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Advaita for the 21st Century

Advaita Library


Category B - Non-duality, Other

A Brief History of Everything
Author: Ken Wilber
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Gateway, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin
ISBN: 0717132331
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
List Price: £10.00
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
This account of men and women's place in a universe of sex and gender, self and society, spirit and soul is written in question-and-answer format, making it both readable and accessible. Wilber offers a series of original views on many topics of current controversy, including the gender wars, multiculturalism, modern liberation movements, and the conflict between various approaches to spirituality. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
Honors and incorporates more truth than any approach in history. -- Jack Crittenden, author of Beyond Individualism --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Advaita On Zen And Tao
Author: Ramesh Balsekar
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Zen Publications
ISBN: 8188479306
Format: Paperback
Pages: 111
List Price: £26.00
Synopsis: None available
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An Introduction to Awareness
Author: James M. Corrigan
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
ISBN: 1419648896
Format: Paperback
Pages: 212
List Price: £10.00
Extract Link
Review Link
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Can Reason entertain a Reality different than that of the Material world that pervades our thought today? Are we wrong about the form of the world and the life that we are experiencing? Starting from the one incontrovertible truth - that we are present - the author develops a view of reality that encompasses all of human experience and in the process shows how what we call physical reality and what we call spiritual reality are not two things as they are seen today - that there is only one Reality and it is nondual Awareness. This book puts the question of what reality is to the ultimate test by removing every one of our unfounded assumptions about it.

About the Author
The philosopher James Corrigan spent three decades designing and developing computer software for major Fortune 50 companies. His work on automated software development and his focus on the faculty of intuitive understanding at work in the design of complex systems led him to forsake the idea that reasoning is a computational process and that conscious experience is an effect of physical mechanisms. His systematic treatment of Reality, explaining its non-dual nature, is focused on showing the perniciousness of the idea of physical reality and the mechanical view of Nature that it entails. He shows that our basic assumptions about awareness are fundamentally wrong and points to how this necessarily undermines the doctrines of Materialism.

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Answers
Author: Mother Meera
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Rider
ISBN: 0712653724
Format: Paperback
Pages: 128
List Price: £6.99
Synopsis: None available
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Confessions of a Philosopher: A Journey through Western Philosophy
Author: P D Ouspensky
Editor/Commentator: Intro. Merrily E Taylor
Publisher: Penguin Arkana
ISBN: 0140190112
Format: Paperback
Pages: 176
List Price: £7.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The five works in this collection are an introduction for the lay reader, to the insights of the Russian thinker, P.D. Ouspensky. "Memory" teaches the reader how to attain "true self-consciousness" and appreciation of being alive. "Surface Personality" bids the reader to shed such superficialities and acquire a centre of gravity instead. "Self-Will", usually a recipe for disaster, is best replaced by mindfulness and responsibility. "Negative Emotions" can be destroyed, first by limiting them and then by getting to their roots. "Notes on Work" warns the reader of the commitment and self-discipline needed if one earnestly desires to change one's life.

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Creative Intelligence & Self Liberation
Author: Ted Falconar
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Crown House Publishing, Wales
ISBN: 1845900618
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
List Price: £12.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Non-Aristotelian Thinking as developed by Aldred Korzybski involves seeing events as they really are, and not as they are presented to us through words and memory. It stresses how no one thing is like anything else-that even two pins are never the same. Now Creative Intelligence extends Korzybski s concept by weaving together the Eastern philosophies of Realization and Liberation. It teaches us to 'unlearn' the rigid patterns of thought that we are indoctrinated with from birth, and to escape the confines of memory, association and, most importantly, words.

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Creative Wisdom Ancient and Modern: Self Enlightenment and Liberation
Author: Tahasa Falconar
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Non-Aristotelian Publishing, Isle of Man
ISBN: 978-0-9510924-4-6
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
List Price: £5.00
Synopsis: None available
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One: Essential Writings on Nonduality
Author:
Editor/Commentator: Jerry Katz
Publisher: Sentient Publications
ISBN: 978-1-59181-053-7
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
List Price: £10.00
Extract Link
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Review

"One is a major step in increasing our understanding of nonduality by explaining it from an impressive and diverse range of perspectives. In today's society where the dangers of religious divisiveness are painfully evident, this sort of pointing to common ground is not only refreshing and liberating, but perhaps a necessary step towards a better global future. Highly recommended."

--Gary Crowley, author, From Here to Here

"This book is in a class of its own as the clearest and most helpful introduction to nonduality."

--Nathan Spoon, author, Words from an Empty Boat

"By carefully combining a wide range of nondual texts, both ancient and modern, Jerry Katz has made a significant contribution to the growing library of nondualist writings. The author creates a very readable overview of the subject and shows that what it's pointing to is relevant today. Above all, he reminds the reader that the cross-cultural perennial philosophy that lies at the core of all of the great religions has been this same realization of the absolute unity of all things. True freedom arises through the discovery that separation is an illusion and that everything is, quintessentially, only One. This book can be an opening. Very well done and highly recommended."

--Chuck Hillig, author, Enlightenment for Beginners

"My kind of book. I know I will enjoy having it for years to come. Leave it to Jerry Katz to show the pluralism of the unitive experience. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for the best reference guide to nonduality on the market today. A must have for serious seekers for its breadth of perspectives."

--Paul Cohen, Publisher/Editor, Monkfish Book Publishing Company --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Description
This book compiles the most lively expressions of nonduality, which are the understanding that existence is one undivided whole and that the daily distinctions we make within this unity are useful, but not ultimately true. The book conveys in a nonacademic style what nonduality itself is, including lively, challenging, diverse passages from the major traditions of Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sufism, Judaism, Taoism, and Native American Tradition. You'll also read about the nondual perspectives of psychotherapy, art, education, and the movie The Matrix. The core of the book is two chapters on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, which were edited specifically for this work by David Godman and approved by Sri Ramanasramam. Covering many traditions and backgrounds, this collection is an excellent foundation for a study of nonduality.

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History of Mysticism: The Unchanging Testament
Author: S Abhayananda
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Watkins Publishing
ISBN: 1842930516
Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
List Price: £14.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American
History Of Mysticism is a passionate, poetic and powerful work ... destined to be a classic. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
History Of Mysticism [is a] particularly inspiring publication, ... a survey from the beginning of time to the present of many of the world's God-realized individuals whose lives, writings, and teachings help direct our own path to God.

... One of the wonderful things about this book is that it shows how little variance exists among these mystical revelations, regardless of culture, time period, or other outer circumstances.

... To read the rapturous outpourings of Rumi, the 13th century Persian Poet, brought together in the same volume as the illumined ecstasy of St. John of the Cross, Meister Eckhart, Lao Tzu, and Jesus, is profoundly elevating and soul-nurturing. Abhayananda, a contemporary American mystic, has done an outstanding job of capturing the recurrent experience of enlightenment throughout the ages... -- Science Of Mind magazine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Meister Eckhart and the Beguine Mystics: Hadewijch of Brabant, Mechthild of Magdeburg, Marguerite Porete
Author:
Editor/Commentator: Ed. Bernard McGinn
Publisher: Continuum, New York
ISBN: 0826409296
Format: Paperback
Pages: 178
List Price: £15.00
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The great German mystic Meister Eckhart remains one of the most fascinating figures in Western thought. Revived interest in Eckhart's mysticism has been matched, and even surpassed, by the study of the women mystics of the late13th century. This book argues that Eckhart's thought cannot be fully be understood until it is viewed against the background of the breakthroughs made by the women mystics who preceded him.

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Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness
Author: Evelyn Underhill
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Oneworld, Oxford
ISBN: 1851681965
Format: Paperback
Pages: 544
List Price: £12.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this classic introduction to mysticism, Underhill draws on hundreds of sources to present a unique study of the mystical experience.

About the Author
Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), a novelist and poet, published her first book in 1902 but her growing interest in mysticism led in 1911 to her greatest work. A comprehensive study of the spiritual life and religious experience, Mysticism remains a classic. In 1921 she was Upton Lecturer on the Philosophy of Religion at Manchester College, and was the first woman to give a series of lectures on theology at Oxford. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Mystics, Masters, Saints and Sages: Stories of Enlightenment
Author: Robert Ullman & Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman
Editor/Commentator: For. His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Publisher: Conari Press, Berkeley, CA
ISBN: 1573245070
Format: Paperback
Pages: 260
List Price: £14.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
All the figures profiled in Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages have one experience in common: they achieved enlightenment, the elusive promise of "profound peace, extreme happiness, and a deep understanding of the truth," as editors Robert Ullman and Judith Reichenberg-Ullman describe it. In gathering the autobiographical stories, essays, and poems written by these various seekers, the editors explore diverse pathways to transcendence. Some, such as the Buddha, suffered. Others found the right guide, such as the Sufi poet Rumi, who met his beloved teacher in a bustling Turkish marketplace. Some went to the brink of suicide, such as the Canadian Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now. The editors offer a brief biographical sketch before each essay, giving readers context for digesting these inspiring experience, which span thousands of years and many regions of the world. The editors claim to be nondenominational, but there are significantly more contributions from Eastern traditions than any other. -- Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly
In Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages: Stories of Enlightenment, Robert Ullman and Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman comb the world's religions for examples of human beings who have apparently transcended earthly limitations and achieved a state of higher consciousness. These enlightened masters, say the authors, have experienced a sense of interconnectedness with all life. Casting a wide net, the authors include writings from Krishnamurti, Saint Catherine of Siena, the Baal Shem Tov, Paramahansa Yogananda, Peace Pilgrim and the poet Rumi, among others. Each primary source is introduced by a brief (and somewhat superficial) biography of the mystic who wrote it.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Nondualism in Western Philosophy
Author: Greg Goode
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Format:
Pages: 0
List Price: £0.00
Synopsis:
Nonduality: A Stucy in Comparative Philosophy
Author: David Loy
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Humanity Books
ISBN: 1573923591
Format: Paperback
Pages: 360
List Price: £22.00
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Review
"...clearly written....Accessible and interesting." -- The Key Reporter

"...deserves a close reading by all who are interested in the 'spiritual' traditions of philosophy--East and/or West." -- Philosophy of Religion

"A commendable exercise in comparative philosophy." -- Choice

"A valuable book on a topic that is essential to understanding the most important systems of Eastern thought." -- Buddhist Christian Studies

"An important book tackling one of the central patterns of Asian thinking." -- Religious Studies Review

Product Description
Many Western philosophers are poorly informed about the issues involved in nonduality, since this topic is usually associated with various kinds of absolute idealism in the West, or mystical traditions in the East. Increasingly, however, this topic is finding its way into Western philosophical debates. In this "scholarly but leisurely and very readable" (Spectrum Review) analysis of the philosophies of nondualism of (Hindu) Vedanta, Mahayana Buddhism, and Taoism, Loy, who is a Zen practitioner, extracts what he calls "a core doctrine" of nonduality of seer and seen from these three worldviews and then applies the doctrine in various ways, including a critique of Derrida's deconstructionism. (This is an important work addressing one of the central patterns of Asian thinking.)

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On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious
Author: D E Harding
Editor/Commentator: For. Huston Smith
Publisher: Penguin Arkana
ISBN: 0140190430
Format: Paperback
Pages: 96
List Price: £5.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"Headlessness", the feeling of no self that mystics of all times have aspired to, is an instantaneous way of "waking up" and becoming more aware of oneself and the world. Douglas Harding's description of his first experience of headlessness, a work first published in 1961, has now been revised. Describing the technique and placing it within the Zen context, this book also includes parallels from traditions other than Buddhism, as well as a concluding chapter on the "headless way".

About the Author
Douglas Harding is a respected author, philosopher, and mystic who, for more than thirty years, has been sharing with others a direct method for rediscovering our original nature. He is the author of numerous books on spirituality.

Huston Smith is internationally known and revered as the premier teacher of world religions and as author of The World's Religions (originally titled The Religions of Man) which, for several decades, has been the most widely used textbook on comparative religions and has sold well over 1.5 million copies. He has taught at Washington University, MIT, Syracuse University, and the University of California, Berkeley. He was the focus of a five-part PBS TV show with Bill Moyers and his most recent book, Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief (HarperCollins 2001), was hailed by Publishers Weekly as a milestone. The American Academy of Religion/Society for Biblical Literature chose the work as its book of the year. Professor Smith discussed its thesis with scholars at the plenary session of its 2000 Annual Meeting. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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One Taste: The Journals of Ken Wilber
Author: Ken Wilber
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Shambala, Boston
ISBN: 1570623872
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 386
List Price: £19.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Okay, Ken Wilber fans, you've waited long enough. The intensely private potentate of the integral path has broken his silence and published a year's worth of journal notes. Pull up a chair. You've entered the living room of one of the most intriguing spiritual theorists on the planet. He'll tell you a little about his work schedule, friendships with publishers, artists, and intellectuals, and you'll talk late into the night about bringing together the best parts of all the world's wisdom traditions. Hold on tight, though, because the conversational pace can be dizzying, bouncing from Nagarjuna to Plotinus, Derrida to Nagel, feminism to Zen, psychotherapy to vipassana. And this isn't just superficial soul-babble. Give it a while to sink in. Take a sip of wine. Move on to more expansive talk of higher states of being. Wilber will describe his own meditative experiences and how they relate to his revision of the Great Chain of Being. As daylight breaks, you'll gaze into the early twilight, wondering how you failed to notice all those hidden dimensions within and beyond an otherwise two-dimensional world. --Brian Bruya

From Library Journal
Something of an iconoclast, Wilber (The Marriage of Sense and Soul, LJ 2/1/98) has created a unique spot for himself in contemporary thinking on spirituality. Guided to some degree by notions such as the "perennial philosophy" expounded by Aldous Huxley and by thinkers such as Huston Smith, Wilber's work draws on a wide array of religious, philosophical, and psychological systems while simultaneously disparaging what he considers to be the superficial eclecticism of various New Age movements. Wilber devotees will, no doubt, find this record of a year in his life essential reading. For most readers, however, distracting and largely uninteresting details of Wilber's life (he's dating a swell girl), cliched passages describing various states of spiritual awe, often opaque theoretical discussions, and a thinly veiled general tone of self-aggrandizement will tend to obscure the many highly original and thought-provoking passages scattered throughout. A frustrating book by a controversial thinker; only for collections with a demonstrated interest in this author.?Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Religions of the World
Author: D E Harding
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Head Exchange Press, London
ISBN: 095230547X
Format: Paperback
Pages: 110
List Price: £10.00
Synopsis: None available
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Return to the Centre
Author: Bede Griffiths
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Fount, HarperCollins, London
ISBN: 0006278426
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
List Price: £5.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A book of meditations on the mysteries of the Christian faith and their relation to the religions of India.

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Tao Te Ching: An Illustrated Journey
Author: Lao Tzu
Editor/Commentator: Stephen Mitchell
Publisher: Francis Lincoln Publishers
ISBN:
Format:
Pages: 0
List Price: £8.00
Synopsis:
Teachings of Gurdjieff: A Pupil's Journal (An Account of Some Years with G I Gurdjieff & A R Orage in New York and Fountainebleau-Avon)
Author: C S Nott
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Penguin Arkana
ISBN: 0140191569
Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
List Price: £7.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Drawn from Nott's hundreds of pages of notes and diaries, this book provides a record of the expressions and actions of Gurdjieff and the profound impact of life at the Chateau du Prieure, Fontainbleau, at that time. Gurdjieff was a Russian occultist who used stylized dance to "free" people and help them to develop their full capabilities. Gurdjieff has often been attributed as the founder of the modern human-potential movement.

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The Atman Project: A Transpersonal View of Human Development
Author: Ken Wilber
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Quest Books, Wheaton, IL
ISBN: 0835607305
Format: Paperback
Pages: 260
List Price: £11.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Wilber chronicles individual psychospiritual development. New Foreword by the author.

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The Doors of Perception, Heaven and Hell
Author: Aldous Huxley
Editor/Commentator: For. J G Ballard
Publisher: Flamingo, HarperCollins, London
ISBN: 0006547311
Format: Paperback
Pages: 144
List Price: £6.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Review
"This 'classic exploration of altered consciousness' now available complete and unabridged on audio cassette, allows a new generation to become acquainted with the remarkable Huxley, who died in 1963. In the first few paragraphs of this 1954 work, Huxley suggests that schizophrenia may have its origin as a chemical disorder, perhaps aggravated by distresses which affect body chemistry: it would be over 30 years before the medical establishment sanctioned such an idea. Through his experiments with mescaline, Huxley sought a "brief but timeless illumination" wherein the human possessing a normal range of intelligence could begin to comprehend the mind/experience of the insane or the genius...Doors is exceptionally well read by Schirmer, a longtime collaborator and friend." -- Napra ReView, Jan/Feb 1999

"Whether you agree that the experiment was worth trying or feel that the author is knocking on doors that 'should' be left untouched, you are likely to admit that a challenge is forcibly put, that ideas are freshly and prodigally presented, and that even to try to answer Mr. Huxley honestly might well be a valuable experience in itself." -- The San Francisco Chronicle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
In 1953, in the presence of an investigator, Aldous Huxley took four-tenths of a gramme of mescalin, sat down and waited to see what would happen. When he opened his eyes everything was transformed. Huxley described his experience in "The Doors of Perception" and its sequel "Heaven and Hell".

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The Elements of Mysticism
Author: R A Gilbert
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Element, Shaftesbury
ISBN: 1852302011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 132
List Price: £5.99
Synopsis: None available
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The Essentials of Mysticism
Author: Evelyn Underhill
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Oneworld, Oxford
ISBN: 1851681957
Format: Paperback
Pages: 208
List Price: £9.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An enduring collection of articles that shows how we can unite practical concerns with a spiritual dimension.

About the Author
Evelyn Underhill, a novelist and poet, published her first book in 1902 but her growing interest in mysticism led in 1911 to her greatest work, Mysticism. This classic text immediately established Underhill as the leading writer in the field, and she continued her work by writing many more significant and acclaimed books and essays. In 1921 she became Upton Lecturer in the Philosophy of Religion at Manchester College, and was the firt woman to give a series of lectures on theology at Oxford.

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The Experience of No-Self: A Contemplative Journey
Author: Bernadette Roberts
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 978-0-7914-1694-5
Format: Paperback
Pages: 213
List Price: £18.00
Synopsis: None available
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The Fifth Dimension: An Exploration of the Spiritual Realm
Author: John Hick
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Oneworld, Oxford
ISBN: 1851681914
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
List Price: £10.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Noted theologian Hick believes that humans are living in such a highly technological "Western" culture that we have accepted an exclusively humanistic/scientific account of our existence and ignored the importance of the "fifth dimension"Aour spirituality and its influences upon our lives. To this end, Hick's long, rambling book, borrowing liberally and heavily from all world religions, considers our spiritual nature and its importance to our well-being. Deeply, intelligently, and passionately, he explores the meaning of life as stated by different faiths, the nature and validity of religious experiences, and the necessary influence of the spiritual over the physical. His general premise leaves little room for argument, though, which makes for a less engaging book. He is preaching to the converted, giving them arguments to use against those who raise the scientific over the religious. Yet the book does a good job of reiterating its major theme and can be read for enjoyment by those interested in spirituality. Marginally recommended for all libraries.AGlenn Masuchika, Chaminade Univ. of Honolulu
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Less academic than his other writings,but challenging; Hick's theory of religious pluralism is currently the most popular form of religious pluralism. -- Mennonite Brethren Herald

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The Golden String: An Autobiography
Author: Bede Griffiths
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Medio Media, Tucson, AZ
ISBN: 0972562737
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
List Price: £9.99
Synopsis: None available
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The Gospel of Thomas: The Enlightenment Teachings of Jesus
Author: Robert Wolfe
Editor/Commentator: Lommel Michael
Publisher: Karina Library Press
ISBN: 978-0-9824491-2-7
Format: Paperback
Pages: 226
List Price: £10.00
Extract Link
Review Link
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
After more than a millennium lost in an Egyptian desert, might the uncensored message of Jesus finally be heard by modern spiritual seekers? 
 
Nonduality is the state of being that recognizes there is nothing more than the one reality. From this awareness, comes the realization that god and person cannot therefore be separate. The history of Christianity is the belief in dualism: heaven and hell, sin and redemption, an individual spirit separate from God. Did Jesus actually teach this however? There is evidence to suggest otherwise, as shown in the Gospel of Thomas, a scripture that was discovered almost entirely intact in 1945.  The sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas have been a conundrum to many biblical scholars, who have approached them from the traditional dualistic Christian viewpoint. Robert Wolfe, the author of Amazon's top nonduality book, Living Nonduality, investigates, from a nondual perspective, the history and meaning of the sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas -- revealing perhaps the true nondualistic nature of Jesus' original teachings.  Readers already familiar with The Gospel of Thomas may not have come across these insights into its nondual teachings. Readers already familiar with nonduality, might not have realized that the teachings of Jesus, as uniquely recorded in the Gospel of Thomas, speak to nondual awareness.  *******************************  "The Bible is filled with dualistic thinking--there are the saved and the unsaved, believers and non-believers, the righteous and the unrighteous, the good and the bad, etc. This dualistic thinking is very strong in the Church (and, of course, the whole world). This so obviously leads to judgment and condemnation of others. It makes loving others very difficult. It really is true that it is hard, if not impossible, for any of us to love someone we see essentially different from, and other than, ourselves.  It was with this background that Robert Wolfe's The Gospel of Thomas: The Enlightenment Teachings of Jesus shines a new light on a nondual Jesus.  "Having studied the Old and New Testament for many years, I was delighted to read Robert Wolfe's book on the Gospel of Thomas. It is both thoughtful and scholarly. As Robert effectively demonstrates the non-dualistic nature of this Gospel, for me it truly represents good news."   -- JS, Florida, retired Catholic priest.

From the Author
Over the years, I have casually collected material from a myriad of sources that elucidated what can be known of what is called the "historical Jesus". My interest in the facts of Jesus' life (and the authenticity of his pronouncements) long predated my introduction to the non-Christian scriptures of the East, such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Advaita. After all, I was raised (and baptized at 13) as a Baptist. 

When I first came across a translation of The Gospel of Thomas, I wanted to determine how that testament of Jesus' "unknown" sayings contributed to the overall picture of who Jesus was, and what he had taught. 

A friend, a (now deceased) professor who retired to Australia, asked me to write for him--from that unorganized file I had collected--what to me appeared to be the answer to the question of how The Gospel of Thomas informed our understanding of the historical Jesus and his message.

Originally I wrote only the section "Commentary on Verses" that is listed here in the Table of Contents, which gives my annotation on each aphorism in Thomas. 

The next question followed though: If these are authentic sayings of Jesus, why were they not in public circulation until 1945? 

And another significant question needed to be answered: Why would anyone conclude that they are authentic scriptures? 

These questions led to writing"The Fifth Gospel" material.

The value of my compilation, I feel, is that it may be of service in drawing attention to the importance of not relegating the "gnostic" Jesus to a dismissive category. There's something of invaluable significance that's been overlooked, so far, in the academic and scholarly biblical discussion. That's why this manuscript was composed.

-- Robert Wolfe (From Author's Note)

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The Marriage of East and West
Author: Bede Griffiths
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Fount, HarperCollins, London
ISBN: 000626588X
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
List Price: £5.99
Synopsis: None available
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The Monk and the Philosopher: East Meets West in a Father-Son Dialogue
Author: Jean-Francois Revel & Matthieu Ricard
Editor/Commentator: Trans. John Canti
Publisher: Thorsons, London
ISBN: 072253650X
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
List Price: £8.99
Synopsis: None available
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The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions
Author: Wayne Teasdale
Editor/Commentator: For. His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Publisher: New World Library, Novato, CA
ISBN: 157731140X
Format: Paperback
Pages: 308
List Price: £13.00
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Author Wayne Teasdale believes that we're entering the "Interspiritual Age," when a new civilization will be formed--a global culture based on common spiritual values. "Such a universal society will draw its inspiration from perennial spiritual and moral insights, intuitions, and experiences," Teasdale predicts. Throughout this ambitious book, Teasdale examines the world's religions and highlights the underlying beliefs and yearnings that will ultimately link humankind.

Nonetheless, Teasdale is also a proponent of spiritual diversity, urging readers to protect and study their own indigenous religions (or in many cases the religions of their childhoods) before rejecting them. In his glowing introduction, the Dalai Lama also speaks to the importance of preserving religions while simultaneously joining forces to create a more spiritually evolved and compassionate planet. In his final chapters, Teasdale offers ideas for cultivating a more spiritual life. Although his suggestions aren't startlingly original ("Gravitate toward silence," "Always leave the door of hope wide open.") they are tried and true and well worth the reader's time and investment. --Gail Hudson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Teasdale is a sannyasa, or Hindu monk, who also practices Roman Catholicism and serves on the board of trustees of the Parliament of the World's Religions. Here, he proclaims the advent of a new movement toward "interspirituality"--one that claims as its heritage all valid spirituality from any and all faiths. Teasdale distinguishes "spirituality" from "religion," explaining that "Being religious connotes belonging to and practicing a religious tradition. Being spiritual suggests a personal commitment to a process of inner development that engages us in our totality." For the author, religion is a potential means to the greater end of genuine spirituality, which is highly mystical. Teasdale identifies what he considers the main elements of true spirituality and their manifestation in various religious traditions. Although he is Catholic and the book appeals to the unity underlying all traditions, most of his terminology derives from Buddhist and Hindu sources. Teasdale's style is gentle and winsome. Those who disapprove of eclecticism in religion will at least find this a clear presentation to react against, while those who share Teasdale's optimistic vision of the coming age as fostering spiritual unity among diverse peoples will consider the book an inspirational guide. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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The Origins and History of Consciousness
Author: Erich Neumann
Editor/Commentator: For. C G Jung Trans. R F C Hull
Publisher: Princeton, New York
ISBN: 0691017611
Format: Paperback
Pages: 520
List Price: £10.00
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Review
No better exposition has come to us of the two Jungian themes: the evolution of consciousness in the history of mankind and the development of personality in the individual. -- Review

Product Description
The first of Erich Neumann's works to be translated into English, this eloquent book draws on a full range of world mythology to show that individual consciousness undergoes the same archetypal stages of development as has human consciousness as a whole. Neumann, one of Jung's most creative students and a renowned practitioner of analytical psychology in his own right, shows how the stages begin and end with the symbol of the Uroboros, or tail-eating serpent. The intermediate stages are projected in the universal myths of the World Creation, Great Mother, Separation of the World Parents, Birth of the Hero, Slaying of the Dragon, Rescue of the Captive, and Transformation and Deification of the Hero. Throughout the sequence the Hero is the evolving ego consciousness.

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The Perennial Philosophy
Author: Aldous Huxley
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Harper & Row, New York
ISBN: 0060901918
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
List Price: £12.00
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"Both an anthology and an interpretation of the supreme mystics, East and West. . . . A magnificent achievement."--Rufus M. Jones "In his absorption and other-worldliness, he soars clear out of sight."--The New Yorker

About the Author

The longer fiction of Aldous Huxley has been in the mainstream of the "Novel of Ideas" since the publication in England in 1921 (America 1922) of Crome Yellow, his first novel. Huxley is one of the most skillful and most successful social satirists of the twentieth century. His novels go far in defining the character of modern man, while his later work reflects an interest in mysticism and the effect of the consciousness-expanding drugs.

Born in England in 1894, Mr. Huxley took to writing when his eyesight temporarily failed. From 1934 until his death in 1963, Aldous Huxley lived in California.

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The Secret Path: A Modern Technique for Self-Discovery
Author: Dr Paul Brunton
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Samuel Weiser, Maine
ISBN: 0877286523
Format: Paperback
Pages: 128
List Price: £5.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A practical book that teaches how we can develop ourselves to find tranquility in a world of stress. Learn to practice mental quiet for a few moments each day; learn simple breathing exercises to control thoughts and awaken intuition; learn self-analysis to develop spirituality.

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The Wonder of Presence and the Way of Meditative Inquiry
Author: Toni Packer
Editor/Commentator: For. Michael Atkinson
Publisher: Shambala, Boston
ISBN: 1570628750
Format: Paperback
Pages: 144
List Price: £10.00
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The Wonder of Presence--every page peppered with question marks--makes it immediately clear that Toni Packer is not going to spoon-feed us answers. A sort of Zen Krishnamurti, Packer entertains the burning questions of "spiritual practice" (a term she avoids) and of life itself, all the while turning us back to ourselves. She calls it the way of meditative inquiry, a method in which meditation has no other purpose than to derail habitual modes of thinking and feeling, thereby opening oneself up to everything that is happening--just as it is. In chapters on anger, fear, and peace, Packer, formerly a Zen teacher in the lineage of Philip Kapleau, shows that "when a powerfully driven emotion gives way to simple awareness, it is like a miracle." The book is based on Packer's retreat talks and entertains the questions of retreatants on wide-ranging topics from relationships to suffering and from freedom to judgment. For all of these, she dives into the problem, asking about origins and peeling back the layers of the self. The Wonder of Presence answers questions by showing us how to look. --Brian Bruya

From Publishers Weekly
This refreshingly iconoclastic collection of dharma talks encourages readers to deemphasize issues such as posture, the "stages" of enlightenment or the proper meditation techniques in favor of "effortless being." Packer, founder of the Springwater Center for Meditative Inquiry in western New York, draws on an eclectic assortment of thinkers, from traditional Zen masters to Krishnamurti. This anthology has some repetition of ideas, but in general, the various pieces adhere quite well. Packer's emphasis on awareness and "the wonder of presence" combined with her rare ability to make abstract concepts seem simple, even obvious makes this a welcome addition. (Apr.)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Twentieth-Century Mystics and Sages
Author: Anne Bancroft
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Arkana
ISBN: 0140191992
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
List Price: £6.99
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A collection of studies of spiritual leaders who have made their mark on the century - including Krishnamurti, Gurdjieff, Martin Buber, Rudolf Steiner, Aldous Huxley and 14 others.

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What is Self?: A Study of the Spiritual Journey in Terms of Consciousness
Author: Bernadette Roberts
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Sentient Publications
ISBN: 978-1-59181-026-1
Format: Paperback
Pages: 260
List Price: £17.00
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This extraordinary philosophical treatise on the nature of self and God follows on the author's now-classic book, The Experience of No-Self. A renowned contemporary mystic, Bernadette Roberts takes us to the ultimate consciousness that transcends self and experience. The book includes fascinating chronicles of her own spiritual journey. For many readers, this latest effort puts all her insights into clearer and sharper perspective. In this book, Ms. Roberts explains her concepts about ego, self, and the revelations of the contemplative life in a deeper and more mature fashion, as though her own journey has grown clearer with distance.

About the Author
Bernadette Roberts is one of the most extraordinary contemplatives of our time. The child of a devout Catholic family, Bernadette Roberts’ contemplative experiences began at an early age. At fifteen, they began to fit into a frame of reference within her Christian tradition. Ten years of seclusion in a monastery followed, during which Bernadette realized an abiding state of oneness with God. According to the Christian mystical tradition, this egoless, unitive state is as far as one can progress in this life.

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Women of Wisdom: The Journey of the Sacred Feminine through the Ages
Author: Paula Marvelly
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Watkins Publishing
ISBN: 1842931393
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
List Price: £12.99
Extract Link
Synopsis: None available
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The Dhammapada: Pali Text and Translation with Stories in Brief and Notes
Author:
Editor/Commentator: Trans. Narada Thera
Publisher: The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taiwan
ISBN:
Format:
Pages: 0
List Price: £5.00
Synopsis:
The Emptiness of Perception
Author: Bentinho Massaro
Editor/Commentator:
Publisher: Stillness Speaks.com
ISBN:
Format: DVD
Pages: 0
List Price: $20.00
Synopsis: Editorial Reviews

Some will pause before trying to absorb the wisdom of a teacher as young as Bentinho Massaro, as he shares his joyous expression of the great mysteries of life. Many would assume that this task should be left to elder spokespeople, and those with more established lineages. This would be a mistake. Bentinho's vibrant presence immediately strikes your heart, not your intellect: his fresh, clear and totally unique exploration of Truth is simple, direct. His smile is disarming; there is a direct transmission here-- difficult to explain -- both in his words but also in the silence that punctuates his playful, wondrous examination of the present moment. It's a challenge to describe this phenomenon; most who have visited with him will know exactly what I am referring to. Bentinho sets a leisurely course of examination first of our thoughts, then our feelings and finally, our sensations. As we walk together down this road of self discovery, the transparency of things becomes increasingly evident, until, eventually, the conversation inevitably turns to my favorite topic, "the emptiness of perception". It is here, that we cast aside looking at perceptions "through a thought" and "relax our focus", witnessing the magnificence of "isness," the fabric of everything, the all pervasive fiber of existence -- love itself. Join us as Bentinho directs our gaze to the other side of the "coin," the awareness which all perceptions continuously point to, the ineffable, cognizing birthing, wonder of being. Chris Hebard

Sciousness
Author:
Editor/Commentator: Jonathan Bricklin
Publisher: Eirini Press
ISBN: 978-0-9799989-0-4
Format: Paperback
Pages: 232
List Price: $11.37
Review Link
Synopsis: Book Description

James's notion of sciousness or 'pure experience' is akin to Zen tathata (suchness). Japan's renowned philosopher Kitaro Nishida, in fact, used James's concept to explain tathata to the Japanese themselves. As this collection of essays makes clear, Western practioners of Zen and other nondual practices need not be spiritual vagabonds. We need, rather, to claim our inheritance from the 'father of American psychology.'

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...full of interest and originality...the ghost of William James is surely happy to see it!" --Oliver Sacks

"Most interesting and profitable...a new and significant light on William James" --William Lyons, Former Head, Philosophy Department, Trinity College, Dublin, and author of The Disappearance of Introspection

"Bricklin's work--Sciousness--should also be widely read for its nondual offering from a Western thinker that runs counter to many assumptions about Western philosophy. I hope that many follow its suggestion and increase the number of studies exploring Buddhism and pragmatism together. Hopefully Bricklin has opened the floodgates."  --Benjamin J. Chicka, Buddhist-Christian Studies (University of Hawaii)

"This collection is delightful. It brings together important texts from the later life of William James, some of which are not very known, even in academic circles. Jonathan Bricklin's discussion of James is insightful, erudite and illuminating." --Benny Shanon, Professor of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and author of The Antipodes of the Mind

"The last couple of years have seen a resurgence of interest in William James, one of modern psychology's most widely respected pioneers. ...But nothing has quite highlighted the depth of his thought like Jonathan Bricklin's Sciousness." --What is Enlightenment? magazine

About the Author
Jonathan Bricklin began researching William James in 1990 in response to fundamental shifts in consciousness experienced on Vipassana retreats at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massacusetts. The Non-Reality of Will, Self and Time: William James's Reluctant Guide to Enlightenment will be published next year. Several excerpts from the book have been published in the Journal of Consciousness Studies and The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. His essay "A Variety of Religious Experience: William James and the Non-Reality of Free Will" was anthologized in the book The Volitional Brain: Toward a Neuroscience of Free Will. Brian Lancaster, Principal Lecturer in Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, hailed this essay as an "invaluable contribution." Jonathan is a Program Director of the New York Open Center.

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Page last updated: 25-Mar-2013