Amazon.com
In undertaking a spiritual life, we must make certain that our path is connected with our heart, according to author and Buddhist monk Jack Kornfield. Since 1974 (long before it gained popularity in the 1990s), Kornfield has been teaching westerners how to integrate Eastern teaching into their daily lives. Through generous storytelling and unmitigated warmth, Kornfield offers this excellent guidebook on living with attentiveness, meditation, and full-tilt compassion.
Part of what makes this book so accessible is Kornfield's use of everyday metaphors to describe the elusive lessons of spiritual transformation. For example, he opens with "the one seat" lesson taught to him by his esteemed teacher. Literally it means sitting in the center of a room and not being swayed or moved by all the people and dramas happening around you. On a spiritual level it means sticking "with one practice and teacher among all of the possibilities," writes Kornfield; "inwardly it means having the determination to stick with that practice through whatever difficulties and doubts arise until you have come to true clarity and understanding." The same could be said for this "one book." Among all the spiritual self-help books, this is a classic worth sticking with and returning to--a highly approachable teacher that can only lead to greater clarity and understanding. --Gail Hudson
Customer Reviews:
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!.......2007-09-03
This quickly became one of my all time favorite books. It has great techniques for meditation and beautiful and funny story's about
following your heart and the Dharma. A must read for anyone who meditates and/or is interested in Buddhism.
Compassionate with Psychological Understanding.......2007-05-17
"A Path with Heart" gives a unique Buddhist perspective to heal ourselves emotionally and psychologically. It asks us to accept emotions fully, experience them at a deep level and then to release them. The path is not one of denial but of acceptance and also letting go. Jack Kornfield's words are filled with compassion and equanimity, which are two important facets of our spiritual journey filled with both perils and promises.
This book resonated at a deeper level for me and I found the same inspiration in Nexus: A Neo Novel which is an experiential journey to heart-centered living. Both books offer a path of compassion, which is important in our age. We can share the wisdom of these books within our circle and help transform lives.
Enjoyable reading!.......2007-05-16
I have had to buy this book several times because I keep giving them out! Enjoyable and written in a format that conveys a spiritual message to any faith. This is a book you will pick up and read time and time again.
An example of the optimism and realism of Buddhism.......2006-11-26
--Just want to add another five-star vote for this deserving, positive, practical, solid, encouraging book. As an experienced Buddhist who has joyfully practiced for many years, I find this one keeps coming off my bookshelf again and again. It's a fine example of wisdom and compassion, of tolerance and discipline, of shared joy and personal responsibility. It is an inspiration. It is good to encounter an author filled with Buddhism's optimism and realism.
--This book, and its outlook, is also an excellent antidote for times when one just feels kind of briefly overwhelmed by the negative craziness in the world (in other words, dukkha). Having just read a pathologically heartless, best-selling work by a fundamentalist atheist, I realized what a miracle it is that we have the opportunity to travel on a path with heart.
A book with heart!!!!!.......2006-05-02
This is an excellent and sensitively written book by a former Buddhist monk and clinical psychologist. Jack Kornfield uses stories and lyrical language to weave a portrait of an authentic spiritual life characterized by insight, compassion and wisdom. He makes Buddhism accessible to modern people and shows us how it is relevant to modern life. This is no small task and Kornfield pulls it off brilliantly, with warmth and an entertaining style. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for deeper meaning in their lives whatever their specific beliefs. It is also an important book that connects Western psychological thought to Eastern worldviews.
If you like this book, you may also find "Toward a Psychology of Awakening" by John Welwood a great next step in your explorations. John Welwood casts a broader net and has a more intellectual approach that compliments Jack Kornfield's more heart-centered story-based way of bringing this wisdom tradition to the West.
If you are looking for a concise essay on Buddhism, then the "World's Religions" by Huston Smith has an excellent relatively short, but information packed essay on Buddhism and another on Hinduism which helps place Buddhism in its historical context.
If your area of interest is more toward Tibetan Buddhism, then you might enjoy "Indestructible Truth" by Reginald A. Ray. However, be warned that Ray is a scholar, the book is long and while it is interesting, it is very detailed. If you are just looking to get a feel for Tibetan Buddhism, then you might want to try "The Art of Happiness" by the Dali Lama. While it doesn't dive deeply into Tibetan Buddhism in a comprehensive way, it does draw out many aspects that are relative and useful to Western people in improving the quality of their lives.
Book Description
In this practical guide to enlightened living, Chögyam Trungpa offers an inspiring vision for our time, based on the figure of the sacred warrior. In ancient times, the warrior learned to master the challenges of life, both on and off the battlefield. He acquired a sense of personal freedom and powerânot through violence or aggression, but through gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge. The Japanese samurai, the warrior-kings of Tibet, the knights of medieval Europe, and the warriors of the Native American tribes are a few examples of this universal tradition of wisdom. With this book the warrior's path is opened to contemporary men and women in search of self-mastery and greater fulfillment. Interpreting the warrior's journey in modern terms, Trungpa discusses such skills as synchronizing mind and body, overcoming habitual behaviors, relaxing within discipline, facing the world with openness and fearlessness, and finding the sacred dimension of everyday life. Above all, Trungpa shows that in discovering the basic goodness or human life, the warrior learns to radiate that goodness out into the world for the peace and sanity of others. The Shambhala teachingsânamed for a legendary Himalayan kingdom where prosperity and happiness reignâthus point to the potential for enlightened conduct that exists within every human being. "The basic wisdom of Shambhala," Trungpa writes, "is that in this world, as it is, we can find a good and meaningful human life that will also serve others. That is our true richness."
Customer Reviews:
Path to Liberation.......2007-10-05
Dispite Chogyam Trongpa's controversial lifestyle, this is the best Spiritual book I have ever read. I agree with the sentiment that I would like to have this book if stranded on an island.
Quoted from the back cover -- "In this practical guide to enlightened living, Chogyam Trungpa offers an inspiring vision for our time, based on the figure of the sacred warrior. In ancient times, the warrior learned to master the challenges of life, both on and off the battlefield. He acquired a sense of personal freedom and power -- not through violence or aggression, but through gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge."
In his view not only was individual enlightenment not mythical, but Shambhala Kingdom referred to an enlightened society that could actually be realized. The practice of Shambhala vision is to use mindfulness/awareness meditation as a way to connect with one's basic goodness and confidence, as well as with that of others and the world. Shambhala vision is described as a secular approach, rooted in meditation, but accessible to individuals of any, or no, religion. In Shambhala terms, it is possible, moment by moment, for individuals to establish enlightened society. source: wikipedia
also a must read Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
Shambala reads good.........2007-07-14
Enjoyable read. Easy to relate with examples book provides. Author draws out ideas presented in the book pretty well. Reading is light but entertaining.
Uniquely Valuable.......2007-03-09
This book makes a unique contribution to the quest for sanity and significance, for ourselves and our world. It stresses our essential goodness and authenticity. and charts out how we can achieve a standing beyond fear. We can re-focus from fear of death to the "Great Easern Sun vision," appreciating ourselves and our world: a very gentle approach. Written in an approachable and comfortable way, it can help us to reframe our lives, move us to a standing in bravery and tenderness, an orientation so vital to the planet now.
Most Valuable Book.......2004-10-30
This was the most inspritional book I have ever read. I give as a gift to everybody I haven't already givin it too. BUY this book and if you don't like i will buy it from you!
Wise words greatly needed now.......2004-09-25
I read this book for the first time in the early eighties on a flight to Dallas via San Antonio, San Marcos and Austin (cheapest ticket). It was not my first contact with Eastern Philosophy. I attended several TM classes as a senior in high school and had always been very interested in Tibet and Buddhism.
This book can alter your life. It is deceptively simple. How to live an honorable life without the violence that we are so accustomed to. I have read it numerous times and given away all of my copies. During the years I have had several books on my shelf that Chogyam wrote and never read them. It seemed to be enough just to have them there sitting on the shelf radiating his wisdom out to the world from my bookshelf. Silly, I know but my heart was opened, moved and changed by the wisdom contained in just this one book. Working in a giant communications company and living in the southwest tail of the bible belt offered many, many opportunities to test and apply what I had absorbed from this book. Combined with a weekly fix of New Dimensions I set about trying to live my life from the wisdom contained. It was and still is a wonderful experience.
For those who have a difficult time in separating the message from the messinger you might try reading "The Essential Crazy Wisdom" by Wes Nisker.
Chogyam was a great gift to America - wisdom that is desperately needed in today's times.
Book Description
Best-selling author and spiritual guide Eckhart Tolle led a remarkable two-day retreat at Findhorn, Scotland, a community on the leading edge of personal and global transformation. His weekend talks, captured on audio, create a deeply moving experience for listeners. Speaking on the subject of stillness, which he describes as a doorway into the Now and to true personal enlightenment, Tolle shows listeners how to find stillness in the present moment and enter a deeper dimension of peace and fulfillment. His practical, powerful tools for transformation offer the clear guidance needed to realize the magic of every moment and to reconnect to the sacredness of life and of being. Tolle’s lighthearted delivery lends sparkling highlights to the jewels of wisdom that he shares — words that convey, with the timeless clarity of the ancient spiritual masters, a simple yet profound message of hope.
Customer Reviews:
Formless Brilliance.......2007-06-27
I read a brilliant book called "Be Here Now" by Richard Alpert aka Baba Ram Dass 35 years ago. I took up TM for several years after that experience.
Those phenomenon allowed me to quiet my mind, live in the present and do things I imagined I could do, but could not have done otherwise. I got into and graduated from medical school (I am from a blue collar family), while going through a divorce. They put me into a place where I was able to woo and marry a special woman. Then I fell deeply into form, materialism, egoism while anguishing about the past as I awaited the future rewards I felt I richly deserved. Over these last 25 years my life completely unravelled. I became a bitter, angry, pain-ridden shell. Big house, fancy cars, world travel and a quickening descent into hell. (I even got a law degree. Maybe I could defend my-self). Nothing worked.
Until Eckhart emerged from obscurity (part of his story) into my story. Suddenly senselessness made sense. The past and the future began to shrink into, simply, now. Now I am so alive, full of joy, without being full of me. I work in a maximum security prison as a psychiatrist, the only death chamber in Florida is 200 yards from my office. The staff, the prisoners, the outside visitors see this place as a place of sadness and despair. Thanks to the universal channel that Eckhart has tuned me into, there is a little smile on my face every moment I am there. Amazingly, everyone around has begun to smile, every now and then. Not because of the little me, but because of what is flowing through me. What is flowing through me? The beauty and goodness and love that exists inside of them. They don't know that is where my smile is coming from. I hope and pray they discover that.
Thank you Eckhart for suffering so much, so you could bring me into the present, into the now, to feel the stillness in the midst of chaos.
Very pleased with this CD set.......2007-05-14
This was my first time to experience Tolle since reading The Power of Now. I did not find the book interesting, however, listening to his lecture was a real treat! I love his sense of humor and his humility. I would recommend this CD set to anyone interested in Non-Duality.
Tolle's Findhorn Retreat.......2007-05-14
Tolle speaks so clearly ... makes me squirm, wakes me up, makes me laugh and supports my evolution. What more can I ask for from one "little" Retreat?!
EXPERIENCE INNER PEACE.......2007-05-14
Eckhart Tolles's "Findhorn Retreat: Stillness Amidst the World" takes the listener on an inner journey to discover and experience one's true nature of inner peace...a true oasis amidst the desert of our high stress modern world...highly recommended.
If you like "Findhorn Retreat" then you'll love NEXUS a novel by Deborah Morrison and Arvind Singh, a unique adventure in consciousness to discover one's deepest inner centre/Nexus, a centre of connectedness and infinite potential...
Spiritual Insights.......2007-03-13
I had already read Power of Now and A New Earth when I ordered this audiobook. I found it to be a concentrated summary of Mr. Tolle's teachings told with humility, humor and with a decided ring of truth. It should be listened to when you are alone, quiet and in a mood of calm concentration. The spiritual insights hit home on a deep level, not fact knowledge to be grabbed at but more of an awakening of spiritual knowing already within you. I'm sure to listen to these again and again and share them with others spiritually ready to receive the message.
Book Description
After 'Hit Man'
The New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man documents John Perkins’ extraordinary career as a globe-trotting economic hit man. Perkins’ insider’s view leads him to crisis of conscience--to the realization that he must devote himself to work which will foster a world-wide awareness of the sanctity of indigenous peoples, their cultures, and their environments. Perkins’ books demonstrate how the age-old shamanic techniques of some of the world’s most primitive peoples have sparked a revolution in modern concepts about healing, the subconscious, and the powers each of us has to alter individual and communal reality.
Deep in the rain forests and high in the Andes of Ecuador, native shamans teach the age-old technique of dream change, a tradition that has kept the cultures of the Otavalans, Salasacans, and Shuar alive despite centuries of conquest. Now these shamans are turning their wisdom and power to the problem of curing a new kind of illness--that created by the industrial world’s dream of dominating and exploiting nature.
John Perkins tells the story of these remarkable shamans and of the U.S. medical doctors, psychologists, and scientists who have gone with him to learn the techniques of dream change. These shamanic teachings have sparked a revolution in modern concepts about healing, the subconscious, and the powers each of us has to alter individual and communal reality.
Customer Reviews:
A New Way of Viewing the World.......2007-07-06
This book is for those of you who recognize that there is something inherently wrong with the way our society operates. Even if you don't recognize it, this book will shed light on a myriad of problems. We can all learn a few things from indigenous people, and Perkins is a level-headed expert on the subject. Short and easy to follow, this book is a must read!
False and Deceptive -- Doesn't Even Mention Shuar Violence and Head Hunting!.......2007-06-21
This book needs to be labeled fiction and it totally misrepresents the indigenous South Americans about whom he's talking. The native Amazonians he visits have a well-documented history of head hunting and raiding until very recently! These groups survived colonialism because they retreated deep into the rainforest, and because they were extraordinarily violent towards outsiders, other fellow Amazonians, and especially to their own women.
It's insulting that Perkins remakes these indigenous Amazonians into his own hippy, 1960's idealistic view of a nature-loving, dream-centric, egalitarian culture with some special understanding of the world that we can use to remake our own. He neglects to tell anything truthful about the Shuar culture-- and it's tiresome and offensive to have people put their own ideals into some "Wise Indian's" mouth.
The truth is always interesting, and I'm sure Perkins' trippy, drug-induced vision of an eco-friendly imaginary dreamworld could be interesting too. His lie is to conflate the two.
John Perkins is a true teacher.......2007-05-22
I plan to buy ShapeShifting next. This book will change your life and the way you look at things. I know...there are so many books out there that claim to do that as well, but they are nothing compared to this book. Only an intelligent spirital person would read this book, but it is also an easy read. I have the highest respect for John Perkins.
Dreaming it as it is.......2006-07-31
This is a superb rendition of spiritual principles crafted within the context of indigenous cosmology. It reflects broader corollaries that can be assigned to numerous spiritual disciplines world wide and provide a source of inspiration to those who question the nefarious motives of unfettered "development" with all its hideous consequences.
Mr. Perkins utilizes vast personal experience to highlight indigenous wisdom that takes to task our ethnocentric, greed based, industrialized world view that seems designed to ransack planetary resources and exploit the lives of all it can consume. A sad commentary on the foibles of an economic system run amuck, yet, a surprisingly inspirational joy ride through time and space as seen through the eyes of the author.
Highly recommended.
Lacking depth.......2003-05-29
I was very dissapointed by this book. When I bought it I was expecting the book to teach me how to implement shamanic teachings, how to heal, how to dream, how to direct our dreams, how we can change our dream, but instead I read pages and pages of discriptive text. Talks only about Mr. Perkin's travels. It doesn't even give in-depth examples of how people were healed.
Amazon.com
The old saw in Buddhism is that desire is the noxious weed that keeps us lurching from one unsatisfactory pleasure to the next, and that uprooting it is the only way to liberation. Daniel Odier, a scholar and teacher of tantra, turns this wisdom on its head in Desire: The Tantric Path to Awakening, saying that desire is the only true path to liberation. Odier objects to any religion that pretends to offer liberation in any form other than simple, personal experience. Stemming from the Tibetan master Kalu Rinpoche and the Kashmiri Shaivite yogini Lalita Devi, Odier's tantrism focuses on "micropractices," conscious withdrawal from habitual activities for just a few seconds several times a day. The crux is to attain consciousness, presence--and beyond this, there is no goal. For when there is eventually presence in every activity, the luminosity of existence pervades everything. At this point, the smallest things give pleasure. Gross desires fall away, to be replaced by spontaneous desires arising in a life of grace and joy. Odier's Desire is a challenge and a pleasure to all who feel constricted by ordinary religious practice. --Brian Bruya
Book Description
• Explains how the primal energy generated by physical desire can be used to achieve enlightenment
• Reveals the techniques used by Tantric adepts to attain mastery over breath, thought, and all physical processes
Nothing can match the explosive energy created in the body by pure desire. 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.
Customer Reviews:
open to the "luminosity of existence".......2006-04-27
According to almost all the great world religions including Buddhism, desire is an enemy blocking the path to enlightenment. Contrary to this, Daniel Odier maintains that desire is the only true path to liberation. According to Odier, the primary requirement for a spiritual seeker to fully awaken is simple, direct, personal experience. He refers to his disciplined approach as "micropractices" involving the conscious withdrawal from habitual activities for just a few seconds several times a day. There is no goal in this practice, no seeking to get somewhere or accomplish something, but rather the purpose is simply to be fully aware, fully awake, and fully present to your own divinity in the now moment. Odier describes his Tantric path as "nothing spectacular...lack[ing] in the exotic, the magickal, the extraordinary....there was no ritual other than to breathe, walk, bathe... to look at the earth, the lichens, the trees, the leaves, common objects; to enter deeply into contact with life, reality." He suggests that the "luminosity of existence" pervades everything including you. Odier received direct personal Tantric initiation from a Kashmiri Shaivite yogini, Lalita Devi, in the Tantric lineage of the Tibetan master Kalu Rinpoche which dates back several thousand years.
Wholistic Tantra.......2006-03-06
The best thing about this book, for me, is its easy-to-understand (if not always easy-to-practice) wholistic view of Tantric practice. Tantric practice is NOT just about sex -- it's about falling in love with the whole universe on a much subtler level, if I may put it into my own words. Odier mixes chapters that give solid, Western-life examples of new ways to look at the world with chapters on readings from ancient texts. Frankly, the latter are mostly over my head, but the book is engaging enough that I plan to come back to those chapters I didn't "get" on first reading and try again. My two minor quibbles are that the book seems somewhat disorganized, and perhaps related, Odier spends part of the book talking about how Tantric practice is not really or only about sex and part of the book describing the sexual aspects -- with the transition between the two being mostly buried in one of those more mystical chapters. That being said, I am impressed with how accessible AND useful the teachings were, especially the modern-life illustrations of everyday non-sexual Tantric practice.
An excellent book.......2005-12-28
If you are interested in learning about tantra, this is an excellent starting point. Written by a professor from the University of California, he describes how he was initiated by Devï. Of course, tantra is still a very exotic form of meditation and considered as a very unusual sexual technique. Odier describes how he learned the technique and what effects it had on him. More important he illustrates how sex can become a way of opening up your mind. After you have read it, you'll want to learn it, but you'll see how the sex you've had so far is nothing comparedd to what awaits you with tantra. At the same time, it is not a guide, but rather an account of Odier's personal experience. Being a university professor of the Western world, this books makes it the more interesting as his description is what we would probably say as well. I definately recommed you to read it!
Book Description
No matter where you are in your own spiritual work, this book can show you how to harness the power of an experience we all share and often fear: change. Discover how you can learn to consciously use change as a spiritual rite of passage. Illustrated with wonderful allegorical tales from all the major spiritual traditions, compelling life stories and transformative exercises, WHERE TWO WORLDS TOUCH shows you that even the mundane details of everyday life offer rich fuel for personal evolution.
Customer Reviews:
Warm and non-judgemental.......2000-08-06
I found this book heart warming and insightful. In times of stress and change this would be a good book to read. It reminds you that change is part of life and something to embrace.
Where Two Worlds Touch.......2000-03-26
I have read this book a thousand time. The pages are getting dog-eared and the margins are full of notes. I was really hoping that Glorida Karpinski had written another soul revealing book.But it would be hard to top this fabulously insightfull exploration of the human experience.
Inner Changes.......2000-03-18
For me, I have come to the conclusion after reading this wonderful book, that all I have to do is relax. Everything and everyone who are in my life are in it for a specific purpose.This book also helped me realize that the journey is just as important as the goal. I wish Gloria would write another book, she is a wonderful author. I hope she realizes how much she has helped so many people. Thankyou Gloria.
This book changed my life's course.......2000-02-01
I found this magical book in the used books section of a bookstore, read it, and was transformed by its wisdom. I'll never part with it. God love you, Gloria! I wish you'd write another book, wherever you are... And to the reader who asks why this book is out of print, well, the other day I saw it in the metaphysical section of Borders and so wonder if it's been revived?
If you were to choose only one book to read............1999-11-02
I first read this book 5 years ago and it made so much sense of my then senseless world! I just re-read it this past week and was amazed to see how much of the wisdom in this book I had incorporated into my life, the positive affects it has had on me, and that there was more to learn that I did not get the first time around! You will want to read it again and again. This is a MUST HAVE book for anyone who wants to understand the turmoil in their life and how spiritual growth happens. I would also recommend it to those in healing practices and counsiling. A great gift!!! Yes... I want to see this book available again!
Book Description
Describes authentic tantra, the different spiritual paths and how tantra combines yoga, meditation, ayurveda and other disciplines.
Customer Reviews:
Lovely Overview of Tantra.......2005-11-27
This book is very easy to read. It is also very interesting and you'll probably read it in one breath, or rather in a day - without putting the book down.
I am delighted that this book was written. It brings to light Tantra which is very different than the kind popularized in the West.
The author shares a few stories about the powers developed by genuine tantrik masters. Not that one has go after any powers - the powers simply unfold even spontaneously in an individual who is practicing "merging" or rather "at-one-ment" with the Infinite, whatever form It may take.
Few practices are mentioned and what is mentioned is more for the purpose of giving the reader a taste of it, rather than as a means of complete practice. On the other hand, even though methods, techniques and rituals in their fullness are not disclosed and the authors states that they are transmitted directly from teacher to student - those who are familiar even with Western esoteric tradition, with cultivation of Sexual Energy from Taoist tradition, and have been practicing meditation for the purpose of experiencing Oneness with the Infinite - will find similarities.
The author appropriately mentions that nothing gets an individual so interested to explore further than having an actual experience of "power". I fully agree - but the example which is offered in this book as something that is supposed to provide the reader with the "speedy" experience of power (as a remedy for calming phobia, nightmares or disturbed sleep) takes about 120 days to complete - the first 3 steps of this method are each to be done for 40 days. While repeating Gayatri mantra thousands of times and drawing Om Namah Shivaya has many other benefits - I can think of many other ways of getting rid of phobias, nightmares or disturbed sleep in one day (including self-hypnosis and NLP) as opposite to 120 days. At least among the numerous powers listed to be obtained in the initial practices of tantra - even whether to create a change in oneself of in other, I can also think of many other ways of creating such effects in a day or a couple of days, instead of 120 days. I have been working with Om Namah Shivaya mantra for too long to be a fair judge regarding how much time it takes to become aware of its effectiveness, but come to think of it - at least as far as fears and phobias go, there are numerous people to whom I suggested to use Om Namah Shivaya mantra and all of them have experienced practically instant results.
This book, short as it is, does give enough hints to help you to actually experience some effects of using few mantras and it gives few more hints if you want to proceed along this path.
Awesome Introduction to Tantra without any hype.......2002-07-19
I agree with the first reviewer(who gave 2 stars), that the title is a tad aggressive, however, that is no reason for giving such a low rating for this phenomenal book. The book gives a fantastic introduction to Tantra, its various aspects and the different schools in a simple, unambigous and concise manner. This book contains unadulterated, unalloyed and authentic information on Tantra as it is practiced by the Himalayan adepts.Honestly, I found it difficult to put the book down.
The Author Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is a scholar in Sanskrit and Tantra and a student of Swami Rama, who is/was one of the Himalayan Adepts. He belongs to the lineage of the Himalayan Sages going all the way back to Sage Sanat Kumara.
magical.......2001-09-01
Here it is, the definitive account of Tantra. Assume Yoga, Gita, Veda, Acharya, Ramayana, Pranayama and Vedanta. Now contemplate the subtitle, "Seducing the Forces of Nature." What could be greater than seducing Mahakali, the Great Goddess herself, into giving us everything our teensy little hearts desire? Yet one must be wary of who is seducing whom. "Wallowing in ignorance time and again, the fools imagine, 'We have reached our aim!' Because of their passion, they do not understand, these people who are given to rites. Therefore, they fall, wretched and forlorn, when their heavenly stay comes to a close [Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.9]." On a practical level, there are photos of how to hold one's hands in mudra (again, assume the basics of adoration and supplication). There is also a 60-day ritual for curing insomnia, that is bound to put anyone to sleep. More secret knowledge is available from bona-fide lineage-holders. Just remember: it's not *nice* to fool Mother Nature....
Illuminating the truth hidden by ignorance........2001-05-24
When one thinks of Tantra, one's mind swings to the notion of sexual practices that are viewed by most schools of thought as taboo. However "Tantra Unveiled" reveals the truth behind the Vedic science that is shrouded in mystery. This is achieved by giving all facts about Tantra that have been hidden due to the focus on ritual sex that, in itself is grossly misunderstood and abused. Pandit Rajami Tigunait writing style is easy to read and he presents information in a clear and precise manner. This coupled with his personal accounts of the practice of Tantric teachings and his experiences with his Guru, make for a most enjoyable lesson on the Tantric science. Any person put off by the widely held image of Tantra will be pleasantly surprised.
Average customer rating:
- For Those That Have Ears
- Great voice, great content
- Worth listening to again and again.
- John O'Donohue speaks celtic wisdom with lyrical beauty.
|
Anam Cara: Wisdom from the Celtic World
John O'Donohue
Manufacturer: Sounds True
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
 General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Inspiration & Philosophy
| Religion & Spirituality
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Spiritualism
| Occult
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Inspirational
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Celtic
| Earth-Based Religions
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Friendship
| Relationships
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
-
Beauty : The Invisible Embrace
-
Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong
-
Conamara Blues:PB Edition of Eternal Echoes
ASIN: 1564558029 |
Book Description
Anam Cara John O'Donohue
The Treasure of Celtic Spirituality - When St. Patrick came to Ireland in the fifth century, he encoun-tered the Celts - a dynamic people who found divinity all around them: in the rivers and hills, the sea and sky, in home and village; and within their own souls. On Anam Cara, Irish poet and Catholic scholar John O'Donohue guides you through Ireland's remarkable spiritual landscape, yielding a treasure trove of insights, stories, and teachings. Presented on six tapes in the oral tradition so beloved of the Celts.
Anam Cara covers: Authentic Irish prayers and blessings • The "secret divinity" in our relationships • Attuning yourself to sacred silence • The Celtic understanding of the afterlife • Why God's "wild, passionate" side should be acknowledged • And much more.
Customer Reviews:
For Those That Have Ears.......2006-08-15
Throughout time the Holy Spirit has worked through individuals to bring humanity closer to the divine. Sometimes this work manifests itself in an individual who is capable of doing great things with the blessings that were given them. Rev. O'Donohue is such a man, and yes he is still a priest. Once a priest always a priest. This like all others works John has done provide simple advice on how to build ones understanding of life, self, and the divine. John's approach to teaching is a `Celtic' approach as old as the stones that make up the many walled fields of Ireland. Many listeners will not be used to the rhythms of Celtic life, and thus they will find John's respectful approach to a subject boring. We saw this fact manifest in the previous reviewers comments. The Celtic approach to life is never direct, and always mindful. It is this first lesson that John teaches the listener without ever addressing it directly that is the most important lesson to learn. This is the lesson of mindful patience. Without this basic life skill we can never progress in our relationship with the divine. Once we have learned this lesson, and listen again to John's lecture we will then be able to understand what he is addressing in his lectures. The real blessing is that each book, or more especially taped lecture has layered teachings. These teachings are revealed only through rereading, or listening to his lecture. This type of teaching, and systematic unveiling of teachings is the heart and Soul of the Celtic approach to teaching anything. So in conclusion, if you are looking to hear, and learn the subject material from a true modern day Christian Bard then John's works are for you. If you are looking for a quick secret to life answers in a book in the form of a milk carton advertisement then perhaps a quick read of one of the many Celtic Spiritual web pages is the ticket for you. As for me, I hope you take the time to sit (metaphorically speaking) at the feet of one of the last Cludee's left in the world.
Great voice, great content.......2001-05-05
Spoken audio tapes need to be evaluated not only on the merits of the content, but also the quality of the production -- including the "listenability" of the speaker's voice. Fortunately, this collection of meditative reflections on Celtic spirituality by Irish priest John O'Donohue boasts not only sublimie content, but an aurally pleasing experience as well. O'Donohue's voice is easy for Americans to understand, but filled with enough of an Irish accent to evoke the windswept shores of the Emerald Isle in every word he speaks. He speaks slowly, carefully enunciating each word, which contributes to the meditative aura this recording evokes. And of course, what he is saying is as important as how he says it: and what he talks about is the distinctive and vital living tradition of Celtic wisdom, from seeing the human being as "sculpted of clay" to celebrating the inner landscape of the imagination, to seamlessly weaving Christian and Pagan stories and principles together in a way that ultimately breaks down the barriers of religion to leave only the breathtaking unity of deep mysticism. Finally, O'Donohue's insistence on the role of friendship and relationship in the spiritual life -- as embodied in the Gaelic tradition of the anam cara, or soul friend -- makes this truly a relevant treasury of spiritual insight.
Worth listening to again and again........1998-12-09
O'Donohue is wonderful! The subject matter is not only relevant on a day-to-day basis, but also helps one understand their past and the "inner workings" of other people. His explanation and treatment of death is both informative and helpful for those of us who have lost someone we love dearly.
John O'Donohue speaks celtic wisdom with lyrical beauty........1998-10-21
I could listen to John O'Donohue's voice all day and in fact, take these tapes in the car and so sometimes do. He is not only an incredible scholar, but has a way of expressing and condensing this clear wisdom through simple stories and ancedotes. His ideas and thoughts are delivered with tenderness and compassion. He is one of the most natural and warm speakers I've ever had the privilege to listen to.
Book Description
Having practiced zazen for more than half a century, Robert Aitken sits today as the senior American Roshi, a writer and teacher of broad reputation and consequence, known for his clarity, compassion and insight, who numbers as his own teachers and associates some of the legendary figures of Japanese and American Buddhism. His serendipitous beginning as a Buddhist resulted from being a civilian prisoner of the Japanese in the Second World War, where he found R. R. Blythe, the great haiku master, and D. T. Suzuki, the most important and popular chronicler of Zen in English, as fellow detainees. After the war, Aitken returned to Japan on several occasions to study in traditional monastic settings. He has been a leader of the contemporary move to establish Zen Buddhism in the West and was a founding member of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. With material never before collected in book form, The Morning Star includes writings from his first book, A Zen Wave, and from eight collections of essays and poems he’s published over the last three decades. The introduction to this volume offers Robert Aitken’s latest presentation of Zen practice, addressing the Great Matter from a historical and personal perspective.
Book Description
This sequel to the popular I Ching Wisdom contains more of Wu Wei's delightful Chinese ink drawings, painted in the Zen fashion, and profound sayings drawn from the I Ching's deepest wisdom. Wu Wei has added enlightened comments to enable readers to use the magical wisdom of the I Ching in their daily lives. He shows us how to apply the universal laws of the I Ching to obtain the wonderful gifts we all seek: prosperity, peace, love and happiness.
Books:
- A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are
- Angel Numbers
- Between God and Man
- Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lesbians & Gays Talk About Their Experiences
- Billions of Missing Links: A Rational Look at the Mysteries Evolution Can't Explain
- Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
- Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry
- Catching Up with Jesus: A Gospel Story for Our Time
- Celtic Traditions: Druids, Faeries, and Wiccan Rituals
- Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor's Soul: Stories to Inspire, Support and Heal (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game
- The Working American Bulldog
- Rappin' With Jesus: The Good News According to the Four Brothers
- The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier
- The Complete Independent Movie Marketing Handbook
- The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World
- The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey
- Real Estate Quick and Easy: Concepts of Real Estate Clearly Illustrated
- Personal Approach: A Game Plan for Unlimited Success
- Small Business Sourcebook: The Entrepreneur's Resource 2 volume set
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path
Meditation for Beginners
Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (Shambhala Library)
The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace
Buddha's Little Instruction Book
