Having imagined a machine-like world, scientists now haunt this machine uneasily. Their plight is paradoxical: they have realized their world only through intense mental effort, yet this effort finds no legitimate place in the world it so painstakingly comprehends. It seems "objectivity" only comes at a cost. Why, for example, is science unable to describe a smile? Why is the moral life of a physicist regarded as his or her own private affair? This exclusion of human qualities from science has practical as well as theoretical consequences. If we systematically imagine a world in which human beings don't exist, we will eventually create a world in which they cannot exist. Reclaiming the human sources of scientific insight, the authors of this book restore the scientist to the world given by science and celebrate the joyous marriage of sense and thought.

"'The Dao that can be a road is not the eternal Dao.' The word Dao can be a method to talk about or can be a road to walk on, yet neither meaning can convey the full significance of Dao, the Primal Wisdom." New Daoism analyzes the old Daoist classic Laozi (also called Daodejing) through the prism of the modern anthroposophic teaching of Rudolf Steiner. The author, Kwan-Yuk Claire Sit, has spent more than twenty years diligently studying these two subjects. Such resolute research has enabled her to bring refreshingly new perspectives to both Daoism and Anthroposophy. She cogently explains why Daoism can now be regarded as esoteric Christianity and how the practice of Daoism can lead to the mystical union with the Christ spirit within. Claire Sit provides practical advice on matters such as how to manifest one's wishes. She presents a so-called persist-resist principle--what one persists in wanting will resist appearing--illustrating how calmness and quietude of the mind are conducive to the fulfillment of one's goals. The author's simple and plain language explores deep and subtle aspects of Dao, incorporating numerous anecdotes to illustrate this path of self-realization. Whether a seasoned or new student of Laozi and Anthroposophy, readers will find this book inspiring and informative.

The Heart Sutra and Beyond includes The Heart Sutra in Chinese by Xuánzàng and a refreshing translation into English by Dr. Kwan-yuk Claire Sit. The main theme and purpose of the book is to show how one may practice the perfection of wisdom. Dr. Sit analyzes The Heart Sutra with metaphors, stories, illustrations, Buddhist scriptures, relevant Taoist texts, and anthroposophic teachings. She delves into Anthroposophy to explore the mystical connection between form and emptiness; between Buddhism and esoteric Christianity; between Buddha Gautama and the young Jesus; and between the future Buddha Maitreya and Jesus Christ. She applies her deep understanding of the two Chinese names for Avalokitesvara (Guan-zì-zài) and Sariputra (Shè-lì-zi) to reveal the essence of the sutra. Finally, she notes that anyone can gain great blessing by meditating on a short mantra presented in the sutra. Her commentary on this timeless text brings profound insights to those who are new to The Heart Sutra, as well as to those who may have studied and practiced Buddhism for many years.

Steiner focused on human freedom and ethics, and expanded Goethe's writings on nature into a major philosophical treatise.

This collection of essays by eminent traditionalists and contemporary thinkers throws into sharp relief many of the urgent problems of today.

The book is focused on the phenomenon of the new spirituality and the impact which it appear to have on the religious sphere and the contemporary culture. It referes to three particular European movements—the 'anthroposophy' of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner—a movement which has influenced many social spheres like pedagogic (the Waldorf education), medicine, art, etc.; the movement, created by the Bulgarian spiritual teacher Petăr Dănov, known as the 'White Brotherhood', turned into transnational spiritual community; and the 'Unified Teaching' of the young Russian spiritual writer and healer Zor Aleph, developing between Russia and Bulgaria. The work, based on the anthropological methods of fieldwork and analysis, aims to examine the significance of the three movements and their national and transnational specifics in the framework of the European spiritual sphere.

This book is a study of contemporary spirituality as it is practiced in the world today, characterized by its secular and inclusive nature, and applied to art and art education. It identifies the issues facing a formal introduction of contemporary spiritual concepts into a secular and multicultural arts educational environment. Lander begins by separating the notion of "the spiritual" from the study of organized religions. She uses examples of art from different cultures in contemporary spiritual systems, making the study a reference book for contemporary spirituality and spirituality in art education, with usable definitions and practical examples suitable for scholars in art and visual studies, art education, and contemporary spirituality.