Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes examines the affairs of Rinzai Zen's Tōkeiji Convent, founded in 1285 by nun Kakusan Shidō after the death of her husband, Hōjō Tokimune. It traces the convent's history through seven centuries, including the early nuns' Zen practice; Abbess Yōdō's imperial lineage with nuns in purple robes; Hideyori's seven-year-old daughter—later to become the convent's twentieth abbess, Tenshu—spared by Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle for Osaka Castle; Tōkeiji as "divorce temple" during the mid-Edo period and a favorite topic of senryu satirical verse; the convent's gradual decline as a functioning nunnery but its continued survival during the early Meiji persecution of Buddhism; and its current prosperity. The work includes translations, charts, illustrations, bibliographies, and indices. Beyond such historical details, the authors emphasize the convent's "inclusivist" Rinzai Zen practice in tandem with the nearby Engakuji Temple. The rationale for this "inclusivism" is the continuing acceptance of the doctrine of "Skillful Means" (hōben) as expressed in the Lotus Sutra—a notion repudiated or radically reinterpreted by most of the Kamakura reformers. In support of this contention, the authors include a complete translation of the Mirror for Women by Kakusan's contemporary, Mujū Ichien.

INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLER HEAVEN IS SO REAL! WITH OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD Do you believe heaven really exists? Choo Thomas retells a stunning, personal story of how she saw the living Christ, visited Hell, and walked in Heaven.

Published on the occasion of an exhibition by the same name to be held at Musaee Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambraesis, Oct. 23, 2004-January 25 2005, Royal Academy of Arts, London, March 5-May 30 2005, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, June 23-September 25, 2005.

The Robe was the author's most successful book, going through multiple printings and remaining in the number one slot on the New York Times best seller list for almost a year. It was made into a film in which Richard Burton was the lead actor and which was nominated for a number of Academy awards. The book is a fictional telling of the story of the aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus through the experiences of the Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio, who carried out the crucifixion, and his Greek slave Demetrius. Gallio wins the Robe through a toss of the dice and it comes to have an impact on his thinking and his life. Lloyd C. Douglas was an American minister and author born in Indiana in 1877. He was married and had two children. He did not write his first novel until the age of 50 but was considered to be one of the most popular writers of his time. His works usually had a moral and religious tone. Two of his best known works were The Robe and The Big Fisherman, which were made into major motion pictures. The Robe, written in 1942, sold over two million copies in hardcover alone. It held the number one position on the New York Times Best Seller list for over a year and remained on the list for an additional two years. The film version of The Robe hit the screen in 1953 and starred Richard Burton.

Recently widowed Auntie Poldi moves to Sicily in order to drink herself comfortably to death with a sea view. But fate intervenes when she finds the corpse of a young man on the beach, and becomes a potential murder suspect. Poldi falls for the gorgeous Commissario Montana and they soon form an investigative -- and romantic -- partnership.