Great Swan: Meetings with Ramakrishna


Lex Hixon - 1992
    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.

De Anima (On the Soul)


Aristotle
    We seek to contemplate and know its nature and substance'For the Pre-Socratic philosophers the soul was the source of movement and sensation, while for Plato it was the seat of being, metaphysically distinct from the body that it was forced temporarily to inhabit. Plato's student Aristotle was determined to test the truth of both these beliefs against the emerging sciences of logic and biology. His examination of the huge variety of living organisms - the enormous range of their behaviour, their powers and their perceptual sophistication - convinced him of the inadequacy both of a materialist reduction and of a Platonic sublimation of the soul. In De Anima, he sought to set out his theory of the soul as the ultimate reality of embodied form and produced both a masterpiece of philosophical insight and a psychology of perennially fascinating subtlety.Hugh Lawson-Tancred's masterly translation makes De Anima fully accessible to modern readers. In his introduction, he places Aristotle's theories at the heart of contemporary debates on the philosophy of life and being.

They Lived With God: Life Stories Of Some Devotees Of Sri Ramakrishna


Chetananda - 1989
    It is interesting to note that these lay disciples even after Swami Ramakrishna's death continued to live the same transformed lives. They accepted him as as a Divine Incarnation, as God manifest in human form. This Books presents a more complete picture of Ramakrishna himself, including many new stories about life which have never been recorded in English.

Satyarth Prakash


Dayanand Saraswati - 1875
    It occupies a prominent place in the Classical, Religious and Philosophical literature of the world. Its main objective is to depict the true face of Hinduism and to set an agenda for reformation of world religions in the larger of interest of humanity.

The Divine Madman: The Sublime Life and Songs of Drukpa Kunley


Keith Dowman - 1982
    Appearing in the spiritual lineage established by Tilopa, is an incarnation of the great Mahasiddha, Saraha.

How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind


Pema Chödrön - 2008
    Yet she's never offered an introductory course on audio--until now.On How to Meditate with Pema Chödrön, the American-born Tibetan Buddhist nun and bestselling author presents her first complete spoken-word course for those new to meditation.Through traditional insights and her personal guidance, offered in 12 sitting sessions, Pema Chödrön will help you honestly meet and compassionately relate with your mind as you explore:The basics of mindfulness awareness practice, from proper posture to learning to settle to breathing and relaxation- Gentleness, patience, and humor--three ingredients for a well-balanced practice- Shamatha (or calm abiding), the art of stabilizing the mind to remain present with whatever arises- Thoughts and emotions as "sheer delight"--instead of obstacles--in meditation"From my own experience and from listening to many people over the years, I've tried to offer here what I feel are the essential points of meditation," explains Pema Chödrön. Now this beloved voice shares with you her accessible approach--simple and down-to-earth while informed by the highest traditions of Tibetan Buddhism--on How to Meditate with Pema Chödrön.Running time: 5 hours, 45 minutes on 5 audio CDs

How Things Exist: Teachings on Emptiness


Thubten Zopa - 2008
    This book begins with a general talk on universal responsibility and compassion that is followed by four chapters detailing the Prasangika Madhyamaka view of emptiness, or ultimate reality, as taught in the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, and how to meditate on it, according to the author's personal experience.

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch


Hui-Neng
    This translation is the definitive English version of the eighth-century Ch'an classic.Phillip B. Yampolsky has based his translation on the Tun-huang manuscript, the earliest extant version of the work. A critical edition of the Chinese text is given at the end of the volume.Dr. Yampolsky also furnishes a lengthy and detailed historical introduction which contains much information hitherto unavailable even to scholars, and provides the context essential to an understanding of Hui-neng's work. He gives an account of the history and legends of Ch'an Buddhism, with particular attention to the traditions associated with Hui-neng, quoting or summarizing the most important narratives. He then discusses the various texts of the "Platform Sutra," and analyzes its contents.

The Transformed Mind


Dalai Lama XIV - 1999
    The Transformed Mind is a collection of talks he gave at a Tibetan Buddhist centre in Delhi during the 1990s. The history of Tibetan Buddhism is covered in a useful Introduction by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche; in the transcribed talks the Dalai Lama explores many of its teachings. "The essence of Buddhist conduct and philosophy is non-violence and the theory of interdependence respectively." Non-violence has two directives: "If you can, help and serve other sentient beings; if you cannot, then at least do not harm others." Spiritual development, he says, comes from having "a good and compassionate heart [which] automatically brings inner strength and allows for less fear and less doubt." This isn't restricted to Buddhism; he has a great respect for believers in other religious traditions, and longs for greater harmony between religions. A refreshing honesty runs throughout this book, and also a delightful humour. When asked, "What is the best method to stop the population growth?" his response is "More monks and more nuns, of course! I call it non-violent birth control." One of the simplest and most useful pieces of advice in the book is that every morning we should create positive feelings by thinking, "I must have a meaningful day." Unlike his earlier book Ancient Wisdom, Modern World, this one is clearly primarily for followers of Buddhism. However, the warmth of the Dalai Lama's approach means that, though his style is sometimes discursive, his teachings are quite accessible by non-Buddhists. --David V Barrett

Hinduism For Dummies


A.V. Srinivasan - 2011
    Today, the United States is home to approximately one million Hindus.If you've heard of this ancient religion and are looking for a reference that explains the intricacies of the customs, practices, and teachings of this ancient spiritual system, Hinduism For Dummies is for you!Provides a thorough introduction to this earliest and popular world belief system Information on the rites, rituals, deities, and teachings associated with the practice of Hinduism Explores the history and teachings of the Vedas, Brahmans, and Upanishads Offers insight into the modern daily practice of Hinduism around the world Continuing the Dummies tradition of making the world's religions engaging and accessible to everyone, Hinduism For Dummies is your hands-on, friendly guide to this fascinating religion.

The Consolation of Philosophy


Boethius
    When he became involved in a conspiracy and was imprisoned in Pavia, it was to the Greek philosophers that he turned. THE CONSOLATION was written in the period leading up to his brutal execution. It is a dialogue of alternating prose and verse between the ailing prisoner and his 'nurse' Philosophy. Her instruction on the nature of fortune and happiness, good and evil, fate and free will, restore his health and bring him to enlightenment. THE CONSOLATION was extremely popular throughout medieval Europe and his ideas were influential on the thought of Chaucer and Dante.

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying


Sogyal Rinpoche - 1992
    In its power to touch the heart, to awaken consciousness, [The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying] is an inestimable gift.”—San Francisco Chronicle A newly revised and updated edition of the internationally bestselling spiritual classic, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, written by Sogyal Rinpoche, is the ultimate introduction to Tibetan Buddhist wisdom. An enlightening, inspiring, and comforting manual for life and death that the New York Times calls, “The Tibetan equivalent of [Dante’s] The Divine Comedy,” this is the essential work that moved Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions, to proclaim, “I have encountered no book on the interplay of life and death that is more comprehensive, practical, and wise.”

Five Lectures on Reincarnation


Abhedananda - 1996
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Solid Ground: Buddhist Wisdom for Difficult Times


Sylvia Boorstein - 2011
    Sylvia Boorstein, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche draw on their own experiences with suffering, as well as their many years of practice, to illustrate how we can find serenity and compassion in even the most stressful situations. Solid Ground offers humor, insight, and practical advice as well as five guided meditations for soothing our thoughts and increasing our capacity for equanimity and joy.

Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path: A Philosophy of Freedom


Rudolf Steiner - 1894
    It was written as a phenomenological account of the "results of observing the human soul according to the methods of natural science. This seminal work asserts that free spiritual activity - understood as the human ability to think and act independently of physical nature - is the suitable path for human beings today to gain true knowledge of themselves and of the universe. This is not merely a philosophical volume, but rather a warm, heart-oriented guide to the practice and experience of living thinking. Readers will not find abstract philosophy here, but a step-by-step account of how a person may come to experience living, intuitive thinking - "the conscious experience of a purely spiritual content." During the past hundred years since it was written, many have tried to discover this "new thinking" that could help us understand the various spiritual, ecological, social, political, and philosophical issues facing us. But only Rudolf Steiner laid out a path that leads from ordinary thinking to the level of pure spiritual activity - intuitive thinking - in which we become co-creators and co-redeemers of the world.