This unique collection brings us African Americans reading the Black diasporahrough the eyes of exiled Tibetan monks; Americans of Vietnamese and Tibetaneritage wrestling with the cultural norms of their parents or ancestors; Zennd Dada inspired performance pieces; and groundbreaking writings from theioneers of the Beat movement, so many of whom remain not just relevant butital to this day. With its eclectic mix of acknowledged elders and newlymergent voices, this landmark anthology vividly displays how Buddhism isnfluencing the character of contemporary poetry.
"Essential Black Wisdom gathers together hundreds of powerful quotations from people of African descent into a singularly resonant collection of thought. Arranged thematically, the selections are drawn from speeches, memoirs, novels, proverbs, and folk sayings, and cover subjects as universal and singular as the speakers themselves. The rich array of contributors include artists and activists; writers and poets; politicians and journalists; leaders and statesmen; athletes, musicians, and comedians; scientists, saints, and scholars."--Book jacket.
Do you know who - and what - you are? Do you know who you're meant to be? Do you know how to find the answers to questions like these? Knowledge of Self is the result of a process of self-discovery, but few of us know where to begin when we're ready to start looking deeper. Although self-actualization is the highest of all human needs, it is said that only 5% of people ever attain this goal. In the culture of the Nation of Gods and Earths, commonly known as the Five Percent, students are instructed that they must first learn themselves, then their worlds, and then what they must do in order to transform their world for the better. This often intense process has produced thousands of revolutionary thinkers in otherwise desperate environments, where poverty and hopelessness dominate. Until now, few mainstream publications have captured the brilliant yet practical perspectives of these luminary men and women. Knowledge of Self: A Collection of Writings on the Science of Everything in Life presents the thoughts of Five Percenters, both young and old, male and female, from all over the globe, in their own words. Through essays, poems, and even how-to articles, this anthology presents readers with an accurate portrait of what the Five Percent study and teach, as well as sound direction on how to answer timeless questions like: Who am I, and why am I here? Why is there so much injustice in the world, and what can be done about it? Who is God and where on Earth is he? How do I improve myself without losing myself? Why are people of color in the situations they're in? What can we do about the global problems of racism and poverty?
A spiritual, political, and interdisciplinary anthology of wisdom stories from Black liberation leaders and teachers. Afrikan Wisdom represents an intersectional, cross-pollinated exploration of Black life--past, present, and future. Award-winning author and editor Valerie Mason-John (Vimalasara)'s collection of 34 essays--written by an eclectic and inspirational group of Black thought leaders and teachers--reflects on the unique and multilayered experience of being Black in the world today. This anthology instills in readers the knowledge, awareness, validation, and spiritual tools necessary to nurture both individual and collective liberation. It is both an inspiration and a motivation for Black readers, as well as anyone else interested in reading about emerging spiritual voices. Topics include: • African and Afro-Diasporan cultures, histories, spiritualities, art, music, and literature • Black radical traditions of liberation and consciousness • Anticolonialism and antislavery • Buddhist philosophy • Social and environmental justice • The prison industrial complex and mass incarceration • (Kemetic) yoga, healing, and mindfulness • Intersections with Indigenous cultures • Addiction and recovery • Transgenerational trauma
This collection features contemporary visions of cosmic transformation, mutation, and madness. Here the primal beings of Lovecraft's "Cthulhu Mythos" stalk a postmodern landscape of social collapse, ethnic cleansing, genetic engineering, and nuclear devastation.
Covering over two thousand years of Church history, this unique anthology presents hundreds of aphoristic sayings from the writings and recorded works of both famous and obscure saints. Ranging from the polished literary statements of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists, to the cry of the martyr on the scaffold, these quotations treat a wide variety of themes such as joy, death, faith, hope, folly, and much more. The volume includes diary notations, lists of personal resolutions, naive remarks of saintly children who have foreseen their own destiny, and the half-legendary utterances of early miracle-working saints of Ireland and the misty northern forests. It offers the wisdom of European, African, and Japanese saints, as well as an appendix of biographical sketches. Despite the diversity of the individuals represented--hermits and Popes, the urbane and the uncouth, the sensible and the passionately foolish--this book uncovers a degree of harmony of thought among all of the saints included here. By bringing the saints to life, this collection reminds us that they were real people--not a group of museum figures carved in marble--with a range of temperaments and personalities.
New Perspectives on Ancient Magic Reconciling magic with rational thought, well-known occult scholar Donald Tyson presents an exciting collection of essays that offer fresh insights into a wide variety of important topics in the Western esoteric tradition. Along with practical instructions on the correct casting of the magic circle and the uses of familiars, Tyson includes a new system of coin divination and a complete history of the esoteric ordering of the Tarot trumps. Here you will learn the hidden roots of magic--what it is, and how it works on the deepest levels of reality. What esoteric energy is and how to use it The arcane meaning of the serpent of wisdom The making and use of a book of spirits The essential nature of spiritual beings How we perceive and interact with spirits The truth about spirit possession and why you should not fear it The reality of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and demons A revolutionary manifesto of spirits' rights