Eastern Religion Philosophy

The Commanding Self, in Sufic terminology, is that mixture of the primitive and conditioned responses, common to everyone, which inhibits and distorts human progress and understanding. This audiobook was described by Shah as the key to understanding his entire corpus of work. While complete in itself as an anthology of hitherto unpublished work, it serves to illustrate and amplify Idries Shah’s preceding books on the Sufi Way.

Previously published only as separate essays, Sufi Thought and Action - assembled and introduced by Idries Shah - covers an extraordinary diversity of Sufi ideas and activities in many countries and cultures. Included in the volume are papers on Sufi principles and learning methods; ritual, initiation, and secrets in Sufi circles; and key concepts in Sufi understanding.

Neither the date nor the authorship of the Dhammapada is known, but there is conclusive evidence that this monument of the Buddhist canon existed well before the Christian era. Many scholars agree in ascribing its utterances to Buddha himself, while others are of the opinion that it is a compilation made by Buddhist monks from various sources. This classic religious text focuses on practical morality, which, if practiced earnestly and diligently, will lead the practitioner to Nirvana, the state of unconditioned eternal bliss.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky is best known as the cofounder of theosophy, which is essentially a selective conflation of Hindu and Buddhist ideas combined with Blavatsky's idiosyncratic system of cosmology. The Voice of the Silence, first published in 1889, is described by the author as "chosen fragments from the Book of the Golden Precepts, for the daily use of disciples".

First published in 1925, Buddha's Teachings was originally edited by Japanese scholars of Buddhism before WWII and distributed widely throughout Japan. The first English edition was published in 1934.

First published in 1957, The Secret Lore of Magic contains within it a series of major source books of magical arts. Many of them translated into English for the first time, these works are annotated. The book’s title in itself signaled the fact that the bulk of material in this bibliographical study had never been published openly before.

The wisdom goddesses of yoga who embody shakti, or sacred energy, continue to gain popularity as we become familiar with the ways they help us break through negativity, trauma, and dysfunction to attain self-love, peace, and abundance. Yet, we rarely hear about Sri Radha and her unique position as the primal Shakti because she is hidden deep within the Upanishads, Tantras, and Puranas as their most confidential spiritual subject.

Morrison offers an illuminating study of two linked traditions that have figured prominently in 20th-century thought: Buddhism and the philosophy of Nietzsche. Nietzsche admired Buddhism, but saw it as a dangerously nihilistic religion; he forged his own affirmative philosophy in reaction against the nihilism that he feared would overwhelm Europe. Morrison shows that Nietzsche's influential view of Buddhism was mistaken, and that far from being nihilistic, it has notable and perhaps surprising affinities with Nietzsche's own project of the transvaluation of all values.

Condensed from more than three million words, these conversations involve housewives and cabinet ministers, professors and assembly-line workers, on the subject of how traditional psychology can illuminate current human, social, and spiritual problems. More than 100 tales and extracts from Sufi lore, ranging from the eighth century (Hasan of Basra) to the modern Afghan poet Khalilullah Khalili, are woven into Shah’s narratives of how and why the Sufis learn what they learn and how spiritual understanding develops and deteriorates in all societies.

Initial awakening is the most important shift that can occur within our lifetime, but even that key development is no more than an invitation to the larger dance. Ultimately, if we do not clear up after we wake up, then awakening will have been of little consequence. In the absence of that critical clearing process, our awakening is reduced to becoming a pleasant memory of an important event that happened long ago and which we presently cannot quite remember or explain.

Consisting of fewer than 200 verses written in an obscure if not impenetrable language and style, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is today extolled by the yoga establishment as a perennial classic and guide to yoga practice. As David Gordon White demonstrates in this groundbreaking study, both of these assumptions are incorrect. Virtually forgotten in India for hundreds of years and maligned when it was first discovered in the West, the Yoga Sutra has been elevated to its present iconic status.

What if you could approach every part of your life - from the smallest decisions to life's biggest setbacks - with total confidence, clarity, and control? According to Sakyong Mipham, we all have that power. The secret is simple: If you just stop thinking about yourself all the time, happiness and confidence will come naturally. It sounds absurd and, what's more, impossible. But in Ruling Your World, Sakyong Mipham shares ancient secrets on how to take control of our lives and be successful while cultivating compassion for others and confidence in our own intelligence and goodness.

A treasure house of teaching materials, assembled in the Sufi manner. Seeker After Truth contains both traditional tales and stories gleaned from contemporary sources, and snippets of table talk, discussions and teachings, letters, and lectures by Idries Shah. Taken together, it constitutes a handbook of materials designed to provoke a different kind of thought.

Find yourself and tune in: such is the message of Zen. Instant Zen presents the teachings of Foyan, a twelfth-century Chinese Zen master recognized as one of the greatest masters of the Song dynasty Zen renaissance in China. These simple exercises by Foyan lead you to the awakening of insight into the real nature of self and emphasize independence and autonomy, two qualities vital to seeing and acting clearly. Newcomers will find this a useful and sophisticated introduction to authentic inner Zen practices without cultural exoticism or religious cultism.

If you want to focus on personal spiritual development and strive for a deep insight into the true nature of life, then continue reading.... "We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." -Buddha If our present suffering is the result of bad karma from a prior life, what is the real present remedy for suffering in this life? Who is the karma judge? And why mindfulness and meditation? If you don't understand the immediate answers to the above, you're not alone.

In his thought-provoking and entertaining book, David Michie explains the nuts and bolts of meditation. As a busy professional, as well as long-term meditator, he also gives a first-hand account of how to integrate this transformational practice into everyday life. Combining leading edge science with timeless wisdom, Hurry Up and Meditate provides all the motivation and tools you need to achieve greater balance, better health and a more panoramic perspective on life.

What is the connection between physics and consciousness? In this groundbreaking new audiobook, Samuel Avery presents the quantum screen, a paradigm-shifting model of perceptual consciousness and of the world. This model looks to the enigmas of modern physics to demonstrate the primacy of consciousness - the essential oneness of spirit and matter.

Written by Wayne Liquorman with characteristic humor, irreverence, and profound insight, this audiobook provides a bold new look at the nature of existence. If one wants to remain in the moment, what does one do about the mind? Never mind! The mind does what the mind does. It is working and functioning perfectly, doing exactly what it has been designed and programmed to do. The audiobook hammers away at the basic misconceptions that bring about human suffering - I could have and should have done it differently, I am flawed, I am the author of my thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Entering the Mind, by C von Hassett, is a deeply insightful exploration of a timeless wisdom practice known as Dzogchen—a meditation practice which points the practitioner directly to their own innate, naturally occurring mind, or what is otherwise known as “mind in its natural state.” This is the very mind the Buddha spoke of as being already awakened, already enlightened, and this mind is easily accessible and readily observable within each of us.

Embark on a Captivating Journey through the Epochs of Human History.