Many know of Shambhala, the Tibetan Buddhist legendary land of spiritual bliss popularized by the film, Shangri-La. But few may know of the role Shambhala played in Russian geopolitics in the early twentieth century. Perhaps the only one on the subject, Andrei Znamenski's book presents a wholly different glimpse of early Soviet history both erudite and fascinating. Using archival sources and memoi
Truth is a pathless land; you cannot approach it by any religion. . . . My only concern is to set men absolutely free. So said Jiddu Krishnamurti, one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the twentieth century. Born in India in 1905, as a teenager he was groomed by Theosophists C. W. Leadbeater and Annie Besant to become the next World Teacher. Yet later he broke from his mentors, refusing
"Frager (Institute of Transpersonal Psychology; Essential Sufism) comes to writing about spirituality with a fascinating double heritage as a psychologist and a Sufi teacher and author. There is always some dispute about the meaning of Sufi, sometimes called the mystical dimension of Islam, but the reader will find in this book a collection of “sohbets” (informal talks) that honor the Sufi way, bu
The Divine Seed interprets the lessons of the Schoolmaster Jesus Christ through the way of the truth-seeker, illuminating his parables, teachings to his disciples, and practical advice on how we should honestly live. In this way, Pekka Ervast helps readers examine Jesus' life as it contains the deepest, most secret meaning in the Gospels. In decoding the Gospels, he shows us how to free ourselves
"Leadbeater was one of the most prolific clairvoyants writing at the turn of the last century. His works have remained extant and popular in New Age circles. This new edition of Christian Gnosis brings attention to one of his lesser known topics of exploration, esoteric Christianity. Customers who were raised Christian and have had trouble reconciling metaphysical practice with hierarchical Christ
“Like an iridescent diamond,” is how David Moody describes revered philosopher, Jiddu Krishnamurti, in this intimate portrait of him at the Oak Grove School in California. Krishnamurti, once groomed by Theosophists to become the next World Teacher, founded the school in 1975 and personally oversaw it for the last decade of his life. Moody, Oak Grove's first teacher and later director, recounts the
This concise dictionary of alchemy provides clear access to one of the major roots of Western esoteric thought. Subjects include alchemical processes and procedures, the natural elements and apparatus used, major practitioners and philosophers and concepts and beliefs. Distinguishing this guide from similar ones is the addition of etymology, connecting the language of alchemy to its Latin, Greek a
In 2010 the Department of Veterans Affairs cited 171,423 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans diagnosed with PTSD, out of 593,634 total patients treated. That's almost 30 percent; other statistics show 35 percent. Nor, of course, is PTSD limited to the military. In twenty years as a therapist, Susan Pease Banitt has treated trauma in patients ranging from autistic children to women with breast cancer
The brightened mind is one that is able to make better choices," says Sumano Bhikkhu. Having left the hectic world of Chicago real estate decades ago to become a Thai Buddhist monk, he knows what he’s talking about. This simple, short introduction to meditation, particularly well suited to young people, can help anyone rattled with the stresses of living in today’s society rife with financial unce
"Buddha may have found enlightenment by simply sitting quietly under a bodhi tree, but journalist/wisdom seeker Dana Micucci describes herself as “a bit of an adventure addict” and, for her own circuitous path to nirvana, compiled a bucket list of seven of the world’s must-see spiritual hot spots for her signposts. " --Robert Woltman, Excerpted from: Albuquerque Journal North “Nothing opens the ey
John Lennon called himself a working class hero. George Harrison was a working class mystic. Born in Liverpool as the son of a bus conductor and a shop assistant, for the first six years of his life he lived in a house with no indoor bathroom. This book gives an honest, in-depth view of his personal journey from his blue-collar childhood to his role as a world-famous spiritual icon.Author, Gary Ti
For many people, the word mysticism conjures up occult, secretive rituals held after midnight in some dark cave. But true mysticism isn't at all sinister or secretive, says author John Mabry, an Anglican-rite Congregational minister. In fact, mysticism is at the heart of an authentic Christian life. It is nothing more and nothing less than the pursuit-and enjoyment-of union with God, which is the
"A fascinating, heartfelt, and extremely convincing account of spiritual domains, and the beings that inhabit them, that have for far too long been ignored or discounted by the modern world." --Ptolemy Tompkins, author of Paradise Fever, The Divine Life of Animals, and The Modern Book of the Dead "Atala brilliantly provides us not only with an unparalleled view into, and also hands us the golden k
The visionary art of Portuguese artist, Joma Sipe, is all about light - not the ordinary light of day but the light of spiritual illumination, which brilliantly radiates from the over one hundred, full-colour images in this stunning book. Sipe thinks of his work as sacred geometry that unites this temporal world with higher planes. Each painting thrills with the dispersion and concentration of lig
Practical Centering enhances physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance with innovative breathing techniques and empowering exercises. It provides an instant vacation in this hectic world, enabling us to elevate our energy, relax our body, strengthen our core, and quiet our mind.Physical therapist Larkin Barnett links her original techniques with the chakras-ancient, non-Western concept of
“Margaret Placentra Johnston's Faith Beyond Belief gives us a good way to know the experience of those who have rejected their own church, but who are nevertheless engaged in a spiritual search beyond the conventional language and categories that left them feelinng empty and could not engage them. As such, it is an excellent way to get a feel for what the issues are and the way they are experience
In these days of global crisis, thoughtful seekers increasingly turn to Native Americans for healing wisdom. The Sacred Pipe is the medicine, says Jay Cleve in this informative and practical guide to a key practice of Native American spirituality. The Hopi and other ancient cultures predicted our present age as one of transition into a New World. The galactic alignment ending the Mayan calendar on
"Reality is experience, and experience is reality," says Hawaiian shaman Serge King, speaking of Huna, the esoteric tradition in which he was reared.King emphasizes that all of us have the ability to shift from one world to another.
“This finely arranged and annotated collection shines a brilliant beam onto the inner planes of Annie Besant's consciousness, showing us both the ordered structure of her thought and the wonderful richness of the realms with which she dealt. With its help, we are invited to join her by exploring and mapping our own inner multiverse. Highly recommended.” --Robert Ellwood, author of Finding the Quie
The search for inner peace is often met with what seems like a conflicting path– the irresistible pull of love and connection with others to which we are drawn.Reconciling these opposites, John Amodeo shows how spirituality and vibrant relationships are identical. He says that Buddha's concept of the root of suffering is misunderstood. It is not desire that causes suffering; desire is the fire tha