Say Nothing: Poems of Jalal al-Din Rumi in Persian and English (Hardcover) Review

This small, handsome, bilingual volume of inspired verse by a Sufi icon and a giant of Persian literature, Muhammad Jalal al-Din Balkhi (known in the West as "Rumi" and in the East as "Maulana") is an excellent introduction to the poet and his poetry, written specifically for the 2007 celebration of the 800th anniversary of his birth and, generally, for the growing contemporary Western interest in Eastern literature.

Rumi's "Divan-e Kabir" ("Works") fills 10 volumes, while this book provides just an introductory selection of 44 poems/620 lines including rubaiyat (quatrains) and ghazals (longer poems of from 5 to 15 couplets) which alternate here.Skilled English translations and the clear, amply-spaced Farsi script of the original poems appear on facing pages.These bilingual page-spreads provide aesthetic, authentic, inspiring and useful texts for both English-speaking students of Persian literature and/or Farsi language and for Farsi-speaking students of poetry or English language.

Most readers will be interested in the poetry itself for its radically spiritual Sufi themes that contrast with the radical materialism of contemporary Western life.Rather than give commentary here, and in keeping with Rumi's emphasis on direct experience, I urge readers to buy or borrow the book and read it through or dip into it again and again to share Rumi's inspired quest for "something beyond your grasp,/ the wisdom beyond definition,/ hidden in the hearts of men of God."Poems are listed on the Contents pages by their opening lines:"Love is my only companion...," "Let Love, the Water of Life, flow in my veins...," "If you long to be purified...," "Seek the art of loosening knots...," "All that pure ruby wine...," "If a tree could move...," "We are from above...," "I am your friend...," etcetera.The end-of-couplet refrain, "Say nothing," in "I'm a slave of the Moon" on page 55 provides the title of the entire volume.

The front matter includes a useful 5-page commentary by a Sufi scholar at Boston College, the translator's 11-page discussion of her work of linguistic transposition, and a 14-page introduction to the lives of Rumi and his soul-mate in their search for transcendence, Shams of Tabriz. Back matter includes 24 pages of illuminating Notes for the poems, a bibliography of 15 "Suggestions for Further Reading," and a list of Primary Persian Sources.

If you read this little "vade mecum" you will surely want to travel much farther on the Sufi road with Rumi. "Hush!Enough chatter in the sea, about the pearls in His sea./ If you want to be a pearl diver, don't waste your breath."



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Translations of Rumi's poetry have been enthusiastically received by the English-speaking world. He speaks directly to the heart, allowing readers to feel that they know him intimately. And yet, the full flavor of his lightness and humor, his wordplay, and his Islamic references has often gone untranslated. Rumi's poetry is direct and immediate, but it's also measured, subtle, and nuanced in a way that earlier translations have seldom conveyed. It was, above all, a spoken poetry. Say Nothing captures the rich and varied tones of a mature voice that retains its youthful capacity for exaltation and revelation.This fully annotated, bilingual (Persian and English) editioncontains both short quatrains and longer ghazals, alternating forms that reflect the shifts in Rumi's moods and inspirations. Along with poems of ecstatic flight and equally ecstatic mourning, there are moments of terse commentary, challenging dialogs, and confrontational questioning. Extensive notes allow readers to delve more deeply into the multiple meanings of Rumi's words.

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On Living and Dying [Paperback] Review

Once in a while, a book comes along that causes radical changes in your approach to the important life issues.This is one of those books.A friend gave me a copy ten years ago, which I read while on retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani.As a traditional Christian, I found the straight-forward approach uncomfortable and a little threatening, especially because it challenged many of my "factual" truths.No problem, my beliefs can handle it, right?Wrong!I couldn't shake the feeling that Krishnamurti's ideas needed to be examined again without the baggage of pre-conceived notions.I've recently re-read the book, and while I'm still struggling with the material, I find that much of what he reveals MUST be taken seriously.It's also interesting that now I find his teachings are not inconsistent with those of Jesus (although they are at odds of much of what the church teaches).He talks about "dying" to everything, Jesus talks about selling all you have and following him.He talks about life, death, truth and love being here now, Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being at hand. Etc., etc.Be ready for "in-your-face" directness, but also be ready for troubling. but awesome material.

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Reveals that the fear of death is not rooted in physical pain, or in leaving loved ones, but in the fear that some essential part of what we are will not continue. Krishnamurti explains that to comprehend death, which is so inseparably joined with life, we must come to it with a fresh understanding, free of learned attitude and preconceptions.
A thematic selection from the seminars over Krishnamurti' s entire lifetime. Drawing from talks from Bombay to Amsterdam and London to Seattle, progressing from the early thirties until the later 70's.

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The Way of Transformation: Daily Life as Spiritual Practice (Paperback) Review

This is a very deep book that should be read very slowly, because each paragraph contains much wisdom.It is not a book so much for the spiritual beginner but for those who are longstanding spiritual practitioners looking for more understanding of how to manifest their spiritual wisdom in everyday life.I disagree with the other reviewer; the Durkheim does not introduce a lot of arcane or idiosyncratic terminology -- in fact he defines any unusual terms he uses, and there are not that many.Those with backgrounds in Zen and Jungian psychology would be best suited for this book. The author does not take a devotional or bhakti approach to God (Divine Being in his terminology) but more of a jnani attitude, i.e., analyzing what keeps individuals trapped in egoic identifications and estranged from the Ground of Being (another term he uses for God).

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The guiding theme of psychotherapist Karlfried Durckheim's work is that one can become "transparent to transcendence." An early Western authority on Zen, he was one of the first to bring its methods to Europe. Incorporating Zen and depth psychology into his practice, Durckheim was also one of the earliest transpersonal psychologists. His spiritual practice of combining Jung, Meister Eckhart, and Zazen proved to lead to moments of higher consciousness, which he described as "privileged moments." In The Way of Transformation, one of his most concise and profound works, Durckheim shows that once readers scrape away personal barriers and free the divine spark within, these radiant, life-altering occasions can occur at any time. His meditative approach to daily activities turns simple tasks such as making tea, posting a letter, or washing dishes into moments of new awareness: everyday life as a spiritual practice.

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Conscience: The Search for Truth [Paperback] Review

If you already have Ouspensky's main work books this book, Conscience, is still worth acquiring.It covers the same subjects yet does it in a slightly different way.I actually found Conscience to be more helpful when I was first learning the work than some of the larger books.
There are 5 chapters:
1. Memory (Memory, Self-Remembering, Recurrence)
2. Surface Personality (A Study of Imaginary Man)
3. Self-Will (On Controlling Self-Will for Growth of Real Will)
4. Negative Emotions (no subtitle)
5. Notes on Work (no subtitle)
Each was originally a separately published essay.It's a helpful presentation because it's intentionally designed to focused in a more concentrated way on each of the central work subjects presented (as opposed to the content of, say, the Fourth Way).My copy gave me alot in my initial study (and doing) of the work ideas, practices, and goals...

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The five essays in this collection are based on P. D. Ouspensky's talks and answers to questions, transcribed at private meetings in England and the United States from 1931 to 1946. They bring contemporary readers the wisdom of Gurdjieff as interpreted and refined by a spiritual master in his own right. Topics include "Memory," "Surface Personality," "Self-Will," "Negative Emotions," and "Notes on Work." These essays argue persuasively that direct observation of self is the key to awakening from the "waking sleep" that characterizes life for so many.

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Divine Sparks: Collected Wisdom of the Heart [Paperback] Review

I've just purchased my fourth and fifth copies of Divine Sparks to give to friends.It's a wonderful collection of wisdom and a great book to curl up with on a cold afternoon with a cup of tea.

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Quotations and sayings from all paths of spiritual wisdom. From'Abundance' to 'Zoroastrianism,' the 509 topics are arranged alphabetically. What makes this collection unique is the author's vision of a broadly-defined spiritual spectrum - covering all the familiar topics of spirituality, but wide enough to include topics such as ambiguity, bees, chaos, fractals, gambling, humor, identity, journey, knots, living systems, stones, whales and yew trees. Believing that spirituality and creativity are intricately linked, Speerstra includes many insights on such topics as: art and artists, beauty, color, dance, icons, imagination, music, painting, poetry, sculpture, storytelling and writing. Women will find here a ready affinity with such topics as: abuse, birth, blood, care-taking, circles, depression, dreams, feminine energy, friendship, goddess,healing, home, interconnectedness, moon, play, ritual, etc. Consultants and others in business and organizational development will find wise insights on such diverse topics as: achievement, balance, communication, community, complexity, control, creativity, dialogue, discovery, entropy, failure, future, goals, innovation, knowledge, language, leaders/leadership, listening, living systems, motivation, order/disorder, possibilities, potential, quantum theory, questions, relationships, responsibility, service, synchronicity, synergy, talent, technology, values, vocation, and, of course, work.

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Creating Circles & Ceremonies: Rituals for All Seasons And Reasons [Paperback] Review

Creating Circles & Ceremonies
By Oberon & Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart
New Page Books, 2006

Review by Anodea Judith

Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and his wife, Morning Glory, have done it at last.Compiling decades of experience in creating rituals and ceremonies for all occasions, from the celebrations of the seasons to blessing your dinner or a new home, this book will provide ideas, information, theory, and practice to bring a sense of the sacred into everyday life.

Author of the acclaimed Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard,Oberon has written a Pagan bible that every practitioner of magic and ritual will want to have on a shelf within easy reach. With spells, chants, invocations, herbal recipes, and more, you won't want to go through a moon cycle without using this book.

From my many years of working together with this magical couple in the Church of All Worlds, I am delighted that our vast treasury of Pagan liturgy has finally been written down.Collected from many contributors, this compilation brings together the best of the Pagan community in poetry and song, innovation and invocation, including our Magic 101 class that was offered for many years as a primer in magical training.

The wealth of information herein is divided into three smaller sections. Book I, "The Magic Circle" outlines the basic theory and practice of creating ceremonies, such as creating sacred space, calling the quarters, invoking spirits, deities, or helpers, and basic ritual etiquette.Book II, "Rites and Rituals" describes ceremonies for all occasions, including rites of passage, marriages, and initiations.Book III: "Wheel of the Year" then applies these principles to the eight seasonal holidays that mark the solstices, equinoxes, and cross-quarter days of the year. The final Appendices contain information you will use as a reference for years to come.

Lavishly illustrated with Oberon's unique artwork, this book is destined to be as classic a book for ritual recipes as "The Joy of Cooking" was to the culinary world.

Anodea Judith, author of Wheels of Life, and Waking the Global Heart

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Creating Circles and Ceremonies is the accumulation of decades of circles, ceremonies, rituals, Mystery plays, initiations, rites of passage, and other magickal workings co-created by the Zell-Ravenhearts, today's foremost Wizard/Witch couple.
For more than 30 years, Oberon and Morning Glory have traveled widely throughout the worldwide magickal community-participating in gatherings, conducting workshops, and creating rituals for groups large and small. They have met and made Magick with the leaders of many traditions: Celtic Shamanism, British Dianic, Italian Strega, Welsh Witchcraft, Faerie Trad, Ceremonial Magick, Ozark Druidry, the New Reformed Order of the Golden Dawn (NROOGD), Hinduism, Native American tribes, Greek and Egyptian mythology, and the futuristic Church of All Worlds.
Here, in one easy-to-read volume, is their collection of chants, invocations, circle-castings, quarter-callings, spells, and ceremonies. It is also a "kit" to use to assemble your own rituals, for any season or reason:
Book I presents a basic ritual outline. Each element is followed by numerous examples which may be "plugged in" to customize your own ceremony.
Book II gives numerous examples of actual ceremonies: Esbats (full Moons) and special occasions; Rites of Passage; Mysteries and Initiations; spells and consecrations. These can be adapted and modified as needed for any size group-from small family gatherings in your living room, to huge outdoor celebrations involving thousands of people.
Book III provides an assortment of full rituals and ritual elements for celebrations of the eight great seasonal festivals called the Wheel of the Year. Versions of these have been commemorated for millennia in most traditional cultures of the Northern Hemisphere; and today are universal throughout the worldwide Pagan community.

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Morning by Morning (Hendrickson Christian Classics) [Hardcover] Review

I chanced upon this daily devotional in a local bookshop. I didn't know it was that good. I just bought it because I needed something extra for the morning before going off to work. As I began going through it, I realised how inspiring, motivating and crystal clear Spurgeon was able to explain some of the things about God. Along the way, it gave me many fresh revelations; things that I accepted previously as a Christian but never really understood why. As mentioned, many of the devotionals were inspiring and motivating. I really felt that God was speaking to me so lovingly through Spurgeon's devotionals. I'm not the only one who felt this way. Many of my friends and colleagues whom I shared the devotionals with felt the same way. Spurgeon's devotionals brought them so much closer to God and made some of them so much more passionate about God. This is definitely the first-choice daily devotional to go through first thing after we wake up every morning.

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For tens of thousands of Christians over the last century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Morning By Morning has been a daily devotional guide through life's ups and downs. New generations can once again enjoy Spurgeon's beautiful prose and elegant command of the English language in this addition to the Hendrickson Christian Classics series.Morning By Morning offers readers the best of Spurgeon's insight and wise counsel on themes that are as relevant to our day as they were in his day. In this updated version, Spurgeon's work is returned to its former brilliance while retaining the beautiful language of the original King James Version.

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Starting Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Morning of the Year (Hardcover) Review

Joyce Meyer continues to bring excellent christian material in a relevant and life changing format. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a bad day (Thats all of us!) How we start our day, what we think and say about it are all extreemly important factors in how it will be. This book has the ability to change your life if you let it! I encourage anyone who is needing a change or a better out look on life to get this book as fast as you can and tell somebody else about it too!!!

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Most Christians agree that when believers start the day off by seeking God, it gives thema positive outlook and a sense of peace that leads to a better day-and ultimately a better life. Now, Joyce Meyer provides readers with a day-by-day guide for getting closer to God every morning of the year. Topics in this 365-day devotional include the keys to enjoying ever single day, balancing out extremes, acting with discipline and self-control, being happy, living without fear, and much more. Readers will be propelled each morning with a resurgence of hope and resilience for life through these brief and inspirational thoughts, and will never again want to leave home without first seeking the Lord.

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Good Morning Beautiful : Winning the battle over seizures [Paperback] Review

This wonderful book talks about winning the battle over seizures but to me it went far beyond that to illustrate the imperative we have as Mothers to advocate for our children. To listen to our inner voices and alarms because they matter. This story is not just for people with children who are suffering with seizure disorders but for any parent who is not being heard or who is considering disregarding what their gut is telling them.


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At two-and-a-half, Christina was autistic. She didn t speak and had the cognitive ability of an infant. With one-hundred seizures a day, her life was being ripped away by a relentless villain epilepsy. When doctors gave up, we hung on to hope and became her advocates, researching, praying and believing for a miracle. A special diet, with roots in scripture, became the first miracle. Christina proved nothing is impossible when she repeated words to a song, Good Morning Beautiful. Extremely delayed, it was a huge milestone. Her story caught the attention of the national recording artist who recorded the song and prior to brain surgery, people around the world began praying for her. Now seizure and autism free, therapists cite services are no longer needed as Christina s file doesn t match the patient. She made honor roll and still sings Good Morning, Beautiful.

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Morning Has Been All Night Coming (Paperback) Review

John Harricharan's books are extremely enjoyable for all readers.John writes in simple language about what might be the most important question for all of us...Is life over when we die? Having lost a love one, I have searched this question often. Being a very analytical person, I needed a practical answer.John's stories provide not only an explanation but also forces the readers to do more "soul" searching on their own to find answers to not only this question but to many of the questions we have.
Readers will find it difficult to put John's books down.

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When the road seems long and dark...A message of strength and renewal for us all.
The light of hope vanished in John when his wife died, leaving him with two children to raise and the rest of his life to rethink. Surrounded by a haze of emptiness and futility, he could only dimly recall the joys of his former existenceand the strange, miraculous encounters he had once had with a wise "businessman" named Gideon.
Then the light reappeared as Gideon returned, introducing john to magical new worlds of inner peace, understanding and love. Slowly, and almost despite himself, John felt his grief turning to hope, his despair to trimuph, and his worries to a playful curiosity about what lay ahead.
In this intimate story of loss, devastation and rebirth, John Harricharan mystically blends personal experience with parable to reawaken the infinite beauty, compassion and power, which exist within us all.

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Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions (Faith Words) (Hardcover) Review

Relationships.They aren't easy and good ones don't just happen.If you want a good, strong relationship with someone, you have to work at it.You have to make a commitment.The more we invest in a relationship with another who cares for us, the better it will be.And the same goes with God.If we truly want a good, strong relationship where we can solely rely on God, we must make a commitment and work at it.

Joyce Meyer's Hearing from God Each Morning--365 Daily Devotions can help you strengthen your relationship with God through her daily meditations.This guide serves as a reminder to what is really important and to be able to recognize God's voice through all the noise of the world.

The readings are short and begin with a biblical quote followed by a short essay by Joyce.It ends with God's Word for You Today.I found these daily readings to be insightful and powerful.They applied to everyday life and reminded me where my focus needed to be at.Joyce writes in a down-to-earth clear cut manner, and really drives her point home.The readings are inspirational and positive.They really encourage you to grasp God's message and do His works.

I have many daily devotionals and usually find I read a few pages and the book gets pushed by the wayside.This one, however, will not.I was eager to read the next pages and will continue to reread this book.This devotional made me think more about my relationship with God and listen more closely to his Word.

This is a great book for yourself and would also make a wonderful gift.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group for review purposes.The opinions in this review are honest and my own.


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In the hustle and bustle of today's busy world, sometimes it's hard enough to hear yourself think, much less take a minute to stop and listen for the voice of God. But learning to recognize God's voice and the many ways in which He speaks is vital for following His plan. This devotional; drawing from How to Hear From God, Knowing God Intimately, and The Power Of Simple Prayershows the reader through a daily reminder, how God speaks through their own thoughts and feelings, their dreams, and the words of other people. Joyce Meyer reveals the ways in which God delivers His word and the benefits of asking God for the sensitivity to hear His voice. Joyce asks the question, "Are you listening?" and shares how to do just that...on a daily basis.


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Shabbat Morning: Shacharit and Musaf, Morning and Additional Services: My People's Prayer Book--Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries (My People's Prayer Book) [Hardcover] Review

Having studied the previous nine volumes in the Hoffman series on prayer, I find this much awaited volume to be a great help.As has been the case in the earlier volumes Hoffman provides a wide range of perspectives from which we may extract greater meaning from the prayer service.Shabbat morning is for many of a difficult service to relate to.With only once weekly frequency and the various distractions of Shabbat it can be difficult to relate to the meaning of the prayers.Hoffman provides a wonderful introduction, although parts are often borrowed from previous volumes, and then a talmudic approach to the individual verses of prayer.I always found something new and something that enhanced my understanding of the prayer and this by a person that has been davening for years and also studying t'fillah with the help of many teachers and texts.

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Vol. 10--Shabbat Morning: Shacharit and Musaf (Morning and Additional Services) features the authentic Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let people know exactly what the prayers say. Introductions tell the reader what to look for in the prayer service, as well as how to truly use the commentaries and to search for--and find--meaning in the prayer book.
Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, commentaries from many of today's most respected Jewish scholars from all movements of Judaism examine shacharit and musaf from the perspectives of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as feminist, halakhic, Talmudic, linguistic, biblical, Chasidic, mystical, and historical perspectives.

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