| 23. Quiet Mind - One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World by David Kundtz
|
Inspired is how I feel every time I pick up this book of very short stories with
their own little guided meditations for reflection.
Quiet Mind -
One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World by David Kundtz is divided into 14
chapters of 380 pages. Under each chapter heading are uplifting nuggets of
wisdom for meditation - mostly 2 page topics - promoting peace and
balance.
Chapter titles
Still Moments in Busy
Days
Making Room for Life
Remembering to Take the Time
Finding Your
Balance
The Spaces in Between
Creating Opportunities for Serenity
Defining Your Values
Finding Peace at Work
Embracing Life
Paying
Attention
Knowing Thyself
Awakening to Wonder
Connecting with Others
Giving Back to the World
One of my favorite meditations is "Guardian
Angel" on pages 261-262. We are reminded and encouraged to be still, and look at
how that unexpected rescue from an accident could have been an encounter with
our guardian angel.
There is enough variety in
Quiet Mind …
to provide a short retreat anytime or anywhere during the
day.
Recommended!
Details - 380 page paperback from
publisher Red Wheel/Weiser (January 1, 2003) ISBN: 1573248622
To
order from Amazon.com go to
Quiet
Mind - One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World by David Kundtz
| 24. Red Tent, The by Anita Diamant |
Reading Genesis 34 in the Old Testament we get a feeling for the setting of this
fictional novel built around Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob; brother of
Joseph.
Through the voice of Dinah, Anita Diamant carries us back to what
the culture for women, in particular, might have been at that time.
It is a spell-binding account of life in the lands inland from
the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea and south-west in Egypt. I certainly
felt a kinship with the rites and rituals that kept women and their daughters to
the tasks of homemaking for the boys and men in their tribes. Repetitive tasks
of carding sheep's wool, coaxing it into fine even thread upon a spindle,
weaving the cloth for the tribe, and for bartering by the men in the cities.
We are brought into the
red tent of rituals that reveal more of
the women than a resting place during their moon cycle. In the monthly rite
lasting 3 days, beginning and ending for all women of the tribe at the same
time, the darkest part of the moon cycle, women had a chance to exchange views
and information they gathered while overhearing the men.
It was a time
to plan for future holidays and seasonal events. And, we come to a greater
understanding of the role of religion in the various lands, one of the cradles
of civilization, at this time in early history
Without giving the plot
away, we follow Dinah's life even before she is born, through her adventures,
trials, fears and love in its many manifestations that compound through a life.
At each stage we feel her feelings and champion her cause. It is a novel like
that.
I highly recommend
The Red Tent for all women, that we may
empathize with the plight of women and culture at that time, but particularly
for growing into a greater understanding of ourselves in the here and
now.
Highly recommended!
Details - 336 pages published by
Picador; 6.2 by 9.2 inches; ISBN: 0312195516
Here is a link to
Amazon.com if you wish to order this book:
The
Red Tent by Anita Diamant
| 25. Revelation of Saint John, The by Zachary F. Lansdowne |
The full title of Zachary F. Lansdowne's book
The Revelation of Saint John -
The Path to Soul Initiation - Understanding the True Meaning of the
Apocalypse gives us a clue that the author has dived into the mystery
surrounding the last book of the Holy Bible, King James Version.
The author goes on the supposition that when viewed from a
psychological point of view the book is really a practical set of instructions
for the spiritual journey of awakening in consciousness.
And isn't this
the highest path we tread as humans; opening ourselves to our full spiritual
nature that we may come to know our eternal roots most clearly and joyously.
That is what this exploration means to me and this book provides plenty of
insight and backup material into that journey.
This list gives you an
idea of the breadth of ideas presented by Mr. Lansdowne. The book is divided
into 22 chapters which I will list separated by semi-colons: The Soul; Sacral,
Solar Plexus, Heart, and Throat Chakras; Brow, Crown, and Basic Chakras;
Meditation; Guidance; Self-Purification; Preparation for Kundalini; Awakening
Kundalini; Guilt and Fear; The Plane of Divine Ideas; Judgment; Illusion;
Glamour and Maya; The Spiritual Kingdom; The Seven Chohans; The Seven Trials;
The Ego; Elimination of the Ego; Union with the Soul; Death and Resurrection;
Spiritual Transformation; Power of Decision.
The book is laid out with
a verse from the King James version of the Holy Bible to the left and Mr.
Lansdowne's interpretation on the right hand side of the page. I think this
arrangement is very convenient for reading and reflecting.
Let's look
at the author's background for a moment - Zachary Lansdowne has a Ph.D. in
Engineering, an M.A. in Psychology, an M.A. in Philosophy and Religion and an
M.S. in Engineering. He is also past president of the Theosophical Society in
Boston and has published in scholarly journals and four previous books on
philosophy and religion.
He is well qualified for the comparisons and
insights he brings to this work with the spiritual and psychological points of
view. And I am very glad to be able to tell you about this book. Of course, you
needn't read it in a particular order, because any page you open it to holds
valuable nuggets of insight and wisdom.
Take the verses from any page,
sit quietly, reflect and meditate on their meaning for you. Surely this book
will be an aid to further expansion and understanding of this last book of the
Holy Bible.
Rather than being a doomsday to most of humanity, as in
killing people, consider the point of view that it is doomsday to attachments
that keep us chained to the material world - that bar our souls from soaring in
permanent joy. And from that outlook, the last book of the Holy Bible is
applicable today, right now.
Highly
recommended!
Details - 232 page paperback from Red
Wheel/Weiser Publisher; 8.9 by 7.0 inches; ISBN: 1578633427
To order
from Amazon.com go to
The
Revelation of Saint John by Zachary F. Lansdowne
