In this book, the founder of the internationally popularmagazine Feng Shui for Modern Living, Stephen Skinner, discussesvarious common themes of feng shui such as water, alignments,mountains, wind, ming tang, sha, and dry gardens and demonstratesthese concepts in 26 houses, restaurants and galleries in London,Hong Kong and Malaysia. The selection is varied and includes manyfamous interiors.

Today people around the world are discovering the benefits ofTai-chi, an ancientChinese system of exercise based on calm,graceful movements that condition thebody from the inside out. Withbenefits like reduced stress and anxiety, plusimproved flexibilityand concentration, Tai-chi has become the ultimate form ofexercisefor relaxing and strengthening both body and spirit. Master Huang's Complete Tai-chi is the definitive introduction tothe CondensedForm of Wu-style Tai-chi, a form that has gainedenormous popularity as a healingexercise because it stresses thedevelopment of internal energy for self-healing.The 36 postures ofthis style are beautiful in their simplicity and completelysafe,regardless of one's age or physical condition. Included inthis book are a detailedguide to the 36 postures (with inore than250 illustrative photographs), a historicaloverview of Tai-chi, andtranslationg of classic works by Tai-chi masters. The demands of Tai-chi are small, but the rewards are great. Afew minute

Reproduced in historical sequence, these signs, seals, and symbols range from the simplest drawings of Egyptian gods to the intricate images of Greek and Roman deities. Adapted from ancient and primitive sources, the illustrations depict Assyrian, Babylonian, Nordic, Incan, and Aztec gods; as well as figures from cultures of the American Indian, Japanese, and Chinese. Included in the set are: One CD-ROM containing 142 high-quality, permission-free images scanned at 600 dpi and saved in six different formats (TIFF, PICT, EPS, BMP, as well as Internet-ready JPEG and GIF) A large-format 64-page book with every image on the CD-ROM printed large and clearly on one side of the page only and numbered for easy reference Of immense value to commercial artists and designers, this authoritative collection will serve as a practical, visual guide for students and teachers in the graphic arts. Anyone interested in religious emblems and divinity symbols will also be fascinated by this unique CD-ROM and book set.

The history of Bible translation within the Catholic Church is characterized by a rich tradition of rendering the Scriptures into the language of the faith community. The CCNT features eight complete Catholic New Testaments that show the full range of expression for this central text of study, worship, prayer, and contemplation. A wide spectrum of people - including new and experienced Bible readers, homilists, and teachers - will gain from having this resource on their bookshelves. The Douay-Rheims, RSVCB, NRSVCB, and NAB are called formal equivalent translations (popularly referred to as "word-for-word" translations). This means that scholars rendered the New Testament's original language into English that is as close as possible to its original wording. The result is a translation that is particularly valuable for careful analysis of the text. Meanwhile, the JB, GNB, NJB, and Christian Community Bible represent the "thought-for-thought" school of Bible translation (technically described as dynamic or funct

Many standard histories of Christianity chronicle theReformation as a single, momentous period in the history of theChurch. According to those accounts, a number of competing groupsof reformers challenged a monolithic and corrupt Roman Catholicismover issues ranging from authority and the role of the priests tothe interpretation of the Eucharist and the use of the Bible inchurch. In this wide-ranging, richly layered and captivating studyof the Reformation, MacCulloch challenges traditionalinterpretations, arguing instead that there were many reformations.Arranging his history in chronological fashion, MacCulloch providesin-depth studies of reform movements in central, northern andsouthern Europe and examines the influences that politics andgeography had on such groups. He challenges common assumptionsabout the relationships between Catholic priests and laity, arguingthat in some cases Protestantism actually took away religiousauthority from laypeople rather than putting it in their hands. Inaddition, h

This systematic introduction to Buddhist ethics is aimed atanyone interested in Buddhism, including students, scholars andgeneral readers. Peter Harvey is the author of the acclaimedIntroduction to Buddhism (Cambridge, 1990), and his new book iswritten in a clear style, assuming no prior knowledge. At the sametime it develops a careful, probing analysis of the nature andpractical dynamics of Buddhist ethics in both its unifying themesand in the particularities of different Buddhist traditions. Thebook applies Buddhist ethics to a range of issues of contemporaryconcern: humanity's relationship with the rest of nature;economics; war and peace; euthanasia; abortion; the status ofwomen; and homosexuality. Professor Harvey draws on texts of themain Buddhist traditions, and on historical and contemporaryaccounts of the behaviour of Buddhists, to describe existingBuddhist ethics, to assess different views within it, and to extendits application into new areas.

Using more than 1,000 color graphics, maps, photographs, reconstructions, and charts to enliven the biblical world, this special edition enlightens readers on the contextual details of every major character and moment. Helpful introductions list the author, date, original audience, and purpose of each book.

This book provides a much-needed thematic and historicalintroduction to Hinduism, the religion of the majority of people inIndia. Dr Flood traces the development of Hindu traditions fromtheir ancient origins, through the major deities of Visnu, Siva andthe Goddess, to the modern world. Hinduism is discussed as both aglobal religion and a form of nationalism. Emphasis is given to thetantric traditions, which have been so influential; to Hinduritual, which is more fundamental to the life of the religion thanare specific beliefs or doctrines; and to Dravidian influences fromsouth India. An Introduction to Hinduism examines the ideas ofdharma, particularly in relation to the ideology of kingship, casteand world renunciation. Dr Flood also introduces some debateswithin contemporary scholarship about the nature of Hinduism. It issuitable both for the student and for the general reader.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to the Buddhisttradition as it has developed in three major cultural areas inAsia, and also developed in the West. It is intended to be atextbook for students of religious and Asian studies respectively,but will also be of interest to those who want a general survey ofBuddhism and its beliefs. Unlike many other general books aboutBuddhism, it not only explores Buddhist beliefs, but also seeks toshow as a set of practices. It thus includes chapters on devotion,ethics, monastic practices and meditation. Such practices arerelated to Buddhist teachings and historical developments.Emphasising as it does the diversity found within differentBuddhist traditions, the book aims to underline common threads ofbelief, practice and historical continuities which unify theBuddhist world. Dr Harvey has sought to answer questions that areoften asked by people on first meeting the tradition, and in hissection on Nirvana offers a novel interpretation of this ultimate,transcendent

Live a life of peace, love, and happiness through spiritualawakening In Wake Up Now , author Stephan Bodian--nationallyrecognized expert on meditation and spirituality and formereditor-in-chief of Yoga Journal --reveals that spiritualawakening is not some faraway dream, or overly complicated toachieve, but an ever-present reality that is always available hereand now. Based on his own experience and over 30 years of teaching thedirect approach to spiritual awakening, Bodian has broken down theawakening process into five overlapping, loosely sequential stages:seeking, awakening, deepening and clarifying, embodying, and livingthe awakened life. Wake Up Now guides you through everystage of the journey, from the process of seeking through the oftenprolonged and challenging process of integrating the awakening intoeveryday life. "This book is one of the most concise guides to spiritualawakening I have read. Both profound and practical, it guides thereader through the intricacies of awakening as only someo

For thirty years Randy Alcorn has been encouragingpeople-young and old-to pursue the rewards of sexual purity. Toooften we settle for a compromised Christianity that's just abaptized version of the world's sad existence, rather than theabundant life to which God calls us. This book deals with - raisingchildren to embrace sexual purity - providing an example of purityin the home - protecting purity in dating (at any age) - andmaintaining purity in marriage. Biblical, practical, and concise,The Purity Principle is a one-stop handbook for individuals,families and churches.

The holy sites in Jerusalem exist as objects of international veneration and sites of nationalist contest. They stand at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, yet surprisingly, the many efforts to promote peace, mostly by those outside the Middle East, have ignored the problem. This book seeks to address this omission by focusing upon proposals of development of a legal regime to protect the holy sites separable from the final peace negotiations to not only protect the holy sites but promote peace by removing these particularly volatile icons from the field of conflict. Peace and the protection of the holy sites cannot occur without the consent and cooperation of those on the ground. This book supports local involvement by developing a comprehensive plan for how to negotiate: outlining the relevant history, highlighting issues of import, and identifying effective strategies for promoting negotiation.