Philosophy and Religion

The joy of intimacy—with yourself, with others, and with the whole universe. The long-awaited first book from a prominent modern American Zen teacher. For Roshi Pat Enkyo O´Hara, intimacy is what Zen practice is all about: the realization of the essential lack of distinction between self and other that inevitably leads to wisdom and compassionate action. She approaches the practice of intim

This collection of parables written by an eighteenth-century samurai is a classic of martial arts literature. The tales are concerned with themes such as perception of conflict, self-transformation, the cultivation of chi (life energy), and understanding yin and yang. Some of the parables seem light and fanciful, but they offer the reader valuable lessons on the fundamental principles of the marti

Renowned translator William Scott Wilson has rendered Lao Tzu's classic in the most authentic way possible, using both the ancient text and the even older Great Seal script used during Lao Tzu's time. The result is a new and nuanced translation, accompanied by Chinese ink paintings and ancillary material. Wilson includes an introduction that tells the story of Lao Tzu, the "old man" and the "keepe

This visionary book of hope for a world at peace is also an excellent reference for animal activists who wish to explore the interconnectedness of animal rights, ecology, world peace and social justice. Peace to All Beings shows how animal rights and liberation are an essential part of any movement that is working to make the world a better place. It is a valuable aid for anyone seeking to live in

The author of influential books such as Force Under Pressure and Stoning the Keepers at the Gate, Dr. Lawrence N. Blum is a renowned expert on the psychology of police officers. With Turning Tragedy into Victory, he returns to and expands on the important subject of how to best help those who have sworn to protect and serve when they are the ones who have fallen. According to Blum, officers' lack

Humane education teaches respect for all living things to people of all ages. Michelle Rivera shows how raising awareness of the needs of animals and society’s responsibility to them can help stop not only violence against animals but also violence against humans. Out of her research and interviews with experts in psychology, education and sociology, Rivera has created a guide for all who want to

Centering Prayer is a modern adaptation of the ancient practice of contemplative prayer, a process of inner purification and an opening of the mind and heart to God. In this remarkable book, Jens Soering, an inmate in a Virginia prison, tells how Centering Prayer and its corollary, Centering Practice—contemplative prayer in action—enable him to survive the daily pain of prison life. Through a movi

Buddhism ought to be an animal rights religion par excellence. It has long held that all life forms are sacred and considers kindness and compassion the highest virtues. Moreover, Buddhism explicitly includes animals in its moral universe. Buddhist rules of conduct—including the first precept, “Do not kill”—apply to our treatment of animals as well as to our treatment of other human beings. Conseq

MANIFESTING GOD is a book about the principles of contemplative prayer - about the retreat into the inner room mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 6:6 where the individual is able to meet God. In this inner room the silent space where God unloads the burdens and false selves that govern our individuality and our daily lives God acts as a divine therapist healing us and forcing us to recognize how many b

For twenty years, a group of spiritual seekers from many religious traditions met in various places around the United States under the rubric of the Snowmass Conferences to engage in the deepest form of interreligious dialogue. The experience was intimate and trusting, transformative and inspiring. To encourage openness and honesty, no audio or visual recording was made of, and no articles were wr

In this searching study, Fr. O Madagain describes the life and thoughts of Fr. Thomas Keating, the Trappist monk who was one of the founders of the centering prayer movement. Centering prayer aims to reclaim the Christian contemplative and mystical traditions after centuries of neglect and to make it available for modern spiritual seekers. Fr. O Madagain traces its roots back to the fourth- and fi

IN SPIRITUALITY, CONTEMPLATION & TRANSFORMATION, some of the leading practitioners of centering prayer - the contemporary expression of the Christian contemplative tradition as developed by the desert fathers and mothers and elaborated by mystics such as saints John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila - write about the many and varied benefits of this dynamic and intimate means of connecting with the

In this major new work, Father Thomas Keating reflects on the wisdom and legacy of the Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve-Step Method and its connections to, and similarities with, the Christian mystical traditions of centering prayer and Lectio Divina. In conversation with a long-time member of AA meetings, Father Thomas talks insightfully about surrendering to one's Higher Power and the journey that mu

In this clear elucidation of the philosophy of animal rights, professors, Mylan Engel and Kathie Jenni, explore the fundamental outlines of the debate over our duties and responsibilities toward nonhuman animals. They, also, examine how the issue of animal rights plays out in a classroom setting and address some of the questions that arise for both students and teachers in presenting and studying

Covering doctrine and the lived experience of the world's religious practitioners, CALL TO COMPASSION is a collection of stirring and passionate essays on the place of animals within the philosophical, cultural, and everyday milieus of spiritual practices both ancient and modern. From Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism, through the Abrahamic traditions, to contemporary Wiccan and Native American spiri

This collection of homilies for feast days and special occasions is rooted in the experience of the grace celebrated in the liturgy. Father Keating draws from his life's devotion as a Trappist monk and abbot to provide a sacramental perspective on such feasts as The Immaculate Conception, The Annunciation, Christmas, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Passion Sunday, Good Friday, The Paschal Vigil, Easter,

For a quarter of a century, Trappist monk, Fr. Thomas Keating has been contributing articles on Centering Prayer - the contemporary manifestation of the ancient Christian contemplative tradition - to the newsletter of Contemplative Outreach, the organisation that he helped establish to promote this tradition. THE THOMAS KEATING READER gathers for the first time thirty of those articles (some never

A distillation of over seventy years as a monastic and more than three decades of writing on centring prayer, REFLECTIONS ON THE UNKNOWABLE is Fr. Thomas Keating's latest volume on how we might develop our intimacy with God and our experience of the Christian contemplative tradition. The first part of the book consists of a long interview with Fr. Thomas, in which he examines concepts of the divin

A Commentary on The Ascent of Mount Carmel and The Dark Night of the Soul“Since the conduct of beginners in the way of God is much involved in the love of pleasure and self, God desires to withdraw them from this inferior way of loving.” —St. John of the CrossFr. William Meninger guides the reader through two basic works of inner development, The Ascent of Mount Carmel and The Dark Night of the So

In ENTANGLED EMPATHY, academic and activist, Lori Gruen, argues that rather than focusing on animal rights, we ought to work to make our relationships with animals right by empathetically responding to their needs, interests, desires, vulnerabilities, hopes and unique perspectives. Pointing out that we are already entangled in complex and life-altering relationships with other animals, Gruen guide