Toward Enlightened Community

Toward Enlightened Community PDF Author: David Truman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780999588529
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 76

Get Book Here

Book Description
Toward Enlightened CommunityWe've come to associate live-in community with political idealism, arrangements of functional convenience and survival, causes that are fundamentally mundane in nature -- Save the Whales, grow a garden, build an unconventional structure. There's nothing wrong with banding together to do something socially and economically sensible. That's not a crime, but neither is it enlightened. Something enlightened has something to do with love.How do we move Toward Enlightened Community?To make love meaningful, to make love kick ass, it has to be shared between real people in real intimate association with one another. It's the expression of your compassion and your love, your long-sufferingess and your willingness to be in the pressure cooker of an actual relationship with your fellow man. That's community.It is completely inherent in the human breast to seek fulfillment within a family of fellows - not people who are simply casual associates, but comrades who feel as we feel, and are willing to have an intense and emotional experience of life with us, without backing off, fading away, or growing apart. That's what we need for the rest of our lives. Anything else is disappointing. Threatening. Inadequate to give the feeling, "I am in fact loved."

Toward Enlightened Community

Toward Enlightened Community PDF Author: David Truman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780999588529
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 76

Get Book Here

Book Description
Toward Enlightened CommunityWe've come to associate live-in community with political idealism, arrangements of functional convenience and survival, causes that are fundamentally mundane in nature -- Save the Whales, grow a garden, build an unconventional structure. There's nothing wrong with banding together to do something socially and economically sensible. That's not a crime, but neither is it enlightened. Something enlightened has something to do with love.How do we move Toward Enlightened Community?To make love meaningful, to make love kick ass, it has to be shared between real people in real intimate association with one another. It's the expression of your compassion and your love, your long-sufferingess and your willingness to be in the pressure cooker of an actual relationship with your fellow man. That's community.It is completely inherent in the human breast to seek fulfillment within a family of fellows - not people who are simply casual associates, but comrades who feel as we feel, and are willing to have an intense and emotional experience of life with us, without backing off, fading away, or growing apart. That's what we need for the rest of our lives. Anything else is disappointing. Threatening. Inadequate to give the feeling, "I am in fact loved."

Dreaming Me

Dreaming Me PDF Author: Jan Willis
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0861718364
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 382

Get Book Here

Book Description
Jan Willis is not Baptist or Buddhist. She is simply both. Dreaming Me is the story of her life, as a child growing up in the Jim Crow South, dealing with racism in an Ivy League college, and becoming involved with the Black Panther Party. But it wasn't until meeting Lama Yeshe, a Tibetan Buddhist monk living in the mountains of Nepal, that she realized who the real Jan Willis was, and how to make the most of the life she was living.

Toward an Islamic Enlightenment

Toward an Islamic Enlightenment PDF Author: M. Hakan Yavuz
Publisher: Oxford University Press (UK)
ISBN: 0199927995
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 309

Get Book Here

Book Description
M. Hakan Yavuz offers an insightful and wide-ranging study of the Gulen Movement, one of the most controversial developments in contemporary Islam. Founded in Turkey by the Muslim thinker Fethullah Gulen, the Gulen Movement aims to disseminate a ''moderate'' interpretation of Islam through faith-based education. Its activities have fundamentally altered religious and political discourse in Turkey in recent decades, and its schools and other institutions have been established throughout Central Asia and the Balkans, as well as western Europe and North America. Consequently, its goals and modus operandi have come under increasing scrutiny around the world. Yavuz introduces readers to the movement, its leader, its philosophies, and its practical applications. After recounting Gulen's personal history, he analyzes Gulen's theological outlook, the structure of the movement, its educational premise and promise, its financial structure, and its contributions (particularly to debates in the Turkish public sphere), its scientific outlook, and its role in interfaith dialogue. Towards an Islamic Enlightenment shows the many facets of the movement, arguing that it is marked by an identity paradox: despite its tremendous contribution to the introduction of a moderate, peaceful, and modern Islamic outlook-so different from the Iranian or Saudi forms of radical and political Islam-the Gulen Movement is at once liberal and communitarian, provoking both hope and fear in its works and influence.

Spiritual and Visionary Communities

Spiritual and Visionary Communities PDF Author: Professor Timothy Miller
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 1472400682
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265

Get Book Here

Book Description
Exploring religious and spiritual intentional communities active in the world today, Spiritual and Visionary Communities provides a balanced introduction to a diverse range of communities worldwide. Breaking new ground with its focus on communities which have had little previous academic or public attention, the authors explore a part of contemporary society which is rarely understood. Communities studied include: Israeli kibbutzim, Mandarom, the Twelve Tribes, ‘The Farm’ and the Camphill movement. Written from a range of perspectives, this collection includes contributions from members of the groups themselves, former members, and academic observers, and as such will offer a unique and invaluable discussion of religious and spiritual communities in the U.S., Europe, and beyond.

Stumbling Toward Enlightenment

Stumbling Toward Enlightenment PDF Author: Geri Larkin
Publisher: Celestial Arts
ISBN: 0307808130
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 233

Get Book Here

Book Description
A humorous and honest collection of Buddhist wisdom from a Western beginner'­s perspective. Instead of promising a straight and clear path to enlightenment, author and teacher Geri Larkin shows us that even stumbling along that path can lead to self-discovery and awakening, especially if we prize the journey and not the destination. With candor, affection, and earthy wisdom, Larkin shares her experiences as a beginning and continuing Buddhist. This spirituality classic shows any seeker that it's possible to stumble, smile, and stay Zen through it all.

How to Live the Good Life:

How to Live the Good Life: PDF Author: Arthur Jackson
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1532071426
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 404

Get Book Here

Book Description
Preposterous, challenging, stimulating. “A note of caution: this is not an easy read. Nor is it for the detached, uninvolved person. The author invites readers to accompany him on a journey of self-discovery and provides a road map to boot, rarely presented in such a clear and comprehensive way. The breadth and depth of Arthur Jackson’s knowledge and experience become obvious early on as he presents a plethora of views from well-known and lesser-known philosophers, psychiatrists, psychologists, mathematicians, and others who influenced modern Western ideologies . . . This is a compendium of knowledge and insight nonpareil—truly a masterwork!” —Adrienne Juliano, member, Foundation for Mind-Being Research Arthur Jackson’s book is the product of his lifelong struggle to find a naturalistic alternative to traditional folk religions (like Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism) capable of providing comparable emotional support. This effort led to what is now recognized as a science of religion and ethics—a religion of wisdom providing guidance to any person interested in making moral and ethical choices. I believe that until a concrete science of religion and ethics exists and organizes to apply its findings, humanity will continue to struggle to create these things. How to Live the Good Life: A User’s Guide for Modern Humans is a fascinating and eye-opening guide aimed at helping people experience more joy and achieving their full, positive potential.

When Narcissism Comes to Church

When Narcissism Comes to Church PDF Author: Chuck DeGroat
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830841997
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 205

Get Book Here

Book Description
Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with narcissistic personality disorder and those wounded by narcissistic leaders for over twenty years. Offering compassion and hope for both narcissists themselves and those affected by its destructive power, DeGroat imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects.

Cultivating Sent Communities

Cultivating Sent Communities PDF Author: Dwight Zscheile
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 0802867278
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 221

Get Book Here

Book Description
"Cultivating sent communities reimagines spiritual formation through the lens of mission, covering such topics as the role of Scripture, congregational discernment, and short-term missions and drawing on case studies from diverse contexts including Ethiopia, England, Leipzig, and San Francisco."--Back cover.

Spiritual Rhythms in Community

Spiritual Rhythms in Community PDF Author: Keith Meyer
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830869670
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 193

Get Book Here

Book Description
Jesus had rhythm. His regular patterns of withdrawing from life to have intimate time with his Father and then embracing and entering into rich relationships with others allowed him to carry out his enormous mission with wisdom, grace and authentic love. In the midst of busy, full lives, with demands for our time and attention coming from every direction, we need rhythm--life-giving patterns in our days and weeks that deepen our connection with God and strengthen our relationships with others. Jesus' rhythm can be yours with this participatory guide to growth in God and mission in the context of community. "We learn from Jesus' example," Keith Meyer writes, "that spiritual disciplines are best done in some degree or expression of community where they are experienced and reflected on together. . . . We [also] learn from Jesus that the disciplines are to work as a baseline for a life rhythm of formation and community and result in a powerful mission that begins to sweep others into the ever growing number of those in the dance of the trinitarian life." In light of Jesus' model, then, Meyer helps you intentionally adopt a new pattern for our life, one that facilitates ongoing growth and transformation, through formational spiritual practices designed for groups to experience together meditations on the Psalms group discussion questions Together with a small group or a staff team, your family or your friends, find your rhythm in the life of the One who came that we might have life to the full.

Good Citizens

Good Citizens PDF Author: Thich Nhat Hanh
Publisher: Parallax Press
ISBN: 1935209892
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 146

Get Book Here

Book Description
In Good Citizens, Thich Nhat Hanh lays out the foundation for an international solidarity movement based on a shared sense of compassion, mindful consumption, and right action. Following these principles, he believes, is the path to world peace. The book is based on our increased global interconnectedness and subsequent need for harmonious communication and a shared ethic to make our increasingly globalized world a more peaceful place. The book will be appreciated by people of all faiths and cultural backgrounds. While based on the basic Buddhist teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path, Thich Nhat Hanh boldly leaves Buddhist terms behind as he offers his contribution to the creation of a truly global and nondenominational blueprint to overcoming deep-seated divisions and a vision of a world in harmony and the preservation of the planet. Key topics include the true root causes of discrimination; the exploration of the various forms of violence; economic, social, and sexual violence. He encourages the reader to practice nonviolence in all daily interactions, elaborates on the practice of generosity, and teaches the art of deep listening and loving speech to help reach a compromise and reestablish communication after misunderstandings have escalated into conflicts. Good Citizens also contains a new wording of the Five Mindfulness Trainings (traditionally called "precepts") for lay practitioners, bringing them in line with modern-day needs and realities. In their new form they are concrete and practical guidelines of ethical conduct that can be accepted by all traditions. Good Citizens also includes the complete text of the UN Manifesto 2000, a declaration of transforming violence and creating a culture of peace for the benefit of the children of the world. It was drafted by numerous Peace Nobel Prize recipients and signed by over 100 million people worldwide. Coinciding with a US presidential election year, Good Citizens reaches across all political backgrounds and faith traditions. It shows that dualistic thinking—Republican/Democrat, Christian/Muslim—creates tension and a false sense of separateness. When we realize that we share a common ethic and moral code, we can create a community that can change the world.