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In Praise of the Goddess
The Devimahatmya and Its Meaning
A new translation, with commentary, of the Hindu scripture and its eight Angas
Devadatta Kali, translator and commentator
About the translator
416 pp. • 6 x 9
ISBN: 0-89254-105-9
Smythe-sewn Paper, $22.95
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This is the first translation of the Devimahatmya to combine sound scholarship, the language skills of a native English speaker, and his insider's perspective based on 35 years of spiritual practice within the Hindu tradition. About 16 centuries ago, an unknown Indian author or authors gathered the diverse threads of already ancient traditions and wove them into a verbal tapestry that today is still the central text for worshippers of the Hindu Goddess. This spiritual classic, the Devimahatmya, addresses the perennial questions of the nature of the universe, humankind, and divinity. How are they related, how do we live in a world torn between good and evil, and how do we find lasting satisfaction and inner peace?
Those questions and their answers form the substance of the Devimahatmya. Its narrative of a dispossessed king, a merchant betrayed by the family he loves, and a seer whose teaching leads beyond existential suffering sets the stage for a trilogy of myths concerning the all-powerful Divine Mother, Durga, and the fierce battles she wages against throngs of demonic foes. In these allegories, her adversaries represent our all-too-human impulses toward power, possessions, and pleasure. The battlefields symbolize the field of human consciousness on which our lives' dramas play out in joy and sorrow, in wisdom and folly. Includes the Sanskrit text with transliteration.
Devadatta Kali is a spiritual initiate of Swami Prabhavananda, who was also Christopher Isherwood's and Aldous Huxley's guru. Concurrent with and subsequent to his residence at the Vedanta Society of Southern California from 1969 until 1971, he worked for the Society's publishing house, Vedanta Press, and its bookshop for 9 years. Devadatta Kali lectures annually on the Hindu Goddess at PantheaCon in Northern California. He is a guest speaker at the Vedanta Society of Southern California and at Kashi L.A., and has also spoken at Kali Mandir in Laguna Beach. He is a contributor in Joel Beversluis's anthology, A Source Book for Earth's Community of Religions, an eyewitness account of the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1993. He has also published several articles in Vedanta, Vedanta Kesari, Circle Magazine, and Pomegranate.
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The Bhagavad Gita
The Ethics of Decision-Making
Translated by Antonio de Nicolas
About the Author
168 pp., 6 x 9
8 illustrations
ISBN 0-89254-090-7
Paper, $12.95
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The Gita forms a small part—700 stanzas—of the epic Mahabharata, 200,000 lines that are but a part of the Bhisma-Parvam. Its setting is a war, and its protagonist is the prince Arjuna, who finds himself in crisis over going to war, taking along with him his kin, and facing the karma of certain destruction. He is virtually paralized with grief and guilt when Krsna comes to counsel him.
The Gita illustrates basic human issues, bringing readers an understanding of action and non-action, how to take part in society, and how to understand one’s place in the universal scheme. It also explains the secrets of meditation and provides complete instructions for understanding the dying process.
De Nicolás brings his training as a philosopher to bear on the text, revealing the deeply profound philosophical as well as spiritual teachings in the Gita. In the new Preface to this edition, de Nicolás discusses the importance of the Gita and myth in general in the development of our imagination and heart capacity; functions that are so neglected in our age of logos and scientific rationalism.
Antonio de Nicolás has lived in Spain and India, translated Juan R. Jimenez’s Platero and I, published a book of poems called Remembering the God to Come and is past professor of philosophy at State University of New York at Stony Brook. He combines philosophy and poetry so we can hear the music and sound of the culture that spawned the Gita, and the human crisis that brings to life this ancient document.
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Build a Better Buddha
The Guide to Remaking Yourself Exactly as You Are
James Robbins. Helps you recognize and distill the core teachings of both traditional and non-traditional paths into your own unique way. Includes clear and simple instruction for meditation and contemplation practice, guru yoga, and dream practices from Native American and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Integrate your spirituality with your daily experience, understanding negative thoughts, feelings, and experiences, as well as positive ones, as part of the path. 2003. 336 pp. • 6" x 9" • ISBN 0-89254-065-6 • Paper, $19.95
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Deathing
An Intelligent Alternative for the Final Moments of Life
Anya Foos-Graber. “Offers much comfort and reassurance, in its relief of the helplessness of those who are dying, and in its insistence on death as a joyful birth into a new life.”—Patty Campbell, Wilson Library Bulletin. “A much-welcome book for everyone—the medical and other helping professionals, patients, clergy, laity, the dying and the living.”—John White, author of A Practical Guide to Death and Dying. Illustrated. 1989. 430 pp. • ISBN 0-89254-016-8 • Paper, $18.95
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The Diamond Sutra
The Prajna Paramita
William Gemmell, translator. This sacred Buddhist text contains the essence of the Buddha’s teachings. Gemmell’s annotation and simple, elegant translation of The Diamond Sutra, first published in 1912, remains one of the best general introductions to Buddhism. 2003. 160 pp. • 5” x 7-1/2” • ISBN 0-89254-075-3 • Paper, $16.95
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Edge of Certainty
Dilemmas on the Buddhist Path
Peter Fenner. Contrasting the traditional approach of change-through-practice with the non-traditional, Western need for immediate results, Fenner shows us how the paradoxes that emerge on the spiritual path can be used to deconstruct our fixations about “getting it” or “losing it.” Provides clear summaries of the different Buddhist traditions and explains practices such as mindfulness meditation, Vipassana, Tantra, and the natural meditations of the Dzogchen tradition. 2002. • 160 pp. • 5 1/2” x 8 1/2” • ISBN: 0-89254-035-4 • Paper, $16.95
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Essential Wisdom Teachings
The Way to Inner Peace
Peter and Penny Fenner. Here is clear and practical wisdom for anyone wanting to reduce stress and understand the function of belief in shaping perception. The Fenners have brought us Buddhist wisdom, free of jargon, so that we can actually begin to practice the philosophy today—right now—as soon as we read and understand the concept. This easy-to-understand book is full of exercises that help us get in touch with what’s important. 2001. 176 pp. • 5-3/8” x 8-1/4” • ISBN: 0-89254-053-2 • Paper, $16.95
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Kali
The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar
Elizabeth U. Harding. A devotee’s guide to the Goddess Kali in her temple in Calcutta, where the saint, Ramakrishna, received enlightenment. The daily ritual of the temple, how worship is handled, life in the temple, and stories of Ramakrishna and god-intoxicated enlightenment are explained in this one-of-a-kind volume! Color frontispiece. Illustrated. 1993. 352 pp. • ISBN 0-89254-025-7 • Paper, $18.95
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Kali’s Odiyya—A Shaman’s True Story of Initiation
Amarananda Bhairavan. Shambu (the name by which the author is known in his native land) was 9 and Sandhya was 10 when they were chosen to become servants of the Goddess Kali. Bhairavan writes of his experience of initiation into the world of Kali’s odiyyas: shamans of the goddess. We learn what it means to be a devotee, how Kali followers view sexuality and mores, the day-to-day lifestyle in a holy Indian village, and how the shamanic community takes care of the needs of the people. 2001. 320 pp. • ISBN 0-89254-048-6 • Paper, $19.95
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Modern Buddhist Healing
A Spiritual Strategy for Transforming Pain, Dis-ease, and Death
Charles Atkins. An excellent introduction to Nichiren (1222-1282) Buddhism and the healing teachings of the Lotus Sutra. The author describes how he used mantra-powered visualization to conquer cancer, and how readers can use this technique for their own healing. He explains how the mantra Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can “undo” karma that has damaged our health. “Regardless of your religious or spiritual path, this book will shed light on the role of meditation, imagery, and prayer in the healing process”—Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Healing Words. 2002. 192 pp. • 5 3/8” x 8 1/4” • ISBN: 0-89254-062-1 • Paper, $18.95
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Rassa Shastra
Inayat Khan on the Mysteries of Love, Sex, and Marriage
Hazrat Inayat Khan illuminates the Sufi message of love, harmony, and beauty and applies it to the rewards and pitfalls of relationships. Khans says there is a spiritual and sacred purpose to sex and relationships in our lives, and he warns that we run the danger of misusing it if we approach it without understanding its spiritual implications. 2003. • 96 pp. • 5-1/2 x 7-1/2 • ISBN: 0-89254-071-0 • Paper, $14.95
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