Meditation Books

This is the best translation of Taoist sexual practices available. The translation formatting is excellent. If you have any degree of previous exposure to Chinese language and Taoist concepts this is not a spring board to further knowledge, it is a rosetta stone. Not an ounce of this text is watered down, like so many of the other books on this subject. Further, the full inclusion of herbal formulas in this text are incredibly vital to understanding the true value of huang di's teachings from su nu.

Best of all ... there are no pictures.

A fine text by a true scholar.

Here is the largest collection of historical Chinese texts on Taoist sexuality in English, excellently translated and footnoted. A must have reference work for the serious, advanced student.

This is not an introductory text, and I think a beginner would be hard pressed to understand and practice many of the techniques in the book.

I'm just a beginner on this subject,I started with some photocopies on the subject(nothing special)and found them not very elucidatory. I wanted to know more!...then I bought this book,although I haven't read it all,from the pages I read, I felt I could comprehend easier what was being said.It explained certain doubts that came accross from the other texts I read.

I think(from the little insight I have)that this book is perfect to understand the subject, if one already knows something about Taoist ancient sexual practices.

This is a work of scholorship and not simply a book about the ancient Chinese view of sex. It's very complete and contains both usuful material for moderns and very interesting historical material regarding alchemy, Qi Gong and Chinese medicine as they relate to sex.

This book collects nearly two dozen classical writings on the use of sexual energy in achieving health and long life. It's a distinctly non-Western tradition, but presents a unified, interlocking set of ideas.

The largest part of this lore corresponds to Western alchemy. It uses many of the same metaphors, such as mercury, lead, and the crucible, and much of the same elliptical language. In a few places, the metaphors or code-words are so obscure that translators disagree wildly on their meanings, and even on whether the meanings can be reconstructed correctly. Other parts of the writings draw on mystical Taoism, Buddhism, and the same vital energies that explain acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Not surprisingly, much of the tradition is aimed at male readers, with relatively little concern for the women. Despite the over-all male orientation, the last few selections do address women, with needs that sometimes match and sometimes differ from the men's. Even the men's writings address the importance of the woman's excitement, though, and describe the outwardly visible signs of its many stages.

However it is phrased or whoever it is addressed to, this set of practices is based on summoning and channeling sexual energy. Many of the authors use the "paired way" of coition to raise that power. Others use solo exercises in self-stimulation for the same purpose. This seems especially common in the women's texts, possibly because placing her needs before the man's would have been culturally unacceptable. The emphasis is on yogic self-discipline rather than exotic poses. Still, one author does offer a list of couplings with poetic names such Mandarin Ducks United (a pose I enjoy very much, because of range of additional caresses it makes possible). I recommend this book very highly to students of Asian thought and to anyone else who wants to see different perspectives on the practice and power of human sexuality.

//wiredweird

Review: Ask the Cow

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I've always considered Rita Reynolds as one of those people who walks and writes between the worlds. Rita's intuitive association with the animal kingdom has surfaced once again in her new book, ASK THE COW. She has brought us all a little closer to the mystical side of life in her philosophical exchanges with her companion cow, Christina.

ASK THE COW is a compendium of lively dialog, and sometimes, a sparring match between Rita and "Her Cowness," Christine.

Those of us who know Rita's, BLESSING THE BRIDGE have been waiting patiently for ASK THE COW to be published, and the teachings Christina offers are founded on deep transcendental wisdom that rises from an overflowing spring of truth and compassion. But don't think you are reading this book merely for its brilliant insights on life from the mundane to the metaphysical, because you will find yourself laughing out loud at the comical descriptions, real and surreal ,that happen between them. Christina and Rita jostle between the worlds of form and imagination in their day-to-day encounters on the farm. This combination of reverent and irreverent offers some of the most intimate and endearing glimpses into the very Heart of their friendship.

Christina is the equivalent of a Zen Cow Master, and this book is a treasure of wisdom, humor and plain old everyday sense, at a time when our fragile world needs one more voice of love and peace, even if it is spoken by a sagacious and sometimes cantankerous cow.


From "Lavender Earthworms" to "Still Life with Clutter," each chapter offers something to chew and "ruminate" over when the unfathomable chemistry of Rita and Christine comes together.

"Imagine," Christina said softly, "The implications for the planet if human beings were sensitive to the nature of night crawlers."

Anyone who has ever looked to the animal kingdom in an attempt to understand the bigger picture will find all the answers they'll ever need to get through life's lessons in the funny, thoughtful, inspiring pages of ASK THE COW.

In the Chapter, "Living with Gandhi" Christina says to Rita, " I was meant to come here to protect and teach you." After reading this wonderful book, there isn't a doubt in my mind that Christina is doing just that for every one of us.

In her new book, Ask the Cow, Rita Reynolds writes about a time when her spiritual footing was less than stable and then reveals the question that Christina the cow seemed to be asking: "So, when are you going to ask for help?" Rita admits that it took her a while to be ready to receive guidance from her beloved bovine, but when she did the receiving was more than she could have imagined.

This book offers, in a delightfully readable manner, a look at common distractions on the spiritual path, including clutter in our lives and minds, focus on goals instead of the process, and becoming distressed by matters outside of our control. Answers to these situations come during the many discourses with Christina, about whom Rita says, "...in her cowish ways, she was probably the finest therapist a confused individual could ever have." As someone who has met Rita, I can attest to the fact that she does not appear to be a confused individual at all! She is clearly focused on attaining inner peace. Confusion can sometimes result--in anyone--from observing the apparent lack of peace in the world while seeking inner peace for oneself.

Rita loves and respects all life, and it shows in her daily life as well as in her writings. She is open to learning from animals and, as this book clearly indicates, it was her willingness to receive that aided her personal search for inner peace. Rita's style of writing, including creative imagery and sense of humor, offers readers a glimpse of what all animals have to offer and what is, in Rita's words, "timeless, universal wisdom that is freely, readily available to any who asks to learn."

by Marie Mead, author (with collaborator Nancy LaRoche) of Rabbits: Gentle Hearts, Valiant Spirits - Inspirational Stories of Rescue, Triumph, and Joy

David Sedaris has achieved worldwide fame for his raconteurish retelling of personal stories. He makes the artful, edgy and remarkably interesting. If Sedaris had come into the world a woman, made up of Heart from top to bottom, he might have been Rita Reynolds. In her new book, ASK THE COW, this gentle, passionate storyteller and her bovine spiritual adviser offer the kind of thinking, feeling and growing that make one happy to be alive.

The further I delved into ASK THE COW, the more I realized I was in the company of of two exceptional people; one walking on two legs and rushing about asking the right questions, the other standing serenely on four legs, knowing more than anyone would reasonably expect from a cow. One look into Christina's eyes, though, and you may be redefining your species-thinking. Cud-chewer or not, Christina has darshan, that word some Indians use to describe the energetic wisdom that emanates from the eyes of a master soul. Come to think of it, she also has a lot of chutzpah.

Read ASK THE COW without delay if your life has been relentlessly posing the right questions. Christina and Rita together will offer you the kindly wisdom you may have been seeking. And if the moment isn't right for wisdom, at least you'll find yourself in the company of a truly skilled storyteller. I'll be giving many copies of ASK THE COW as gifts, and I look forward to revisiting it myself, a brand new old friend, when my cud needs chewing once again.

A kindred spirit is hard to come by. And a kindred spirit who can teach us to look at the world with new eyes is an especially rare bird...or bovine. Author Rita Reynolds found such a friend and teacher in Christina, the cow with a taste for metaphysics, who showed up unexpectedly in the driveway to Reynolds' farm one January and made a place for herself in that compassionate woman's heart. The two friends discuss love, peace, and "the sacredness that flows through all life and form" in a series of dialogues that are part Henry David Thoreau, part Lewis & Lewis (C. S. & Carroll), and wholly transcendental. "To communicate is a gift one can give forth," Christina tells Reynolds. "Those of the non-human world instinctively know and choose to communicate in a loving, supportive manner." There you have the essence of this wise, whimsical book. Reynolds' writing flows as effortlessly as a brook; what she says is soulful and heart-felt, and its aim is always true. We all need a Christina to point us in the right direction when we've lost our bearings.

There are dog people--out-going, plain-speaking, and down-to-earth--and there are cat people--reticent, removed, watching carefully from the shadows. And there are fish people--silent observers who delight in the mysteries of the deep--and there are bird people--dreamers enchanted by all that is or seems to be exotic.

And there are donkey people, goat people, chicken people, insect people, cow people....

Author Rita M. Reynolds is a cow person. And a dog person and a cat, donkey, goat, chicken, insect, person. In fact she's an every-living-thing person whose animal sanctuary in Batesville, Virginia contains so much life, she could populate a Compassion Zodiac.

Animal people respect animals as friends, companions, fellow-travelers in this magical world, and as teachers. Who doesn't spend some time playing ball with the dog after a long day at work? Who doesn't mark the beginning, middle, and end of every day by walking the dog? Who doesn't introduce their baby to a puppy so that the child can learn kindness, warmth, empathy? Oops, there I go. I'm a dog person and I'm speaking for myself. The point is, though, that we choose the animals in our lives--or, more accurately, they choose us--based on our dispositions and our needs and our capacity to love. Animal people know, and delight in knowing, that we are part of this world, not keepers of it.

Rita's tremendous capacity to love led her to Batesville so many years ago to care for animals in need of care for any reason at all. She provides them with a safe and loving place. Her previous book, Blessing the Bridge, is her story of the lessons on living and dying that animals have taught her over the years. Her quarterly magazine, LaJoie & Co., shares the lessons she and others learn from our animal companions. These works are lessons in grace.

She met her bovine friend Christina when Christina came calling at the sanctuary. This friendship was the cow's choice. The farmer who had felt he owned the cow saw things differently, though, and he brought the cow back to his place against Christina's wishes after she walked away the first time. The farmer had yet to learn: it was the cow's choice; Christina made her way back to Rita. Happily, the farmer caught on and gave up, and Rita and Christina have been together ever since.

Ask the Cow is Rita's story of their time together so far. This lovely, delightfully insightful book is Rita's spiritual memoir of her relationship with her special friend and teacher. By spending time with Christina and being open to Christina's beautiful way of seeing the world, Rita has learned even greater kindness, compassion, humility, love. (I have known Rita for 10 years and have been reading her work for as long; I would not have thought it was possible for any person to love more--but it is.) Each of the 30 chapters describes in clear, honest prose one of Christina's lessons on living humbly and compassionately. The book is full of gentle humor and imagery that places the reader right in the barn with these two faithful companions.

I found myself slowing down as I approached the end of the book only to defer ending it. I was happy in that barn, and I was learning plenty. But an important lesson of the book is to take the lessons out of the barn and into the larger world and to live in, with, for, from, by, and out of love in everything. Anyway, the barn will be there, and so will Rita and Christina, should I come back to learn again the lessons of this bovine sage and the gentle woman who has given her wisdom to the world.

Challenges us to see opportunity and freedom in all situations and not to collapse into discouragement when faced with real or perceived oppression.

This small short book has helped to transform my life. The '5 Contemplations' are the most wonderful blessing/mantra that I now say before each meal. Thay lays out extremely simple yet profound steps to 'mindful' (staying in the present)living I've ever encountered. I have purchased numerous copies of this title to give to special friends.

"Be Free Where You Are," by Thich Nhat Hanh, is a short book. In a foreword, Sister Chan Khong notes that what follows is a transcription of a talk that the author gave to inmates at the Maryland Correctional Institute at Hagerstown on 16 Oct. 1999. The text also contains a question-and-answer session and an appendix with comments by a few attendees of the talk.

In this book Thich Nhat Hanh talks about "the energy of mindfulness," meditation, his life as a Buddhist monk, the Three Jewels of the Buddhist tradition, his own poetry, and related topics. His words are tender, kind, and peaceful, and at times gently poetic. Recommended for readers of any religious or spiritual background, but especially for those with an interest in Buddhism.

this book has truly been a lifesaver for me. it's small enough to throw in my backpack and i read it often while riding the subway in the morning. it's a wonderful transcription of a talk thich nhat hanh gave to prisoners... it has reminded me that i can be free of my own self-imposed "prison" of anxiety. in a time of such uncertainty, we all could use a little reminder to breathe and savor the moments we're given.

i know that i have benefited tremendously from this little volume. i hope that in reading it, you will enjoy a simple, yet profound deep breath and savor the present moment as well.

The other reviews say it well already, so I'll just add that this simple, small book has moreimpact per ounce than any other I've read. It was a gift from a dear friend and introduced me to Buddhist thought. Now I'm the one giving it to friends.

I had been introduced to the book about twenty years ago but finally ordered my own copy. It is the best source of solace for a cast-down soul.

I am an activities director at an assisted living and use this book for our daily devotionals. The devotionals are always uplifting and applicable to the lives of seniors (and everyone else!) and it inspires a 20 minute discussion each day. I have really seen God work through this book. Millie Stamm speaks the truth - Christ truly lives through us, if we choose Him.

This is my favorite devotional book. It's as if your grandmother were writing her thoughts and sending them just to you. Millie shares her experience with God in a way that's encouraging, never harsh. But, she still manages to be direct and clear in her words. It's obvious that she has been through her own sorrows and grown in them and is willing to tell us what she knows. I met Millie once and she was just like her book. She was an unpretentious grandmotherly-looking lady who seemed very quiet. When you read her book, you'll find she's got a lot of strength hidden in that quietness.
If you need comfort; if you want to learn more about God; if you want to know how people know God personally, this is a good book for you.

It is written as a diary (365 days). Each day opens with a quotation from Bible and followed by a one page write up of author. It is written in a style easy to follow. . If you have an intimate orientation to Christ, the book will AMPLIFY it.

A completely scriptually based devotion with worthwhile everyday examples for application or examples from history. This is a year of devotions which will make your day brighter and focused on the things of everlasting value.

I enjoy listening to guided imagery, and have quite a few tapes and CDs. This one is one of the best! A wonderful tape.

Even thought I'm a longtime practicioner of Wicca, there are times when a frazzled Witch has trouble tuning in to "Mama" This CD comes in handy for quickly and reliably connecting with the Goddess, and is general enough for practicioners of any faith or view. I sometimes listen to it in a herbal bath for the ULTIMATE relaxation Womb experience after a freaky day. (Please, be safe w/electricity and make sure you're "propped up" in the bath)
I haven't yet tried this one on my husand (Pilot, science-minded skeptic & sometime guinea pig/but he DID marry a Witch!)but it should be fun!

This two part CD is extremely interesting and totally relaxing to listen to. The first part brings your mind and body together as one. It is a nice prelude to the second part of the CD. The second part of the CD allows you to consider other alternatives theories to our existence and our capablilites as humans on this plane, we call earth. It also gives you an appreciation of the beautiful world surrrounding us and the ultimate joy and calm it can hold for each of us,if we just take the time to develop the consciousness to enjoy it. This CD is a wonderful, peaceful interlude to the hectic pace of our lives today.

Alright, I know this review is LONG, but I have to say it all. I have had 2 Janet's CD's on my Amazon wish list for a long time, but couldn't justify the purchase. I mean, I have heard enough hypnosis CDs that have NOT been worth the money, and mostly downright disappointing. I didn't want this one to be the same. I finally took the plunge and ordered "Becoming the Goddess" and one other.

Can I just say I love her voice? Okay, I love her voice! Most hypnosis tapes drive me COMPLETELY INSANE with my random thoughts fighting themselves about, "forget the person's annoying voice, focus on what they're saying...oh what are they saying?...How much time have I wasted now....OKAY FOCUS!" But, with Janet's voice, she is so natural and yet soothing that I can just "go" with it, no effort. She's not trying to be calming and soothing, she just IS.

The first time I listened to "Becoming the Goddess," I was so surprised (read: jaw dropping amazement), because I "saw" everything in the meditation before she described them, and exactly as she described them (except for the color I was wearing). Only that one minor detail was different. That simply blew me away, because it was as if I REALLY was there, or was experiencing a past life that I truly had. In just a few sessions of the CD, it has already deepened my personal spiritual practice, and has allowed me to tap into a greater wisdom as I help others. I can't wait to see what happens as I continue to use the program.

Spiritually I don't relate to traditional patriarchal religion, and so her meditation connects me to the feminine divine in a way that I was missing, and looking for, on my own. If that describes you too, I'm pretty confident you'll like this one.

For those of you with a lot of mind chatter like me, I appreciate the LONG induction present on this CD, because it is long enough for me to let go of the chatter and concerns of the day (no small feat!).

The first hypnosis/guided meditation is a prep for the second hypnosis/guided meditation. The second one is really the "STAR" of the CD. It is already creating a new transformation and evolution in my growth. I look forward to my daily session of meditation now, and can't wait to see more changes in myself.

I hope Janet does another one of these CDs, but once the meditation leads me to the circle of stones, to just have quiet, and let me "travel" on my own for a while, and then bring me back. That way, it could be different "journey" every time and allow me to bring back my own messages and wisdom.

Okay, -"phew!"- Enough already! Just treat yourself to this CD and enjoy the transformation for yourself. You and those you touch can't help but be changed for the better! I mean, who couldn't use more love, wisdom, compassion, confidence, empowerment,patience, and being the living embodyment of the Divine? Count me in!

This CD, "Becoming the Goddess", by Janet Decker is a really powerful trance meditation that assists women with getting in touch with their inner Goddess archetype. It's amazing. The first meditation concentrates primarily on feeling the Great Mother archetype of the Goddess and that is a good introduction to the whole concept. But, the second meditation is absolutely amazing. It's like the Goddess, the Celtic Anu (achetypal representation of the maiden aspect - female power, independence, etc.), is channeled from on high. I've used this meditation for almost two years now and the psychological transformation is complete. Women need to have images of the Divine as female in order to understand the legitimacy of female power, beauty, and independence. Without that image firmly implanted in our minds, any outside changes are only temporary.

A set aside: Janet Decker's meditation is good to use in conjunction with Starhawk's "Way to the Well". You can obtain it from Serpentine Music online. Starhawk's "Way to the Well" is a trance chant meditation that assist a woman in gaining personal power from within by using the archetype of the Goddess Brigid. I believe that if a woman uses these meditations on a regular basis, she can achieve anything she wants.

Being A Buddha On Broadway: Access The Power Of Your Naturally Peaceful Mind is a self-help guide by Academy Award winning director Bertram W. Salzman. Written especially to help others achieve the peace of a subtle mind that Salzman achieved through spiritual awakening, Being A Buddha On Broadway offers dialogues, pointers, and a series of Attention Exercises to condition one's thoughts to screen out noise on the path to peace. A simple, easy-to-follow and moving instructional that promotes calm, well-being, and focus.

This book can really make a difference in your life. We all get caught up in the "drama" of living and at times don't know how to work through the stress and strain of everyday problems. Salzman's story is inspiring and his words, from the dialogues, aphorisms and exercises, went straight to my heart. For people interested in meditation and inner peace, this book is for you. I highly recommend it to anyone who longs to break free from the emotional roller coaster of life, and who wants to live in peace, complete freedom and joy.

This book of Bert Salzman has three parts. First, there is a touching spirtual memoir describing how a liberating childhood experience set the tone for understanding life events as well as evaluating meditational methods through many years. If you have ever had such a liberating experience or contemplated or attempted any spiritual path, this memoir will probably strike you as somehow familiar. Second, there is an explanation of the workings of what Salzman calls the gross and subtle minds and their actions. If you are familiar with spiritual writings you will probably see correspondences with other explanations, but if you are not, it doesn't matter. Those explanations are really to provide a little working terminology for the third part of the book in which Salzman lays out a set of exercises. If you do the execises you will learn through direct experience the nature of attention and awareness and what is required to bring them forth when you wish. The presentation of the exercises is so straightforward and practical that the only way you can fail is not doing them. So if you're interested in your liberation through the cultivation of attention, this book is a deal!

Bert Salzman's BEING A BUDDHA ON BROADWAY will obviously appeal to people already embarked on spiritual journeys. But I'm not one of them. I consider myself a highly UNspiritual person. And yet I love this book.

I love BEING A BUDDHA ON BROADWAY for its stories. Bert is an Academy Award-winning director; he knows how to tell a tale, whether set in a New York orphanage or a Korean battlefield.

I love the book for its humor and wise sayings. I'm a collector of aphorisms.

I love the book for its creative structure. Bert blends memoir, interviews, and how-to-do-it exercises in a way that's absolutely engaging and useful. I'd say that the practices are even fun, but maybe that's the wrong word for describing meditation.

I love the book for the entertaining way it presents the really difficult of subject of understanding who we are and why we are. I've been in education my whole adult life, and Bert is flat out the best teacher I've encountered.

Most of all, I love Bert's book because it has made me less skeptical about the possibility of achieving a calm mind. I'm still far from calm, but I'm a bit closer.

The Universal Source has blessed the author of this engagingly written and benevolent book. In the first chapter, Bert Salzman describes how, ever since his epiphany as an eight-year old in a Jewish orphanage, he has been given access to an ineffable golden light. I experienced something similar during a traumatic infancy, and also can identify with how he zeroed in on Zen Buddhism as an art student (we must have bumped elbows browsing the same bookshelves in Manhattan). A successful twenty-two-year career in film production resulted in an Oscar - and in enough wisdom to retire early to a French village. There, with his partner Jeannie, he devoted ten years to developing the attention exercises that he shares in the second half of this book.
Salzman has no axes to sharpen other than the reader's nose, which he holds firmly to that grindstone phrase, "Who Am I," but with the warning that you should not allow your mind to attempt to answer, but remain still in an expectant silence for whatever may come. The "Locate - Be Still Procedure" teaches the reader to widen their gaze to something the author calls "Open Attention." Other exercises allow you to hone your practice to 'Watching the Watcher.' 'Slowing Down' and 'Silent Listening, Silent Speech.'
As an inveterate underliner, I marked the following passages:
"I could never look at those trees again and think of them as just trees. In "unnaming" them and myself, I had been freed! They rushed fully alive into my void-like consciousness."
"The human mind, I suddenly realized, is the mirror in which life can reflect upon itself. At that moment I saw that the entire purpose of human existence is to facilitate the awakening of life to itself as eternal consciousness."
"When the inquiry 'Who am I?' takes place, and the mind is asked not to provide an answer - yet attention is held on the question - the source of this attention responds by removing the limited boundary of thought and reveals our unlimited and boundless nature."
"The journey is never really complete, for our lives represent only tiny movements in the ever-expanding flow of consciousness."'

Anyone who has ever expanded their consciousness via traditional methods will find the regimen that this book offers rewarding. For those just beginning the journey to their deeper selves, Salzman offers smooth traveling and easy access. Try his exercises! You'll like them!

This in not a review of David's book as one might expect rather a true account of what happened as I was reading it. "Beyond the Place of Laughter and Tears in the Land of Devotion" is sublime poetry for those looking for Truth. You can read many reviews as testament to this but when I was reading it during the morning bus commute to work I was inundated with a blissful spiritual current that was so powerful that I felt I was being lit up like a 100,000 watt bulb. My mind stopped in it's tracks, no thought, and stayed like that for many minutes as the bus made it's way down Market St. and finally let me off, drunk on bliss, to go to my day job.

How's that for starting one's day!

If you are inwardly drawn to this book, I suggest you get a copy. Read it as an exploration into your Self. While you are reading it, be sensitive to your surroundings. See what happens within yourself as you absorb David's words. It was after I met David, sitting in several of his spiritual gatherings, that I discovered his book. I had experienced his spiritual transmission at several public programs. At that time, I had been searching for Something. I was aware of spiritual organizations and teachers, but I was turned off by their doctrines. "Joining" anything was repugnent to me. To me, restrictions were totally unbearable. As I was reading David's book, I had a very amazing experience. I read what I, in my being, already knew to be True, the Something I had been searching for was awakened. I also read with interest about David's life.The reading opened up issues that I needed to explore in more depth, in the depth of my Being, by meditating alone and being more in David's presence. Sometimes fear would overcome me (as I read), for what David was sharing (in his book) took me to places that were hidden for a long time. As my spiritual awareness has grown (over the years), so has my ability to understand David's words. From sitting in his company and reading his book an incredible spiritual realtiy has dawned. For some, this book will be an account of one man's spiritual journey. For others, it will convey the Truth they've been searching endlesslly for. Either way, everyone who reads it will receive a special Gift, one meant to be enjoyed at the deepest level of Being.

I'm extremely grateful to have found this book. I've read many excellent books on spirituality and the spirit, but for me, this one is as much a meditation as a read. While sharing his personal journey, David Spero illuminates the reader's path, taking you within yourself to your own divine center. It's really quite an exceptional work. I recommend it most highly and look forward to more.

This book was wonderful! Filled with insight, wisdom and the fullness of David Spero's spiritual transmission, I have yet to find a better book on the topic of Enlightenment. Written in an easy-to-follow question/answer format, this book puts the reader directly into the topic being discussed and answers the core questions we all have as spiritual seekers. Whether you are just starting out on your spiritual path or are a seasoned veteran, you will want to make Spero's book part of your journey. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BUYING THIS BOOK!

For a person beginning any path of spiritually and for people that are more advanced, following any path, David Spero's book guides one deeply into the Divine within oneself. Written with exquisiteness from His Divine Love, Intelligence, and Knowledge, its simplicity and genuineness makes it easy to follow; and the sweetness of His Transmission can be felt long after the book is finished.

The third meditation is so helpful to me! Aside from deep meditation, I find myself practicing these meditations whenever I have a few quiet minutes (and even sometimes when I don't). With practice, the key words take root in your psyche. Thich Nhat Hanh's knowledge and guidance is invaluable.

I just wanted people to know that this is not really a book, like most of Hanh's other books, but rather a collection of guided meditations with some commentary on them.

As such, it is excellent and I highly recommend it. I have read many of Hanh's books and most are excellent, all are worth reading.

My favorite is "Anger", perhaps because I have issues with anger and use Buddhist techniques - meditation, philosophy, loving kindness - to help me control it and - hopefully - eventually put out the fire.

But this book has meditations on about everything, and I like to do 15-40 minutes of regular meditation on the breath (vipissana) and then close with 5-10 minutes of these meditations.

In my opinion, Thay as his students call Thich Nhat Hanh, is a living Buddha or Bodhisatva. He seems to embody what the Buddha taught and yet he is so down to earth he can bring that enlightenment to the common man and woman who know little of Buddhism. His techniques and explanations are so clear and simple, anyone can grasp them, use them, and benefit from them.

Thanks to Thich Nhat Hanh for writing these books!

This is the gist of the practice. You can sit down and use these guided meditations to get started, or to maintain your practice, or to get centered agian, right now in this moment. Some are steeped in Buddhist terminology and structure, which Thich Nhat Hahn explains. But most are non-dogmatic, easily accessible, and potentially life-changing. I've read much by Thich Nhat Hahn, and all of it seems to-the-point and profoundly wise. But this is the book I go back to again and again.

After searchiing for meditation exercises in the true Buddhist tradition, this book was a revelation, like the opening of a flower. It is all you need for everyday meditation, deep meditation on death, aging, beauty, love, body, mind--it has it all. And it is so elegantly translated it reads like poetry, every time you look at it. If you are looking for the inspiration to do your own guided meditation, get this one.

I have enjoyed Thich Nhat Hanh's other books because (the translation of) his writing makes Buddhist thoughts and practices clear and accessible; not too simplistic and not too academic. The guided meditations in this book are no exception. Ranging from very simple to rather complex, each meditation is written in poem like phrases, or stages, with the key words of each in the border off to the side. I have been memorizing the key words and saying them to myself while I run--it makes me much more aware of myself and my surroundings than listening to earphones and makes me concentrate on my breathing, all of which makes the experience more enjoyable.

Aretta, thank you for your soothing message and inviting us all to take this journey with you to a place where we can find our inner peace, love and  place of security.

I have been experiencing a lot of stress with my work and my wife encouraged me to try Aretta's meditation. I was a bit skeptical about using meditation to relieve stress, but have found the results to be convincing. "The Chakra Meditation" has helped me to sleep better at night, and when I use it in the morning, I feel calmer and better equipped to face the day ahead. My wife and I both listen to it while lying in bed and it has worked wonders for us both.

My wife encouraged me to try the Chakra Meditation because I have been experiencing a lot of stress from my career. I was a bit skeptical that this would help, but am convinced by the results. I have been using it for a few weeks and I am sleeping much better and facing the day ahead with less anxiety. I find myself to be calmer and clearer in my thinking, and even my body feels more energized. I never meditated before until I used this cd, but my wife has for many years, and we both love it! Thanks Aretta Swanson!

I really enjoy this cd. I have just started to learn about Chakra's and the colors associated with them. I enjoy listening to this meditation because it helps me to focus on healing each chakra. I find that I feel very refreshed after using the morning meditation and the evening meditation has helped me to sleep much better.

This meditation is very relaxing for me. I have been meditating for a few years and Aretta's Chakra cd really helps me get centered when I'm feeling restless or out of balance. When I listen to the evening meditation I find myself slipping into a deep state of meditation before we even get to the third chakra. Aretta has a very beautiful and healing voice... I can feel her energy and love in the meditation.

How many of us have walked past this book whilst browsing in a book shop without even spotting it much less buying it, reading it and appreciating it for what it is? I have had a taste of the clearlight and I have had a taste of bliss. I know on a deep experiential level that the instructions are true and precious beyond words. Imagine as a christian walking over a the holy grail and the body of christ buried below the floor and not knowing they were there, not that the finding would ever do you much good. Clearlight of Bliss is the real holy grail becasue it tells how enlightenment works and how to get there in precise detail without any of the usual new age mumbo-jumbo or contradictions or loose ill-defined language prevalent elsewhere. It is exact, crystal clear and written with complete authority. I do not believe any other author comes close. However, It can not be readily understood if the reader has not read other books nor can it be readily understood by anyone who has not practised highest yoga tantra - the search for the holy grail is long but the way is mapped out, illuminated and the guide has gone before you and come back for you and will be your friend and companion on the way. This book is more than a spiritual travalogue of the path it is a precise set of instructions set out for all to see.
Many people have read books like the 'Da Vinci code' or 'the holy blood, holy grail' and are riveted with tales of knights and secret organisations, some have made the grail their life long study and yet none of them has the slightest idea that the real grail can be found on a shelf in a bookstore just around the corner?

This is my favorite of the 5 Kelsang Gyatso books I've read. Many other Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhist) books refer to or even provide some explanation of the Vajrayana psychic system (which seems to me to parallel the Hindu Raja Yoga approach). But, in his usual thorough manner, the author provides a very organized and detailed description herein. I attended one of his weekend gatherings and was impressed with him, though I've heard he's had some falling out with other Vajrayana lamas. His New Kadampa school is, I believe, a follow-up to the now defunct Kadampa school of Tibet which, I believe, the present Gelugpas (headed by the Dalai Lama) evolved from. It seems to me that the Gelugpa "Mahamudra" is VERY different from the Kagyu Mahamudra. The latter is quite similar in many respects to the Nyingmapa Dzogchen. The four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism are: Nyingmapa (the oldest based on 9th century translations), the Kagyu and Sakya (evolved about the same time), and the Gelugpa (the newest, I believe). Though the relatively recent Rime ecumenical movement attempted (pretty successfully) to provide cross-over teachings across the four schools. In any case, this book, while certainly not easy reading, provides a great source of information on esoteric, hard-to-find Vajrayana principles.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso makes very difficult Buddhist concepts and practices crystal clear. To me, his books are indespensible. All of his books are like textbooks to be referred to time and again for reference. This and Clear Light of Bliss are great tantric Manuals.
Dakini Land is another Tantric work by this author and is highly rated. I will be purhasing this one shortly.

Topics covered in the reviewed book- Isolated speech, Isolated Mind,
Isolated Body. Description of lower tantras and Highest Yoga Tantra.
How to advance from Generation stage to completion stage. In short, another great book by this author.

Based on oral teachings received by the author, as well as authentic works from great masters like Je Tsonkhapa and the first Panchen Lama, this book provides a detailed and precise explanation of the completion stage practices of Tantric Mahamudra. It takes the reader from the initial Meditation on the Subtle Body, through Inner Fire Meditation, to the final attainment of Full Enlightenment. Some of the topics include: Channels, Winds, and Drops, Clear Light and the Four Joys, Nine Mixings and the Two Mudras, the Nature of Mind, instructions to achieve Tranquil Abiding, Meditation on Emptiness, the Illusory Body, Clear Light and Union, and Resultant Mahamudra. Although the main purpose of this book is to explain the advanced practices of Mahamudra, students of different levels will benefit from the clear and practical explanations and instructions on many aspects of Vajrayana Buddhism. These include foundational issues, like how to develop meditative concentration, and how to meditate on emptiness. It also answers question like "what causes the dream body to enter the gross body when we wake from the dream state?" And on to instruction on how to mix with the Truth Body, Enjoyment Body, and Emanation Body during death. One gets as much out of this book as one is capable of, and cannot help but being inspired by it. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche has been residing and teaching in the West for more than twenty years, transmitting ancient wisdom to the modern world. A fully accomplished Tantric Master, he wants this book to especially benefit the Western Dharma practitioners. First published in 1982, this book is already a classic. The writing is simple and direct. The explanations and instructions are extremely clear, leaving nothing to guesswork. Especially valuable for the practitioners, are the superb and unparalleled descriptions of the inner states. Making this book more than just a philosophical discourse or a reference, but a veritable guide.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's Clear Light of Bliss, gives extensive instructions on the generation stage and completion stage of Secret Mantra, the most profound and powerful teachings Buddha ever gave. Geshe Kelsang explains in great detail how we can generate a deeply peaceful mind and achieve powerful concentration by harnessing the subtle energy system within our own body. Utilizing this energy source, we can meditate powerfully and effectively on the true nature of reality, destroying the ignorance that prevents us from experiencing the supreme joy of permanent happiness and freedom from suffering.

I recommend this book to anyone that is searching for a deeper explanation of the inner-workings of our energy and how it can be used to improve our meditation practice and our minds so that we can be of greater benefit to others. These are advanced instructions so I would not recommend this book to someone who has no familiarity with Tantra at all. For a great introduction to Tantra I would recommend one of Geshe Kelsang's other books on the subject, Tantric Grounds and Paths.