Religion and beliefs Books

Book SynopsisMaster the skills you need to set yourself apart and hit the highest grades. This year-round course companion develops the higher-order thinking skills that top-achieving students possess, providing step-by-step guidance, examples and tips for getting an A grade.Written by experienced author and teacher Julian Waterfield, Aiming for an A in A-level RS:- Develops the 'A grade skills' of analysis, evaluation and creation, ensuring that you know how to apply these skills and approach each exam question as an A/A* candidate- Takes you step-by-step through the specific reading, writing, revision and exam skills you need to master for A-level RS- Clearly shows how to move up the grades with sample responses that have been annotated to highlight the key features of top-grade answers- Puts the theory behind achieving an A grade into practice, providing activities and further reading tasks that stretch towards university-level study- Perfects exam technique through practical tips and examples of common pitfalls to avoid- Cultivates effective revision habits for success, with tips and strategies for producing and using revision resources- Supports the major exam boards, outlining the Assessment Objectives for reaching the higher levels under the AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC/Eduqas specifications

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Book SynopsisA Scotsman Book to Watch for 2022 It is 1982 and in the Kingdom Hall we are Jehovah's Witnesses. The state of the world shows us the end is close, and Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us. Ali Millar is waiting for Armageddon. Born into the Jehovah's Witnesses in a town in the Scottish Borders, her childhood revolves around regular meetings in the Kingdom Hall, where she is haunted by vivid images of the Second Coming, her mind populated by the bodies that will litter the earth upon Jehovah's return. In this frightening, cloistered world Ali grows older. As she does, she starts to question the ways of the Witnesses, and their control over the most intimate aspects of her life. As she marries and has a daughter within the religion, she finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into its dark undertow, her mind tormented by one question: is it possible to escape the life you are born into? A tale of love and darkness, of faith and absolution, The Last Days is an unforgettable memoir of one woman's courageous journey to freedom.Trade ReviewCourageous stuff... intense, compelling, raw * The Times *Poetically unpeels the layers of fear and shame built into the psyche of children who are raised as Witnesses. * The Telegraph *Poetically unpeels the layers of fear and shame built into the psyche of children who are raised as Witnesses. * Caught by the River *A coming-of-age story like no other, The Last Days is about finding voice through desire, authentic connection and creative expression. It sings with the strength and bravery it takes to step away from what has defined you, particularly when those you love follow a different truth. A searingly honest memoir. * Lily Dunn *I loved this book. It's a thing of beauty. Ali Millar pulls you heart first through an extraordinary life, somehow making sense of an experience that should make no sense at all. A sublime talent. * David Whitehouse *

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Book SynopsisBeautifully designed with four-color illustrations, this bestselling evangelical survey of the Old Testament has been updated throughout.

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Book SynopsisJohn Calvin was arguably the most influential of the sixteenth-century Reformers. His supporters praise his transformative influence on the ecclesial, political, and economic spheres of modern life, while his detractors paint him as a ruthless proponent of theocracy. These conflicting images suggest there is more to Calvin than meets the eye.In Calvin for the World, Rubén Rosario Rodríguez offers a creative engagement with Calvin''s theological and political thought and a critical reclamation of the Reformer''s legacy. Rosario Rodríguez presents Calvin''s theology in historical context and explores his global impact by examining his views on a broad range of social and cultural issues, including those that pertain to political theology, migration and dislocation, nationalism, social welfare policies, revolution, racism, and religious pluralism. This book shows how Calvin''s theological legacy impacted the formation of the modern world, its worldvie

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Book SynopsisRelease the negative thoughts and feelings that are weighing you down with #1 New York Times bestselling author and Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen.It's easy to go through life holding on to things that are weighing you down. Guilt. Resentment. Doubt. Worry. The problem is when you allow these things in, they're taking up space for the good things that should be there. Imagine your life is like a container. You were created to be filled with joy, peace, confidence, creativity. But if you allow worry, shame, and other negativity in, it pushes out good thoughts. Life is too short to go through it with negative things holding you down.The Scripture says, "Give no place to the enemy." Give no place to worry. Give no place to bitterness. You control what's in your container. You control what you think about, what you choose to allow in. Every morning when you wake up, you need to empty out anything negative from the day before. Empty Out the Negative will help you disregard the ridiculing voices in your head and instead hear God and his grace. Empty out the negative, and God will fill you with good.

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Book SynopsisInternationally renowned author and Bible teacher Joyce Meyer provides a close study on Philippians, emphasizing the true joy that comes from serving others through Christ.Paul's letter to the people at Philippi serves as a reminder that if we search for joy in possessions, places, or people, we will always come up short. True, lasting joy comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, living in harmony with His followers, and serving others in the name of Christ. The life lived by the Philippians is still attainable today. In her comprehensive approach, Joyce Meyer takes a deep dive into well-known and beloved verses, identifying key truths and incorporating room for personal reflection.Joyce's Philippians provides a key study tool that will help you develop a stronger relationship with God. If you take time to examine His word, you'll see how much He loves you and how much He desires that you live a joyful, content life on earth!

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Book SynopsisFour-volume set of Frank Peretti's Indiana Jones-style adventure stories that build sound values in kids while keeping them glued to their seats.

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Book SynopsisRenowned meditation master Chögyam Trungpa challenges popular misconceptions of the Buddhist doctrines of karma and rebirth, in the process showing how to step beyond karma on the path to awakening.Karma has become a popular term in the West, often connected with somewhat naive or deterministic ideas of rebirth and reincarnation or equated with views of morality and guilt. Chögyam Trungpa unpacks this intriguing but misunderstood topic. He viewed an understanding of karma as good news, showing us that liberation is possible and that the future is never predetermined. His unique approach to presenting the Buddhist teachings lends itself to an insightful and profound view of karma, its cause and effects, and how to cut the root of karma itself.

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Book SynopsisAn introductory guide to cultivating patience and opening your heart to difficult circumstances from leading Buddhist teacher, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.In the Buddhist tradition, “patience” is our mind’s ability to work positively with anything that bothers us—a vast spectrum of particulars that all boil down to not getting what we want or getting what we don’t want. In fluid, accessible language, Dzigar Kongtrul expands on teachings by the ancient sage Shantideva that contain numerous powerful and surprising methods for preventing our minds from becoming consumed by what bothers us—especially in anger. The result of practicing patience is a state of mind where we can feel at home in every situation and be fully available to love and care for others. Patience is the lifeblood of a peaceful heart.

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Book SynopsisA lucid translation of the well-known Taoist classic by a leading scholar--now in a Shambhala Pocket Library edition.Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching is part poetry and part paradox, yet always dynamic and profound. Today, Lao Tzu’s words are as useful in mastering the arts of leadership in business and politics as they are in developing a sense of balance and harmony in everyday life. To follow the Tao—or Way of all things—and realize their true nature is to embody humility, spontaneity, and generosity.This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series.The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

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Book SynopsisA treasury of teachings, stories, and sayings in the words of the Buddha himself.In their essence, the Buddha’s teachings are concerned with a clear-eyed understanding of the reality of our suffering and pointing the way to freedom from that suffering. Here in all their power, as memorized word-for-word by his disciples and written down a millennium and a half ago, are the core teachings of the Buddha in his own words. These selections deal with the search for truth, the way of contemplation, life and death, living in community, and many other topics, serving as an excellent introduction to the Buddhist path. Clear, uplifting, and potent, the Buddha’s teachings are as freshly relevant today as they were when first presented.This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series.  The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

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Book SynopsisA new translation of the great spiritual classic.Widely hailed as the single most important text to emerge from India, the Bhagavad Gita has inspired countless readers—sages, students, yogis, and seekers. A part of the great Hindu classic, the Mahābhārata, this text is presented as a dialogue between the skillful warrior Arjuna and the god Krishna, as Arjuna faces a crisis about dharma and prepares for a great battle with no defenses other than Krishna’s divine guidance. Dr. Ravindra’s fresh prose translation stands out from the many other versions by presenting the Bhagavad Gita as a call to action. It is at heart a universal guide to navigating the battle of life required of each and every one of us.   The Bhagavad Gita: A Guide to Navigating the Battle of Life, from which this book derives, contains commentary from the translator, along with a selected bibliography and index.This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series.The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

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Book SynopsisAn introduction to the writing and preaching of the greatest medieval European mystic.Meister Eckhart (1260–1327), a German Dominican whose preaching was immensely popular in his own time, was one of the greatest medieval European mystics, and his writings helped build the foundation of the Western mystical tradition. This important introduction to his writing and preaching contains rich selections from his sermons, treatises, and sayings, as well as Table Talk, the records of his informal advice to his spiritual children.   This book was previously published under the title Meister Eckhart, from Whom God Hid Nothing: Sermons, Writings, and Sayings.The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

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Book SynopsisThe new standard work and definitive biography of Tsongkhapa, one of the principle founders of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism--the school of the Dalai Lamas. In this groundbreaking addition to the Lives of the Masters series, Thupten Jinpa, a scholar-practitioner and long-time translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, offers the most comprehensive portrait available of Jé Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), one of the greatest Buddhist teachers in history. A devout monastic, Tsongkhapa took on the difficult task of locating and studying all of the Indian Buddhist classics available in Tibet in his day. He went on to synthesize this knowledge into a holistic approach to the path of awakening. In an achievement of incredible magnitude, he integrated the pivotal yet disparate Mahayana teachings on emptiness while retaining the important role of critical reason and avoiding the extreme of negating the reality of the everyday world. Included in this volume is a discussion of Tsongkhapa’s early life and training; his emergence as a precociously intelligent Buddhist mind; the composition of his Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Great Exposition of Tantra, and many other important works; and his founding of the Lhasa Prayer Festival and Ganden Monastery. This is a necessary resource for anyone interested in Tsongkhapa’s transformative effect on the understanding and practice of Buddhism in Tibet in his time and his continued influence today.

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Book SynopsisA thorough guide to Vajrakīlaya, from a master of the Drigung Kagyu lineage.In Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche’s first major collection of tantric teachings, he offers a complete manual for the visualization and supplication of the deity Vajrakīlaya. This ancient tantric practice centers on familiarizing oneself with the wrathful deity as a method for traversing the path to enlightenment. With clear instructions and insightful commentary, Garchen Rinpoche highlights the cultivation of bodhicitta at every stage of the path. This comprehensive guide to deity practice by one of the greatest living Tibetan meditation masters will support practitioners of all experiential levels in reuniting with their own awakened nature.

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Book SynopsisGesar of Ling is well known in Tibetan history, literature, and folklore. But, for Buddhist practitioners, he is an enlightened tantric protector and deity—an emanation of Padmasambhava. Engaging in Gesar practice is meant to generate positive circumstances and increase one’s experiences and realization in Buddhist practice.Gesar of Ling is widely known as the hero of Tibet’s national oral epic, considered the longest epic in the world. But he is also the focus of Buddhist practices in which his enlightened form, known as King Gesar the Jewel, becomes one of the numerous spiritual methods offered by Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism to progress toward buddhahood. This work contains the complete selection of practice texts compiled by the early modern Tibetan polymath Jamgon Mipham and included in his Collected Works.   Gesar personifies the ideal of the spiritual warrior, who tames negative forces which obstruct the Buddhist path. The practices presented here detail poetic imagery of offerings and their recipients, including Gesar, his court, and the spirits who dwell in his personal belongings. Vajrayana practices such as these are considered mind treasures, meaning rather than being composed, they appeared fully formed as a transmission with the mind of a Vajrayana master.The practices in this book are meant to be done only by those who have received Gesar Dorje Tsegyal empowerment or “entrustment with his life force,” the reading transmission of the practice, and the associated instructions from a qualified master.

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Book SynopsisDiscover newfound freedom in life’s ever-constant flow of endings and beginnings with the wise words of Pema Chödrön, beloved Buddhist nun and bestselling author of When Things Fall ApartAs much as we might try to resist, endings happen in every moment—the end of a breath, the end of a day, the end of a relationship, and ultimately the end of life. And accompanying each ending is a beginning, though it may be unclear what the beginning holds. In How We Live Is How We Die, Pema Chödrön shares her wisdom for working with this flow of life—learning to live with ease, joy, and compassion through uncertainty, embracing new beginnings, and ultimately preparing for death with curiosity and openness rather than fear. Poignant for readers of all ages, her teachings on the bardos—a Tibetan term referring to a state of transition, including what happens between this life and the next—reveal their power and relevance at each moment of our lives. She also offers practical methods for transforming life’s most challenging emotions about change and uncertainty into a path of awakening and love. As she teaches, the more freedom we can find in our hearts and minds as we live this life, the more fearlessly we’ll be able to confront death and what lies beyond. In all, Pema provides readers with a master course in living life fully and compassionately in the shadow of death and change. 

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Book SynopsisBeloved Buddhist nun Ayya Khema expertly guides the reader through ten meditations on generating loving-kindness and cultivating the fifteen wholesome qualities necessary for igniting compassion and boundless love.Having escaped Nazi Germany in 1938, Ayya Khema has singularly profound perspective on creating peace, unconditional love, and compassion. She gently teaches that inner peace is not necessarily natural or innate. Instead, peace should be considered a skill that needs intentional practice—every day. Peace is the sum of many parts, namely the fifteen wholesome qualities the Buddha himself noted in the Metta Sutta, including usefulness, mildness, humility, contentment, receptivity, and others. Ayya Khema expertly guides us through each individual condition, using her trademark humor and personal narrative, to help each reader shape their own path to self-transformation.  The second part of the book includes an eye-opening discussion of metta (loving-kindness) as both a morality and concentration practice, as well as ten meditation practices that use visualizations rather than more traditional mantra repetition. These visualizations include your heart as a "Fountain of Love," reaching those close to you and those far away, and a "Flower Garden," where we tend to the blooms in our hearts through love and compassion and share them with others. Edited by her student and retreat leader, Leigh Brasington, this book is a complete course in practical ways to calm and brighten our minds.  

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Book SynopsisA translation of Jigme Lingpa’s eighteenth-century Tibetan Buddhist aspiration prayer for taking rebirth in the pure land Copper-Colored Mountain, accompanied by a commentary and analysis by the translators.While Pure Land Buddhism is generally thought of as an East Asian tradition with an Indian origin, the Copper-Colored Mountain is in fact the first and only pure land with scriptural origins entirely in the Tibetan tradition. It represents Tibetan culture’s fascinating intersection of traditional history with liturgical tantric practice. The Copper-Colored Mountain is understood to be the current abode of Padmasambhava, the Indian master credited with first bringing Buddhism to Tibet and founding Tibet’s first monastery, Samye. After leaving Tibet, it is said that Padmasambhava set up residence on Cāmara, one of the two islands on either side of the continent of Jambudvipa, our world according to Buddhist cosmology. After taming the resident ogres of Cāmara and converting them to Buddhism, he then built an octagonal palace where Buddhist practitioners may be transported in visions and dreams or reborn through aspiration prayers. This work is a translation and analysis of one such aspiration prayer. This prayer was composed by Jigme Lingpa, a treasure revealer of the Nyingma tradition in the eighteenth century and remains the most important prayer to this pure land in Tibetan Buddhism. Merging academic precision in representing the Tibetan texts and devotion to the principles of tantric Buddhism, translators Georgios T. Halkias and Christina Partsalaki enable a wider appreciation of the history and impact of this prayer in Tibetan Buddhist literature while elucidating its meaning for Buddhist practitioners.

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Book SynopsisTibetan Buddhist practice isn''t just sitting in silent meditation, it''s developing fresh attitudes that align our minds with reality. Includes three new translations of Atisha’s source material.In this book, B. Alan Wallace explains a fundamental type of mental training that is designed to shift our attitudes so that our minds become pure wellsprings of joy instead of murky pools of problems, anxieties, fleeting pleasures, hopes, and frustrations. The lojong—or mind-training—teachings have been the subject of profound study, contemplation, and commentary by many great masters. Wallace shows us the way to develop our capacity for spiritual awareness through his relatable and practical commentary on the mind-training slogans.

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Book SynopsisInsightful commentary on a beloved ancient philosopher of Zen by a beloved contemporary master of Zen.Famously insightful and famously complex, Eihei Dogen’s writings have been studied and puzzled over for hundreds of years. In Deepest Practice, Deepest Wisdom, Kosho Uchiyama, beloved twentieth-century Zen teacher addresses himself head-on to unpacking Dogen’s wisdom from three fascicles (or chapters) of his monumental Shobogenzo for a modern audience. The fascicles presented here from Shobogenzo, or Treasury of the True Dharma Eye include “Shoaku Makusa” or “Refraining from Evil,” “Maka Hannya Haramitsu” or “Practicing Deepest Wisdom,” and “Uji” or “Living Time.” Tom Wright and Shohaku Okumura lovingly translate Dogen’s penetrating words and Uchiyama’s thoughtful commentary on each piece. At turns poetic and funny, always insightful, this is Zen wisdom for the ages.

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Book SynopsisBeautiful, clear translations of every text necessary for one of the most important Buddhist tantric practices.  This book is strictly intended for those who have completed the empowerment into the five deity mandala of Heruka Chakrasamvara of Mahasiddha Ghantapa, according to the lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa.The Source of Supreme Bliss contains the first English translations of important commentaries on the Highest Yoga Tantra system of the Heruka Chakrasamvara five deity practice.  Included is a lucid, practical, and deeply profound explanation of the generation stage by Ngulchu Dharmabhadra. This is followed by an extremely rare and profound commentary by the First Panchen Lama Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen on the completion stage, along with a commentary on how to perform a proper Chakrasamvara retreat. The second half of the book comprises translations of the ritual texts associated with the commentaries.  Indispensable for anyone who undertakes this practice, The Source of Supreme Bliss will also provide rich and profound insights for those interested in Highest Yoga Tantra. The Dechen Ling Practice Series from Wisdom Publications is committed to furthering the vision of David Gonsalez (Venerable Losang Tsering) and the Dechen Ling Press of bringing the sacred literature of Tibet to the West by making available many never-before-translated texts.

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Book SynopsisKhenpo Sodargye translates and provides commentary on the Diamond Cutter Sutra, the oldest printed book in China, shedding light on the Buddha’s teachings on how to destroy attachment without being led astray; the author is a household name in China and his books and CDs sell in the millions in China.In the profound teachings of the Diamond Cutter Sutra, the Buddha offers a view of the world that deconstructs our normal categories of experience to show us that what we think are real entities in the world are actually our conceptualizations. The Buddha teaches us to cut our attachment to all phenomena and to the “I,” which are empty of inherent existence, and in so doing, cut the root cause of our suffering. Yet without wise guidance we may think that because all phenomena are empty there is no need to be attached to virtue, and thus we fall into the worst trap of all—an attachment to emptiness. How do we destroy our attachment without being led astray?  With this question in mind, Dzogchen Master Khenpo Sodargye provides sparkling commentary on the Diamond Cutter Sutra so that we understand its actual meaning, thus preparing us to understand the view of the Great Perfection and Mahamudra. Before recognizing the nature of the mind, we learn we must hold on to things that are virtuous and right. Like a boat, these can help us cross a river; until we reach the other shore, it makes no sense to give them up.

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Book SynopsisEverything you ever wanted to know but never had a chance to ask about meditation and Buddhist spiritual practice, from one of the greatest mindfulness teachers of our time and the author of the bestselling book Mindfulness in Plain English.How can I fit meditation into my busy life? How should I understand karma and rebirth? Is enlightenment even possible for me? Sound familiar? If you’ve ever meditated or studied Buddhism, you may have found yourself asking these questions—and many more! Here’s the good news: there are answers, and you’ll find them all in this book. Imagine that you could sit down with one of Buddhism’s most accomplished and plainspoken teachers—and imagine that he patiently agreed to answer any question you had about meditation, living mindfully, and key Buddhist concepts—even the myriad brilliant questions you’ve never thought to ask! What, Why, How condenses into one volume a half-century of Bhante G.’s wise answers to common questions about the Buddha’s core teachings on meditation and spiritual practice. With his kind and clear guidance, you’ll gain simple yet powerful insights and practices to end unhealthy patterns and habits so that you can transform your experience of the world—from your own mind to your relationships, your job, and beyond.

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Book SynopsisA new book distilling Wisdom’s definitive masterpiece on mindfulness and all-time bestseller, Mindfulness in Plain English, down to a pocket-sized guide with everything you need to get started practicing mindfulness right now.In a clear, friendly voice, this concise collection of beloved and renowned meditation master Bhante G’s bestselling instructions will teach you everything you need to know to start—and maintain!—your mindfulness meditation practice. The book includes practical advice on What to do with the body and mind in meditation; What to do when the mind wanders and how to work with distraction; How to deal with physical discomfort in meditation; How to overcome drowsiness, boredom, and inability to concentrate; How to work with fear and agitation, judgments, and self-criticism; How to avoid trying too hard, expecting too much, or getting discouraged; 11 common misconceptions about meditation; 10 tips for effective practice; and how to get the most out of your practice.

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Book SynopsisDiscover a clear and accessible translation with commentary on key parts of Khedrup Jé’s Clearing Mental Darkness. Composed at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this translation with commentary on key parts of Khedrup Jé’s Clearing Mental Darkness: An Ornament of Dharmakirti’s “Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition” is intended for all levels of understanding. You’ll learn how a mind realizes its object, which types of consciousness realize their objects, and when a consciousness is considered to be valid in the sense of realizing its object. Having explained valid cognizers, or direct perceivers, which are essential to understanding the four noble truths, Khedrup Jé goes on to brilliantly elucidate this essential teaching of the Buddha and offers a lucid presentation of how to progress on the spiritual paths of liberation and enlightenment, including how to generate yogic perception directly realizing selflessness. With this, one develops an unmistaken realization of the fundamental reality of selflessness of persons and phenomena, which eliminates ignorance, the root cause of all mental afflictions and samsaric suffering.

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Book SynopsisSaraha’s Spontaneous Songs provides the reader with everything needed for a serious study of one of the most important works in the Indian Buddhist canon.“Completely abandon thought and no-thought, and abide in the natural way of a small child.” —Saraha To find liberation and realize the true nature of reality, the Indian Buddhist master Saraha says we must leave behind any conceptual assessment of reality, since no model of it has ever been known to withstand critical analysis. Saraha’s spontaneous songs, or dohas, represent the Buddhist art of expressing the inexpressible. The most important collection of Saraha’s songs is the Dohakosagiti, better known in Tibet as the Songs for the People, and the Tibetan Mahamudra tradition, especially within the Kagyü school, has done the most to preserve the lineage of Saraha’s instructions to the present day. But Saraha was also widely

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Book SynopsisA Buddhist scholar reflects on life, death, and the ways we blind ourselves to the inevitable as he confronts his own mortality.In the winter of 2020 a renowned scholar of Asian religions, lifelong meditator, and novelist accustomed to vigorous health received a terminal diagnosis. By summer his cancer had run its course. In the short time in between, C. W. “Sandy” Huntington faced his own impending death, leading him to reconsider the teachings and practices, as well as philosophy and literature, he had spent a lifetime pursuing. In this, his last book, you’ll join Sandy as he traverses the gap between knowledge and true wisdom.  “Sandy Huntington urges his readers to face up to life’s fragility as well as its many gifts. Written with elegance and verve, What I Don’t Know about Death is a deep meditation on what it means both to wake up to and to let go of life. Drawing on his lifelong engagement with Buddhism, Huntington remains a consummate teacher who demands intellectual honesty, humility, and compassion from his readers no less than from himself. This book is an intellectual and spiritual offering to Huntington’s students, past and future.”—Leora Batnitzky, Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Jewish Studies and professor of religion, Princeton University  “What I Don’t Know about Death is a deeply personal, intellectually rigorous, and philosophically profound exploration of death, and in particular of Sandy’s own death, which he faced with exemplary grace, honesty, and clarity as he wrote this book. This is a gift of remarkable beauty that can open our hearts and minds to this most difficult topic. Read it and weep, with tears of grief, gratitude, and illumination.”—Jay L. Garfield, Smith College and the Harvard Divinity School

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Book SynopsisA collection of talks, photos, and calligraphy by Jakusho Kwong-roshi, exploring the profound beauty of Zen history and practice, nature, and the philosophy of the ancient Zen master Eihei Dogen.“In Zen meditation, anything that comes in your mind will eventually leave, because nothing is permanent. A thought is like a cloud moving across the blue sky. Nothing can disturb that all-encompassing vastness. This is the Dharma'. In a collection of talks and anecdotes, Jakusho Kwong-roshi, a Dharma successor of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, presents his approach to Buddhist teaching. Containing photos of Kwong-roshi with his teachers, as well as a selection of his vibrant calligraphy, Mind Sky explores the profound beauty of Zen history and practice, nature, and the philosophy of the ancient Zen master Eihei Dogen.  With an elegant simplicity, Jakusho Kwong-roshi shows how Zen is experiential rather than intellectual. And with persistent practice, realization is already yours.  

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Book SynopsisWhat is meditation, and how do we practice it?In The Power of Meditation, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, beloved teacher and co-founder of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, offers clear explanations and instructions for the life-changing practice of meditation. From preparatory procedures, such as selecting a space and adopting the proper motivation, to the details of posture and how to focus the mind, Rinpoche offers step-by-step instruction that serves as both a starting point for beginners and a new vantage on familiar techniques for more experienced sitters. In his own direct and plain-spoken style, Rinpoche offers concise explanations for different kinds of meditation, such as shamatha, or calm abiding meditation, and vipashyana, or insight meditation, delineating their specific techniques and applications. And finally, Rinpoche presents tips for bringing our newfound clarity off of the cushion and into our daily lives

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Book SynopsisThis commentary on Guhyasamaja tantra is the seminal guide to deity yoga and tantric visualization for the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism.The Guhyasamaja Tantra, called the king of all tantras, is revered in Tibet, especially by the Geluk school. Ocean of Attainments, a commentary on Guhyasamaja practice, was composed by Khedrup Jé Gelek Palsang (1385-1438), a key disciple of the Geluk school founder, Tsongkhapa Losang Drakpa. It explores the creation stage, a quintessential Buddhist tantric meditation that together with the completion stage comprises the path of unexcelled tantra. In the creation stage, meditators visualize themselves as buddhas at the center of the celestial mandala, surrounded in all directions by male and female buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other enlightened beings. Yet creation-stage practice is not merely visualization but deity yoga—indivisibly uniting the meditation on emptiness with the visualization of the mand

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