand's philosophical approach of Objectivism, with references to Rand's ideas and novels referenced in his works.The Sword of Truth series sold twenty-five million copies worldwide and was translated into more than twenty languages. It was adapted into a television series called Legend of the Seeker, premiering November 1, 2008 but canceled after two seasons in May, 2010.

    The book provides an insight into the relationship between the Chinese and Tibetans, the history behind it and the way the two interact in the 21st century.

    These different ways of describing and interpreting art are the methodologies of artistic analysis, the divining rods of meaning. Regardless of a work’s perceived difficulty, an art object is, in theory, complex. Every work of art is an expression of its culture (time and place) and its maker (the artist) and is dependent on its media (what it’s made of). The methodologies discussed here—formal analysis, iconology and iconography, Marxism, feminism, biography and autobiography, psychoanalysis, and structuralism—reflect the multiplicity of meanings in an artistic image.

    It aims to elevate the lives of people by fostering inner confidence and strengthening their faith. In a turbulent and chaotic world, people are in dire need of words of motivation and inspiration. Vitamin H provides the much needed therapy which will successfully cure the diseases such as negativity, pessimism, cynicism and envy. It will awaken the dreamer within you and help you achieve the seemingly impossible.

    In Becoming Kuan Yin, Levine's first new book in many years, he turns to the legend of Kuan Yin, the Bbodhistitva venerated by East Asian Buddhists for her compassion. In Becoming Kuan Yin, Levine shares the tale of Miao Shan, born centuries ago to a cruel king who wanted her to marry a wealthy but uncaring man. This is the story of how Miao Shan refused to follow the path her father had in mind and, instead, became Kuan Yin, the first acknowledged female Buddha who watches over the dying and those who work with them. Levine weaves together story and practice and helps readers discover their own infinite capacity for mercy and compassion under difficult circumstances. This book will have resonance for Kuan Yin's millions of followers.

    Hector is very good at treating patients in need of his help. But he can't do much for those who are simply dissatisfied with life, and that is beginning to depress him. When a patient tells him he looks in need of a vacation, Hector takes a trip around the world to learn what makes people happy—and sad. As he travels from Paris to China to Africa to the United States, he lists his observations about the people he meets. Is there a secret to happiness, and will Hector find it? Combining the winsome appeal of The Little Prince with the inspiring philosophy of The Alchemist, Hector's journey ventures around the globe and into the human soul. Lelord's writing inspires us to consider life's great questions. Uplifting, empowering, and optimistic, this is a fable for our times and all time.

    Smith has pointed the academic study of religion in a new theoretical direction, one neither theological nor willfully ideological. Making use of examples as apparently diverse and exotic as the Maori cults in nineteenth-century New Zealand and the events of Jonestown, Smith shows that religion must be construed as conventional, anthropological, historical, and as an exercise of imagination. In his analyses, religion emerges as the product of historically and geographically situated human ingenuity, cognition, and curiosity—simply put, as the result of human labor, one of the decisive but wholly ordinary ways human beings create the worlds in which they live and make sense of them. "These seven essays . . . display the critical intelligence, creativity, and sheer common sense that make Smith one of the most methodologically sophisticated and suggestive historians of religion writing today. . . . Smith scrutinizes the fundamental problems of taxonomy and comparison in religious studies, suggestively redescribes such basic categories as canon and ritual, and shows how frequently studied myths may more likely reflect situational incongruities than vaunted mimetic congruities. His final essay, on Jonestown, demonstrates the interpretive power of the historian of religion to render intelligible that in our own day which seems most bizarre."—Richard S. Sarason, Religious Studies Review

    His profound management sutras are derived from his bestselling books on business and management. They show how individuals can realize their potential, create wealth and achieve lasting success by following uniquely Indian principles (based on Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology) of goal setting, strategic thinking and decision-making.

    The book has two main sections with the first having the quotes divided by their topic such as Love, Happiness, Anger, etc. The second part of the book has specific quotes from Buddha, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Lao Tzu and Zen Quotations.