Showing results by publisher "New Dimensions Foundation" in Biographies & Memoirs

This discussion with a remarkable Benedictine monk who founded an ashram in South India is a beautiful, stirring exploration of human spirituality. In a rare synthesis of Christian, Hindu, and modern scientific thought, the late Father Bede discusses the infusing of gross matter and daily life with spirit, the finding of God "in the divine darkness beyond word and thought," technology and simple living, Black Madonnas, mysticism, and monastic life.

A Christian monk who lived in India for over 30 years, the late Father Griffiths shares some remarkable insights about the contemplative life. He builds a bridge linking the Gnostic tradition of early Christianity and the mystical tradition streaming down through the centuries with the ancient philosophies of Vedanta and Buddhism. The results are fascinating and profound.

In addition to his own credentials as a writer, poet, teacher and mystic, Andrew Harvey became a dedicated friend and follower of the late Father Bede Griffiths, a scholarly, saintly Benedictine monk who founded and lived for decades in a Hindu-Christian ashram in South India. This unusual dialogue eloquently communicates the blessings of this extraordinary man.

In this interview, Margaret Wheatley speaks with fierce honesty as she gives us the map of where we are in the emergent culture. She talks about how we are being manipulated to fear one another and to work harder and work faster, and also gives us tools that enliven and reinvigorate us in our work and relationships. She talks about how our brains are shaped by our habits, and how technology and the internet are affecting our brains, social relationships, and workloads.

Get ready for a whirlwind tour of the authentic American myth of The Wizard of Oz. In this interview, Jean Houston answers the question of what it means to have a brain, a heart, and to act with courage. Using the characters of the scarecrow, tin man, lion, and Dorothy, she inspires us to follow our deep yearning so we can develop the gifts we recognize in ourselves, live our full potential, and contribute to a better world.

This gifted storyteller poignantly shares the memories of those mentors and teachers who profoundly influenced her life. She speaks of her voluntary muteness as a child. Even in this silence, "Mama" (Angelou's grandmother) spoke prophetically to the child's unbelieving ears: "You'll speak about the glorious nature of the human spirit and what we can be striving for."

In this interview, Richard Moss says that there are two basic mistakes we make in this stage of the evolution of consciousness: we identify with our thoughts, and we flee from our feelings. He describes the four ways your thinking can affect you, how the body is literally the center of the experience of being in the now, and how the negative stories we tell ourselves are a form of physical poison and self abuse.

Are there universal human ethics? Mark Matousek discusses his research on the subject of ethical wisdom through interviews with social scientists, spiritual leaders, ex-cons, altruists and philosophers. He describes the five innate moral and ethical categories he finds to be hardwired into humans, and how our emotional impulses effect our ethical behavior.

In this interview, Dr. Rick Hanson explains that you have enormous power, not only to change your frame of mind, but to physically alter your body, and even the structure of your brain by taking charge of your thoughts. He explains that although your brain is pre-programmed to focus on negative information, you can manage depression or improve your self-confidence in just a few minutes a day.

Topics explored in this dialogue include: why the life and work of Rumi is relevant in today's world, what is Rumi's connection to the Divine, comparisons of Rumi and other great religious leaders, why Rumi is skeptical about language, where do you find Rumi's passion in today's world, what Rumi might be doing if he were alive today, and what is the connection between Rumi's revelations and the Sufi tradition.

An interview with Father Bede and two musician friends becomes a profoundly moving musical excursion through the deep truths and feelings of the various spiritual traditions represented in their South Indian Christian-Hindu ashram.

In this interview, Dan Millman explores such questions as: Why am I here? What am I meant to do? What is my purpose? Dan has found through his research that there are four purposes and 12 required courses in the school of life that each of us are taking. He talks about the difference between career and calling, and how small acts of service lead to genuine fulfillment. Dan also explains why what you do has more impact than what you think or feel, and describes a mysterious but accurate method of pinpointing hidden gifts and drives.

Here Wayne Dyer tells his personal story as never before in a moving and poignant manner, and shares insights gleaned from his vigorous pursuit of aliveness and joy.

It is an extraordinary time. The tragic events of September 11, 2001 have propelled us all into a new cycle of our personal, national, and global lives. It will never be the same. There is no "normal" to get back to. Life is in this country is changed forever, and it seems clear that we have entered an era in which new questions need to be asked, because there are no easy answers or quick fixes.

Rank-based abuse, or rankism, is as old as time, and takes its toll on everyone. Topics explored in this dialogue include: how you can stop the exploitation of rank, ways to address rankism in your life, how rankism relates to freedom and democracy, why rankism is often unconscious behavior, and how rankism connects to addiction.

Do you ever find yourself a little mumblemouthed? Or do you go to the dictionary to look up a word, only to get sidetracked when other, more interesting words catch your eye? If so, you share Phil Cousineau’s dynamic relationship with words. For him they’re playthings, enchantresses, magical sounds that can stir your heart, and mementos that tell fascinating stories about the lives of the ancestors who created them. The way we use them has more power than we may realize.

We've all felt the sting of rankism - at the hands of a dictatorial boss, a condescending teacher, an arrogant doctor, or an imperious bureaucrat. And most of us have inflicted it on someone else. We are, all of us, both victims and perpetrators of rankism, and Robert Fuller argues that it's time for a novel, all-encompassing strategy to confront it in all its guises.

In this interview, Ronald Alexander explains that we are actually not powerless over the impact of crisis; we can transform during these times to find more strength, more awareness, and more creativity in our lives through the practice of mindfulness. Ronald provides us with a three-part process for creating more mindfulness in our lives, to support us in managing change, loss, and crisis.

In this interview, Zachiah Murray tells us that mindfulness is an awareness of what is around us and within us in the moment, so that we can see deeply without being caught in the past or the future. She colorfully describes mindfulness, using the metaphor and practice of gardening. The teachings from her garden include: what to do when seeds don’t grow, how to deal with the less desirable critters in our gardens, and how weeding can teach us compassion, loving-kindness, and love.

What makes power tick and how does it become entrenched and abused? Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, so the saying goes. What lies beneath power? In this dialogue, Robert Fuller points to a hidden form of discrimination that everyone knows but no one sees: discrimination based on rank.