Religion

Our self, aware presence, knows no resistance to any appearance and, as such, is happiness itself; like the empty space of a room, it cannot be disturbed and is, therefore, peace itself; like this page, it is intimately one with whatever appears on it and is thus love itself; and like water that is not affected by the shape of a wave, it is freedom

The place of religion in society has changed profoundly in the last few centuries, particularly in the West. In what will be a defining book for our time, Taylor takes up the question of what these changes mean, and what, precisely, happens when a society becomes one in which faith is only one human possibility among others.

For thousands of years, the faithful have honed proselytizing strategies and talked people into believing the truth of one holy book or another. Indeed, the faithful often view converting others as an obligation of their faith--and are trained from an early age to spread their unique brand of religion. The result is a world broken in large part by unquestioned faith. As an urgently needed counter to this tried-and-true tradition of religious evangelism, A Manual for Creating Atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith--but for talking them out of it. Peter Boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than 20 years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason.

Boundaries in Dating offers illuminating insights for romance that can help you grow in freedom, honesty, and self-control as you pursue a healthy dating relationship that will lead to a healthy marriage.Dating can be fun, but it's not easy. Meeting people is just one concern. Once you've met someone, then what? What do you build? Nothing, a simple friendship, or more? How do you set smart limits on physical involvement? Financial involvement? Individual responsibilities?Respected counselors, popular radio hosts, and bestselling authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend apply the principles described in their Gold Medallion Award-winning Boundaries to matters of love and romance. Helping you bridge the pitfalls of dating, Boundaries in Dating unfolds a wise, biblical path to developing self-control, freedom, and intimacy in the dating process. Boundaries in Dating will help you to think, solve problems, and enjoy the journey of dating, increasing your abilities to find and commit to a marriage partner.Full of insightful, true-life examples, this much-needed book includes such topics as:Recognizing and choosing quality over perfection in a dating partnerHow to ensure that honest friendship is one vital component in a relationshipPreserving friendships by separating between platonic relationships and romantic interestMoving past denial to deal with real relational problems in a realistic and hopeful way. . . and much more!Plus, check out Boundaries family collection of books dedicated to key areas of life - marriage, raising kids, parenting teens, and leadership. Workbooks and Spanish editions are also available.

Find inner peace in 2020 with Everyday Enlightenment by His Holiness the Gyalwang DrukpaThis book is an inspirational guide to finding happiness by taking in the beauty right in front of you. Leading Himalayan Buddhist His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa walks with you along your path and teaches you that:- There is peace in recognizing that we are all connected - Positive influences are closer than you think- To inspire others, you need to find inspiration in your life- What we think, we becomeEveryday Enlightenment brings ancient wisdom into the modern world. Teaching through stories and example, His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa shows you how to let go of your ego and stress, turn anger into compassion, and transform your fears into courage.'We live in such a fast paced world it's easy not to take time to tend to your inner self, but it is necessary to take a moment and be still in mind and body, to be more conscious of the way that we are engaging with the world around us. Using teachings from the Buddhist philosophy, Everyday Enlightenment gives you practical tools to deal with the everyday challenges of being human in our modern society.' - Cameron DiazThe spiritual head of the Drukpa school of Buddhism, His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa has taught millions of students worldwide. He is also an active humanitarian, working on projects with celebrities such as Richard Gere and Joanna Lumley. Michelle Yeoh is a global ambassador for his Live to Love initiative, whose core causes include the protection of the environment and spread of education.

In April 1956, C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, married Joy Davidman, an American poet with two small children. After four intensely happy years, Davidman died of cancer and Lewis found himself alone again, and inconsolable. In response, he wrote this journal, freely confessing his pain, rage, and struggle to sustain his faith. In it he finds the way back to life. Now a modern classic, A Grief Observed has offered solace and insight to countless readers worldwide.This new edition includes the original text of A Grief Observed alongside specially commissioned responses to the book and its themes from respected contemporary writers and thinkers: Hilary Mantel, Jessica Martin, Jenna Bailey, Rowan Williams, Kate Saunders, Francis Spufford and Maureen Freely.

A Grief Observed comprises the reflections of the great scholar and Christian on the death of his wife after only a few short years of marriage. Painfully honest in its dissection of his thoughts and feelings, this is a book that details his paralysing grief, bewilderment and sense of loss in simple and moving prose. Invaluable as an insight into the grieving process just as much as it is as an exploration of religious doubt, A Grief Observed will continue to offer its consoling insights to a huge range of readers, as it has for over fifty years. 'A classic of the genre, a literary answer to the pain of loss.' Robert McCrum

The history of the Emerald Tablets is strange and beyond the belief of modern scientists. Their antiquity is stupendous, dating back some 36,000 years B.CThe author is Thoth, an Atlantean Priest-King who founded a colony in ancient Egypt, wrote the Emerald Tablets in his native Atlantean language which was translated by Dr. Michael Doreal. This edition of the Emerald Tablets is unique in that it includes both the translation and interpretation by Dr. Doreal. Because of the tablet's reference to the Egypt and sacred geometry they became a priority reference for those studying the Flower of Life and the Merkaba meditation. As requested by the Flower of Life Organization, this edition offers Dr. Doreal's translation and interpretation in a side-by-side study format.

How do you relate to God?If you could sit down and talk-honestly-about God with someone you trusted, would you say that God seems distant and out of reach? Do you wonder how it might be possible to "Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (from the Shema, the foundational tenant of Judaism)?You''re not alone. Join author Michelle Beadle on a journey through Scripture to discover how God, through Messiah, enables us to actually know Him, and to experience His love, peace, and joy.  Since Michelle discovered God through Messiah in Scripture more than 40 years ago, she has been passionate about helping others find Him as well.Now the information she shares with people in one-on-one discussions is available to you in an 11-week study that can be used with one other person, in a group setting, or for self-study.Author Michelle Beadle, the daughter and granddaughter of German Jewish Holocaust survivors, has served as an outreach worker with CJFM in New Orleans, for more than 25 years. She leads Scripture studies and hosts celebrations for the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. She is often invited to speak in the U.S. at conferences, in congregations, and at home gatherings; she is also interviewed for TV, radio, podcasts, or online content. To connect with Michelle, visit MessiahinJewishScripture.com.

In this uplifting and practical book, written in collaboration with his biographer, Austen Ivereigh, the preeminent spiritual leader explains why we must-and how we can-make the world safer, fairer, and healthier for all people now. In the COVID crisis, the beloved shepherd of over one billion Catholics saw the cruelty and inequity of our society exposed more vividly than ever before. He also saw, in the resilience, generosity, and creativity of so many people, the means to rescue our society, our economy, and our planet. In direct, powerful prose, Pope Francis urges us not to let the pain be in vain. He begins Let Us Dream by exploring what this crisis can teach us about how to handle upheaval of any kind in our own lives and the world at large. With unprecedented candor, he reveals how three crises in his own life changed him dramatically for the better. By its very nature, he shows, crisis presents us with a choice: we make a grievous error if we try to return to some pre-crisis state. But if we have the courage to change, we can emerge from the crisis better than before. Francis then offers a brilliant, scathing critique of the systems and ideologies that conspired to produce the current crisis, from a global economy obsessed with profit and heedless of the people and environment it harms, to politicians who foment their people's fear and use it to increase their own power at their people's expense. He reminds us that Christians' first duty is to serve others, especially the poor and the marginalized, just as Jesus did. Finally, the Pope offers an inspiring and actionable blueprint for building a better world for all humanity by putting the poor and the planet at the heart of new thinking. For this plan, he draws not only on sacred sources, but on the latest findings from renowned scientists, economists, activists, and other thinkers. Yet rather than simply offer prescriptions, he shows how ordinary people acting together despite their differences can discover unforeseen possibilities. Along the way, he offers dozens of wise and surprising observations on the value of unconventional thinking, on why we must dramatically increase women's leadership in the Church and throughout society, on what he learned while scouring the streets of Buenos Aires with garbage-pickers, and much more. Let Us Dream is an epiphany, a call to arms, and a pleasure to read. It is Pope Francis at his most personal, profound and passionate. With this book and with open hearts, we can change the world.

In order to be known, the Divine created a sublime treasure for all of creation - the glorious light and soul of the Insan al Kamil, Prophet Muhammad . Vast universes, including every particle in existence, came into manifestation through this all-encompassing ocean of perfection. In his inimitable style, Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi reveals the secret realities within the holy attributes that form the most noble and perfected soul. This book serves as a source of inspiration, reminding the reader how Prophet's essence is truly within each of us, constantly empowering us with his light, and purifying our souls to be brought into the Divinely Presence. With over 1,000 full-colour images and customized diagrams, the reader journeys to understand deep mystical truths, resulting in a compelling, soul-awakening read. It is through this understanding that the student seeks guidance from those who reflect the true essence of the eternal Universal Perfect Being .

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB X HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK PICK * THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThis book is my story about growing up in a Black girl's body. It's about surviving in a world not made for me.'Austin Channing Brown is a leading new voice on racial justice' LAYLA SAAD, author of ME AND WHITE SUPREMACY Austin Channing Brown's first encounter with a racialized America came at age seven, when she discovered her parents named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man. Growing up in majority-white schools and churches, Austin writes, 'I had to learn what it means to love Blackness,' a journey that led to a lifetime spent navigating America's racial divide as a writer, speaker and expert helping organisations practice genuine inclusion. In a time when nearly every institution (schools, churches, universities, businesses) claims to value diversity in its mission statement, Austin writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice. Her stories bear witness to the complexity of America's social fabric and invite the reader to confront apathy, recognise God's ongoing work in the world and discover how Blackness-if we let it-can save us all.'Austin Channing Brown introduces herself as a master memoirist. This book will break open hearts and minds. It's an example of how one woman can change the world by telling the truth about her life with unflinching, relentless courage' GLENNON DOYLE'Most people say, "that books has legs"; I measure the impact of a book by how often I throw it across the room. [Austin's book] has serious wings. It broke me open' BRENE BROWN

Through the Narrow Gate is Karen Armstrong's memoir of life inside a Catholic convent in the 1960's.With gentleness and honesty, Armstrong takes her readers on a revelatory journey that begins with her decision, at the age of seventeen, to devote her life to God as a nun. yet once she embarked upon her spiritual training, she encountered a frightening and oppressive world, fossilized by tradition, which moulded, isolated and pushed her to the limit of what she could endure.

A festive, delightfully-illustrated compendium that features holiday traditions from around the world. From Jolabokaflod (Christmas Book Flood) in Iceland to Festa dei sette pesci (Feast of Fishes) in Italy and Christmas lanterns in the Philippines.

Humberto Maggi surveys the historical developments that influenced the creation of the concept of the Queen of the Seven Crossroads in the Brazilian magico-religious system Quimbanda that emerged in the first half of the 20th century, as well as the ideas and techniques inherited both from Europe and Africa. He looks at how various myths, historical figures, and misunderstandings combined to create one of the most powerful pombagiras - what elements shaped her, what and who inspired her legend, and how to work with her in your own practice.

The ESV Women‿s Study Bible features study and devotional content along with elegant artwork from artist Dana Tanamachi to help women in all seasons of life pursue a transformational understanding of Scripture.

An illustrated guide to the world and its sacred wonders

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERINTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER In the seminal text on atheism in the twenty-first centuy, renowned scientist Richard Dawkins examines the irrationality of believing in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society. From the sex-obsessed tyrant in the Old Testament to the more benign Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers, Dawkins rigorously analyzes God in all his forms, eviscerating the major arguments for religion and demonstrating the supreme improbability of a supreme being. His argument steeped in impressive historical and contemporary evidence, spanning from the Crusades to 9/11, Dawkins shows how religion fuels war and foments bigotry, and makes the compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly. As a solution, Dawkins offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism for the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster.

In direct and experiential language, Dzogchen Pema Kalsang Rinpoche explains clearly how to put Shabkar''s classic verses on trekch├╢ meditation into practice, so we may realise the true nature of mind. These profound instructions may only be read by those who have been authorised and empowered into the main Dzogchen practices by a genuine master."For a living breathing human being, is there anyone to whom thoughts do not arise? Thoughts occur, but it does not matter. Thoughts are the dynamic energy of true nature. If they arise, allow them to arise. If they do not occur, allow them not to occur. When abiding, this is the essence of true nature. When thoughts stream forth, this is the manifest dynamic energy of wisdom. Do not pursue thoughts. If we chase after them we become confused, like water turning into ice. Leave thoughts naturally and they become self-liberated. Unload the mental burden of activities and remain in unwavering equipoise of effortless non-meditation."One of the most eminent lamas in Tibet, Dzogchen Pema Kalsang Rinpoche is widely recognised as a brilliant scholar and highly realised master of the Great Perfection. His insight brings an authenticity to the teachings which can only be present in the words of a realised master.

A beautifully compelling and liberating guide to the original nature of Zen in ancient China by renowned author and translator David Hinton.Buddhism migrated from India to China in the first century C.E., and Ch'an (Japanese: Zen) is generally seen as China's most distinctive and enduring form of Buddhism. In China Root, however, David Hinton shows how Ch'an was in fact a Buddhist-influenced extension of Taoism, China's native system of spiritual philosophy. Unlike Indian Buddhism's abstract sensibility, Ch'an was grounded in an earthy and empirically-based vision. Exploring this vision, Hinton describes Ch'an as a kind of anti-Buddhism. A radical and wild practice aspiring to a deeply ecological liberation: the integration of individual consciousness with landscape and with a Cosmos seen as harmonious and alive.In China Root, Hinton describes this original form of Zen with his trademark clarity and elegance, each chapter exploring in enlightening ways a core Ch'an concept--such as meditation, mind, Buddha, awakening--as it was originally understood and practiced in ancient China. Finally, by examining a range of standard translations in the Appendix, Hinton reveals how this original understanding and practice of Ch'an/Zen is almost entirely missing in contemporary American Zen, because it was lost in Ch'an's migration from China through Japan and on to the West.Whether you practice Zen or not, taking this journey on the wings of Hinton's remarkable insight and powerful writing will transform how you understand yourself and the world.

In the face of systemic racism and state-sanctioned violence, how can we metabolize our anger into a force for liberation?White supremacy in the United States has long necessitated that Black rage be suppressed, repressed, or denied, often as a means of survival, a literal matter of life and death. In Love and Rage, Lama Rod Owens, coauthor of Radical Dharma, shows how this unmetabolized anger--and the grief, hurt, and transhistorical trauma beneath it--needs to be explored, respected, and fully embodied to heal from heartbreak and walk the path of liberation. This is not a book about bypassing anger to focus on happiness, or a road map for using spirituality to transform the nature of rage into something else. Instead, it is one that offers a potent vision of anger that acknowledges and honors its power as a vehicle for radical social change and enduring spiritual transformation.Love and Rage weaves the inimitable wisdom and lived experience of Lama Rod Owens with Buddhist philosophy, practical meditation exercises, mindfulness, tantra, pranayama, ancestor practices, energy work, and classical yoga. The result is a book that serves as both a balm and a blueprint for those seeking justice who can feel overwhelmed with anger--and yet who refuse to relent. It is a necessary text for these times.