Inprint - New Books of interest by Jeanne Spiro

Buddha Is As Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living by Lama Surya Das. (Harper San Francisco , $23.95, Hard Cover.)

In 2006, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “It is not enough just to mediate and pray, which are always good things to do, but we also must take positive action in this world.” Generosity, integrity, patience, perseverance, wisdom, honor, leadership. Such qualities are keys to living a meaningful and fulfilling life. We see and hear them echoed in religious, philosophical, and moral codes of conduct from the Boy Scout pledge to the Ten Commandments to the teachings of the Buddha. Why do we find it so difficult to apply them to our everyday lives on a consistent basis?

Lama Surya Das offers a straightforward map to the path of awakening as a Bodhisattva—an Awakener—a spiritual hero who aspires to be compassionate as well as wise, committed to actively serving others while seeking insight, truth, unconditional love, and ultimate enlightenment. Using the ten core teachings of the Buddha as guideposts, Surya Das leads the way to transforming ourselves into forces for good and, in so doing, revolutionize and liberate the world.

Buddha Is As Buddha Does provides each aspiring Awakener with the tools and techniques for tapping into his or her own Buddha nature. Each step on the path is accompanied by vivid anecdotes, inspiring real-life examples, and practical exercises to help seekers stay motivated. It is an uplifting, down-to-earth guide to something more than a better life. By following Surya Das on the path to active awakening, spiritual seekers can work together to spark a global movement toward universal compassion and harmony.

In My Own Way: An Autobiography by Alan Watts. ( New World Library, $15.95, Paperback.)

Alan Watts was a philosopher, lecturer, counterculture icon, and one of the West’s earliest and foremost experts in Asian religion and philosophy. He was one of the main figures responsible for the 1960s counterculture in the U.S. , and ultimately the human potential movement, even though he never affiliated himself with a specific group.

Of the over twenty books written by Watts , many consider this his finest. Originally published in 1972, it has been out of print for some time. It tracks his own path of spiritual and philosophical evolution from a child of religious conservatives in England to a freewheeling spiritual teacher who encouraged Westerners to challenge convention and think for themselves.

Told in a compelling, nonlinear style, In My Own Way combines Watts’ brand of unconventional philosophy with wry observations on Western culture and often hilarious accounts of gurus, celebrities, and psychedelic drug experiences. He not only encourages readers to “follow you own weird,” he leads by example as he openly shares his remarkable life story.

Rebooting: Defeating Depression with the Power of Kabbalah by Yehuda Berg. (Kabbalah Publishing, $17.95, Hard Cover.)

Depression can take many forms and can range from mild to severe. One of the common symptoms used to diagnose the condition is lack of interest or absence of desire. Depression has also been described as an overwhelming darkness. In Rebooting, Kabbalistic scholar Yehuda Berg teaches how to reconnect with desire and turn on the Light by using the powerful tools of Kabbalah.

Berg reveals his own battle with depression after his father suffered a massive stroke in 2004. While he does not dispute the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs, therapy, or herbal remedies, he offers an alternative or additional process, a transformational one to help you overcome this affliction once and for all. In strong yet empathetic language, he reveals the mind-body-spirit connection and shows how to use depression to turn the negative to positive. With helpful exercises supported by case histories, he shows how you can “reboot” your internal software, take back your life, and access the happiness you were meant to have.

Soul on Fire: A Transformational Journey from Priest to Shaman by Peter Calhoun. (Hay House, $16.95, Paperback.)

During his work as an Episcopal priest, Peter Calhoun underwent an amazing awakening of healing and intuitive abilities, ones he believed that, if they actually existed, were reserved for native shamans or Eastern mystics. This awakening included a series of disturbing visions of the possible futures of the Earth. He realized that if these visions were accurate, then most people were dealing with the wrong issues. It was during these events that Calhoun developed a deep concern for the planet and our disconnection from her and the environment. Stepping out of the footsteps of a priest and into those of a shaman, he takes us on a quest for the lost knowledge and the powers which Jesus himself once promised.

Soul on Fire is a magical collection of stories describing this awakening of spiritual powers that exist in each of us. Calhoun shares with us about the Path of Return to our wondrous Earth as a means by which we can reclaim our original soul powers. At a time when the old modalities are no longer working for many people, he brings a new perspective and a different way of thinking, feeling, and being in the world that surrounds us.

Enough Room for Joy:The Early Days of Jean Vanier’s L’Arche by Bill Clarke. ( Blue Ridge Books, $14.95, Paperback.)

In 1964, Jean Vanier, the son of a governor-general of Canada, bought a small house in the village of Trosly, north of Paris, and invited two men with developmental disabilities to live with him. He named their home L’Arche, French for Noah’s Ark. Before long, L’Arche welcomed more men and women with developmental disabilities, as well as young assistants from many countries who wanted to share this revolutionary experience of living in community. It came to be known as a diverse place of refuge that gave its residents hope. Today L’Arche is a worldwide movement with over 130 communities in thirty countries, fifteen of them in the United States .

Bill Clarke traveled to Trosley in 1968 to meet Jean Vanier and the original members of L’Arche. A few years later he wrote Enough Room for Joy, capturing the spiritual heart and soul of Vanier’s work while it was still emerging. As thought-provoking, true, and moving today as it was when the community began, this new edition continues to encourage readers with its personal story of Vanier and the original members of L’Arche.

Cosmic Ordering: The Next Adventure by Barbel Mohr. ( Hampton Roads, $15.95, Paperback.)

Are you still searching for the man or woman of your dreams? Do you need money to pay your bills? How about that perfect job? Why do some people get it all, and others can’t seem to catch a break? Wouldn’t it be great if you could just order a better life? Author Barbel Mohr says it’s possible with Cosmic Ordering.

The Cosmic Ordering Service shot to #1 on Amazon.com in the U.K. last spring after Noel Edmonds, popular host of the hit show Deal or No Deal, revealed that he ordered his success using Mohr’s instructions. Hundreds of thousands of Europeans learned to listen to their inner voice, place orders with the universe for their ideal jobs and partners, and sit back and let marvelous things come their way.

Now Cosmic Ordering: The Next Adventure reveals more of Mohr’s insights on how to successfully ask the cosmos for help in fulfilling your dreams. Have you ever had the experience of secretly wishing for something and then that wish became a reality? Some might write it off as coincidence, but Mohr explains that it’s anything but. Here she tells you how to get started and keep on ordering success, and expands on the underlying principles and prerequisites for how and why it works, and why it sometimes doesn’t.

He’s Not Autistic, But ...: How We Pulled Our Son From the Mouth of the Abyss by Tenna Merchant, M.H.. (Joyous Messenger, Inc., $15.95, Paperback.)

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 166 children is born with autism. In her book, Tenna Merchant describes her own journey in dealing with this devastating illness.

Her son seemed healthy when he was born, but by the time he was six weeks old, he cried for hours each evening if he wasn’t constantly being nursed. As months went by, he became more seriously ill. By the time he was two, he could only say a few words and would bang his head for no apparent reason. With each red flag that went up, the traditional medical community became less supportive and Merchant became more relentless in her search for answers. She started looking for answers in alternative health care.

As she deepened her understanding of the world of alternative health, Merchant realized that she herself was seriously ill and the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. The miracles began when she discovered a master herbalist who revealed to her the primary cause of their ill health. She was astounded by the simplicity of fully curing both herself and her son, and notes that their journey back to wellness includes the art of releasing and forgiveness. This is a story of persistence, courage, and love, as well as a list of remedies for common ailments and a resource for herbs and homeopathies.