Bücher veröffentlicht von Shambhala

"So many women desire a deeper sense of wellness, fueled by self-care, nurturing routines, healing foods, and herbal remedies. The ancient science of Ayurveda brings us back into relationship with the rhythms of our lives, streamlining our daily habits and attuning our activities by time of day and seasons. This book delivers insights into personal health, hormonal balance, and connection to nature, all from the simplest practices: what we eat. Food and herbs are medicine for body, mind, and soul. This practical guide inspires you to experience and cultivate health from the inside out. Kate empowers women to use experiential language for becoming intimate with their body, how it works, how it changes over time, and how to listen to its messages"--

​​Explore this supportive, grounding guide for new mothers navigating the cascade of identity change and transformation that is motherhood--based on the internationally acclaimed program, Mothershift. Our modern, Western societal understanding of what happens to a woman when she becomes a mother--beyond emotional rollercoasters and healing her pelvic floor--largely remains uncharted territory. The transition to motherhood actually takes two to three years, not six weeks or three months as we've been led to believe. Mothershift offers a supportive, affirming road map to take women through that transformational process. Jessie Harrold introduces her "map for your becoming," a research-based, four-phase model that maps out how the transition to motherhood unfolds--and helps women to navigate every step along the way. She has used this model to guide thousands of women through the shift into motherhood. Harrold also includes self-inquiry questions and journal prompts in each chapter to help women identify and thrive amidst the cascade of changes they can expect as they enter motherhood. Topics include: Normalizing the feelings of grief and loss of self you may feel along the way, Navigating the discomfort of not knowing who you are anymore now that you're a mother; Guiding you to cultivate a sense of empowerment and leadership in motherhood, showing you how mothering is a counterculture act; Showing you how to use the "superpowers" that motherhood can offer--self-tending, creativity, embodiment, ritual, community, inner knowing, and earth connection;Gently guiding you to explore who you are becoming and more Mothershift offers a wise, inspiring, and practical view of what it can look like when women are supported and encouraged to experience motherhood as a doorway to becoming more deeply in touch with who they are--and what is possible in their lives. It is a vision for an experience of motherhood that is understood as a rite of passage filled with power and potential.

This collection of eminently practical advice from the likes of Socrates, Plato, Diogenes, Pythagoras, and Aristotle covers subjects as diverse as money, child-raising, politics, philosophy, law, and relationships-all aspects of life and how to live it. Thomas Cleary has translated these sayings and aphorisms from the Arabic sources that preserved Greek thought throughout the Middle Ages. Many of the texts no longer exist in the original Greek. Included in the book is an appendix that presents resonant sayings and fragments from Buddhist, Taoist, and Muslim sources, demonstrating the universal quality of the teachings of the Greek sages and hinting at the interaction between Western and Eastern cultures.

Drawing on the poetic wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, American sensei Wendy Palmer translates the powerful teachings of aikido for use in everyday life. With poignant reflections on her own life, including teaching inmates in a woman's federal prison, she describes how we can regain our sense of freedom, vitality, and integrity when under the duress of life's "attacks" by transforming our negativity into budo, or unconditional love. The Practice of Freedom is invaluable not only for students of aikido and other movement and martial arts, but also for those who seek to live with confidence and self-reliance, to establish clear and compassionate boundaries, and to deepen their capacities for relationships.

The writings of the twelfth-century Chinese Zen master Ta Hui are as immediately accessible as those of any contemporary teacher, and this book, which introduced them to the English-speaking world in the 1970s, has become a modern classic—a regular feature of recommended reading lists for Zen centers across America, even though the book has become difficult to find. We are happy to make the book available again after more than a decade of scarcity. J. C. Cleary's translation is as noteworthy for its elegant simplicity as for its accuracy. He has culled from the voluminous writings of Ta Hui Tsung Kao in the Chi Yeuh Lu this selection of letters, sermons, and lectures, some running no longer than a page, which cover a variety of subjects ranging from concern over the illness of a friend's son to the tending of an ox. Ta Hui addresses his remarks mainly to people in lay life and not to his fellow monks. Thus the emphasis throughout is on ways in which those immersed in worldly occupations can nevertheless learn Zen and achieve the liberation promised by the Buddha. These texts, available in English only in this translation, come as a revelation for their lucid thinking and startling wisdom. The translator's essay on Chan (Chinese Zen) Buddhism and his short biography of Ta Hui place the texts in their proper historical perspective.

"The magical story of a compassionate hero who learns how to always care for others and to never give up-for kids ages 4-8. Lokeshvara is a compassionate hero who lives above the moon. He tries to help all the beings he sees in the world but gets frustrated when he realizes that he can't save everyone. Lokeshvara becomes so disheartened that he explodes into a thousand pieces. With a little help from a wise friend, the pieces are put back together in a way that can benefit even more beings than before. Lokeshvara's tale of compassion and resilience teaches us that even when we feel overwhelmed by the suffering we see in the world, we can still find creative ways to help those around us. This retelling of a classic Asian Buddhist tale is timely and meaningful for kids and grown-ups alike"--

Working as an emergency room nurse, Margaret Coberly came in contact with death on a daily basis. However, it wasn't until her own brother was diagnosed with terminal cancer that she realized she understood very little about the emotional and spiritual aspects of caring for the terminally ill. To fill this gap she turned to the unique wisdom on death and dying found in Tibetan Buddhism. In this book Coberly offers sound, practical advice on meeting the essential needs of the dying, integrating stories from her long career in nursing with useful insights from the Tibetan Buddhist teachings. In the West, death is viewed as a tragic and horrible event. Coberly shows us how this view generates fear and denial, which harm the dying by adding unnecessary loneliness, confusion, and mental anguish to the dying process. Tibetan Buddhism focuses on the nature of death and how to face it with honesty, openness, and courage. In this view, death is not a failure, but a natural part of life that, if properly understood and appreciated, can offer the dying and their loved ones an opportunity to gain valuable insight and wisdom. Coberly argues that the Tibetan Buddhist outlook can be a useful antidote to the culture of fear and denial that surrounds death in the West and can help caregivers become more fully present, fearless, honest, and compassionate. Sacred Passage highlights two very practical teachings on death and dying from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and presents them in clear, nontechnical language. Readers learn about the "eight stages of dissolution leading to death," a detailed roadmap of the dying process that describes the sequence of physical, psychological, and spiritual changes that occur as we die. Coberly also presents the "death meditation," a contemplative exercise for developing a new relationship to death-and life. The book also includes a lengthy, annotated list of recommended readings for added guidance and inspiration. Topics include: • How the terminally ill can experience emotional and spiritual healing even when they can't be cured • Why Western medicine's relentless focus on curing disease has led to inadequate care for the dying • What to expect during the dying process • How our fear and denial of death harm the dying • Techniques to help caregivers promote a peaceful environment for the dying and their loved ones • How to meet the changing physical and emotional needs of the dying • Helpful advice on what to say and how to behave around the terminally ill Registered nurses can earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by passing a written test based on this book. For more information, see http://www.shambhala.com/sacredpassage.

Here, Taoist practitioner Eva Wong offers a colorful treatment of the history and evolution of Taoism, told through traditional teaching tales. These tales, which Wong first heard as a child growing up in Hong Kong, are gleaned from the local storytellers and the uncensored chronicles known as yeshi-the wild history of China, not monitored by the official imperial scholars and historians. The stories are by turns mysterious and intriguing, passionate and violent, and they are peppered with colorful characters, including hermits, politicians, social activists, revolutionaries, scholars, scientists, and mystics.Arranged chronologically from prehistory through the early twentieth century, these stories introduce the schools in the Taoist lineages, and capture the defeats and victories of Taoism, its periods of decadence and decay, and its renewal, maturation, and spiritual triumph. Wong puts these stories into context, and shows that Taoism is a dynamic spiritual tradition, constantly changing-and being influenced by-history.

In sixteenth-century Venice, in an island monastery, a cloistered monk experiences the adventure of a lifetime—all within the confines of his cell. Part historical fiction, part philosophical mystery, A Mapmaker's Dream tells the story of Fra Mauro and his struggle to realize his life's work: to make a perfect map—one that represents the full breadth of Creation. News of Mauro's projects attracts explorers, pilgrims, travelers, and merchants, all eager to contribute their accounts of faraway people and places. As he listens to the tales of the strange and fantastic things they've seen, Mauro comes to regard the world as much more than continents and kingdoms: that it is also made up of a vast and equally real interior landscape of beliefs, aspirations, and dreams. Mauro's map grows and takes shape, becoming both more complete and incomprehensible. In the process, the boundaries of Mauro's world are pushed to the extreme, raising questions about the relationship between representation, imagination, and the nature of reality itself.

The spiritual exploits of Saint Anthony the Great-the prototype of the Christian "Desert Father"-have been immortalized in stories and art since the fourth century. Here is the stunning account of a modern seeker's quest to get beneath the legends that surround Anthony and to determine whether his extreme way of life has something to offer people in today's world. James Cowan's quest takes him to Egypt, to the monastery that still exists near the site of Anthony's hermitage, where he meets the monk who becomes his guide and mentor on the journey. He comes to regard Anthony and the colorful men and women who shared his lifestyle in the fourth through seventh centuries with affection and awe-their departure to the desert a flight from the status quo of the newly Christian empire in order to preserve the radical path to liberation they saw in Christian teaching. Our modern efforts toward liberation may look different from theirs, he concludes, but the ultimate goal is no different, and Anthony remains a luminous model for anyone who passionately seeks to know God.

In wide-ranging essays and interviews, contributors from the fields of Buddhist practice and scholarship, philosophy, the arts, and literature examine the work of a modern genius-the Tibetan Buddhist meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939-1987). A pioneer in introducing Buddhism to the West, Trungpa Rinpoche had a distinct knack for breaking down the cultural, historical, and ideological barriers that make any such transmission so difficult today. His skill at communicating in a living language to Western students, while remaining faithful to the traditional origins of Buddhism, was paired with an understanding of the modern world of unusual relevance. As a result, his activities in a wide range of areas-including psychology, education, theater, poetry, visual arts, translation, publishing, interreligious dialogue, the creation of a path of spiritual warriorship, and the founding of the first Buddhist university in North America-offer penetrating insights into the meaning of Buddhism for our world and our culture. This anthology is a testimony to the continuing influence of his unique qualities and work as a revitalizing force in spheres both spiritual and secular.

Here, the author of the acclaimed Confessions of a Pagan Nun takes us to fourteenth-century Ireland for a strange and luminous tale of the elusive nature of identity and of triumph in adversity. The Changeling is the story of Grey, a peasant girl who is raised as a boy, and who, until adolescence, never doubts herself to be male. The revelation of her womanhood marks the beginning of her journey through a succession of changing identities-including son, wife, warrior, and mother-each of which brings its own special wisdom, but none of which, she discovers, can ultimately define her. In the course of her adventurous life, Grey deals with all the challenges of her tumultuous age-from political oppression to corrupt Church hierarchy to the horrors of the Black Death-ultimately finding peace and a kind of redemption by embracing the beautifully impermanent quality of identity that her unusual life has enabled her to understand. (Previously published in hardcover as The Changeling of Finnistuath .)

Volume Three of Classics of Buddhism and Zen contains translations of works by the key figures of Zen, including the Japanese master Dogen; Chinul, the twelfth-century Korean master; and Hakuin, founder of the Rinzai school. Also included are selections from the Prajnaparamita, or "Perfection of Wisdom" sutras, a key source of the Zen tradition. The volume includes: The Sutra of Hui-neng: Grand Master of Zen Hui-neng was the sixth patriarch of Chinese Zen. His teachings are characterized by their striking immediacy and by their concern with direct insight into the essential nature of awareness. The Sutra of Hui-neng is accompanied by Hui-neng's own commentary on the Diamond Sutra . Dream Conversations on Buddhism and Zen A collection of a renowned Japanese masters' written replies to questions about the true nature of Zen. Kensho: The Heart of Zen Included here are some of the important texts focusing on the profound subtleties of this essential Zen awakening and the methods used in its realization. Rational Zen: The Mind of Dogen Zenji Contains selections from Dogen's two masterworks, Shobogenzo and Eihei Koruko . Cleary's commentary and compendium of authentic source materials enhance the reader's insight into Dogen's methods. Zen and the Art of Insight Thomas Cleary has gathered key selections from throughout the Prajnaparamita literature, accompanying each selection with commentary, to present the key teachings as exercises in learning freedom.

This book offers an exceptionally clear and accessible presentation of the generation stage practices of deity yoga. Gyatrul Rinpoche explains the state of mind to be established at the beginning of the practice session, the details of the visualization sequences, the three types of offerings, and proper mantra recitation-as well as mudras, tormas, and malas. Practitioners from all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism will find that these teachings enhance their understanding of sadhana practice. Rinpoche's detailed explanations make it possible to practice these meditations as they were intended and as they were practiced in Tibet and ancient China. It was originally published as Generating the Deity.

In one of the first attempts to bring an integral dimension to sociology, Ken Wilber introduces a system of reliable methods by which to make testable judgments of the authenticity of any religious movement. A Sociable God is a concise work based on Wilber's "spectrum of consciousness" theory, which views individual and cultural development as an evolutionary continuum. Here he focuses primarily on worldviews (archaic, magic, mythic, mental, psychic, subtle, causal, nondual) and evaluates various cultural and religious movements on a scale ranging from egocentric to ethnocentric to worldcentric to Kosmic. By using this integral view, Wilber hopes, society would be able to discriminate between dangerous cults and authentic spiritual paths. In addition, he points out why these distinctions are crucial in understanding spiritual experiences and altered states of consciousness. In a lengthy new introduction, the author brings the reader up to date on his latest integral thinking and concludes that, for the succinct and elegant way it argues for a sociology of depth, A Sociable God remains a clarion call for a greater sociology.

This is the first book to offer Buddhist meditators a comprehensive and sympathetic examination of the differences between Asian and Western cultural and spiritual values. Harvey B. Aronson presents a constructive and practical assessment of common conflicts experienced by Westerners who look to Eastern spiritual traditions for guidance and support-and find themselves confused or disappointed. Issues addressed include: • Our cultural belief that anger should not be suppressed versus the Buddhist teaching to counter anger and hatred • Our psychotherapists' advice that attachment is the basis for healthy personal development and supportive relationships versus the Buddhist condemnation of attachments as the source of suffering • Our culture's emphasis on individuality versus the Asian emphasis on interdependence and fulfillment of duties, and the Buddhist teachings on no-self, or egolessness

"As you look deeply into your own awareness, and relax the self-contraction, and dissolve into the empty ground of your own primordial experience, the simple feeling of Being-right now, right here-is it not obvious all at once? Were you not present from the start? Did you not have a hand to play in all that was to follow? Did not the dream itself begin when you got bored with being God? Was it not fun to get lost in the productions of your own wondrous imagination, and pretend it all was other? Did you not write this book, and countless others like it, simply to remind you who you are?" -Ken Wilber The author of nineteen books of philosophy and psychology, Ken Wilber is a pioneering thinker who has developed an integral "theory of everything" that embraces the truths of both Eastern spirituality and Western science. Yet while he is best known for his scholarly research into the world's contemplative traditions, Wilber is also an accomplished spiritual practitioner and mystic in his own right. In order to highlight the personal wisdom of this popular author, the editors of The Simple Feeling of Being have assembled a collection of inspirational, mystical, and instructional passages drawn from his publications. These heartfelt writings, born of Ken's own meditation practice and inner experiences, include: • Poetic passages of contemplative insights and reflections • Inspired descriptions of Spirit, Nondual Awareness, the Witness, One Taste, and other topics • Commentary on the spiritual contributions of figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Saint Teresa of Ávila, Meister Eckhart, and Ramana Maharshi • Anecdotes of personal experience and glimpses into Wilber's inner world • Practical spiritual instructions and guided meditations