Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine: The Ten Mahavidyas


David R. Kinsley - 1997
    David Kinsley's new book documents a highly unusual group of ten Hindu tantric goddesses, the Mahavidyas, many of whom are strongly associated with sexuality and violence. What is one to make of a goddess who cuts her own head off, or one who prefers sex with a corpse? The Mahavidyas embody habits, attributes, or identities usually considered repulsive or socially subversive and can be viewed as "antimodels" for women. Yet it is within the context of tantric worship that devotees seek to identify themselves with these forbidding goddesses. The Mahavidyas seem to function as "awakeners"—symbols which help to project one's consciousness beyond the socially acceptable or predictable.Drawing on a broad range of Sanskrit and vernacular texts as well as extensive research in India, including written and oral interpretations of contemporary Hindu practitioners, Kinsley describes the unusual qualities of each of the Mahavidyas and traces the parallels between their underlying themes. Especially valuable are the many rare and fascinating images he presents—each important to grasping the significance of the goddesses. Written in an accessible, engaging style, Kinsley's book provides a comprehensive understanding of the Mahavidyas and is also an overview of Hindu tantric practice.

The Chakras


Charles W. Leadbeater - 1973
    With 10 color plates.

Writing on Water


Mooji - 2011
    It is especially geared towards those with a fervour for deeper spiritual truths, awakening and enlightenment. Humanity's basic assumptions are being challenged. First and foremost among them is the 'I am the body' idea, which is the cause of suffering for mankind. What is special about these words presented here is that they tackle the truth from both vantage points: the absolute plane of existence and the practical aspect of daily living in this world.

Do You QuantumThink?: New Thinking That Will Rock Your World


Dianne Collins - 2011
    We're all looking for new ways of thinking that can bring about real solutions to modern problems, from the pursuit of inner serenity to solving world conflicts. In Do You QuantumThink? author Dianne Collins shares her ingenious discovery that reveals a critical missing link to make sense of our changing times. Her discovery provides us with the understanding and methodology to rise above problems of today by laying the foundation for an entirely new way to think.Part science, part philosophy, part spirituality, Do You QuantumThink? draws on a wide spectrum of sources, from cutting edge innovations in the sciences to the insights of the world's greatest spiritual leaders. This book will make you laugh, free you from limiting ideas, and introduce you to the most advanced principles and practical methods for living. Do You QuantumThink? will rock your world in the best of ways as you experience one revelation after another.

Desire: The Tantric Path to Awakening


Daniel Odier - 2001
    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.

Wildlife of the Galapagos


Julian Fitter - 2002
    Unlike the rest of the world's archipelagoes, it still has 95 percent of its prehuman quota of species. Wildlife of the Galapagos is the most superbly illustrated and comprehensive identification guide ever to the natural splendor of these incomparable islands--islands today threatened by alien species and diseases that have diminished but not destroyed what so enchanted Darwin on his arrival there in 1835. Covering over 200 commonly seen birds, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, and plants, it reveals the archipelago's striking beauty through more than 400 color photographs, maps, and drawings and well-written, informative text. While the Galapagos Giant Tortoise, the Galapagos Sea Lion, and the Flightless Cormorant are recognized the world over, these thirty-three islands--in the Pacific over 600 miles from mainland Ecuador--are home to many more unique but less famous species. Here, reptiles well outnumber mammals, for they were much better at drifting far from a continent the archipelago was never connected with; the largest native land mammals are rice rats. The islands' sixty resident bird species include the only penguin to breed entirely in the tropics and to inhabit the Northern Hemisphere. There is a section offering tips on photography in the Equatorial sunlight, and maps of visitors' sites as well as information on the archipelago's history, climate, geology, and conservation. Wildlife of the Galapagos is the perfect companion for anyone who wants to know what so delighted Darwin. Covers over 200 commonly seen species including birds, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, plants, and coastal and marine life Illustrated with over 400 color photographs, maps, and drawings; includes maps of visitors' sites Written by wildlife experts with extensive knowledge of the area Includes information on the history, climate, geology, and conservation of the islands The most complete identification guide to the wildlife of the Galapagos

The Secret Teachings of the Vedas


Stephen Knapp - 1986
    This timeless and enlightening information is explained in a clear and concise way and is essential for all who want to increase their spiritual understanding and awareness. This is a book that can give you a new perspective of who you are and where you fit into the scheme of things. Is This Book For You? Yes,if you want to understand: the science of the soul and the eternal characteristics of your real spiritual identity; the scientific evidence that indicates consciousness is separate from, but interacts with, the body; how to attain the highest happiness and freedom from the cause of suffering; the real unity between us all which is beyond bodily identification; reincarnation and how to determine what your next life will be by the actions you perform and the consciousness you develop; reincarnation found in Christianity; life after death--heaven, hell, or beyond; the law of karma and how you accumulate good or bad karma that will affect your future; how residents of a country collectively create national karma; what is the spiritual realm as described in the Vedic texts; the nature of the Absolute Truth--personal God or impersonal force; how to recognize the existence of the Supreme; why we exist at all; and much more. There is also an explanation of what the Vedas are, how they were compiled, and how they have influenced Western culture for many years. This book supplies the straightforward answers to questions that are not resolved in other religions or philosophies, and condenses information from a wide variety of sources that would take a person years to assemble. It also uses many quotations from numerous Vedic texts that will show you the lofty insight and wisdom they have held for thousands of years.

Chakras: Energy Centers of Transformation


Harish Johari - 1987
    • Includes full-color illustrations of the chakras to be used with the meditation exercises in the book and provides the tools necessary to activate these centers of transformative energy. In the ancient science of tantra, the human body is viewed as the most perfect instrument for the expression of consciousness, a perfection realized through the development of psychic centers known as chakras. Located within the cerebrospinal system, the chakras are the stage upon which the interaction between higher consciousness and desire is played out. Consequently, it is through understanding and utilizing the energies of the chakras that we ultimately reach an enlightened state of being. In Chakras, Indian scholar and tantra practitioner Harish Johari introduces the classical principles of the chakras as well as their practical application for today. In this expanded edition, complete with new art and text, he unfolds the mysteries of these subtle centers of transformation with visualization techniques essential to a fully realized tantric practice. Unlike other books in its field, Chakras provides the tools to activate these centers of transformative energy and elevate one's intellectual knowledge to an experience of spiritual growth. Meditating on the beautiful, full-color illustrations of each chakra vitalizes the cerebrospinal centers and harmonizes the entire system both physically and psychically. Explanations of each chakra elaborate on the chakra's connection to elements, colors, sounds, sense and work organs, desires, planets and deities, as well as on behavioral characteristics and particular effects of meditation. For scholars and spiritual aspirants of every level, Chakras is an invaluable, practical source of information and techniques.

Fringe Knowledge for Beginners


Montalk - 2008
    Montalk presents this timely book for anyone desiring an easy-to-understand, balanced, and concise overview of the “bigger picture.” * Why are we here? What is the meaning of life?* What are dreams? Is reality a collective dream?* Can our minds really influence reality?* How was the universe created?* Where did humans come from?* Do aliens exist? What is their purpose?* What can we do about the world's problems?* How can we wake up spiritually?"Fringe Knowledge for Beginners" is filled with practical wisdom to assist budding truth-seekers on their path of awakening.

One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters


Larry Dossey - 2013
    . . and a potential way out of the division, greed, and destruction that threaten to engulf our world. In the 20th century, we were introduced to several subdivisions of the mind: the conscious, unconscious, subconscious, preconscious, and so on. But what we didn’t know was that there was another level of consciousness, an all-encompassing, infinite dimension of shared intelligence: the One Mind. This universal consciousness connects all of us through space and time. Even now, as you read these words, you are participating in the One Mind.Emerging studies have shown that the One Mind isn’t just an idea; it’s a reality. In this book, Larry Dossey shares compelling research that supports the One Mind concept. These cases include experiences of:Shared thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations with a distant individualCommunication between humans and sentient nonhumans, such as petsLarge groups of animals—flocks, schools, herds—behaving in highly coordinated waysAcquisition of previously unknown knowledge from a person who has diedHidden or lost objects found through mental means aloneDirect contact with a transcendent domain through near-death experiencesThrough engaging stories, fascinating case studies, and brilliant insights from great thinkers throughout history, One Mind explores the outer reaches of human consciousness. In it, you will discover a new way to interpret the great mysteries of our experience and learn how to develop the empathy necessary to engender more love, peace, and collective awareness. The result is a rich new understanding of what it means to be human and a renewed hope that we can successfully confront the challenges we face at this crossroads in human history.With One Mind, Dossey shows that we are not alone, that we are all one.

Total Chi Fitness - Meridian Stretching Exercises for Ultimate Fitness, Performance and Health (Chi Powers for Modern Age Book 2)


William Lee - 2013
    This Performance Enhancing Method is LOVED by Everyone, from Professional Athletes to Ordinary People). This book is complete, practical guide for mastering ancient meridian stretching exercises that can enrich your life in many different ways. Learning curve is very short. From Sifu Lee, you get detailed instructions, images and VIDEO, together with your purchase of this Kindle eBook. All that will surely assist you to master this exercises quickly. You do not need anything else in order to learn complete set of Total Chi Fitness exercises and therefore enjoy full list of the benefits. CAUTION: this book is NOT meant for seekers of the theoretical knowledge and speculative approach to Chi, Energy work etc. - this book is totally practical & YES it's 'too simple' for those that think that only complicated things are "good". Yet this simple meridian stretching exercises provide quick results TO ANYONE who actually put them in practice, regardless of what one thinks, what one believes etc. Simplicity and great power of Total Chi Fitness meridian stretching is shocking to most of the practitioners who reports about these types of benefits: These exercises will boost your energy levels strongly. If you do them correctly they will help you fight the disease, accelerate your mental and physical performance far better then any artificial booster or 'food supplement' and provide you with dozen of additional benefits. If your body is sick or weak: Total Chi Fitness exercise program will help you to heal faster. Relief from modern diseases and health disorders (back pain, headache, feeling of low energy and weakness, inability to concentrate etc.) are only some of the healing benefits people report experiencing with this program. If you're healthy, hard-working, active in sports etc.: Total Chi Fitness exercise program will enhance the result you are achieving. It will catapult you to dimensions packed with fresh energy resources that you currently don't even know of! "Secret" of Total Chi Fitness powers is simple: originating from ancient Chinese medicine and martial arts, it remained unchanged by thousands of years. Meridian stretching and techniques of Total Chi Fitness rapidly 'clean' your energy channels from all the blocks and obstacles that slowdown free and healthy flow of the life energy - Chi. TRY IT TODAY AND FEEL THE DIFFERENCE YOURSELF

IELTS Testbuilder 1


Sam McCarter - 2003
    The book contains four IELTS tests and further practice and guidance sections, and the free accompanying audio CDs contain all four listening tests.

Mysteries


Colin Wilson - 1978
    His new-found knowledge spurred him to write Mysteries: An Investigation into the Occult, the Paranormal & the Supernaturalan attempt to apply his theory to all paranormal phenomena, from precognition to Uri Geller's spoon bending. He presents detailed studies of hauntings, possession & demonic hypnosis, as well as magic, the Kabbalah & astrology. At the heart of his work is a fascinating discussion of the Great Secret of the alchemists, which he sees as the key to the mystery of the ladder of selves.

Journey to the Lord of Power: A Sufi Manual on Retreat


Ibn Arabi
    'Arabi, whose metaphysical teachings have had a profound influence on both the Muslim and Christian worlds, is known as one of the greatest writers of mystical love poetry of all time. Written in answer to the questions of a friend, this illuminating guide describes the evolutionary path of our higher spiritual aspirations -the quest for the ultimate reality, the journey toward God. It is chiefly concerned with spiritual retreat, an advanced and potentially dangerous Sufi practice that aims at the attainment of the Presence of God through absolute abandonment of the world. Realizing the imagination's deceptive power, 'Arabi warns that this form of retreat should not be undertaken except at the order of a sheikh or by one who has mastered the self. Each stage of the journey is accompanied by a temptation which can be overcome only by an unshakable desire for God. Ibn 'Arabi explains each step of the ascent leading toward human perfection. In this perilous voyage of self-discovery, the reader will encounter the Realms of the mineral, vegetable, and animal worlds, eventually reaching the Gardens and the Throne of Mercy. The traveler of the Sufi mystic path is called upon to cleanse his or her heart in order to safely reach the final destination - the Lord of Power.

Nothing to Grasp


Joan Tollifson - 2012
    This book is an invitation to wake up from commonplace misconceptions and to see through the imaginary separate self at the root of our human suffering and confusion. Nothing to Grasp is a celebration of what is, exactly as it is.