Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Eastern Religion FEATURED IN THIS EMAIL: * "What Would Buddha Do? 101 Answers to Life's Daily Problems" by Franz Aubrey Metcalf * "The Tao of Abundance: Eight Ancient Principles for Abundant Living" by Laurence G. Boldt * "The Path to Tranquility" by the Dalai Lama * "Great Eastern Sun: The Wisdom of Shambhala" by Chogyam Trungpa * "Diamond Mind: A Psychology of Meditation" by Rob Nairn "What Would Buddha Do? 101 Answers to Life's Daily Problems" by Franz Aubrey Metcalf http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569751811/entertainmentsit Would Buddha recommend a book called "What Would Buddha Do?" Since Buddha favored any effective means to getting a person on the road to enlightenment, the answer would have to be yes. Franz Metcalf, a longtime teacher of Buddhism, draws on the vast store of Buddhist literature in cobbling together a how-to book for living in the modern world. What would Buddha do when he can't resist having dessert? or when his child misbehaves? or when faced with close-minded people? The answers are all here in well-chosen snippets from Scripture, plus Metcalf's own sage comments. To be sure, Buddha would have edited out some of Metcalf's informal chatter, but when it comes to boiling down profound notions, Metcalf is right on the mark. The abiding themes are mindfulness, the interrelatedness of all things, and compassionate regard for others. What would Buddha do if he wanted practical advice for questions large and small? He'd get a small book called "What Would Buddha Do?" "The Tao of Abundance: Eight Ancient Principles for Abundant Living" by Laurence G. Boldt http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140196064/entertainmentsit Not since Alan Watts has there been a lay expert with the erudition and insight to so expertly pack a difficult package of unfamiliar notions into a book of immediate relevance. What is consumerism to me? and sex? and money? How do they relate to my goals and aspirations? Laurence Boldt, a career counselor and author of the bestselling "Zen and the Art of Making a Living," presents a sophisticated alternative to life as we know it. Fully equipped with opinion polls, sociological studies, intellectual histories, and classic economics texts, Boldt dismantles the foundations of our consumer society brick by brick and, more importantly, our unquestioning acceptance of it. The alternative is a path of awareness, of flowing, and of sufficiency that together result in the joyful abundance of a productive, natural life. The shift in world view that Boldt seeks to effect in the reader has such profound practical implications that this book could very well change your life--which is exactly the author's intention. Boldt can be excused for slipping into fuzzy notions like the so-called perennial philosophy, because his recasting of modern life in Taoist terms of ready abundance is so convincing that it makes you wonder how we got stuck in our lifestyles of lack in the first place. "The Path to Tranquility" by the Dalai Lama http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670887595/entertainmentsit Wouldn't it be nice to have a handy collection of highlights from the Dalai Lama's writings and teachings? Renuka Singh, a student and friend of the Dalai Lama, brings together a sampling of his words for each day of the year in "The Path to Tranquility." In her selections you can sense the intimate encouragement of the student-teacher relationship. The Dalai Lama's words are not distant platitudes or profound proclamations but rather small insights and patient exhortations to keep trying. "We can deny everything except that we have the possibility of being better." "As a spiritual trainee, you must be prepared to endure the hardships of being involved in a genuine spiritual pursuit." "Nothing is more important than guarding the mind." These thoughts are germane to practical cultivation, and pondering a daily passage is a great way to keep the mind coming back to its center. Take a page from the Dalai Lama, and set yourself on the path to tranquility. "Great Eastern Sun: The Wisdom of Shambhala" by Chogyam Trungpa http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570622930/entertainmentsit Chogyam Trungpa had a vision of a society of enlightened people, or at least of people on the path to enlightenment. These are the Shambhala warriors, people "brave enough not to give in to the aggression and contradictions that exist in society." A companion volume to Trungpa's classic "Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior," "Great Eastern Sun" is an invitation to all people to discover their own goodness, which is always there, just as the sun is always rising. Trungpa had an uncanny grasp of the hangups and excuses that keep Westerners in their safe ego cocoons, and in "Great Eastern Sun" he entices us all out, to express our goodness and live a life on the edge of insecurity. The mindful life turns out to be one of detached but sacred existence, floating with the power of compassionate awareness. A genuine life is what Trungpa propels us to, and "Great Eastern Sun" is his lantern for guiding us down the path of genuine living. "Diamond Mind: A Psychology of Meditation" by Rob Nairn http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570625360/entertainmentsit The friend or colleague who is always right there to help you with computer problems: "Oh, yes, that happened to me once. Here's what you do.... You see, it's because the CPU is bottle-necking while caching the...." That's what Rob Nairn is like in "Diamond Mind: A Psychology of Meditation." This isn't a psychoanalytic take on meditation but a roll-up-your-sleeves and get-down-to-basics examination of the average meditator's experiences of training the mind in meditation. Nairn, who began practicing meditation in 1964 in India, and who has attended and led numerous meditation retreats, describes the mental processes that a meditator goes through, the obstacles the meditator encounters, and the practices that lead to advancement--all in the most unencumbered language. In addition to his descriptions, Nairn offers Q&A sessions from a retreat, specific practices with clear, step-by-step instructions and the reasons for doing them, and a guide for group meditation leaders that elucidates practices and anticipates difficulties surrounding them. In other words, here is an experienced friend to turn to when working with that bug-prone computer in your head. --Brian Bruya is a comparative philosopher, writer, and translator. His latest publication is "The Wisdom of the Zen Masters." ****** You'll find more great books, articles, excerpts, and interviews in Amazon.com's Religion & Spirituality section at Religion & Spirituality ******
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