Spectrum of Ecstasy

Spectrum of Ecstasy PDF Author: Ngakpa Chogyam
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834828804
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
Here two Western-born lamas of the Nyingma tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism explore what it means to be utterly emotionally alive. Written in contemporary, nonacademic language, this book is a radical challenge to the misconception that inner Vajrayana is primarily an esoteric system of ritual and liturgy. The authors teach that emotions can be embraced as a rich and profound opportunity for realization. This fiercely compassionate battle cry rallies all who are audacious enough to appreciate emotions for their supreme potential as vehicles for awakening.

Spectrum of Ecstasy

Spectrum of Ecstasy PDF Author: Ngakpa Chogyam
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834828804
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
Here two Western-born lamas of the Nyingma tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism explore what it means to be utterly emotionally alive. Written in contemporary, nonacademic language, this book is a radical challenge to the misconception that inner Vajrayana is primarily an esoteric system of ritual and liturgy. The authors teach that emotions can be embraced as a rich and profound opportunity for realization. This fiercely compassionate battle cry rallies all who are audacious enough to appreciate emotions for their supreme potential as vehicles for awakening.

Spectrum of Ecstasy

Spectrum of Ecstasy PDF Author: Ch{uml}ogyam (Ngakpa)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Buddhism
Languages : en
Pages : 315

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Book Description


Ecstasy

Ecstasy PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 307

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Book Description


Vajra and Bell

Vajra and Bell PDF Author: Vessantara
Publisher: Windhorse Publications
ISBN: 1909314463
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
Enter the rich world of Buddhist symbolism.The vajra and the vajra-bell are important sacred objects used in Tantric ritual, and this colourful book lays before us an unexpected array of associations and images to enrich our understanding of these powerful and fascinating symbols. We discover that they embody all masculine and feminine qualities, transcendental compassion and wisdom, bliss and emptiness. By reflecting deeply on this perfect pair, we too can become sources of wisdom and compassion for the world.

Roaring Silence

Roaring Silence PDF Author: Ngakpa Chogyam
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 1570629447
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
A practical guide to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Dzogchen—or the direct experience of enlightenment—complete with meditation techniques by two Vajrayana teachers In Roaring Silence, Vajrayana teachers Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen walk the reader through the meditation techniques that "enable us to side-step the bureaucracy of intellectual processes and experience ourselves directly"—to discover this direct experience of enlightenment that is the mind of Dzogchen. Surprisingly, the approach is very pragmatic. Offering an investigation of the necessary steps, the authors begin with how to prepare for the journey: the lama is essential; as are a sense of humor, inspiration, and determination. They continue by describing the path of Dzogchen from sitting meditation to the direct perception of reality. The chapters include exercises for sharpening the presence of our awareness, for simple visualizations, and for investigating how to "remain uninvolved" with mental activity for a period—with follow-up guidance on how to view our experiences. Both practical and inspirational, the authors' exquisitely precise guidance is all presented with the caveat, "be kind to yourself, don't push yourself beyond your limits."

High Society

High Society PDF Author: Mike Jay
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1620553880
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
An illustrated cultural history of drug use from its roots in animal intoxication to its future in designer neurochemicals • Featuring artwork from the upcoming High Society exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London, one of the world’s greatest medical history collections • Explores the roles drugs play in different cultures as medicines, religious sacraments, status symbols, and coveted trade goods • Reveals how drugs drove the global trade and cultural exchange that made the modern world • Examines the causes of drug prohibitions a century ago and the current “war on drugs” Every society is a high society. Every day people drink coffee on European terraces and kava in Pacific villages; chew betel nut in Indonesian markets and coca leaf on Andean mountainsides; swallow ecstasy tablets in the clubs of Amsterdam and opium pills in the deserts of Rajastan; smoke hashish in Himalayan temples and tobacco and marijuana in every nation on earth. Exploring the spectrum of drug use throughout history--from its roots in animal intoxication to its future in designer neurochemicals--High Society paints vivid portraits of the roles drugs play in different cultures as medicines, religious sacraments, status symbols, and coveted trade goods. From the botanicals of the classical world through the mind-bending self-experiments of 18th- and 19th-century scientists to the synthetic molecules that have transformed our understanding of the brain, Mike Jay reveals how drugs such as tobacco, tea, and opium drove the global trade and cultural exchange that created the modern world and examines the forces that led to the prohibition of opium and cocaine a century ago and the “war on drugs” that rages today.

High

High PDF Author: Ingrid Walker
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN: 029574233X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
Whether drinking Red Bull, relieving chronic pain with oxycodone, or experimenting with Ecstasy, Americans participate in a culture of self-medication, using psychoactive substances to enhance or manage our moods. A �drug-free America� seems to be a fantasyland that most people don�t want to inhabit. High: Drugs, Desire, and a Nation of Users asks fundamental questions about US drug policies and social norms. Why do we endorse the use of some drugs and criminalize others? Why do we accept the necessity of a doctor-prescribed opiate but not the same thing bought off the street? This divided approach shapes public policy, the justice system, research, social services, and health care. And despite the decades-old war on drugs, drug use remains relatively unchanged. Ingrid Walker speaks to the silencing effects of both criminalization and medicalization, incorporating first-person narratives to show a wide variety of user experiences with drugs. By challenging current thinking about drugs and users, Walker calls for a next wave of drug policy reform in the United States, beginning with recognizing the full spectrum of drug use practices.

The Five Wisdom Energies

The Five Wisdom Energies PDF Author: Irini Rockwell
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 1570624518
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
This playful and accessible guide presents a Buddhist psychological system for enhancing self-awareness, interpersonal communication, and creativity This book invites us to celebrate our strengths and work with our weaknesses by learning to identify and utilize five basic personal styles or energies based on a Tibetan Buddhist practice. Each of the five wisdom energies is associated with particular ways of perceiving and interacting with the world and also with particular colors, elements, senses, seasons, and times of day. With easy, fun, and engaging exercises and stories, Irini Rockwell shows us how to identify which energies are active in our lives, and how we can work with them in any situation to improve self-awareness, communication, and creative expression. According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, each of us has one or two dominant energies, but these can shift and change over time, and we can manifest different energies in different areas of our lives. Each of the five energies has its unique wisdom, but also its neurotic tendencies. By learning to recognize which energies we possess—and which are present in those around us—we can learn to relax and appreciate our natural traits and those of others, and we can move away from our neuroses toward the wisdom-aspects of our character.

Teachings from Mani Retreat

Teachings from Mani Retreat PDF Author: Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Publisher: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive
ISBN: 1891868462
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 129

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Book Description
"Because we have met the Buddhadharma, and especially this method - the practice of the Compassion Buddha and recitation of his mantra - it is easy to purify negative karma and collect extensive merit and thus achieve enlightenment. We are unbelievable fortunate."--Lama Zopa Rinpoche, from his invitation to join the retreat. This book is made possible by kind supporters of the Archive who, like you, appreciate how we make these teachings freely available in so many ways, including in our website for instant reading, listening or downloading, and as printed and electronic books. Our website offers immediate access to thousands of pages of teachings and hundreds of audio recordings by some of the greatest lamas of our time. Our photo gallery and our ever-popular books are also freely accessible there. Please help us increase our efforts to spread the Dharma for the happiness and benefit of all beings. You can find out more about becoming a supporter of the Archive and see all we have to offer by visiting our website. Thank you so much, and please enjoy this e-book!

Straight from the Heart

Straight from the Heart PDF Author: Jamgon Mipham
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 1559394455
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 577

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Book Description
Straight from the Heart brings together an inspiring collection of Buddhist teachings, songs of realization, meditation instructions, and enlightened poetry—all chosen for their power to speak directly to the student. Drawn from Indian Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism as well as from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, some will impress with their beautiful poetry and powerful imagery, others with their profound power of instruction. Still others share personal advice for life that seems to come directly from the mouth of the author, and some serve as immediate and profound practice instructions. Several are just delightfully unconventional, even outrageous, letting in fresh air on petrified views or musty traditions. Most of them are simply unknown precious gems, which deserve a wider audience. Each of the works is preceded by a brief introduction and a short biography of its author. Many of these are legendary accounts of supernatural feats, edifying examples for students on the same spiritual path meant to expand their limited outlook with “mind-blowing” stories. Miraculous deeds, magnificent songs, and pithy instructions distinguish this collection assembled by the Buddhist scholar and translator Karl Brunnhölzl, whose years of work among dharma texts and his skill as a translator yield a rich mine of teachings all chosen for their ability to speak directly to the heart.