In this verse-by-verse commentary, Easwaran brings the Gita's teachings into our own lives. Full of insights, stories, and practical spiritual exercises, each volume of this set covers six chapters of the Gita, and can be read on its own. The three volumes together form a comprehensive manual for living a spiritual life.Easwaran was a professor of English literature and taught meditation and spiritual living for 40 years. He is an authority on world mysticism, and lived what he taught, giving him lasting appeal as a spiritual teacher and an author of deep insight and warmth.This first volume in the three-volume set, The End of Sorrow, covers chapters 1-6 of the Gita, and concentrates on the individual: the nature of our innermost Self, how it can be discovered in the depths of consciousness, and how this discovery transforms daily life. The introduction includes instructions in Easwaran's universal method of passage meditation.

    It brings together essays, prose and artwork from more than fifty remarkable contributors from all over the world. Their stories and revelations are challenging, their visions and determination in exploring the mysteries are inspirational, and their enthusiasm for the Goddess of the Crossroads is truly entrancing and sometimes highly infectious. Hekate is a Goddess of great antiquity. She is primordial, powerful and sometimes animalistic - and yet, she is also sophisticated, modern and capable of adapting to different cultures. She is the Torchbearer, the Cosmic World Soul, the Guide and Companion. She is Mistress of the Restless Dead, who rules over the Heavens Earth and Sea. She is the Keybearer and so much more. Her devotees today, as throughout the ages, include philosophers, poets, sorcerers, theurgists, witches, root-cutters, enchantresses and ordinary people. In her introduction, the author and priestess Sorita d'Este brings together an exciting wealth of material on the history and development of how the goddess Hekate has been seen through the ages. As well as a fascinating discussion of her possible origins and mythological connections, the introduction also includes a timeline providing glimpses into her portrayal through the ages, with extracts from literature and examples of amulets, coins and art. The spectrum of material covered in this anthology is as diverse as the forms of Hekate herself, emphasising her role as lightbearer, keybearer, initiatrix, world soul, child's nurse, mistress of crossroads and serpent mysteries. Her devotees describe her role in traditional witchcraft and initiatory Wicca, healing and paganism, her approachability through her angels and trance oracles, her assistance in overcoming traumas and helping the dead continue their journeys. From the reestablishment of the ancient worship of the great mother goddess as Hekate in Thrace (Bulgaria) to meteorites and pilgrimages, Hekate's presence around the world and beyond is vividly described and illustrated by her torchbearers.

    This unique edition of the timeless epic is designed to be accessible for readers without any prior experience of Hinduism. Not simply a translation of the original, Viljoen has simplified and restated the Gita's complex ideas, so that a first-time reader can fully appreciate the scope and beauty of this magnificent Indian classic. Written in concise, modern language the retelling vividly captures the power and depth of the original work.Part of the Mahabharata, the Gita is a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna. Its verses contain some of the key ideas of Hindu philosophy--Dharma, Moksha, and various yogic practices. Originally written well over a thousand years ago, the Gita has proven to be a timeless source of wisdom, inspiring philosophers and revolutionaries alike in the millennia since it was written.In addition to the retelling of the text, this edition includes a character list, a glossary of important terms, and chapters exploring the back-story from the Mahabharata and the impact and meaning of the Bhagavad Gita itself. The Bhagavad Gita is an approachable way for today's readers to engage with one of history's richest spiritual epics.

    The usually venerated characters of this ancient Indian epic are here subjected to a rational enquiry that places them in context, unravels their hopes and fears, and imbues them with wholly human motives, thereby making their stories relevant and astonishing to contemporary readers. Irawati Karve, thus, presents a delightful collection of essays, scientific in spirit, yet appreciative of the literary tradition of the Mahabharata. She challenges the familiar and formulates refreshingly new interpretations, all the while refusing to judge harshly or venerate blindly.

    Making remarkable connections across brain function, myth, and anthropology, Dr. Shlain shows why pre-literate cultures were principally informed by holistic, right-brain modes that venerated the Goddess, images, and feminine values. Writing drove cultures toward linear left-brain thinking and this shift upset the balance between men and women, initiating the decline of the feminine and ushering in patriarchal rule. Examining the cultures of the Israelites, Greeks, Christians, and Muslims, Shlain reinterprets ancient myths and parables in light of his theory. Provocative and inspiring, this book is a paradigm-shattering work that will transform your view of history and the mind.

    This invaluable source of wisdom and inspiration for both beginning and experienced meditators sparks enthusiasm for pursuing this practice and its highest goal, self-realization.

    "Darsan, " a Sanskrit word that means "seeing," is an aid to our vision, a book of ideas to help us read, think, and look at Hindu images with appreciation and imagination.

    These traditions have survived political persecution and upheaval thanks to the efforts of a handful of dedicated lamas such as B?n lineage holder Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. The B?n healing tradition invokes The Five Warrior Syllables - "seed" sounds that bring us to the essential nature of mind and release the boundless creativity and positive qualities that are fundamental to our natural consciousness. Through the medicine of sound, practitioners learn to clear obstacles on the level of the body, the energetic and emotional dimensions of being, and the spiritual consciousness. Through this integrated book and CD learning program, Tenzin Rinpoche gives users the tools to access wisdom and compassion and use the vibration of sacred sound to cultivate the healing power within the body's subtle channels. Lama and B?n meditation master Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is renowned for his gift of rendering ancient texts in a warm and clear way to his Western readers. With Tibetan Sound Healing, he reveals the secrets of B?n sacred syllables and invites us to join him in sound to purify the body, connect with our inherent perfection and completeness, and to awaken spiritual virtue.

    Cherished throughout India and much of Asia for centuries, it has been faithfully preserved and passed on through poems, folk tales, music, dance, drama, sculpture, painting, even film and graphic novels. This story and its characters have captured the hearts and minds of countless generations. Revered through the ages for its moral and spiritual wisdom, it is an uplifting tale of romance and high adventure, recounting the odyssey of Rama, a great King of ancient India.

    In this volume the author resurrects the world of goddess-worshipping, earth-centred cultures, bringing ancient matriarchal society to life.

    One of the great classics of world literature, it has inspired such diverse thinkers as Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, and T.S. Eliot; most recently, it formed the core of Peter Brook's celebrated production of the Mahabharata.

    The sage's sole concern was with human suffering and the ending of suffering. It was his mission to guide the individual to an understanding of his true nature and the timelessness of being. He taught that mind must recognize and penetrate its own state of being, "being this or that, here or that, then or now," but just timeless being.

    The basic teaching is that God alone is the all-pervading reality; the individual soul is none other than the universal soul. According to Shankara, it is the ignorance of our real nature that causes suffering and pain. The desire for happiness is essentially a longing to awaken to who and what we truly are. Through the path of self-knowledge, Shankara clearly teaches how to awaken from ignornce created by the mind, and abide in the peace of our true nature.

    The world is not divided into the lower and the higher, they are holding hands. The lower must be transformed to be allowed to move upward with the higher. Life and death; love and hate; sex and superconsciousness are the same energy. Never condemn anything, it is destructive to do so. Everything is holy; nothing is evil. For Tantra there is no devil; only divine existence.

    Thomas Ashley-Farrand, a Vedic priest, is an American expert in the intricacies of Sanskrit mantra. With nearly thirty years and thousands of hours of experience in chanting, he is supremely well-equipped to write the first book that teaches women (and men as well) to tap into the dynamic feminine energy of love in all its manifestations. By sharing enchanting Hindu myths and astonishing true stories from his own practice, Ashley-Farrand helps us to understand the real power that this age-old art awakens in those who perform it. Through dozens of actual mantras–each one presented with phonetic spelling for easy pronunciation and recommendations for specific applications–he enables us to increase our “shakti” (power) and use it to solve problems, ensure abundance, create health and well-being, summon protection, and invoke personal and universal peace.Whether you’re new to chanting or an old hand, Shakti Mantras will take you places you’ve never been before . . . and measurably enrich your life.