The Books of Contemplation
Title | The Books of Contemplation PDF eBook |
Author | Mark Verman |
Publisher | State University of New York Press |
Pages | 283 |
Release | 2012-02-01 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 1438422881 |
The earliest medieval Jewish mystical writings, or kabbalah, date from the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. This is the first book to focus on the most prodigious group active at that time—the 'Circle of Contemplation'. The 'Circle of Contemplation' generated a mystical theology that differs radically from mainstream kabbalistic theosophy. Two of this group's penetrating speculations on God and the origins of the universe are The Book of Contemplation and The Fountain of Wisdom. A meticulous and systematic study of these writings forms the core of this book. Verman discovered that the 'Circle of Contemplation' produced a series of distinct treatises, each entitled The Book of Contemplation and attributed to the same fictitious author. These treatises, embodying one of the most intriguing puzzles of medieval literature, are included here. The author concludes that these writings were a product of thirteenth-century Spain, not France, as claimed by Gershom Scholem. His conclusion engendered a critical evaluation of the premises of Scholem's historiography of early medieval Jewish mysticism.
The Book of Contemplation
Title | The Book of Contemplation PDF eBook |
Author | Usama ibn Munqidh |
Publisher | Penguin UK |
Pages | 428 |
Release | 2008-07-03 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 0141919175 |
The volume comprises lightly annotated translation of a key medieval Arabic text that bears directly on the Crusades and Crusader society and the Muslim experience of them.
The Inner Experience
Title | The Inner Experience PDF eBook |
Author | Thomas Merton |
Publisher | Harper Collins |
Pages | 194 |
Release | 2012-09-11 |
Genre | Religion |
ISBN | 0062245082 |
Now in paperback, revised and redesigned: This is Thomas Merton's last book, in which he draws on both Eastern and Western traditions to explore the hot topic of contemplation/meditation in depth and to show how we can practice true contemplation in everyday life. Never before published except as a series of articles (one per chapter) in an academic journal, this book on contemplation was revised by Merton shortly before his untimely death. The material bridges Merton's early work on Catholic monasticism, mysticism, and contemplation with his later writing on Eastern, especially Buddhist, traditions of meditation and spirituality. This book thus provides a comprehensive understanding of contemplation that draws on the best of Western and Eastern traditions. Merton was still tinkering with this book when he died; it was the book he struggled with most during his career as a writer. But now the Merton Legacy Trust and experts have determined that the book makes such a valuable contribution as his major comprehensive presentation of contemplation that they have allowed its publication.
The Art of Contemplation
Title | The Art of Contemplation PDF eBook |
Author | Richard Rudd |
Publisher | |
Pages | 0 |
Release | 2022-06-15 |
Genre | |
ISBN | 9781913820145 |
An exquisite gem of a book, this deceptively simple technique of contemplation can be learned in a single day, and yet it will change your life forever. Taking us through there 3 levels of contemplation - pausing, pivoting and merging, Richard Rudd invites us to hone the art of contemplation in our everyday lives, to gain insight into any issue or problem, to heal deep-seated trauma and ultimately to find peace and clarity.
The Book of Contemplation, 39
Title | The Book of Contemplation, 39 PDF eBook |
Author | |
Publisher | Fons Vitae |
Pages | 176 |
Release | 2021-08-06 |
Genre | |
ISBN | 9781941610558 |
The Book of Contemplation is the thirty-ninth of the forty Books of The Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya' 'ulum al-din) and the very last to appear in English translation. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's purpose in this Book is to explain the nature and importance of contemplation, or reflection, as an act that enriches the thinking person with increased knowledge of, and wonder at, the Creator and His creation. In Part 1, he defines and introduces the subject, explaining its importance with reference to the Qur'an, Hadiths, and sayings of wise and pious Muslims. In Part 2, he expounds his own highly original views as to the nature and fruits of contemplation. Part 3 offers detailed guidance on the most appropriate and beneficial subjects for reflection, some relating to human traits and actions and others to Divine Attributes and Actions. In Part 4, he explores in detail aspects of God's creation, which, when viewed with an observant eye and considered with a worshipful heart, are full of wonders and offer an inexhaustible scope for reflection - from the artistry of the spider and bee to the unimaginable vastness of the heavens, which themselves are dwarfed by what lies beyond them.
New Seeds of Contemplation
Title | New Seeds of Contemplation PDF eBook |
Author | Thomas Merton |
Publisher | Shambhala Publications |
Pages | 321 |
Release | 2003 |
Genre | Body, Mind & Spirit |
ISBN | 1590300491 |
A collection of thirty-nine short essays in which Thomas Merton examines what true contemplation is and how it can impact one's spirituality.
A Sunlit Absence
Title | A Sunlit Absence PDF eBook |
Author | Martin Laird |
Publisher | OUP USA |
Pages | 209 |
Release | 2011-07-28 |
Genre | Body, Mind & Spirit |
ISBN | 0195378725 |
In his sequel to the best-selling Into the Silent Land, Martin Laird guides the reader more deeply into the sanctuary of Christian meditation. He focuses here on negotiating key moments of difficulty on the contemplative path, showing how the struggles we resist become vehicles of the healing silence we seek. With clarity and grace Laird shows how we can move away from identifying with our turbulent, ever-changing thoughts and emotions to the cultivation of a "sunlit absence"--the luminous awareness in which God's presence can most profoundly be felt.