The spiritual journey is perhaps the most personal experience of our lives—but does that mean we have to go it alone? With The Guru Question, award-winning author Mariana Caplan brings you a unique and much-needed guide for deciding whether you need a dedicated mentor to help illuminate your path to awakening—and if so, how to navigate the deep complexities of the guru-disciple relationship. For those seeking a teacher worthy of their trust and devotion, or anyone who has been frustrated by their experiences with a spiritual teacher, Caplan offers a candid, practical, and daringly personal examination of the student-teacher dynamic, including: Are you ready to be a student? If and when you should consider making a commitment to a spiritual teacher The path of the conscious learner—how to retain your power and autonomy while accepting a mentor's authority Tips for the wounded seeker—the valuable lessons we learn from our encounters with false teachers Spiritual scandals and predatory gurus—guidance for avoiding the inherent pitfalls in the student-teacher relationship How to recognize the inner light of divinity as it manifests in the imperfect human guise of your teacher—and yourself In a time when a distrust of authority has been proven to be a healthy trait, we tend to be justifiably suspicious of those who present themselves as gurus and spiritual masters. Drawing upon her knowledge as both a scholar of mysticism and lifelong practitioner of spiritual traditions, Mariana Caplan helps readers develop the discernment that is crucial when seeking an authentic teacher—and reveals the immeasurable rewards that can come from having a trustworthy guide on the spiritual path.

The Guru Tradition: India’s Spiritual Heritage discusses the natures and roles of both the guru and the śiṣya, or disciple, as depicted in the Upaniṣads and Dharma Śāstras. The entirety of this analysis, of guru and disciple, is developed into a paradigm by which both the ancient and modern Guru Tradition can be more thoroughly understood. Four pivotal gurus from the twentieth century who have impacted the spiritual fabric of both East and West —Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi, and Paramahansa Yogananda— are juxtaposed and discussed alongside this paradigm. This study is conducted from the perspective of Advaita Vedānta, the Indian philosophical system of nondualism.

Anyone who has worked for a large organization understands that all bureaucracies demand to be fed. Some of these bureaucracies can develop insatiable appetites, and when they do, the defining aspect between success and failure is often good leadership. But what is good leadership? Leaders are responsible for making sense of the ambiguity that emerges from the complex relationships that define organizations. They provide the frames to help us understand what we see. But when meaning and purpose begin to fade from the day-to-day taskers, special projects and reports, we are left to wonder whether we are observing mere nonsense or something else we just don t understand. How can we know? We must ask questions -- good questions. Any meaningful attempt to understand the complexities of organizational life requires considerable reflection upon one's own thinking. Through a collection of stories, The 52nd Floor: Thinking Deeply About Leadership takes readers on a reflective journey where they can discover for themselves the right questions to ask to create a path to become a better leader. Welcome to the 52nd Floor. Reviews (Five stars) A must read for those who want a new approach to leadership.--Midwest Book Review (July 8, 2009) Thinking Deeply About Leadership is a perfect subtitle for this book. Why? Because as you read and get actively involved with the process which Levy, Parco, and Blass have created, you will think deeply about what leadership means to you. This book on leadership is all about you and your leadership point of view, not about the authors and their leadership point of view. Wow! What a learning opportunity. --Ken Blanchard, Legendary Co-Author of The One Minute Manager & Leading at a Higher Level Whether in the locker room or the board room, on the field or in the office, leaders constantly influence behavior. This book is ideal for anyone who has ever wondered about what it means to lead. Levy, Parco, and Blass, have given us much to think about - their book is a winner! --Coach Bobby Bowden, College Football Hall of Fame Leadership is certainly a subject that requires deep thinking because it determines success or failure in every human endeavor. The 52nd Floor is a non-traditional approach that provides the reader with a unique glimpse into leadership. A must read for those serious about developing as effective leaders. --Bill Looney, General (ret.), U.S. Air Force, Author of Exceeding Expectations An absolutely fascinating look into leadership. Levy, Parco and Blass have fully grasped the entire picture and spectrum of leadership that has taken me a lifetime to discern. This book will make you think . --Michael J.C. Roth, President Emeritus, USAA Investment Management Company It takes courage and imagination to write such a book. I can only hope that more will follow. I like the way the questions have been posed, how myths have been shattered, and the emphasis on thinking deeply rather than repeating trivialities. Very well done. --Amnon Rapoport, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Management, University of California-Riverside Bravo! The authors have written a brilliant and wholly unique leadership book! The inclusiveness and participatory nature of the book will inspire anyone who is interested in management. Once you get started, you won't be able to put it down! --Robert N. Mishev, McKinsey & Co. Finally, a leadership book that will actually improve one's leadership! The 52nd Floor sees leadership as a journey, a practice what real people do in real time to create practical value right now. Here is a natural and realistic practice that we can take to make our leadership journeys successful. --James R. Barker, PhD., Editor, Management Communication Quarterly

The unifying theme in the life of Guru Gobind Singh was confrontation with the Mughals, which culminated in a struggle for political power. This fact is brought into sharp focus when we consider the Guru’s life and legacy simultaneously in the contexts of the Mughal Empire, its feudatory states in the hills, and the Sikh movement. The creation of the Khalsa in 1699 as a political community with the aspiration to rule made conciliation or compromise with the Mughal state almost impossible. Their long struggle ended eventually in the declaration of Khalsa Raj in 1765. Using contemporary and near contemporary sources in Gurmukhi, Persian, and English, J.S. Grewal presents a comprehensive study of this era of Sikh history. The volume elaborates on the life and legacy of Guru Gobind Singh and explores the ideological background of the institution of the Khalsa and its larger political context. Grewal, however, emphasizes that the legacy of the Khalsa was also social and cultural. This authoritative volume on the tenth Guru is a significant addition to the field of Sikh studies.

The Corporate Wolf pack is aimed at all business and other organization leaders struggling to come to terms with the realities of vigorous competition and needing to develop their corporate cultures to survive and perform. The book tells a simple story which is used on an executive retreat to train and develop the leaders of tomorrow. Questions and anwsers are used at the end of each chapter to stimulate discussion on each topic, such as how should leaders behave, who should be the leaders. It uses a story based around the struggles of a wolf pack to encourage leaders and aspiring leaders to think, feel and consider how to build enduring and successful organizations, that can compete and survive and build a better future for all of society.

bull; Contains the most depth and breadth of coverage of any book on SQL Server architecture, internals, and tuning bull; Will be a key reference for anyone working with SQL Server, no matter what their skill level bull; The latest book in the bestselling series of Guru's Guides from Ken Henderson

Anyone on the spiritual path knows it's rare that the illumined lives of yogis and gurus are laid before us. We have but a handful: Autobiography of a Yogi; Milarepa: Tibet's Great Yogi; Ramakrishna and His Disciples and a few of others. Now comes an amazing book, The Guru Chronicles, filled with the magical and highly mystical stories of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, his Sri Lankan guru Siva Yogaswami and five preceding masters, who all held truth in the palm of their hand and inspired slumbering souls to "Know thy Self."