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Yoga Teachings of Vivekananda
by Swami Vivekananda
(Paperback, 144 pages)
The inspirational messages collected in this book, selected from the writings and talks of Swami Vivekananda, speak directly to the concerns of contemporary men and women who seek to live a spiritual life in the midst of everyday activities. At the same time, they form a concise introduction to Vedanta, the perennial philosophy of India.

Bhagavad Gita
Translation by Eknath Easwaran
(Hardcover, 288 pages)
The Bhagavad Gita ("Song of the Lord") is considered the most influential of all the Hindu scriptures and is one of the greatest spiritual classics of the world. Comprised of eighteen chapters taken from the great Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, the Gita presents a conversation that takes place on a battlefield just as two groups of relatives are about to wage war against one another. Facing the forces of greed, anger, and hatred, the warrior-prince Arjuna loses heart and refuses to fight his own kin. His friend and charioteer, Lord Krishna, who represents the Divine within, tells him: "Your very nature will drive you to fight." In the ensuing dialogue, Krishna teaches Arjuna, and all of us, how we can face bravely the unavoidable challenges and conflicts of life—and win the greatest of all battles, against the tumultuous emotions within our own hearts.

Eknath Easwaran's eloquent translation and Diana Morrison's chapter introductions, which summarize major religious concepts, make this edition especially accessible for modern readers of any religion.

The Fearless Heart: The Practice of Living with Courage and Compassion by Pema Chödrön
(5 CD's, 5 Hours)
Fear and guilt are two of the greatest challenges we face on the spiritual path—but there is a way to transform these painful feelings into courageous self-acceptance. Here Pema Chödrön presents the five aphorisms for developing fearlessness that were given to Machig Lapdronma, one of Tibetan Buddhism's greatest female teachers. Pema comments on these aphorisms, holds question-and-answer sessions, and leads guided meditations to help us:

• overcome shame and guilt

• remain courageous in the face of pain

• transform our relationships with difficult people

• increase our feelings of generosity and compassion
  
  This program also includes a card with the five aphorisms and study.

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  the places that scare you

The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön
(Paperback, 160 pages)

We always have a choice, Pema Chödrön teaches: We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder. Here Pema provides the tools to deal with the problems and difficulties that life throws our way.

This wisdom is always available to us, she teaches, but we usually block it with habitual patterns rooted in fear. Beyond that fear lies a state of openheartedness and tenderness. This book teaches us how to awaken our basic goodness and connect with others, to accept ourselves and others complete with faults and imperfections, and to stay in the present moment by seeing through the strategies of ego that cause us to resist life as it is.

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  comfortable with uncertainty

Comfortable With Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion by Pema Chödrön
(Hardcover, 240 pages)

This book by the renowned American Buddhist nun offers short, stand-alone readings designed to help us cultivate compassion and awareness amid the challenges of daily living. More than a collection of thoughts for the day, Comfortable with Uncertainty offers a progressive program of spiritual study, leading the reader through essential concepts, themes, and practices on the Buddhist path.

Comfortable with Uncertainty does not assume prior knowledge of Buddhist thought or practice, making it a perfect introduction to Pema Chödrön’s teachings on lovingkindness, meditation, mindfulness, “nowness,” letting go, and working with fear and other painful emotions. Through the course of this book, readers will learn practical methods for heightening awareness and overcoming habitual patterns that block compassion.

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  tao te ching

Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Addiss, Stanley Lombardo
(Hardcover, 160 pages)

In what may be the most faithful translation of the Tao Te Ching, the translators have captured the terse, enigmatic beauty of the original masterpiece without embellishing it with personal interpretation or bogging it down with explanatory notes. By stepping out of the way and letting the original text speak for itself, they deliver a powerfully direct experience of the Tao Te Ching that is a joy to come back to again and again.

And for the first time in any translation of the Tao Te Ching, now you can interact with the text to experience for yourself the nuanced art of translating. In each of the eighty-one chapters, one significant line has been highlighted and alongside it are the original Chinese characters with their transliteration. You can then turn to the glossary and translate this line on your own, thereby deepening your understanding of the original text and of the myriad ways it can be translated into English.

Complementing the text are twenty-three striking ink paintings brushed by Stephen Addiss and an introduction by the esteemed Asia scholar Burton Watson.