The rainstorm passed, leaving behind droplets of rain dripping rhythmically; looking out, the sky looks to turning a greyish hue. The bustle and din gradually disappear, and the school becomes quiet once again. School is over, as students gradually make their way home. I sit in this quiet classroom with a mixture of excitement and agitation, waiting for a momentous ritual that would be a watershed moment. What kind of ceremony would this be? What would my future be? Moments later, Ms. Kwan Man-Yiu enters, and closes the door behind her. She reminds me further, “You must always meet your leader in public places, and wait no more than ten minutes. And make sure you lose your tail.” “Remember, don’t ask anything that doesn’t concern you. The Party will let you know what you need to know. Don’t even acknowledge any comrades unless it is someone you report to directly.” Finally, she adds, “During the time of White Terror, things were even more precarious. If you try to set up a time to meet over the phone, subtract any date or time by one.” I struggle to remember everything she said, and become a “comrade”, thereby rewriting the entire story of my life.

In this 1950s coming-of-age story, a young girl becomes aware of social inequities and segregation. As an adult, she harkens back to her memories of one of the greatest lessons she ever learned.

With perfect precision, the author guides the reader along a path of awakening which leads to liberation from the pain and limitations of the past into the joyful and unlimited world of Now. This book reveals, in the simplest way, how to still the mind and become fully present and awake in the truth of life. Perhaps the most important aspect of this book is the author's unique insight into the nature of the mind and ego. He describes in detail how the ego's resistance to Presence is the primary obstacle to awakening and how we can overcome that resistance in a simple and effective way. Each page of this book reveals a part of the mystery. There are hidden keys to awakening on every page. It is like a road map home.

We live in the Golden Age of publishing for spiritual, esoteric, and new age books of all conceivable stripes (and then there is the Internet). Amongst this wild proliferation of available information there has occurred a cheapening effect, in which many teachings have been watered down to make them palatable for a public with diminishing attention spans and suffering from information overload. For the sincere spiritual seeker there needs to be an awareness of the various ways we can go astray on the path, or fall off the path altogether. The whole idea of spirituality is to be awake, yet it is all too easy to simply end up in yet another dream world, thinking that we have found some higher truth. Rude Awakening: Perils, Pitfalls, and Hard Truths of the Spiritual Path is dedicated to examining, under a sharp light, the many ways our spiritual development goes wrong, or disappears altogether in the sheer crush of books and the routine grind of daily life. ,

This book is a study of a classic list of Buddhist teachings which includes such familiar items as the four establishings of mindfulness and the noble eightfold path. The complete list, already found in the Pali Nikāyas and the later referred to as 'the thirty-seven dhammas that contribute to awakening', is seen as the embodying Buddhist path itself. The present work gives a comprehensive exposition of the treatment of the list according to the Pali sources, while also making use of Buddhist Sanskrit material. Particular attention is paid to the development of the traditional interpretations of the Abhidhamma and commentaries. The study provides a detailed account of the evolution of the Theravādin theory of meditation, exploring just how the texts understand the process whereby the 'ordinary' unawakened mind transforms itself into the 'transcendent' awakened mind. The book, in addition to shedding new light on the ancient Buddhist theory of meditation and the development of the Abhidhamma, is a valuable source of reference on a topic that must be counted as fundamental to Buddhist thought.

In this groundbreaking book, the authors of the perennial bestseller Who Dies? demonstrate how to use a relationship as a means for profound inner growth and healing. "Stephen and Ondrea's work is among the deepest, most healing and heartfelt contributions to modern spiritual life in America." —Jack Kornfield, bestselling author of a Path with Heart Stephen and Ondrea Levine devoted more than eighteen years to investigating the mind/body relationship, particularly as it relates to the states healing, dying, and grieving. Their work has affected healing and medical practices worldwide. In Embracing the Beloved, the Levines turn their attention to what has been "our most significant spiritual commitment—our own relationship." Their insights and anecdotes will benefit all who are drawn to looking inward, and all who seek a relationship as a path for spiritual renewal and merciful awareness of life.