• The collection begins by inviting readers on a journey of self-discovery and inner exploration, encouraging them to look within for peace and harmony. • Poems in the collection explore themes of reflection, encouraging readers to accept themselves fully and find peace in their imperfections. • Throughout the journey, there is a recurring theme of embracing the present moment and letting go of the past, finding peace in the here and now. • The poems highlight the importance of gratitude and mindfulness, encouraging readers to find joy in the little things and be present in each moment. • There is a sense of reverence for the natural world, with poems drawing parallels between the cycles of nature and the cycles of life, reminding readers of their connection to the earth. • The poems offer a sense of hope and renewal, reminding readers that no matter how difficult life may seem, there is always a path to inner peace. • The collection concludes with a sense of acceptance and contentment, leaving readers with a profound sense of peace and a renewed appreciation for the beauty of life.

In China, the tradition of living as a hermit has existed for 5,000 years and is one of the mysteries of its culture. In the age of the internet hermits still dwell in the mountain ranges south of Xi'an living life as it was thousands of years ago. Drawn to the hermetic life, the author spent three years in the depths of the Zhongnan Mountains visiting and staying with over 100 hermits. In their midst, high amongst the clouds he practiced with the hermits, achieved enlightenment and learned their secret traditions. Seated above the clouds he looked down on the mundane world below as he refined his spirit and reformed his soul in the experience of a different mode of existence. As contemporary man busied himself with the creation of his own networks, and searched for knowledge, wealth and love, the author took the opposite route and sought out the hermits of legend. As we close the book, his efforts allow us, for a moment, to transcend the chaos of life, achieve detachment and an inner contemplation and turn and enter our own inner being.

The way to inner peace is illuminated in this accessible guide to tending one's inner landscape. The lives of outstanding figures such as the Buddha, Walt Whitman, and Gandhi are used to connect the ideal of inner peace with how real people cultivate peace in their everyday lives. Peacefulness as dynamic, selective, and egoless is shown through the constructive act of choosing different ways of life, such as having a smaller family or a more modest career. A message of hope and inspiration permeates this pragmatic approach and is exemplified by the author's own practice of meditation.

In 1989, Bill Porter, having spent much of his life studying and translating Chinese religious and philosophical texts, began to wonder if the Buddhist hermit tradition still existed in China. At the time, it was believed that the Cultural Revolution had dealt a lethal blow to all religions in China, destroying countless temples and shrines, and forcibly returning thousands of monks and nuns to a lay life. But when Porter travels to the Chungnan mountains — the historical refuge of ancient hermits — he discovers that the hermit tradition is very much alive, as dozens of monks and nuns continue to lead solitary lives in quiet contemplation of their faith deep in the mountains. Part travelogue, part history, part sociology, and part religious study, this record of extraordinary journeys to an unknown China sheds light on a phenomenon unparalleled in the West. Porter's discovery is more than a revelation, and uncovers the glimmer of hope for the future of religion in China.

One of the most beloved and trusted mindfulness teachers in America offers a lifeline for difficult times: the RAIN meditation, which awakens our courage and heart Tara Brach is an in-the-trenches teacher whose work counters today's ever-increasing onslaught of news, conflict, demands, and anxieties--stresses that leave us rushing around on auto-pilot and cut off from the presence and creativity that give our lives meaning. In this heartfelt and deeply practical book, she offers an antidote: an easy-to-learn four-step meditation that quickly loosens the grip of difficult emotions and limiting beliefs. Each step in the meditation practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) is brought to life by memorable stories shared by Tara and her students as they deal with feelings of overwhelm, loss, and self-aversion, with painful relationships, and past trauma--and as they discover step-by-step the sources of love, forgiveness, compassion, and deep wisdom alive within all of us.

Each square represents snapshots of life capturing time within each border. Peace in Pieces is a collection of forty-one poems that grapple with the complexity of living. Writing has been Peggy Belles's uncensored outlet throughout her life. Documented here in captivating verse are the immense challenges and indelible experiences of one woman's journey from a childhood marred by abuse, family addiction, and death into adulthood and the pursuit of a purposeful life for herself by helping others. Much like squares of a quilt, each poem in Peace in Pieces serves as a story of its own-a distinct sliver of Belles's life-but together they illustrate the humbling lessons that come with experience. Loss, shame, abuse, and regret are influences of Belles's words, but ultimately the power of vulnerability and the cyclical nature of blame and forgiveness are the prizes waiting in reflection. The poems run the gamut of some of life's most tragic themes. But through shimmering stanzas comes a sense of triumph amid challenge and the uplifting notion that inner peace is only waiting to be discovered. Ultimately, Belles's autobiography as told through her poetry is much more than it seems. Peace in Pieces captures a powerful sense of self-a deep consciousness and awareness that reveals that true inner strength is more than the mere ability to march on through adversity.

A set of tools to help people on the spiritual journey to find themselves.