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| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Waking Up Sam Harris, 2015-06-16 Spirituality.The search for happiness --Religion, East and West --Mindfulness --The truth of suffering --Enlightenment --The mystery of consciousness.The mind divided --Structure and function --Are our minds already split? --Conscious and unconscious processing in the brain --Consciousness is what matters --The riddle of the self.What are we calling I? --Consciousness without self --Lost in thought --The challenge of studying the self --Penetrating the illusion --Meditation.Gradual versus sudden realization --Dzogchen: taking the goal as the path --Having no head --The paradox of acceptance --Gurus, death, drugs, and other puzzles.Mind on the brink of death --The spiritual uses of pharmacology. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations Jules Evans, 2013-10-03 When philosophy rescued him from an emotional crisis, Jules Evans became fascinated by how ideas invented over two thousand years ago can help us today. He interviewed soldiers, psychologists, gangsters, astronauts, and anarchists and discovered the ways that people are using philosophy now to build better lives. Ancient philosophy has inspired modern communities — Socratic cafés, Stoic armies, Epicurean communes — and even whole nations in the quest for the good life. This book is an invitation to a dream school with a rowdy faculty that includes twelve of the greatest philosophers from the ancient world, sharing their lessons on happiness, resilience, and much more. Lively and inspiring, this is philosophy for the street, for the workplace, for the battlefield, for love, for life. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Waking Up Sam Harris, 2014-09 For the millions of Americans who want spirituality without religion, Sam Harris's new book is a guide to meditation as a rational spiritual practice informed by neuroscience and psychology. From multiple New York Times bestselling author, neuroscientist, and new atheist Sam Harris, Waking Up is for the 30 percent of Americans who follow no religion, but who suspect that Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Rumi, and the other saints and sages of history could not have all been epileptics, schizophrenics, or frauds. Throughout the book, Harris argues that there are important truths to be found in the experiences of such contemplatives--and, therefore, that there is more to understanding reality than science and secular culture generally allow. Waking Up is part seeker's memoir and part exploration of the scientific underpinnings of spirituality. No other book marries contemplative wisdom and modern science in this way, and no author other than Sam Harris--a scientist, philosopher, and famous skeptic--could write it. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Moral Landscape Sam Harris, 2010-10-05 New York Times bestselling author Sam Harris’s first book, The End of Faith, ignited a worldwide debate about the validity of religion. In the aftermath, Harris discovered that most people—from religious fundamentalists to non-believing scientists—agree on one point: science has nothing to say on the subject of human values. Indeed, our failure to address questions of meaning and morality through science has now become the primary justification for religious faith. In this highly controversial book, Sam Harris seeks to link morality to the rest of human knowledge. Defining morality in terms of human and animal well-being, Harris argues that science can do more than tell how we are; it can, in principle, tell us how we ought to be. In his view, moral relativism is simply false—and comes at an increasing cost to humanity. And the intrusions of religion into the sphere of human values can be finally repelled: for just as there is no such thing as Christian physics or Muslim algebra, there can be no Christian or Muslim morality. Using his expertise in philosophy and neuroscience, along with his experience on the front lines of our “culture wars,” Harris delivers a game-changing book about the future of science and about the real basis of human cooperation. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Free Will Sam Harris, 2012-03-06 From the New York Times bestselling author of The End of Faith, a thought-provoking, brilliant and witty (Oliver Sacks) look at the notion of free will—and the implications that it is an illusion. A belief in free will touches nearly everything that human beings value. It is difficult to think about law, politics, religion, public policy, intimate relationships, morality—as well as feelings of remorse or personal achievement—without first imagining that every person is the true source of his or her thoughts and actions. And yet the facts tell us that free will is an illusion. In this enlightening book, Sam Harris argues that this truth about the human mind does not undermine morality or diminish the importance of social and political freedom, but it can and should change the way we think about some of the most important questions in life. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Buddhism without Beliefs Stephen Batchelor, 1998-03-01 A national bestseller and acclaimed guide to Buddhism for beginners and practitioners alike In this simple but important volume, Stephen Batchelor reminds us that the Buddha was not a mystic who claimed privileged, esoteric knowledge of the universe, but a man who challenged us to understand the nature of anguish, let go of its origins, and bring into being a way of life that is available to us all. The concepts and practices of Buddhism, says Batchelor, are not something to believe in but something to do—and as he explains clearly and compellingly, it is a practice that we can engage in, regardless of our background or beliefs, as we live every day on the path to spiritual enlightenment. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality André Comte-Sponville, 2007 Poses an argument for living a spiritual life that is not dependent on religion, explaining that an acceptance of philosophical spiritual traditions and values does not require practitioners to embrace the existence of a higher order. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: How to Be Spiritual Without Being Religious D. Patrick Miller, 2018 Patrick's writing is so clear and heartfelt that it is hard to believe that he did not write the book for you--whoever you are, and wherever you may be on your journey. --Iyanla Vanzant, host Iyanla Fix My Life Authentic Spirituality Without Religion According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 37 percent of Americans identify themselves as spiritual but not religious. How to Be Spiritual Without Being Religious is a book for that sizable number of folks who seek a rich and authentic interior life but find formal religious affiliation unappealing. It is a clear and nondogmatic guide for finding one's own path of transformation, for embracing a vision of a practical faith that enhances a life of happiness and peace. Miller's concise approach arises out of what he calls the spirituality of ordinary life. It is an approach dedicated to exploring the big questions: Why am I here? Who am I? What is the best way to be of use. A spiritual faith is a more practical way to deal with everyday life than cynicism, toughness, or defensiveness...it daily increases its usefulness and reliability. Spirituality is the way out of misery, the way in to self-knowledge, and the way toward a more fulfilling and effective life. --From the introduction Praise for The Book of Practical Faith: Succinct and salutary . . . D. Patrick Miller's thoughtful treatment of faith clarifies why this is such an important part of the sacred adventure of life. --Frederic Brussat, Spirituality and Practice This book offers a gentle, disciplined approach to growth with subtle insight and compassion. Miller names the habitual obstacles that keep us small and opens up a way to greater love, faith, and freedom. --J. Ruth Gendler, author of The Book of Qualities |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: A Trackless Path Ken McLeod, Jigmé Lingpa, 2015-12-01 18th century Tibetan mystic Jigmé Lingpa wrote a number of poems on the practice of Dzogchen, one of the great wisdom traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. In A Trackless Path renowned translator and teacher Ken McLeod offers a beautiful and evocative translation of one of these poems. Illumined by his own lucid commentary, McLeod makes this ancient poem relevant and accessible to today's seeker.The Jigmé Lingpa poem has three sections: how conceptual thinking corrupts deep contemplative practice; the timeless freedom of direct awareness (the Buddhist equivalent of gnosis in Christianity); and subtle errors one often makes in this practice and how to correct them. McLeod's book is likewise divided into three sections. The first is a thoughtful introduction to the text and McLeod's relationship with it; the second is his beautiful and evocative translation of Jigmé Lingpa's poem; the third and main part of the book is his verse-by-verse commentary through which he illuminates the meaning of the poem. McLeod is clearly writing (and writing clearly) for the seeker in today's world who is called to pursue the awareness that Jigmé Lingpa describes.McLeod's lucid practice-oriented commentary is enriched by the seamless interweaving of experiences from his own spiritual journey. What emerges is a picture of a person who felt a profound calling to pursue contemplative practice and the direct and personal ways he found to meet the challenges and he encountered. With great clarity, McLeod communicates the central theme of the poem - namely, that when you rest and do nothing, you find the wisdom of the ages present within you. This is a book for the practitioner of any contemplative tradition--Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism or non-dual awareness. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle, 2010-10-06 Celebrating 25 Years as a New York Times Bestseller — Over 16 Million Copies Sold It’s no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 16 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present. The journey is thrilling, and along the way, the author shows how to connect to the indestructible essence of our Being, “the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death.” Featuring a new preface by the author, this paperback shows that only after regaining awareness of Being, liberated from Mind and intensely in the Now, is there Enlightenment. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason Sam Harris, 2005-09-17 The End of Faith articulates the dangers and absurdities of organized religion so fiercely and so fearlessly that I felt relieved as I read it, vindicated....Harris writes what a sizable number of us think, but few are willing to say.—Natalie Angier, New York Times In The End of Faith, Sam Harris delivers a startling analysis of the clash between reason and religion in the modern world. He offers a vivid, historical tour of our willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs—even when these beliefs inspire the worst human atrocities. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris draws on insights from neuroscience, philosophy, and Eastern mysticism to deliver a call for a truly modern foundation for ethics and spirituality that is both secular and humanistic. Winner of the 2005 PEN/Martha Albrand Award for Nonfiction. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Letter to a Christian Nation Sam Harris, 2006-09-19 From the new afterword by the author: Humanity has had a long fascination with blood sacrifice. In fact, it has been by no means uncommon for a child to be born into this world only to be patiently and lovingly reared by religious maniacs, who believe that the best way to keep the sun on its course or to ensure a rich harvest is to lead him by tender hand into a field or to a mountaintop and bury, butcher, or burn him alive as offering to an invisible God. The notion that Jesus Christ died for our sins and that his death constitutes a successful propitiation of a “loving” God is a direct and undisguised inheritance of the superstitious bloodletting that has plagued bewildered people throughout history. . . |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: This Life Martin Hägglund, 2019 Hägglund argues that a faith not in God or eternal life, but in the finite, temporal life we lead here on earth is one that gives that life far greater depth of meaning. In contrast to the traditional religious faith in eternity, he proposes a secular faith in the value of living in time. His book provides not only a critique of religious ideals, but also a positive, alternative understanding of the beliefs and values that can motivate us to live lives of meaning in the here and now. -- adapted from jacket |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Islam and the Future of Tolerance Sam Harris, Maajid Nawaz, 2015-10-06 In this dialogue between a famous atheist and a former radical, Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz invite you to join an urgently needed conversation: Is Islam a religion of peace or war? Is it amenable to reform? Why do so many Muslims seem drawn to extremism? The authors demonstrate how two people with very different views can find common ground. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Jihad, Radicalism, and the New Atheism Mohammad Hassan Khalil, 2018 This book compares the conflicting and consequential interpretations of jihad offered by mainstream Muslim scholars, violent Muslim radicals, and New Atheists. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: 10% Happier Dan Harris, 2014-03-11 #1 New York Times Bestseller REVISED WITH NEW MATIERAL Winner of the 2014 Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Memoir An enormously smart, clear-eyed, brave-hearted, and quite personal look at the benefits of meditation. —Elizabeth Gilbert Nightline anchor Dan Harrisembarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self-help, and discovers a way to get happier that is truly achievable. After having a nationally televised panic attack, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists. Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head, which had propelled him through the ranks of a hypercompetitive business, but had also led him to make the profoundly stupid decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out. Finally, Harris stumbled upon an effective way to rein in that voice, something he always assumed to be either impossible or useless: meditation, a tool that research suggests can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain. 10% Happier takes readers on a ride from the outer reaches of neuroscience to the inner sanctum of network news to the bizarre fringes of America’s spiritual scene, and leaves them with a takeaway that could actually change their lives. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Awareness Osho, 2007-04-01 One of the greatest spiritual teachers of the twentieth century will help you learn how to live in the present moment in Awareness: The Key to Living in Balance. Underlying all meditation techniques, including martial arts—and in fact underlying all great athletic performances—is a quality of being awake and present to the moment, a quality that Osho calls awareness. Once we can identify and understand what this quality of awareness is, we have the key to self-mastery in virtually every area of our lives. According to great masters like Lao Tzu or Buddha, most of us move through our lives like sleepwalkers. Never really present in what we are doing, never fully alert to our environment, and not even aware of what motivates us to do and say the things we do. At the same time, all of us have experienced moments of awareness—or awakening, to use another—in extraordinary circumstances. On the road, in a sudden and unexpected accident, time seems to stop and one is suddenly aware of every movement, every sound, every thought. Or in moments that touch us deeply—welcoming a new baby into the world for the first time, or being with someone at the moment of death. Awareness, says Osho, is the key to being self-directed, centered, and free in every aspect of our lives. In this book, Osho teaches how to live life more attentively, mindfully, and meditatively, with love, caring and consciousness. Osho challenges readers to examine and break free of the conditioned belief systems and prejudices that limit their capacity to enjoy life in all its richness. He has been described by the Sunday Times of London as one of the “1000 Makers of the 20th Century” and by Sunday Mid-Day (India) as one of the ten people—along with Gandhi, Nehru, and Buddha—who have changed the destiny of India. Since his death in 1990, the influence of his teachings continues to expand, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Twelve Steps to Religionless Spirituality Ward B. Ewing, 2021-09-09 The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous provides a spiritual program dramatically distinct from religion. Twelve Step spirituality is based on experience, not doctrine; it is pragmatic, focusing on what works and not on theory; it is centered in a community that is inclusive, welcoming all who desire to stop drinking; it seeks rigorous honesty even when that honesty involves painful questioning; and it centers upon service to the still suffering alcoholic. The power found in working the Steps is transformational, moving participants from despair to hope, from self-focused resentment to concern for others, and from angry efforts to control to gratitude for gifts received. It works for atheists and agnostics, secularists and free thinkers, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and other faiths. At a time when more and more people identify themselves as spiritual but not religious and the traditional religious institutions are in decline in Western culture, Twelve Step spirituality provides insights that can assist in the renewal and reinvigoration of our churches, synagogues, and mosques. In our time of dramatic social polarization, it can provide a foundation for bridging differences. Largely unknown outside the recovery community, this book examines how this transformative program can be relevant to today. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Motivational Interviewing Antoine Douaihy, Thomas M. Kelly, Melanie A. Gold, 2023 This may be the single most important book you ever buy during your medical training that will help you learn about how to engage patients in a discussion about behavior change. Whatever field you pursue, patient-care will be at the heart of your practice. The second edition of Motivational Interviewing is transforming the way we engage with patients and colleagues alike. This manual is ideal for any medical doctors at all levels in their career. The text is thorough yet concise and easily accessible using clinical vignettes, personal reflections, self-assessment quizzes, and online video clips of clinical cases. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Frontiers of Knowledge A. C. Grayling, 2021-05-06 'Grayling brings satisfying order to daunting subjects' Steven Pinker _________________________ In very recent times humanity has learnt a vast amount about the universe, the past, and itself. But through our remarkable successes in acquiring knowledge we have learned how much we have yet to learn: the science we have, for example, addresses just 5 per cent of the universe; pre-history is still being revealed, with thousands of historical sites yet to be explored; and the new neurosciences of mind and brain are just beginning. What do we know, and how do we know it? What do we now know that we don't know? And what have we learnt about the obstacles to knowing more? In a time of deepening battles over what knowledge and truth mean, these questions matter more than ever. Bestselling polymath and philosopher A. C. Grayling seeks to answer them in three crucial areas at the frontiers of knowledge: science, history and psychology. A remarkable history of science, life on earth, and the human mind itself, this is a compelling and fascinating tour de force, written with verve, clarity and remarkable breadth of knowledge. _________________________ 'Remarkable, readable and authoritative. How he has mastered so much, so thoroughly, is nothing short of amazing' Lawrence M. Krauss, author of A Universe from Nothing 'This book hums with the excitement of the great human project of discovery' Adam Zeman, author of Aphantasia |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Lotus and the Robot Arthur Koestler, 1961 |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Beyond Human Nature Jesse J Prinz, 2012-01-26 In this provocative, revelatory tour de force, Jesse Prinz reveals how the cultures we live in - not biology - determine how we think and feel. He examines all aspects of our behaviour, looking at everything from our intellects and emotions, to love and sex, morality and even madness. This book seeks to go beyond traditional debates of nature and nurture. He is not interested in finding universal laws but, rather, in understanding, explaining and celebrating our differences. Why do people raised in Western countries tend to see the trees before the forest, while people from East Asia see the forest before the trees? Why, in South East Asia, is there a common form of mental illness, unheard of in the West, in which people go into a trancelike state after being startled? Compared to Northerners, why are people in the American South more than twice as likely to kill someone over an argument? And, above all, just how malleable are we? Prinz shows that the vast diversity of our behaviour is not engrained. He picks up where biological explanations leave off. He tells us the human story. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: On Having No Head Douglas Edison Harding, Buddhist Society (London, England), |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Philosophy Book DK, 2024-09-03 Get to grips with the concepts that shaped the way we think about ethics, politics, and our place in the universe. Explaining the big ideas and groundbreaking theories of key philosophers clearly and simply, The Philosophy Book is the perfect one-stop guide to philosophy and the history of how we think. Untangling knotty theories and shedding light on abstract concepts, entries explore and explain each complex idea with easy-to-follow explanations and innovative visuals. Explore the history of philosophy, from ancient Greece and China to today, and find out how theories from over 2,000 years ago are still relevant to our modern lives. Follow the progression of human ideas and meet the world's most influential philosophers – from Plato and Confucius through René Descartes and Mary Wollstonecraft to Ludwig Wittgenstein and Judith Butler. Dive into this phenomenal philosophy book to discover: -An accessible guide to philosophy, covering every major school and movement throughout history. -The clear and detailed text explains the most groundbreaking philosophical concepts and theories ever devised, while bold illustrations and pull-out quotes bring each idea to life. -Fully revised and updated to cover any developments in the field over the last 5–10 years. -Biography and context boxes place each idea in its wider historical, cultural, and social context. Your Philosophical Questions, Simply Explained If you thought it was difficult to learn philosophy and its many concepts, The Philosophy Book presents the key ideas in a clear layout. Find out what philosophers thought about the nature of reality and the fundamental questions we ask ourselves: What is the meaning of life? What is the Universe made of? And work your way through the different branches of philosophy, such as metaphysics and ethics, from ancient and modern thinkers. The Big Ideas Series With millions of copies sold worldwide, The Philosophy Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas series from DK. The series uses striking visuals and engaging writing, making big topics easy to understand. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Just Babies Paul Bloom, 2014-11-11 A leading cognitive scientist argues that a deep sense of good and evil is bred in the bone. From John Locke to Sigmund Freud, philosophers and psychologists have long believed that we begin life as blank moral slates. Many of us take for granted that babies are born selfish and that it is the role of society—and especially parents—to transform them from little sociopaths into civilized beings. In Just Babies, Paul Bloom argues that humans are in fact hardwired with a sense of morality. Drawing on groundbreaking research at Yale, Bloom demonstrates that, even before they can speak or walk, babies judge the goodness and badness of others’ actions; feel empathy and compassion; act to soothe those in distress; and have a rudimentary sense of justice. Still, this innate morality is limited, sometimes tragically. We are naturally hostile to strangers, prone to parochialism and bigotry. Bringing together insights from psychology, behavioral economics, evolutionary biology, and philosophy, Bloom explores how we have come to surpass these limitations. Along the way, he examines the morality of chimpanzees, violent psychopaths, religious extremists, and Ivy League professors, and explores our often puzzling moral feelings about sex, politics, religion, and race. In his analysis of the morality of children and adults, Bloom rejects the fashionable view that our moral decisions are driven mainly by gut feelings and unconscious biases. Just as reason has driven our great scientific discoveries, he argues, it is reason and deliberation that makes possible our moral discoveries, such as the wrongness of slavery. Ultimately, it is through our imagination, our compassion, and our uniquely human capacity for rational thought that we can transcend the primitive sense of morality we were born with, becoming more than just babies. Paul Bloom has a gift for bringing abstract ideas to life, moving seamlessly from Darwin, Herodotus, and Adam Smith to The Princess Bride, Hannibal Lecter, and Louis C.K. Vivid, witty, and intellectually probing, Just Babies offers a radical new perspective on our moral lives. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Idea of the Self Jerrold Seigel, 2005-02-17 What is the self? The question has preoccupied people in many times and places, but nowhere more than in the modern West, where it has spawned debates that still resound today. In this 2005 book, Jerrold Seigel provides an original and penetrating narrative of how major Western European thinkers and writers have confronted the self since the time of Descartes, Leibniz, and Locke. From an approach that is at once theoretical and contextual, he examines the way figures in Britain, France, and Germany have understood whether and how far individuals can achieve coherence and consistency in the face of the inner tensions and external pressures that threaten to divide or overwhelm them. He makes clear that recent 'postmodernist' accounts of the self belong firmly to the tradition of Western thinking they have sought to supersede, and provides an open-ended and persuasive alternative to claims that the modern self is typically egocentric or disengaged. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Summary of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey QuickRead, Lea Schullery, The perfect guide to adopting seven habits of effective people that can improve your life and the lives of those around you. A self-improvement guide written by Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People details how you can change your life through changing your mindset. The way you view the world is based entirely on your own perceptions, and by adopting a perception that leads to action, you can change your life and the lives of those around you. In other words, if you want to change your current situation then you must learn to change yourself and learn to change your perceptions. The way you see the problem is the problem, so you must allow yourself to fundamentally change the way you think in order to see a true change in yourself. Covey will not only teach you how to adopt a new mindset, but he will also teach you how to become proactive and focus on the important tasks at hand. At the end of the day, by adopting the 7 habits of highly effective people, you can learn how to change your mindset and then change your life. Do you want more free book summaries like this? Download our app for free at https://www.QuickRead.com/App and get access to hundreds of free book and audiobook summaries. DISCLAIMER: This book summary is meant as a preview and not a replacement for the original work. If you like this summary please consider purchasing the original book to get the full experience as the original author intended it to be. If you are the original author of any book on QuickRead and want us to remove it, please contact us at hello@quickread.com |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Mindfulness Joseph Goldstein, 2016-03-01 The mind contains the seeds of its own awakening—seeds that we can cultivate to bring forth the fruits of a life lived consciously. With Mindfulness, Joseph Goldstein shares the wisdom of his four decades of teaching and practice in a book that will serve as a lifelong companion for anyone committed to mindful living and the realization of inner freedom. Goldstein’s source teaching is the Satipa??hana Sutta, the Buddha’s legendary discourse on the four foundations of mindfulness that became the basis for the many types of Vipassana (or insight meditation) found today. Exquisite in detail yet wholly accessible and relevant for the modern student, Mindfulness takes us through a profound study of: • Mindfulness of body, including the breath, postures, activities, and physical characteristics • Mindfulness of feelings—how the experience of our sense perceptions influences our inner and outer worlds • Mindfulness of mind—learning to recognize skillful and unskillful states of mind and thought • Mindfulness of dhammas (or categories of experience), including the Five Hindrances, the Six Sense Spheres, and the Seven Factors of Awakening There is a wealth of meaning and nuance in the experience of mindfulness that can enrich our lives in unimagined ways, writes Goldstein. In Mindfulness you have the tools to mine these riches for yourself. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Religion of Tomorrow Ken Wilber, 2017-05-02 A provocative examination of how the great religious traditions can remain relevant in modern times by incorporating scientific truths learned about human nature over the last century A single purpose lies at the heart of all the great religious traditions: awakening to the astonishing reality of the true nature of ourselves and the universe. At the same time, through centuries of cultural accretion and focus on myth and ritual as ends in themselves, this core insight has become obscured. Here, Ken Wilber provides a path for re-envisioning a religion of the future that acknowledges the evolution of humanity in every realm while remaining faithful to that original spiritual vision. For the traditions to attract modern men and women, Wilber asserts, they must incorporate the extraordinary number of scientific truths learned about human nature in just the past hundred years—for example, about the mind and brain, emotions, and the growth of consciousness—that the ancients were simply unaware of and thus were unable to include in their meditative systems. Taking Buddhism as an example, Wilber demonstrates how his comprehensive Integral Approach—which is already being applied to several world religions by some of their adherents—can avert a “cultural disaster of unparalleled proportions”: the utter neglect of the glorious upper reaches of human potential by the materialistic postmodern worldview. Moreover, he shows how we can apply this approach to our own spiritual practice. This, his most sweeping work since Sex, Ecology, Spirituality, is a thrilling call for wholeness, inclusiveness, and unity in the religions of tomorrow. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Lord's Prayer, The R.T. Kendall, 2010-03 Bestselling author and pastor offers fresh, thought-provoking insights on a timeless, popular topic that will enrich readers' prayer lives and transform the way they pray. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Keeping the Faith Without a Religion Roger Housden, 2014-03-01 A Compelling Exploration of the Emerging Secular Spirituality What is faith? It is not something we must receive from a religion, nor is it a quality we must abandon in order to be rational. Faith is not the same as belief, writes bestselling author Roger Housden. A nonreligious faith allows us to live with uncertainty, change, and mortality—to embrace life in all its sublime beauty. For the many who self-identify as spiritual but not religious, Housden’s book Keeping the Faith Without a Religion offers us a way to embrace the extraordinary mystery of our lives without resorting to blind dogmatism or nihilistic scientism. He invites us to investigate: Faith and belief—how our hunger for certainty and easy answers impedes the growth of a mature spiritualityGuidance for building a personal faith based on your own inner experienceHow faith in life’s uncertainty can lift us through hard times—even when we know there are no guaranteesLove, joy, and beauty—what these experiences can teach us about the intelligence of the universe Today, many of us seek a new approach to spirituality that honors both the rational and the mystical in equal measure. With Keeping the Faith Without a Religion, Roger Housden offers a guidebook for free-thinking seekers—an inspiring call to step beyond the need for one absolute truth and trust ourselves to the unfolding of our singular, extraordinary life. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Why Buddhism is True Robert Wright, 2017-08-08 Author Robert Wright shows how Buddhist meditative practice can loosen the grip of anxiety, regret, and hatred, and deepen your appreciation of beauty and other people. -- Adapted from book jacket. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Radical Maajid Nawaz, 2016-03-01 Maajid Nawaz spent his teenage years listening to American hip-hop and learning about the radical Islamist movement spreading throughout Europe and Asia in the 1980s and 90s. At 16, he was already a ranking member in Hizb ut-Tahrir, a London-based Islamist group. He quickly rose through the ranks to become a top recruiter, a charismatic spokesman for the cause of uniting Islam’s political power across the world. Nawaz was setting up satellite groups in Pakistan, Denmark, and Egypt when he was rounded up in the aftermath of 9/11 along with many other radical Muslims. He was sent to an Egyptian prison where he was, fortuitously, jailed along with the assassins of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The 20 years in prison had changed the assassins’ views on Islam and violence; Maajid went into prison preaching to them about the Islamist cause, but the lessons ended up going the other way. He came out of prison four years later completely changed, convinced that his entire belief system had been wrong, and determined to do something about it. He met with activists and heads of state, built a network, and started a foundation, Quilliam, funded by the British government, to combat the rising Islamist tide in Europe and elsewhere, using his intimate knowledge of recruitment tactics in order to reverse extremism and persuade Muslims that the ‘narrative’ used to recruit them (that the West is evil and the cause of all of Muslim suffering), is false. Radical, first published in the UK, is a fascinating and important look into one man's journey out of extremism and into something else entirely. This U.S. edition contains a Preface for US readers and a new, updated epilogue. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Conscious Annaka Harris, 2019-06-04 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER If you’ve ever wondered how you have the capacity to wonder, some fascinating insights await you in these pages.” --Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals As concise and enlightening as Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, this mind-expanding dive into the mystery of consciousness is an illuminating meditation on the self, free will, and felt experience. What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist? We take our experience of being in the world for granted. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we? In this wonderfully accessible book, Annaka Harris guides us through the evolving definitions, philosophies, and scientific findings that probe our limited understanding of consciousness. Where does it reside, and what gives rise to it? Could it be an illusion, or a universal property of all matter? As we try to understand consciousness, we must grapple with how to define it and, in the age of artificial intelligence, who or what might possess it. Conscious offers lively and challenging arguments that alter our ideas about consciousness—allowing us to think freely about it for ourselves, if indeed we can. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Serving with Grace Erik Walker Wikstrom, 2010 Discover how to experience congregational work as an integrated element in a fully rounded spiritual life. Written for both those in the more typically recognized leadership roles-such as board members and committee chairs-as well as for those who lead while serving on a committee, teaching in religious education or helping to pull together the Holiday Fair. Makes a useful addition to a congregation's leadership development programs |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Waking Up Sam Harris, 2014-09-09 A guide to meditation as a rational spiritual practice informed by neuroscience and psychology considers how to learn from the examples of religious sages and saints from a secular and philosophical perspective without formally committing to religion. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: Waking Up to What You Do Diane Eshin Rizzetto, 2006-06-13 This Zen Buddhist guide to mindful living is “a thoughtful, sensitive examination of how to be a genuinely good person in this world” (Sharon Salzlberg, author of Lovingkindness) Life is rising up to meet us at every moment. The question is: Are we there to meet it or not? Diane Rizzetto presents a simple but supremely effective practice for meeting every moment of our lives with mindfulness, using the Zen precepts as tools to develop a keen awareness of the motivations behind every aspect of our behavior—to “wake up to what we do”—from moment to moment. As we train in mindfulness of our actions, every situation of our lives becomes our teacher, offering priceless insight into what it really means to be happy. It’s a simple practice with transformative potential, enabling us to break through our habitual reactions and to see clearly how our own happiness and well-being are intimately, inevitably connected to the happiness and well-being of everyone around us. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: True Love Thich Nhat Hanh, 2004-09-28 The renowned Zen master and peace activist introduces a Buddhist approach to practicing authentic love in our everyday lives In this eye-opening guide, Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh offers timeless insight into the nature of real love. With simplicity, warmth, and directness, he explores the four key aspects of love as described in the Buddhist tradition: lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and freedom—explaining how to experience them in our day-to-day lives. He also emphasizes that in order to love in a real way, we must first learn how to be fully present in our lives, and he offers simple techniques from the Buddhist tradition that anyone can use to establish the conditions of love. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, is an internationally known author, poet, scholar, and peace activist who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Four Horsemen Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, 2019-03-19 In 2007, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett filmed a landmark discussion about modern atheism. The video went viral. Now in print for the first time, the transcript of their conversation is illuminated by new essays from three of the original participants and an introduction by Stephen Fry. At the dawn of the new atheist movement, the thinkers who became known as “the four horsemen,” the heralds of religion's unraveling—Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett—sat down together over cocktails. What followed was a rigorous, pathbreaking, and enthralling exchange, which has been viewed millions of times since it was first posted on YouTube. This is intellectual inquiry at its best: exhilarating, funny, and unpredictable, sincere and probing, reminding us just how varied and colorful the threads of modern atheism are. Here is the transcript of that conversation, in print for the first time, augmented by material from the living participants: Dawkins, Harris, and Dennett. These new essays, introduced by Stephen Fry, mark the evolution of their thinking and highlight particularly resonant aspects of this epic exchange. Each man contends with the most fundamental questions of human existence while challenging the others to articulate their own stance on God and religion, cultural criticism, spirituality, debate with people of faith, and the components of a truly ethical life. Praise for The Four Horsemen “This bracing exchange of ideas crackles with energy. It’s fascinating to watch four first-class minds explore a rugged intellectual terrain. . . . The text affords a different, more reflective way of processing the truly vital exchange of ideas. . . . I commend the book to those seeking an honest reckoning with their religion—and those curious about how the world looks from a rigorously naturalistic and atheistic point of view.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “The full, electrifying transcript of the one and only conversation between the quartet of luminaries dubbed the ‘four horsemen’ of the New Atheism, which took place in Washington, D.C., in 2007. Among the vast range of ideas and questions they discuss: Is it ever possible to win a war of ideas? Is spirituality the preserve of the religious? And, are there any truths you would rather not know?”—The Bookseller (UK) (starred review) |
| waking up a guide to spirituality without religion: The Old Soul's Guidebook Ainslie MacLeod, 2019-04-08 Acclaimed spiritual teacher, author, and past-life psychic Ainslie MacLeod offers a practical guide to tap into your wealth of past-life experiences to help boost your success in this lifetime. |
WAKING Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of WAKING is passed in a conscious or alert state. How to use waking in a sentence.
WAKING | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
WAKING definition: 1. the moment when you wake: 2. used to refer to a period of time or an experience during which…. Learn more.
Waking - definition of waking by The Free Dictionary
Define waking. waking synonyms, waking pronunciation, waking translation, English dictionary definition of waking. adj. Marked by full consciousness, awareness, and alertness: worked …
What does Waking mean? - Definitions.net
Waking refers to the state or process of regaining or returning to consciousness or awareness after sleep. It can also refer to the period of time in which someone is awake and engaging in …
Waking Definition & Meaning - YourDictionary
Waking definition: Marked by full consciousness, awareness, and alertness.
waking - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jan 2, 2025 · waking (plural wakings) The act of becoming awake from sleep, or a period of time spent awake.
WAKING definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
3 meanings: 1. used to describe time when one is awake 2. the dreamlike state between waking and sleeping 3. the state of being.... Click for more definitions.
waking - WordReference.com Dictionary of English
wake1 (wāk), v., waked or woke, waked or wok•en, wak•ing, n. waken (often fol. by up). waken: to wake from one's daydreams. waken: to wake to the true situation. to be or continue to be …
Waking Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
I spent every waking hour/moment [=every hour/moment when I was awake] thinking about how to fix the problem.
WAKING Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words - Merriam-Webster
Synonyms for WAKING: awakening, wakening, arousing, energizing, rousing, stimulating, invigorating, stimulant; Antonyms of WAKING: sleepy, drowsy, hypnotic, narcotic, somnolent, …
WAKING Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of WAKING is passed in a conscious or alert state. How to use waking in a sentence.
WAKING | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
WAKING definition: 1. the moment when you wake: 2. used to refer to a period of time or an experience during which…. Learn more.
Waking - definition of waking by The Free Dictionary
Define waking. waking synonyms, waking pronunciation, waking translation, English dictionary definition of waking. adj. Marked by full consciousness, awareness, and alertness: worked …
What does Waking mean? - Definitions.net
Waking refers to the state or process of regaining or returning to consciousness or awareness after sleep. It can also refer to the period of time in which someone is awake and engaging in …
Waking Definition & Meaning - YourDictionary
Waking definition: Marked by full consciousness, awareness, and alertness.
waking - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jan 2, 2025 · waking (plural wakings) The act of becoming awake from sleep, or a period of time spent awake.
WAKING definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
3 meanings: 1. used to describe time when one is awake 2. the dreamlike state between waking and sleeping 3. the state of being.... Click for more definitions.
waking - WordReference.com Dictionary of English
wake1 (wāk), v., waked or woke, waked or wok•en, wak•ing, n. waken (often fol. by up). waken: to wake from one's daydreams. waken: to wake to the true situation. to be or continue to be …
Waking Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
I spent every waking hour/moment [=every hour/moment when I was awake] thinking about how to fix the problem.
WAKING Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words - Merriam-Webster
Synonyms for WAKING: awakening, wakening, arousing, energizing, rousing, stimulating, invigorating, stimulant; Antonyms of WAKING: sleepy, drowsy, hypnotic, narcotic, somnolent, …
