Over the centuries, many artists have been captivated by the unique light and landscape of Greece; from early cartographers to the impressionistic responses of the late nineteenth century, the Greek scene has continued to exert its fascination. This very personal anthology of depictions of Greece explores the changing attitude of travelers to Greece from medieval to modern times. A number of the selections relate to the historic events surrounding the War of Independence, including Lord Byron’s participation in it, which led to his death. Particular emphasis is given to the German painters of the 1830s and their pupils, who are comparatively little known in the English-speaking world. Framed by a text describing the relationship of artists to Greece, these images evoke the many moods of the country. The book is enhanced by succinct comments on the illustrations, a biographical index of the artists featured, and an introduction that discusses the development of the painterly approach to Greece.
An examination of the lingering effects of a hydroelectric power station on Pimicikamak sovereign territory in Manitoba, Canada. The child of South Asian migrants, Kazim Ali was born in London, lived as a child in the cities and small towns of Manitoba, and made a life in the United States. As a man passing through disparate homes, he has never felt he belonged to a place. And yet, one day, the celebrated poet and essayist finds himself thinking of the boreal forests and lush waterways of Jenpeg, a community thrown up around the building of a hydroelectric dam on the Nelson River, where he once lived for several years as a child. Does the town still exist, he wonders? Is the dam still operational? When Ali goes searching, however, he finds not news of Jenpeg, but of the local Pimicikamak community. Facing environmental destruction and broken promises from the Canadian government, they have evicted Manitoba’s electric utility from the dam on Cross Lake. In a place where water is an integral part of social and cultural life, the community demands accountability for the harm that the utility has caused. Troubled, Ali returns north, looking to understand his place in this story and eager to listen. Over the course of a week, he participates in community life, speaks with Elders and community members, and learns about the politics of the dam from Chief Cathy Merrick. He drinks tea with activists, eats corned beef hash with the Chief, and learns about the history of the dam, built on land that was never ceded, and Jenpeg, a town that now exists mostly in his memory. In building relationships with his former neighbors, Ali explores questions of land and power?and in remembering a lost connection to this place, finally finds a home he might belong to. Praise for Northern Light An Outside Magazine Favorite Book of 2021 A Book Riot Best Book of 2021 A Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2021 “Ali’s gift as a writer is the way he is able to present his story in a way that brings attention to the myriad issues facing Indigenous communities, from oil pipelines in the Dakotas to border walls running through Kumeyaay land.” —San Diego Union-Tribune “A world traveler, not always by choice, ponders the meaning and location of home. . . . A graceful, elegant account even when reporting on the hard truths of a little-known corner of the world.” —Kirkus Reviews “[Ali’s] experiences are relayed in sensitive, crystalline prose, documenting how Cross Lake residents are working to reinvent their town and rebuild their traditional beliefs, language, and relationships with the natural world. . . . Though these topics are complex, they are untangled in an elegant manner.” —Foreword Reviews (starred review)
Hans Strand's stunning images of Iceland with a collection of images combining aerial views and studies from the ground and below. A result of almost 20 years of traveling to this fantastic volcanic island in the middle of The Atlantic. 'I have spent around 75 hours photographing from the sky and I have travelled several thousands of kilometres shooting landscapes from ground level'.
With an annotated English translation and critical analysis of the Orgyan-gling gold manuscript of the short Sukhāvativyūha-sūtra Pure Land Buddhism as a whole has received comparatively little attention in Western studies on Buddhism despite the importance of “buddha-fields” (pure lands) for the growth and expression of Mahāyāna Buddhism. In this first religious history of Tibetan Pure Land literature, Georgios Halkias delves into a rich collection of literary, historical, and archaeological sources to highlight important aspects of this neglected pan-Asian Buddhist tradition. He clarifies many of the misconceptions concerning the interpretation of “other-world” soteriology in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and provides translations of original Tibetan sources from the ninth century to the present that represent exoteric and esoteric doctrines that continue to be cherished by Tibetan Buddhists for their joyful descriptions of the Buddhist path. The book is informed by interviews with Tibetan scholars and Buddhist practitioners and by Halkias’ own participant-observation in Tibetan Pure Land rituals and teachings conducted in Europe and the Indian subcontinent. Divided into three sections, Luminous Bliss shows that Tibetan Pure Land literature exemplifies a synthesis of Mahāyāna sutra-based conceptions with a Vajrayana world-view that fits progressive and sudden approaches to the realization of Pure Land teachings. Part I covers the origins and development of Pure Land in India and the historical circumstances of its adaptation in Tibet and Central Asia. Part II offers an English translation of the short Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra (imported from India during the Tibetan Empire) and contains a survey of original Tibetan Pure Land scriptures and meditative techniques from the dGe-lugs-pa, bKa’-brgyud, rNying-ma, and Sa-skya schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Part III introduces some of the most innovative and popular mortuary cycles and practices related to the Tantric cult of Buddha Amitābha and his Pure Land from the Treasure traditions in the bKa’-brgyud and rNying-ma schools. Luminous Bliss locates Pure Land Buddhism at the core of Tibet’s religious heritage and demonstrates how this tradition constitutes an integral part of both Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism.
To celebrate Saskatchewan's centenary, internationally renowned master photographer Courtney Milne has returned home to celebrate his first love-Saskatchewan. The breathtaking images in Saskatchewan: The Luminous Landscape pay homage to the beauty of the province's prairies, hills, forests, lakes and skies. From the Cypress Hills in the southwest to Selwyn Lake and the Crackingstone Peninsula in the far north, Saskatchewan: The Luminous Landscape transports viewers from iconic images of the prairie to the seldom seen vistas of the north. The 225 images-coupled with personal notes, stories and journal entries-reveal why, like all prairie natives, Courtney Milne's world travels always leave him longing for his cherished province. "It comes as no surprise," he notes, 'that we become spoiled by the dazzling displays of light-sunsets, sundogs, harvest moons, northern lights, not to mention thunder clouds, rainbows, hoarfrost, blue spring ditches and fields painted canola-yellow, mid-July green, or ripened gold."
Travel through the ancient, culture rich world of Myanmar through the eye of internationally acclaimed travel photographer David Lazar. With 120 fine art photographs that celebrate the beauty and unique culture of the Golden Land, Myanmar A Luminous Journey is a gorgeous coffee table book that is the culmination of six years and extensive travel throughout the most Buddhist country in the world.
Capture the essence of the Pacific Northwest with this exquisite gift book from internationally acclaimed nature photographer Art Wolfe. In 175 of his signature photographs, Wolfe focuses on his home region with masterful portraits of the mountains, forests, rivers, sea, islands, and desert of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Each chapter opens with an evocative essay by celebrated nature writer Brenda Peterson, making Pacific Northwest is the perfect keepsake for residents, visitors, and nature lovers everywhere.
• Reveals the afterlife as a fluid realm of imagination and invention, a luminous landscape created entirely of consciousness • Explains how to navigate the early stages of the afterlife, how we learn and grow in the spirit world, and how to release anxiety about the end of life • Includes exercises and meditations to prepare you for navigating and communicating in spirit There is no better source of information on death and the afterlife than someone who has died and lives in spirit. Channeling his late son, Jordan, psychologist Matthew McKay offers a postdeath guide for the living, revealing in vivid detail what to expect when we die and how to prepare for the wonders of the afterlife. Specifically describing the transition experience and the early stages of the afterlife, including how to navigate each stage, Jordan shows how death is a fluid realm of imagination and invention, a luminous landscape created entirely of consciousness. He explains how a soul that has newly crossed over is an amnesiac, arriving without senses, a nervous system, and all that has anchored us to the world. Jordan details how to navigate without a body, how we learn and grow in the spirit world, and how to release anxiety about the end of life and instead view it as another stage of being. He shows that the inferno described by Dante is an optional nightmare caused by thought projections that overwhelm the newly transitioned soul, and he reveals that the bardos are where souls who are beset with fear and false beliefs spend time learning and recovering. Providing profound relief from the fear of death, as well as exercises to prepare you for navigating and communicating in spirit, Jordan’s message reveals how love is the bonding element that holds all of consciousness--and the afterlife--together. McKay also documents the unbreakable bond between the living and the dead and teaches the skill of channeling, allowing you to connect to loved ones who have passed.
Island light is magical. And none more so than Ireland's. Ireland's light floods the landscape, luring the senses with a restless presence. The water surrounding and carving through the island reflects back to us the ever-changing movement of the wind-blown clouds and light. Stop for a minute and the settings change: what was straight is bent, light is dark, still is in motion. It is as though an unseen hand directs the wind, the clouds, and the light to harness our attention. Ireland: A Luminous Beauty is a collection of stunning full-color photographs by some of Ireland's finest landscape photographers with concise text blending history, myth, and a sense of place. Many of the photographs were taken in the early morning light or as the sun set. That hour after sunrise and before sunset, with the sun low in the sky, is known to photographers as the golden hour and favored for its soft, diffused light. We take a journey to one of the most beautiful places in the world. From the ancient stone monuments of the Boyne Valley to the treacherous stone steps of Skellig Michael; from the distinctive columns of the Giant's Causeway and the spectacularly sited Dunluce Castle ruins to lush, green countryside and fields of heather; from the limestone of the Burren (the rockiest part of Ireland) to exuberant stretches of flowers and gardens; from a moody sea and crashing surf to massive stone cliffs battered by the relentless pounding of the waves, and from steely rivers to tranquil lakes, it's all here. The Irish respond to this dramatic environment by transforming it into one that solidifies and enriches their own sense of place. We all have this instinct to create our own space, but the Irish have made an art of it. Through the ancient, natural, and cultivated landscapes, surrounded by history and legend, we discover and celebrate the spirit of Ireland and its luminous beauty.
The addresses which make up this volume were written by Professor Drummond between the years 1876 and 1881, and are now published in the hope that they may continue his work. Included here are "Ill-Temper," "Why Christ Must Depart," "Going to the Father," "The Eccentricity of Religion," "To Me to Live Is Christ," "Clairvoyance," "The Three Facts of Sin," "The Three Facts of Salvation," "Marvel Not," "Penitence," "The Man After God's Own Heart," "What is Your Life?," "What is God's Will?," "The Relation of the Will of God to Sanctification," and "How to Know the Will of God."
