tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91625490741675283862024-02-07T16:03:21.797-08:00Center for Sacred Sciences LibraryDedicated to the study and practice of the mystical traditionsCSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comBlogger473125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-27213923295377422752022-10-27T03:00:00.001-07:002022-10-27T03:00:00.177-07:00Review The Meditative Mind y Daniel Goleman<h3>
<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/76/22/7622b69cfb36ec1596f68627a674345412f5945_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="531" height="800" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/76/22/7622b69cfb36ec1596f68627a674345412f5945_v5.jpg" width="531" /></a></div> The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Daniel Goleman<br /></h3>
Jeremy P. Tarcher / G.P. Putnanm's and Sons, New York, 1988. 214 pages.<br />
<br />
<br />As I work on cataloging online the older books in our collection, I sometimes raise an eyebrow at how dated some books have become, and send them off to to the thrift shop.<div><br /></div><div> This work stands out and holds up as a jewel of the late 1980s still relevant for today. Goleman starts with an overview of meditation, and explains a view of the two primary purposes of contemplative practices: concentration and insight.<br />
<br />
Goleman describes concentration as "the meditators mind is unaffected both by outer distractions, such as nearby sounds, and the turbulence of his own assorted thoughts and feelings. Although the sounds are heard, and his thoughts and feelings are noticed, they do not disturb the meditator." Goleman continues this chapter describing other details and levels of concentration practices. The following chapter addresses insight type practices as "the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us, at the successive moments of perception." As in the first chapter he continues to describe various types and levels of insight.<br />
<br />
Part two is a brief survey of a wide variety of mystical traditions, a few contemplative or meditative practices from each tradition, and how each practice retaliates both to the classifications of concentration and insight, as well as to the tradition they come from and that tradition's related practices. He also touches on spiritual ethics and virtues (precepts, adab, yama and niyama...) in the sections on most of the covered traditions.<br />
<br />
After discussing the particulars of many mystical paths and practices, Goleman includes part three on aspects of underlying unity or similarities of contemplative mystical paths, and finishing with part four on the psychology of meditation. Recommended for those new or interested in meditation as well as those further along the meditative path. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Review submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
<br />
<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-3493462949860552822022-10-20T03:00:00.006-07:002022-10-20T03:00:00.157-07:00Quotes: As the Flower Sheds its Fragrance by Atmananda<h3>
<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41BJZeftLTL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="344" height="500" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41BJZeftLTL.jpg" width="344" /></a></div> As the Flower Sheds its Fragrance : Sublime Sayings and Teachings of Shree Shree Anandamayee Ma from the Dairies of a Western Devotee</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Atmananda<br /></h3>
<br />Shree Shree Anandamayee Sangha, Varanasi, 2020, third edition. 216 pages.<br />
<br />
One day the following discussion took place between Mataji and a devotee of many years standing:<div><br /></div><div>Devotee: We listen to so much that is beautiful<br />
Mataji: Beautiful? As long as you make a distinction between beautiful and ugly you have not listened.<br />
Devotee: .. and some we understand.…<br />
Mataji: 'We understand' - that is useless, for he who understands, and what is understood, have remained separate<br />
Devotee: ... and some we forget…<br />
Mataji: Forget? Forget the forgetting - death must die. </div><div>Devotee: ... and some we remember…. </div><div>Mataji: Remember? That means you keep it in your mind. Throw it away - lay it at His feet. What I say is - keep satsang.
Satsang in Reality means the realisation of WHAT IS! (Sat Swarup ka Prakash). Remain in the shade of 'trees' - trees
meaning mahatmas, seekers after Truth, those who do not call
anyone, nor send anyone away. Listen to them! Who can tell
when you will learn how to listen' and then you will hear the
Shabda Brahman, so that there will be no more listener and no
listening. A similar thing holds good for what is called darshan.
People come, have darshan and go away again. But real darshan
means that one can never be apart from the vision anymore. -- page 74<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Review submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
<br />
<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-13602883410256226392022-10-13T03:00:00.029-07:002022-10-13T03:00:00.162-07:00Quote: Animal Sutras, Stephen Levine
<h3></h3><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81aWuRwpKSL.jpg" style="clear: left; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="640" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81aWuRwpKSL.jpg" width="413" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Animal Sutras : Animal Spirit Stories</i></h3></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><h3>
Stephen Levine</h3></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
Monkfish Book Publishing Company, Rhinebeck, New York, 2019. 154 pages.</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
IF YOU ARE STILL A BUDDHIST Or not a
buddhist,</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
If you are still a jew or not a jew,</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
If you are still a hippie or not a hippie,</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
If you are still a catholic or not a catholic,</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
If you are still a revolutionary or not a revolutionary,</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
If you are still wise or not wise,</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
If you are still smart or not smart,</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
Then how will we ever get out of the box, one box or another,
balancing on the middle way</blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
If you still love god/allah/ahura mazda or don't,<br />
If you still think you know or don't,<br />
If you think your farts still sound like heraldic trumpets or don't,<br />
If you used to love, but now you don't,<br />
If you never loved and now love's about all you are good for,<br />
If you still think in terms of perfection rather than liberation,<br />
.... quicksand </blockquote>
<br /> - page 149<br /><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
<br />
<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br />CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-78294580967986735182021-12-03T18:00:00.004-08:002021-12-04T17:49:40.256-08:00Come Visit Sunday December 5th, 2021: 3-5 p.m.<h3>
<i> Come visit Sunday December 5th, 2021</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Due to Christmas and Light of Love holidays this is the last Sunday of 2021<br /></h3>
Open 3-5 p.m. for pickup, dropoff, outdoor browsing bench, outdoor chatting, bookdrive donations, great books, beautiful music, amazing dvds!<br />
<br />
<i><b>What's Bigger than the Notre Dame in Paris and Smaller than The Great Pyramid?</b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG19lGKvZtL_wR88yBtQ28rdQp2cgdKsidFUMd6WcduFboi_Hjd5KMxowaFuVBDsnURLe5jLcM-b63ZD7jrrVTuApXxnUYymL99Kfwi0MSkQeGK2z-LVVCAGm8sx1DCOq2ng4MBxE53I/s2356/Screen+Shot+2021-12-04+at+3.22.15+PM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="2356" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG19lGKvZtL_wR88yBtQ28rdQp2cgdKsidFUMd6WcduFboi_Hjd5KMxowaFuVBDsnURLe5jLcM-b63ZD7jrrVTuApXxnUYymL99Kfwi0MSkQeGK2z-LVVCAGm8sx1DCOq2ng4MBxE53I/w640-h222/Screen+Shot+2021-12-04+at+3.22.15+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />The materials cataloged online in our library if you stacked them one atop the other end on end.<br />
<br /><b><i>A fun graphic from LibraryThing's new statistics upgrade. Our author gallery (that we've cataloged online so far), authors with photos / ranked by item count:</i></b><div><b><i><br /></i></b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lge8VRlnL-ipGs7yUeucLfoZU8BhzPhsxBkKjOUonOyWJAnk3KBOGDU8zGNfPjfnoItqe_6NI1dg3P5Ac9WqcgZbKUmY0mCjP3O1BgTpL9Zjm5HofkQ6Hc6E1BQS3E91D1Ebm-UIOic/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-12-02+at+11.29.17+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="2048" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lge8VRlnL-ipGs7yUeucLfoZU8BhzPhsxBkKjOUonOyWJAnk3KBOGDU8zGNfPjfnoItqe_6NI1dg3P5Ac9WqcgZbKUmY0mCjP3O1BgTpL9Zjm5HofkQ6Hc6E1BQS3E91D1Ebm-UIOic/w681-h462/Screen+Shot+2021-12-02+at+11.29.17+AM.png" width="681" /></a></div><br />First row: Demi (44 books-loved by children and adults), Joel Morwood (40 items), H.H. the 14th Dala Lama (38 items), Karen Armstrong (25), Joseph Campbell (24), Thomas McFarlane (24), Adyashanti (22) Ibn 'Arabi (22), Al-Ghazal (21), Thich Nhat Hanh (20), Huston Smith (19).</div><div><br /></div><div>Second row: Eknath Easwaran, Frithjof Schuon, Franklin Merrell-Wolff, Marcus Borg, Llewelyn Vaughn-Lee, A.H. Almaas, Mircea Eliade, Pema Chodron, Georg Feuerstein, Andrew Harvey, J. Krshnamurti. </div><div><br /></div><div>Third row: Daniel C. Matt, Gangaji, Chogyam Trungpa, Lex Hixon, Marie-Louise von Franz, Robert Aitkin, Sri Anandamayi Ma, Bernard McGinn, Eckhart Tolle, Roshi John Daido Loori, Phil Cousineau. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fourth row: William C. Chittick, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Lama Tsultrim Allione, Jeffrey Mishlove, Swami Sivananda Radha, Todd Corbett, B. Alan Wallace, Matthew Sieradski, Titus Burkhart, Poonjaji.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fifth row: Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, Madeleine L'Engle, Osamu Tezuka, Rupert Spira, Rene Guenon, C. G. Jung, Cheri Huber, David Loy, M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Rumi, Annemarie Schimmel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sixth row: Bill Moyers, Christine Valters Paintner, Jaideva Singh, Hazrat Inyat Khan, Mooji, Thomas F. Cleary, Rami M. Shapiro, Louise Erdrich, Moshe Idel, Homer, Francis Lucille.</div><div><br /></div><div>Seventh row: Jean Klein, Bikkhu Bodhi, Wayne Liquiorman, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Father Thomas Keating, Donald S. Lopez, Anthony De Mello, John Dominic Crossan, Thomas Merton, Norman Fischer.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>Think about volunteering from home. Here's another view of our author gallery: all authors listed alphabetically. </b>Oh, no, notice how many (of our 2,351 authors cataloged so far) are missing pictures! </i></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzck43NP7U-EW5RUTWVgpIleU77cxgashn4tUd4hmdFfAjpV1RkzJAGLxzN1bY62Ubo8pUsTrpIfK8Vs34_tyC1UeuHmZgi8uX1IzGJzAizhNQkV6YDQLbD6zCc7ya0lGOmgVHQOxYm8/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-12-04+at+5.38.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="2048" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzck43NP7U-EW5RUTWVgpIleU77cxgashn4tUd4hmdFfAjpV1RkzJAGLxzN1bY62Ubo8pUsTrpIfK8Vs34_tyC1UeuHmZgi8uX1IzGJzAizhNQkV6YDQLbD6zCc7ya0lGOmgVHQOxYm8/w640-h392/Screen+Shot+2021-12-04+at+5.38.42+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><i><b>Might this be your dream volunteer job helping track down author photos? </b>Work involves your computer at your home or favorite work place at the time, length and frequency of your choice. Task includes internet research, sometimes contacting an author or publisher for permission to use photo, sometimes determining if an available picture fits LibraryThing's copyright guidelines. Interesting and fun!</i></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b>
<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br />
</div></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-38956797831659812142021-11-08T03:00:00.001-08:002021-11-08T03:00:00.213-08:00Quote from Deep Hope<h3>
<i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/84/7e/847ea169105fef159716a457967444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="411" height="614" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/84/7e/847ea169105fef159716a457967444341587343_v5.jpg" width="397" /></a></div></i></h3><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Deep Hope: Zen Guidance for Staying Steadfast When the World Seems
Hopeless</span></i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">by Diane Eshin Rizzetto</h4>
Shambhala Publications, Boulder, Colorado, 2019 165 pages<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Giving and Receiving: Dana Paramita</div>
<div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><blockquote><div><i>Something we were withholding made us weak until we found out that it was ourselves we were withholding from our land of living . . . </i></div></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><p><span>-- Robert Frost, "The Gift Outright"</span></p></blockquote></div></blockquote><div><p>In the Islamic tradition, it's called <i>zakat</i>. In the Jewish tradition, it's called <i>tzedakah</i>. In Christianity, it's called <i>charity</i>. And within Hinduism and Buddhism, it's called <i>dana</i>. No matter what is is named, the open abundance of the life force is forever giving forth. However, we don't always recognize this, and as a result, we unwittingly seek our sustenance by trying to acquire more from others and give less of ourselves. We contract rather than expand the circle of our hearts and minds.</p><p>As is true for all the paramitas, the Paramita of Giving and Receiving is a cyclical transformation. We begin by making an explicit, conscious effort to enact generosity. We make an outward gesture of our deepest capacity toward letting go into openness. At the same time, we look toward receiving, making an effort, perhaps a gesture, that affirms that we receive as well as give. Finally, forming full circle, our receiving turns to thanks as we give forth gratitude. (pp. 16-17) </p><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">-- quote submitted by Jennifer K.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the
collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here
<a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a> </i><br />
</div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-43174908712632604712021-11-01T03:00:00.001-07:002021-11-01T03:00:00.205-07:00Quotes from Love on Every Breath<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/02/15/0215f96af9c66af596d6a457967444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="411" height="635" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/02/15/0215f96af9c66af596d6a457967444341587343_v5.jpg" width="411" /></a></div></i></h3><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Love on Every Breath: Tonglen Meditation for Transforming Pain into Joy</span></i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">by Lama Palden Drolma with a foreword by Sylvia Boorstein</h4>New World Library, Novato, California, 2019 231 pages<br />
<br />
Love on Every Breath is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana meditation from the Shangpa lineage that combines breath, awareness, imagination, and an energetic transformation process. The mediation brings all these components together in a powerful way in order to open our hearts, to reveal and cultivate our kindness, love, compassion and wisdom. -- pages 3-4.<div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div>Step 3 of the meditation is Cultivating Awakened Mind, or what is also called Cultivating Bodhicitta. Bodhicitta is the heart essence of love, compassion, and kindness It is the altruistic intention to awaken in order to be able to alleviate suffering and bring happiness to all beings, regardless of religion, gender, color, or ethnicity, whether human or animal. There are traditional prayers that you can use for this, such as the ones in meditation steps 2 and 3, or you can use your own words.</div><div><br /></div><div>In this meditation, we delve deeply into our hearts and connect with the part of us that wants the best for everyone. We open to and cultivate the full richness of our innate love and compassion for our loved ones and those with whom we identify, such as our family, our tribe, our country, or our type of people. We gradually expand to include others outside our usual circles. We gently open the door to the full glory of our innate love, extending it impartially and equally to all beings, including ourselves...</div><div><br /></div><div>Spiritual practice does not only happen during meditation. Throughout each day, we can train ourselves to remember bodhicitta. For example, when we read the news in the morning, we can think: <i>I want to lead people out of suffering, I want to awaken to be able to make a difference.</i> We don't need to feel powerless. It often seems like things are going in the wrong direction, but love is stronger. Truth is stronger.. If we continue to cultivate bodhicitta, it awakens our heart continuously so that our love and compassion get stronger in the face of any situation we meet. -- pages 95-96</div><div><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Review submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
<br />
<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br /></div></div></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-5696344106161672042021-10-25T03:00:00.001-07:002021-10-25T03:00:00.234-07:00Quote from Dorothy Day: Don't Call Me a Saint (dvd)<h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/16/30/16305db78cfe9c9596d394779514345412f5945_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="800" height="229" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/16/30/16305db78cfe9c9596d394779514345412f5945_v5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></h3><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i>Quote from Dorothy Day: Don't Call Me a Saint</i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
A film by Claudia Larson</h4>One Lucky Dog Productions, Los Angeles, California, 2007 56 minutes<div>
<br />
<i><b>"</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f0000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.28px;">We can to a certain extent change the world; We can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever-widening circle will reach around the world."</span><br /></i>
<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">-- quote submitted by Jennifer K.</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-69970569136173806352021-10-18T03:00:00.001-07:002021-10-18T03:00:00.195-07:00Quote from Being Nobody Going Nowhere<h3>
<i> Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path</i><br /></h3>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/8d/15/8d157b6723fcd345973445679674345412f5945_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="531" height="800" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/8d/15/8d157b6723fcd345973445679674345412f5945_v5.jpg" width="531" /></a></div><br />Ayya Khema<br /></h3>
Wisdom Publications, Boston, 1987. 191 pages.<br />
<br />The five aggregates of clinging have as their largest and most noticeable object, the body. Nobody can forget that, and everybody has some sort of problem with it. Not necessarily consistently but now and then. "I can't sit. My knees are hurting. My backs hurting. My tummy is hurting. I'm feeling dizzy. I'm feeling tired."<div><br /></div><div>The Buddha said that the unenlightened, untrained disciple has two darts or two arrows that are hurting him and the enlightened, trained disciple has one. The two arrows are mind and body, and the one is the body only. The Buddha also fell ill sometimes, but he continued to teach. It didn't stop him at all. In the end he became very ill, and when he was on the verge of dying he went into the meditative absorptions and thus passed away. Having very bad stomach cramps was no deterrent to him.</div><div><br /></div><div>The enlightened, trained disciple also has body problems and difficulties. This body just isn't perfect, and it's never totally satisfactory. When the unenlightened, untrained disciple is affected by that, a reaction arises in the mind and responds with: "I'm feeling badly. I can't do this or that because of my condition; my body hurts so that I can't sit up or lie down or stand," or whatever it may be that feels uncomfortable. The worst of it is constantly trying to adjust one's activities to the way the body dictates. Is it ever possible to adjust one's situation totally, so that the body feels perfectly alright? Has anyone yet found that situation where the body always feels perfect? You can move from here to there, from one climate to another, from a chair to the couch, from the couch to the floor, and back to the chair. What happens? Nothing! There's always a problem. So we might as well stay on this pillow. - page 117<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Review submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-65763418828710229492021-10-11T03:00:00.001-07:002021-10-11T03:00:00.193-07:00Quotes from Frithjof Schuon's Road to the Heart<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/b2/4c/b24ca50538e262a5975634c79774345412f5945_v5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="559" height="400" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/b2/4c/b24ca50538e262a5975634c79774345412f5945_v5.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br />Road to the Heart: Poems</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Frithjof Schuon<br /></h3>
World Wisdom, Bloomington, Indiana, 1995. 108 pages.<br />
<br /><b><i>The Song</i></b><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>A finite image of Infinity:</div><div>This is the purpose of all poetry.</div><div>All human work to its last limits tends;</div><div>Its Archetype is Heaven never ends.</div><div>What is the sense of Beauty and of Art?</div><div>To show the way into our inmost Heart--</div><div><br /></div><div>To listen to the music of the Sky;</div><div>And then to realize: the Song was I.</div><div><br /></div><div>page 79</div><div><br /></div><div><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-25388315451991505762021-10-04T03:00:00.001-07:002021-10-04T03:00:00.212-07:00Quote from Earth, Our Original Monastery (on two scriptures )<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/66/e6/66e6ed82910bf39597050447967444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="423" height="635" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/66/e6/66e6ed82910bf39597050447967444341587343_v5.jpg" width="423" /></a></div></i></h3><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i>Earth, Our Original Monastery: CultivatingWonder and Gratitude Through Intimacy with Nature</i></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b>by Christine Valters Paintner</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div>
Sorin Books, Notre Dame, Indiana, 2020. 157 pages<br />
<br />The Celtic Christian tradition maintains we received two books of revelation. One is the book of the scripture texts, and the other is the vast book of creation. We need both to receive the fullness of divine wisdom. The ninth-century Irish theologian John Scotus Eriugena, who emphasized the imminence of God, wrote in <i>His Homily on the Prologue to the Gospel of John</i>: "For the divine knowledge cannot be restored in us except for the letters of scripture and the sight of creatures. Learn the words of scripture and understand their meaning in your soul; there you will discover the Word of God."<div><br /></div><div>The words of scripture offer us one kind of insight into God's word, and the physical dimension offers another. God is in all things and is the true essence of all things. One of Eriugena's favorite words is <i>theophany</i> which means "something that reveals the divine nature." For him, the world and all of creation is a theophany. (p. 19)</div><div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">-- quote submitted by Jennifer K.</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-63262204479977515422021-09-27T03:00:00.001-07:002021-09-27T03:00:00.208-07:00Quote from Earth, Our Original Monastery (on Earth as original icon)
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<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/66/e6/66e6ed82910bf39597050447967444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="423" height="635" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/66/e6/66e6ed82910bf39597050447967444341587343_v5.jpg" width="423" /></a></div></i></h3><h4><i>Earth, Our Original Monastery: CultivatingWonder and Gratitude Through Intimacy with Nature</i></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b>by Christine Valters Paintner</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
Sorin Books, Notre Dame, Indiana, 2020 157 pages<br />
<br />Icons play a significant role in the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition. Theologically, icons are considered to be sacred as they offer a doorway to communion between heaven and Earth. Icon writing is rooted in the theology of the Incarnation, with Christ being the icon of God, and the icon forms a visible gospel. Often part of the practice is to kiss the icon to show love and devotion toward Christ.
Nature is a holy text for many of us, and then icon is a window to the Divine Presence at work in the world. Creation is therefore the original icon, the primordial place of our encounter with God, the Great Artist, who is continually at work in the world around us. (p. 73)<div>
<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">-- quote submitted by Jennifer K.</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a> </i></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-76068061671201649142021-09-20T03:00:00.001-07:002021-09-20T03:00:00.171-07:00Quote from Pola's Flower<h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/15/f5/15f5b7f6eff620159766b4479774345412f5945_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="659" height="640" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/15/f5/15f5b7f6eff620159766b4479774345412f5945_v5.jpg" width="526" /></a></div>
<i> Pola's Flower</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Diana Lynne Nadeau with illustrations by Lobsang Gyatso and a foreword by Tulku Jigme Rinpoche.<br /></h3>
Aurora Books, Eugene Oregon, 2017. 37 pages.<br />
<br />People from my country have only memories of a country that once was. We remember a wide open land, tucked away in snow-topped mountains of mystery and magic. We remember traditions steeped in dance, song, and solitude. We remember our ancestors, those who taught us the truth of living fully. Ours are memories that are full of light, full of life. page 1<br /><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br />CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-84972097389417308402021-09-14T03:00:00.001-07:002021-09-14T03:00:00.170-07:00Quotes from Road to the Heart-Poems<h3>
<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/b2/4c/b24ca50538e262a5975634c79774345412f5945_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="559" height="640" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/b2/4c/b24ca50538e262a5975634c79774345412f5945_v5.jpg" width="447" /></a></div><br />Road to the Heart: Poems</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Frithjof Schuon<br /></h3>
World Wisdom, Bloomington, Indiana, 1995. 108 pages.<div><br /></div><div><br />
<b><i>KNOWLEDGE</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b>There are things we do know and others not;<div>Knowledge of space and time I do not miss.</div><div>Maybe I do not know what people are</div><div>Or what I am; I know that Being is.</div><div> page 35</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>TELL ME</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Tell me why thou hast loved the mountain top,</div><div>Its serene silence and its purity,</div><div>And I will tell thee that our spirit's rest</div><div>Is solitude with God; serenity</div><div>Above the noise of thoughts. And tell me why</div><div>Thou lov'est the secret of the whispering wood,</div><div>Its sacredness and dark security,</div><div>And I will tell thee that our lasting joy</div><div>Is union, love within our deepest heart,</div><div>Diving into our being's Mystery;</div><div>Union with what I am, and what thou art.</div><div> page 59</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Review submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br /></div></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-68213481460627206292021-08-23T03:00:00.001-07:002021-08-23T03:00:00.173-07:00Quotes from Echoes of Perennial Wisdom<h3>
<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/bf/9e/bf9e295101ec40f597279467967444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="408" height="635" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/bf/9e/bf9e295101ec40f597279467967444341587343_v5.jpg" width="408" /></a></div></i></h3><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i> Echos of Perennial Wisdom: A New Translation with Selected Letters</i></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b>by Frithjof Schuon</b></div>
<br />World Wisdom Books, Bloomington, Indiana, 1992 94 pages<br />
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Man yearns for happiness because divine Beatitude, which is made of Beauty and Love, is his very substance. (p. 3)<br />
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To love God does not mean to cultivate a sentiment -- that is to say, something which we enjoy without knowing whether God enjoys it -- but rather to eliminate from the soul what prevents God from Entering. (p. 7)<br />
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The divine archetype of faith is the "yes" which God says to Himself; it is the Logos which on the one hand mirrors the Divine Infinity, and on the other hand refracts it. (p. 13)<br />
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God does not at the outset ask perfection of us, but He does ask of us its intention, which implies, if it is sincere, the absence of serious imperfections. God asks of us that which He has given us, namely the qualities we bear in our own depths, in our deiform substance; we must "become what He is"; every being is fundamentally Being as such. (p. 15)<br />
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Spiritual realization is theoretically the easiest thing and in practice the most difficult thing there is. It is the easiest because it is enough to think of God. It is the most difficult because human nature is forgetfulness of God. (p. 20)<br />
<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">--quotes selected by Jennifer K.</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br />CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-46488875320554495472021-08-02T02:30:00.002-07:002021-08-02T02:30:00.182-07:00Quote from John Muir in the New World DVD<h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/a4/a1/a4a11ce60af033d596f632f79514345412f5945_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="549" height="284" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/a4/a1/a4a11ce60af033d596f632f79514345412f5945_v5.jpg" width="195" /></a></div></h3>
<h3><i><br />John Muir in the New World</i></h3><h3>Directed by Catherine Tatge<br /></h3>
Kultur, 2011. 85 minutes.<br />
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Trees towering in the sky, braving storms of centuries, flowers turning faces to the light for a single day or hour, having enjoyed their share of life’s feast-all alike pass on and away under the law of death and love. Yet all are our brothers and they enjoy life as we do, share Heaven’s blessings with us, die and are buried in hallowed ground, come with us out of eternity and return into eternity. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Review submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br />CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-30839826153550476642021-07-26T03:00:00.001-07:002021-07-26T03:00:00.174-07:00Quotes from The Book of Ascension to the Essential Truths of Sufism by Ahmad ibn 'Ajiba<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/0c/23/0c238462c0d11c2597361797241444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="424" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/0c/23/0c238462c0d11c2597361797241444341587343_v5.jpg" /></a></div>The Book of Ascension to the Essential Truths of Sufism: A Lexicon of Sufic Terminology</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Ahmad ibn 'Ajiba, Translated and Annotated by Mohamed Fouad Aresmouk and Michael Abdurrahman Fitzgerald<br /></h3>
Fons Vitae, Louisville, Kentucky, 2011. # pages.<br />
<br />40. Remembrance (<i>dhikr</i>)<div>Remembrance (<i>dhikr</i>) in its general sense refers to invocation [of God] with the tongue. It is one of the mainstays of the path toward union with God, and it is also the proclamation of sanctity. Whoever is inspired toward invocation is given this proclamation and whoever abandons it is excluded.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the generality, remembrance is with the tongue; for the elect, it is with the heart; and for the elect of the elect, is is with the spirit and innermost being. This last [kind of remembrance] is none other than consciousness and vision, wherein we invoke God <i>in</i> everything and <i>through</i> everything, which is to say that we come to know Him in all things. At this stage, invocation with the tongue ceases--becomes, in fact, something feeble and purposeless--and [the invoker] is left in the silent wonder of direct contemplation. -- page 29</div><div><br /></div><div>49. The affirmation of divine unity (<i>tawhid</i>)</div><div>Affirmation of divine unity (<i>tawhid</i>) is of two sorts. One is by way of formal proof and affirmations, though logical demonstrations, this oneness of God in His acts, attributes, and essence. The other is by way of essential vision and affirms that God alone exists, eternally without beginning or end. -- page 40</div><div><br /></div><div>73. Breath (<i>nafas</i>) Al-Aushayri says, "By 'breath' (<i>nafas</i>) the Sufis mean the repose which hearts find in the subtle emanations of the unseen (<i>lata'if al-ghuyub</i>). Someone who is granted breaths is at a higher level than someone granted a state (<i>hal</i>, 42) or a moment (<i>al-waqt</i>, 41).</div><div><br /></div><div>We could say that the one granted moments is at the beginning [of the way], one granted breaths is at its end, and the one granted states is intermediary, [or that] 'moments are for people of the heart, 'states' for people of the spirit, and 'breaths' for people of innermost being."</div><div><br /></div><div>A breath, then is more delicate than a moment. Keeping moments from being wasted is for devotees and ascetics (<i>ubbad wa zuhhad</i>, 78), keeping breaths from being wasted is for gnostics who have reached the goal, and making use of states is for aspirants. </div><div><br /></div><div>Keeping moments from being wasted means keeping the heart present with God. Keeping breaths from being wasted means keeping the soul present in the contemplative vision of Truth. They might say about someone, "his breaths are pure," if his drinking from the spring of unity is clear of the turbidity of worldly vicissitues. -- page 65</div><div><br /></div><div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quotes submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-464982375056186312021-07-19T03:00:00.001-07:002021-07-19T03:00:00.169-07:00Quotes from The Heart of Islamic Philosophy by William C. Chittick<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/77/b5/77b54b341f2f36b59674d727867444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="400" height="590" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/77/b5/77b54b341f2f36b59674d727867444341587343_v5.jpg" width="371" /></a></div>The Heart of Islamic Philosophy</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
William C. Chittick<br /></h3>
Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001. 373 pages.<br />
<br /><i>Not knowing, you've given your life to the wind,</i><div><i>not heading, you've taken death's day as easy.</i></div><div><i>you think you've the means for two hundred years more</i></div><div><i>and that time's not given a moment of rest. </i></div><div> -- Quatrain 158, page 127</div><div><br /></div><div><i>O sir, though the work not be to your liking</i></div><div><i>and the eternal address not be in your name,</i></div><div><i>live in joy and grieve not, for in this world's house,</i></div><div><i>greed is not happy even with kingship. </i></div><div><span><i> </i> -- Quatrain 89, page 132</span></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>If the heart is not freed of attachments,</i></div><div><i>the shell of existence will not fill with pearls.</i></div><div><i>How could intellect fill the head's cup?</i></div><div><i>An upside-down cup cannot be filled.</i></div><div><i> </i> -- Quatrain 58, page 132</div><div><br /></div><div><i>The world of the soul is not what you think,</i></div><div><i>the road of union is not what you've followed.</i></div><div><i>The spring at which Khizr drank the water of life</i></div><div><i>is found in your house, but you've blocked it up.</i></div><div><i> </i> -- Quatrain 151, page 132</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quotes submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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<i>To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here <a href="https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" target="_blank">https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com</a>
</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-40039397689050719402021-07-12T03:00:00.002-07:002021-07-12T03:00:00.180-07:00<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/69/29/69294f9912cca7a5971586e7851444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="402" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/69/29/69294f9912cca7a5971586e7851444341587343_v5.jpg" /></a></div>Nobody Son of Nobody: Poems of Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Abu Sa'id, renditions by Vraje Abramian<br /></h3>
Hohm Press, Prescot, Arizona, 2001. 75 pages.<br />
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Beloved, show me the way out of this prison. </i><div><i>Make me needless of both worlds. </i></div><div><i>Pray, erase from this mind all </i></div><div><i>that is not you. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Have mercy Beloved, </i></div><div><i>though I am nothing but forgetfulness, </i></div><div><i>You are the essence of forgiveness. </i></div><div><i>Make me needless of all but You. </i></div><div><i><span> </span><span> </span> -- page 3</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Woe to me,</i></div><div><i>how can I blame the enemy</i></div><div><i>since I set fire to my own house?</i></div><div><i>I have no enemy but this wretched self.</i></div><div><i>Woe to me and my enemy self!</i></div><div><i>Woe to me.</i></div><div><i><span> </span><span> -- page 35</span></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The Beloved is always true.</i></div><div><i>Whenever you become true</i></div><div><i>you will find Him.</i></div><div><i>When you become His in truth</i></div><div><i>and sincerity,</i></div><div><i>you will see, He always was yours!</i></div><div><i><span> </span><span> -- page 70</span><br /></i></div><div><i><span><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span>If you are a Lover,</span></i></div><div><i><span>worry about none and own nothing</span></i></div><div><i><span>Rejoice in the promise of the Beloved that in this</span></i></div><div><i><span>world, and the next, you have naught but Him.</span></i></div><div><i><span><span> </span><span> -- page 71</span><br /></span></i></div><div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-79866117237034773652021-07-05T03:00:00.001-07:002021-07-05T03:00:00.167-07:00Quote from Know Yourself translated by Cecilia Twinch<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/f1/37/f137fa3b99313db596f6a6e7877444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="445" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/f1/37/f137fa3b99313db596f6a6e7877444341587343_v5.jpg" /></a></div>Know Yourself: An Explanation of the Oneness of Being</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Original manuscripts attributed to Ibn Al-'Arabi and alternately to Awhad Al0din Balyani, translated by Cecilia Twinch<br /></h3>
Beshara Publications, Northleach, Cheltenham, UK, 2011. 86 pages.<br />
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Most of those who claim to know God make the knowledge of God dependent on the passing away of existence and on the passing away of the passing away. That is clearly an error and misconception. The knowledge of God does not require the passing away of existence or the passing away of that passing away because things have no existence and what does not exist cannot pass away. Passing away implies the prior existence of the thing that passes away. If you know yourself without existing and passing, then you know God, and if not, then not. -- page 21<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Review submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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</i><br />CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-42130835461315798332021-06-28T10:38:00.001-07:002021-06-28T10:38:00.191-07:00Quote Mediations on Shiva: The Shivastotravali of Utpaladeva<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/34/c9/34c9f835fccfc49596f64397851444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="423" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/34/c9/34c9f835fccfc49596f64397851444341587343_v5.jpg" /></a></div>Meditations on Shiva: The Shivastotravali of Utpaladeva</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Translated from the Sanskrit by Constantina Rhodes Bailly<br /></h3>
SUNY Press, Albany, New York, 1995. 140 pages.<br />
<br />Stora Eleven<div><br /></div><div>Bound to the World by Desire</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Neither this world</i></div><div><i>Nor a friend</i></div><div><i>Nor a Relative</i></div><div><i>Belongs to me at all.</i></div><div><i>When you are all this</i></div><div><i>Who else then could be mine?</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>You, O Master, are the Great Lord.</i></div><div><i>You are in truth the entire world.</i></div><div><i>Thus, asking for any one specific thing</i></div><div><i>Is just the asking</i></div><div><i>And nothing more.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> -- page 69</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-79938726848438628642021-06-21T03:00:00.001-07:002021-06-21T03:00:00.164-07:00Quote Islam the Straight Path by Esposito<h3>
<a href="https://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/2f/a4/2fa489b84b1f348597073757541444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="417" height="320" src="https://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/2f/a4/2fa489b84b1f348597073757541444341587343_v5.jpg" width="210" /></a><i>Islam: The Straight Path</i></h3>
<h3>
John L. Esposito</h3>
Oxford University Press, London, 1992. 267 pages.<br />
<br /><blockquote><i>The goal of this volume is to enable readers to understand and appreciate what Muslims believe and practice...there have been and continue to be many Muslim interpretations of Islam. I have tried to select, describe, and analyze those beliefs, practices, issues, developments, and movements that provide some appreciation of that faith which has inspired and informed the lives of a major portion of the world community. page ix. </i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote submitted by Maura S.</span></i><br />
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CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-61840245492553474832021-06-14T03:30:00.001-07:002021-06-14T03:30:00.172-07:00Quote from The Way of Effortless Mindfulness: a Revolutionary Guide<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/be/86/be86a37fdfba09e597061427851444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="424" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/be/86/be86a37fdfba09e597061427851444341587343_v5.jpg" /></a></div>The Way of Effortless Mindfulness: A Revolutionary Guide for Living an Awakened Life</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Loch Kelly<br /></h3>
Sounds True, Boulder Colorado, 2019. 209 pages.<br />
<br />Effortless mindfulness is both a natural capacity and a skillful way to connect with ourselves and others. It is a way of being mindful from a different level of mind than we are used to. There is more to effortless mindfulness than meditation. Effortless mindfulness is primarily an off-the-meditation-cushion way of weaving together contemplation and compassionate actions. -- page 9<br /><div><span face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div>Once you unhook local awareness from thought and open to space, you will feel some relief and freedom from the chattering mind. This is a crucial step, but space is not the final frontier. We do not want to remain as a detached mindful witness or in disembodied pure awareness. While the first step is to discover that space is free of mental obsession, the next step is to discover that space is not absence, but space itself is aware. We can then also discover that spacious awareness is inherently within our body. -- page 169<br /><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-77711371394094579882021-06-07T03:00:00.001-07:002021-06-07T03:00:00.631-07:00Quote from Abhinavagupta's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita (Gitartha - Samgraha)<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/68/b8/68b80a1fb43102a596a4e437251444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="425" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/68/b8/68b80a1fb43102a596a4e437251444341587343_v5.jpg" /></a></div>Abhinavagupta's Commentary on the Bhadavad Gita (Gitarthan - Samgraha)</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Translated from Sanskrit with an Introduction by Boris Marjanovic<br /></h3>
Rudra Press, Portland, Oregon, 2002. 378.<br />
<br />Bhadavad Gita 3:1-2<div><br /></div><div><i>Arjuna said:</i></div><div><i>1. If you consider that knowledge is better than action,</i></div><div><i>O'Janardana, why do you spur me to engage in this terrible deed, O Kesava?</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>2. With these apparently opposed statements you are confusing my intelligence. Tell me definitely once and for all your final decision by which I may attain the highest good.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Commentary</div><div>The Nature of knowledge and action has been previously explained. At that time it was rightly pointed out that, on the path of liberation, knowledge plays the dominate role. Having this in mind, Arjuna asks the following question: If we accept the principle that the result of both good and bad actions should be abandoned (as laid down in Chapter 2, verse 52), then why at all does one need to perform action?</div><div><br /></div><div>This is how the Lord answers this question.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bhadavad Gita 3:3</div><div><br /></div><div><i>3. As taught by Me since ancient time, O Blamless One, there are in this world two kinds of disciplines: the Yoga of knowledge for Samkhyas and the Yoga of action for yogins.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Commentary</div><div>In this world there are two well-known paths (on the road to liberation), i.e., <i>Samkhya</i> and <i>Yoga</i>. Samkhya is the path of knowledge and Yoga is the path of action. The Lord combines and presents both of these paths in one because knowledge (<i>jnana</i>) and action (<i>kriya</i>) are the very nature of consciousness.</div><div> -- pages 59-60</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-50657737184892067402021-05-31T03:00:00.001-07:002021-05-31T03:00:00.184-07:00Quote from Mind of Clover: Essays in Zen Buddhist Ethics<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/4d/f5/4df5f669c6951ac592b5a585a41444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="390" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/4d/f5/4df5f669c6951ac592b5a585a41444341587343_v5.jpg" /></a></div>Mind of Clover: Essays in Zen Buddhist Ethics</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Robert Aitken<br /></h3>
North Point Press, San Francisco, California, 1984. 113 pages.<br />
<br /><i>"At the monastery of Fugai Ekun, ceremonies delayed preparation of the noon meal one day, and when they were over, the cook took up his sickle and hurriedly gathered vegetables from the garden. In his haste, he lopped off part of a snake, and unaware that he had done so, threw it into the soup pot with the vegetables.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>At the meal, the monks thought they have never tasted such a delicious soup, but the Roshi himself found something remarkable in his bowl. Summoning the cook, he held up the head of the snake, and demanded, "What is this?"</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The cook took the morsel saying, 'Oh, thank you, Roshi,' and immediately ate it."</i></div><div><br />This is one of many mondo in Zen literature that teaches us how to use a challenge, and not be used by it in the ordinary way. --Chapter Twelve: Eating the Blame, page 105</div><div><br /></div><div><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Review submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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</i><br /></div>CSS Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14398757107588653345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9162549074167528386.post-14650881064981979172021-05-24T03:00:00.001-07:002021-05-24T03:00:00.173-07:00Quote from Under the Sufi's Cloak: Stories of Abu Sa'id and His Mystical Teachings<h3>
<i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/8a/73/8a73630dbf4916e596e50657851444341587343_v5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="422" height="320" src="https://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/8a/73/8a73630dbf4916e596e50657851444341587343_v5.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />Under the Sufi's Cloak: Stories of Abu Sa'id and His Mystical Teachings</i><br /></h3>
<h3>
Mohammad Ali Jamnia and Mojdeh Bayat<br /></h3><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Writers Inc International, Beltsville, Maryland, 1995. 144 pages.</span></h4>
<br />A disciple asked Abu Sa'id, "Where shall we seek Him?" <div><br /></div><div>Abu Sa'id replied, "Where did you look that you did not find Him?" -- page 16 </div><div><br /></div><div> One day our Master was told that a Sufi master of high spiritual status by the name of Abul Qasem Qoshayri claimed that a seeker can reach God in only two steps. Abu Sa'id said that the seeker can reach God in one step. This was relayed to Abul Qasem who asked how this could be. </div><div><br /></div><div>Abu Sa'id's answer was brought back to him, namely:
"Between God and His seeker there is only one step and that is the step out of one's self and into the truth." </div><div><br /></div><div>Upon hearing this, Abul Qasem applauded the concise and precise way that Abu Sa'id had defined the path. -- page 20 </div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quote submitted by Jennifer Knight</span></i><br />
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