Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Seated Guanyin. Chinese Loggia. by Travis Simpkins

Seated Guanyin. Chinese Loggia. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. by Travis Simpkins

Sketch of a

Seated Guanyin

Chinese, 11th to 12th Century

Collection of the

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

by Travis Simpkins

For more info, please visit:

gardnermuseum.org

Seated Guanyin. Chinese Loggia. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. by Travis Simpkins

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. by Travis Simpkins

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

His Holiness

The 14th Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso

Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso

(born Lhamo Dhondup)

Reincarnation of 

Avalokitesvara, Boddhisattva of Compassion

Spiritual Leader of the

Gelug or "Yellow Hat" School

of Tibetan Buddhism

Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1989)

by Travis Simpkins

The Dalai Lama - Biography

The Dalai Lama - Overcoming Anger and Anxiety

The Dalai Lama - Vision of a Compassionate and Peaceful World

For more info, please visit:

dalailama.com

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. A Call for Revolution. by Travis Simpkins

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. by Travis Simpkins

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

His Holiness

The 14th Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso

Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso

(born Lhamo Dhondup)

Reincarnation of 

Avalokitesvara, Boddhisattva of Compassion

Spiritual Leader of the

Gelug or "Yellow Hat" School

of Tibetan Buddhism

Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1989)

by Travis Simpkins

The Dalai Lama - Biography

The Dalai Lama - Overcoming Anger and Anxiety

The Dalai Lama - Vision of a Compassionate and Peaceful World

For more info, please visit:

dalailama.com

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. Enthronement Ceremony. by Travis Simpkins

William Walker Atkinson. Occultist. The Kybalion. New Thought Movement. by Travis Simpkins

William Walker Atkinson. Occultist. The Kybalion. New Thought Movement. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

William Walker Atkinson

(1862 - 1932)

Attorney, Publisher, Occultist

Pioneer of the

New Thought Movement

likely author of The Kybalion (by Three Initiates)

wrote under the pseudonyms

Theron Q. Dumont, Yogi Ramacharaka

Swami Bhakta Vishita, Swami Panchadasi

by Travis Simpkins

William Walker Atkinson

For more info, please visit:

wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Walker_Atkinson

William Walker Atkinson. Occultist. The Kybalion. New Thought Movement. by Travis Simpkins

 

Allan Bennett. Buddhist Monk and Occultist. Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. by Travis Simpkins

Allan Bennett. Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya. Buddhist. Occultist. Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Allan Bennett

Charles Henry Allan Bennett

Ananda Metteyya

(1872 - 1923)

Buddhist monk of the Theravada tradition

Occultist and Ceremonial Magician

Member of the

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Influential Teacher of Aleister Crowley

by Travis Simpkins

Allan Bennett. Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya. Buddhist Monk. Council of the Buddhasasana Samagama

For more info, please visit:

tricycle.org/magazine/allan-bennett

Allan Bennett. Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya. Buddhist. Occultist. Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. by Travis Simpkins

 

Man, Visible and Invisible. C.W. Leadbeater. Aura. Theosophical Society

Man, Visible and Invisible. C.W. Leadbeater. Aura. Theosophical Society

Originally published in 1902, "Man Visible and Invisible" by C.W. Leadbeater has become a classic Theosophical text on Clairvoyance and Auras.



This esoteric classic examines the invisible bodies of humans, showing how the colors of the aura change with different emotional states.

Long before the modern-day interest in clairvoyance, Leadbeater used his clairvoyant powers to probe the hidden dimensions of human beings. In this reprint of a classic, originally published in 1902, he presents his findings in an accessible way. By examining the invisible bodies of humans, he shows how the colors of the aura change with different emotional states. He also points out the hidden differences between humans and animals. The result is a book which emphasizes that we are more than just the physical body; we are actually a spark of the Divine.

Charles Webster Leadbeater (1847-1934) was a Church of England clergyman until he joined the Theosophical Society in 1883. He spent some years in Sri Lanka working for the revival of Buddhism, and later became the Presiding Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church, which seeks to combine the preservation of the Catholic sacraments with the widest measure of freedom of thought and interpretation of the scriptures. He was a highly developed clairvoyant and the author of over thirty books on the spiritual life and on the psychic nature of man. He unfolded and perfected his own psychic faculties under the guidance of his Adept teacher and in 1893 began his clairvoyant investigations, on occasion collaborating with Annie Besant, the second President of the Theosophical Society. His worldwide lectures presented a new viewpoint to thousands of people.

The Sword of Song. Aleister Crowley. Edited by Richard Kaczynski

The Sword of Song. Aleister Crowley. Edited by Richard Kaczynski

Several months ago, I was fortunate enough to aquire one of the limited release copies of "The Sword of Song" by Aleister Crowley (edited by Richard Kaczynski). I looked through most of it at the time, but decided to pick it up again for a cover to cover read. Originally published in 1904, this is a pivotal early work by Crowley. 



The Sword of Song (1904) is the most important of Aleister Crowley’s early works. His first talismanic book, it synthesized his interests in poetry, religion, mysticism and magick into a work that is at turns witty, profound and baffling. It would serve as the template to his celebrated Konx Om Pax (1907), and his unsurpassed mix of profundity and absurdity in The Book of Lies (1912/3). Significantly, it also offers insight into his mindset around the time of his received text, The Book of the Law, in 1904.

This edition follows the layout of The Sword of Song’s rare first edition, while incorporating subsequent revisions and additions from its republication in volume 2 of Crowley’s Collected Works (1906). The introduction by Crowley biographer Richard Kaczynski’s documents this book’s genesis and extensive revisions, while editorial footnotes illuminate obscure references, kabbalistic riddles, altered or deleted passages, and much more.


From the introduction
Crowley arrived in Ceylon armed with a library of books printed on India paper and custom-bound with silk ties to help withstand the elements. Among these were works by Robert Browning (1812–1889). The Victorian poet loomed large in Crowley’s thinking about the craft of poetry, as revealed by his letters from this period. Responding to a critique of Browning by his friend, painter Gerald Kelly (1879–1972), Crowley wrote, [E]very body knows that I live with R[obert] B[rowning]. I do not find a “pungent weight of thought in each sentence” of R.B.’s, not in his best lines, except perhaps the very best. You get this concentrated thought by dropping out articles, auxiliary verbs and such trifles: “why cumber they the ground?” e.g., “Aischulos’ bronze-throat eagle-bark at blood.” This is very fine.
But I find generally he is too diffuse as to his central meaning—too thin—“diluted presentation” a scientist would say: but too concentrated on his own parentheses. And above all you must read him again and again. You know I cannot read Sordello: when I know from a history-book all his characters I shall become able to, perhaps. With Fifine also, the mental strain is too great: though each paragraph is superb, I cannot read straight through. When I have worked at Fifine in detail till each detail gets familiar, then only shall I for the first time read that poem. Read with a big R.
Within a month of finishing “Ascension Day” and “Pentecost,” Crowley wrote to Kelly,
You know my idea that all poetry should suggest its subject by its sound, as music does. Perhaps Wagner’s leit-motif is even more allowable in poetry. Rosetti utterly misunderstood the refrain and destroyed its use. See Browning, “Sucked along in the flying wake / Of the luminous water-snake” in Xmas Eve; Pippa’s appearances (the use of lyric rather) in that play; the word “Porphyria” in “P[orphyria]’s Lover” thrice used. And look how Aeschylus will harp on μεγας, μελας, τελος, βροντος, θανατος and such words using them in this very leitmotif way—that very repetition which the ordinary fool tells you to avoid. Many other examples will occur to you.
Crowley would employ this technique in Sword of Song. Seizing upon a statement in Mansel’s Encyclopædia Britannica article on metaphysics—
If, in any mode of consciousness whatever, an external object is directly presented as existing in relation to me, that object, though composed of sensible qualities only, is given as a material substance, existing as a distinct reality, and not merely as a mode of my own mind

—Crowley echoed “a mode of my own mind” as a refrain throughout “Pentecost” (cf. lines 370, 545, 644, 780, 812). Also, Crowley’s words

Aum! let us meditate aright
On that adorable One Light,
Divine Savitri! So may She
Illume our minds! So mote it be!

form lines 519–522 of “Pentecost,” and repeat at the end of the poem.


From “Ascension Day,” lines 98-111:

Yet by-and-by I hope to weave
A song of Anti-Christmas Eve
And First- and Second-Beast-er Day.
There’s one who loves me dearly (vrai!)
Who yet believes me sprung from Tophet,
Either the Beast or the False Prophet;
And by all sorts of monkey tricks
Adds up my name to Six Six Six.
Retire, good Gallup! In such strife her
Superior skill makes you a cipher!
Ho! I adopt the number. Look
At the quaint wrapper of this book!
I will deserve it if I can:
It is the number of a Man.

The Diamond Cutter. The Buddha on Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your Life. Geshe Michael Roach

The Diamond Cutter. The Buddha on Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your Life. Geshe Michael Roach

I'm enjoying "The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your Life" by Geshe Michael Roach. It is a unique and interesting approach to conducting business with karma in mind. 


The now classic work on Buddhism and business from the foremost American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism- reissued in a tenth anniversary edition with compelling case studies that showcase its principles in action around the globe.

With a unique combination of ancient and contemporary wisdom from Tibetan Buddhism, The Diamond Cutter presents readers with empowering strategies for success in their personal and professional lives. The book is presented in three layers. The first is a translation of The Diamond Sutra, an ancient text of conversations between the Buddha and his close disciple, Subhuti. The second contains quotes from some of the best commentaries in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. And the third layer, the main text, is the practical application of Buddhist philosophies to the world of business, based upon Geshe Michael Roach's seventeen-years of experience as an employee of the Andin International Diamond Corporation, a company that grew during his tenure from four employees to a world leader in the jewelry industry.

Roach’s easy style and spiritual understanding make The Diamond Cutter an invaluable source of timeless wisdom for those familiar or unfamiliar with Tibetan Buddhism. His focus on practical personal and business applications has resonated with and changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals the world over since its original publication. 

 

Global Ritualism. Myth and Magic Around the World. Denny Sargent

Global Ritualism. Myth and Magic Around the World. Denny Sargent

I'm enjoying "Global Ritualism: Myth and Magic Around the World" by Denny Sargent. More than a survey text, this book examines common threads within the rituals of various cultures. The intent is that practitioners might broaden their horizons to include a more eclectic mix of elements in their personal rituals, a mix that best suits their unique individual goals.


From Haiti to Egypt, this book analyzes the common themes and archetypal symbols of higher ritual so that readers can define how these archetypes play out in their own lives. It enables the construction of personal, living rituals and includes photographs of actual rituals from around the world.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. by Travis Simpkins

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

His Holiness

The 14th Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso

Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso

(born Lhamo Dhondup)

Reincarnation of 

Avalokitesvara, Boddhisattva of Compassion

Spiritual Leader of the

Gelug or "Yellow Hat" School

of Tibetan Buddhism

Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1989)

by Travis Simpkins

The Dalai Lama - Biography

The Dalai Lama - Overcoming Anger and Anxiety

The Dalai Lama - Vision of a Compassionate and Peaceful World

For more info, please visit:

dalailama.com

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. Approaching the Buddhist Path. by Travis Simpkins

Ecstasy Through Tantra. Dr. John Mumford

Ecstasy Through Tantra. Dr. John Mumford. Buddhism. Hinduism. Tantric Sex. Sex Magick

"Ecstasy Through Tantra" by Dr. John Mumford was originally published in the 1970s and has become somewhat of a classic in the genre of Tantric practice. 


Now you and your lover can engage in specific sexual techniques and positions for ritual intercourse that will flood you with the overwhelming physical ecstasy which triggers expanded states of consciousness. Tantric practices will teach you how to build sexual love and passion to an amazing peak―and how to push your mind even higher to achieve transcendental bliss.

Bring holiness and magick into your sexual relationship with Ecstasy Through Tantra. Discover the God/Goddess as incarnate in your beloved, and experience the same Divinity within yourself, through the joy of complete physical and spiritual union. This guide features a wealth of illustrations and photographs.

Allan Bennett. Buddhist Monk and Occultist. Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. by Travis Simpkins

Allan Bennett. Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya. Buddhist. Occultist. Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Allan Bennett

Charles Henry Allan Bennett

Ananda Metteyya

(1872 - 1923)

Buddhist monk of the Theravada tradition

Occultist and Ceremonial Magician

Member of the

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Influential Teacher of Aleister Crowley

by Travis Simpkins

Allan Bennett. Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya. Buddhist Monk. Council of the Buddhasasana Samagama

For more info, please visit:

tricycle.org/magazine/allan-bennett

Allan Bennett. Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya. Buddhist. Occultist. Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. by Travis Simpkins

 

William Walker Atkinson. Occultist. The Kybalion. New Thought Movement. by Travis Simpkins

William Walker Atkinson. Occultist. The Kybalion. New Thought Movement. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

William Walker Atkinson

(1862 - 1932)

Attorney, Publisher, Occultist

Pioneer of the

New Thought Movement

likely author of The Kybalion (by Three Initiates)

wrote under the pseudonyms

Theron Q. Dumont, Yogi Ramacharaka

Swami Bhakta Vishita, Swami Panchadasi

by Travis Simpkins

William Walker Atkinson

For more info, please visit:

wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Walker_Atkinson

William Walker Atkinson. Occultist. The Kybalion. New Thought Movement. by Travis Simpkins

 

Introduction to Tantra. The Transformation of Desire. Lama Yeshe. Tibetan Buddhism. Deity Yoga

Introduction to Tantra. The Transformation of Desire. Lama Yeshe. Tibetan Buddhism. Deity Yoga

Westerners studying Eastern subjects tend to be drawn to Tantra (using desires as energy towards Enlightenment). "Introduction to Tantra: the Transformation of Desire" by Lama Yeshe is among the best books with which to start. Lama Yeshe was a beloved teacher. He passed away about 40 years ago, but a foundation is dedicated to preserving and publishing his writings.


What is tantra? Who is qualified to practice it? How should it be practiced? What are the results? According to Buddhism, every human being has the potential to achieve profound and lasting happiness. And according to the tantric teachings of Buddhism, this remarkable transformation can be realized very quickly if we utilize all aspects of our human energy- especially the energy of our desires. Introduction to Tantra is the best available clarification of a subject that is often misunderstood. Tantra recognizes that the powerful energy aroused by our desire is an indispensable resource for the spiritual path. It is precisely because our lives are so inseparably linked with desire that we must make use of desire's tremendous energy not just for pleasure, but to transform our lives. Lama Yeshe presents tantra as a practice leading to joy and self-discovery, with a vision of reality that is simple, clear, and relevant to 21st-century life.

Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth. Peter Kelder. Tibetan Yoga. New Age

Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth. Peter Kelder. Tibetan Yoga. New Age

Whether you believe the veracity of the adventurous back story or not, the Five Rites contained within the "Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth" by Peter Kelder are a beneficial daily routine of Tibetan Yoga. Originally published in the 1930s under a different title, this has become somewhat of a classic in the New Age genre.


Offering practical instruction on how to perform the Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation, which will take only minutes a day, many practitioners have experienced benefits, including increased energy, weight loss, better memory, new hair growth, pain relief, better digestion, and feeling overall more youthful.

Legend has it that hidden in the remote reaches of the Himalayan mountains lies a secret that would have saved Ponce de Leon from years of fruitless searching for the Fountain of Youth. There, generations of Tibetan monks have passed down a series of exercises with mystical, age-reversing properties. Known as the Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation or the Five Rites, these once-secret exercises are now available to Westerners in Ancient Secret of the Fountain Of Youth. Peter Kelder's book begins with an account of his own introduction to the rites by way of Colonel Bradford, a mysterious retired British army officer who learned of the rites while journeying high up in the Himalayas. Fountain of Youth then offers practical instructions for each of the five rites, which resemble yoga postures. Taking just minutes a day to perform, the benefits for practitioners have included increased energy, weight loss, better memory, new hair growth, pain relief, better digestion, and feeling overall more youthful.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The Bardo Thodol

The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The Bardo Thodol. Buddhism. Mindfulness and Liberation

I'm traveling back to the 14th Century and re-reading the Bardo Thodol, better known as the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The Bardo is one of the most widely read Tibetan scriptures, party because it was the first such text to be translated into English.


In this classic scripture of Tibetan Buddhism—traditionally read aloud to the dying to help them attain liberation- death and rebirth are seen as a process that provides an opportunity to recognize the true nature of mind. This translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead emphasizes the practical advice that the book offers to the living. The insightful commentary by Chögyam Trungpa, written in clear, concise language, explains what the text teaches us about human psychology. This book will be of interest to people concerned with death and dying, as well as those who seek greater spiritual understanding in everyday life.

Creating Affluence. Deepak Chopra. Wealth Consciousness in the Field of All Possibilities. New Age

Creating Affluence. Deepak Chopra. Wealth Consciousness in the Field of All Possibilities. New Age

Two books by Deepak Chopra are apparently intended to be read as a pair. "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" and this one, "Creating Affluence." I read the first one a while ago, and am finally getting around to reading through the other half.



In this remarkable book lies the secret to creating affluence. Here you will discover that you are the dancer and the dance, the creator and the creation, and unlimited wealth is yours merely for the asking. With clear and simple wisdom, Deepak Chopra explores the full meaning of wealth consciousness and presents a step-by-step plan for creating affluence and fulfillment on all levels of our lives.
According to the author, affluence is our natural state, and the entire physical universe with all its abundance is the offspring of an unbounded, limitless field of all possibilities. Through a series of simple steps and everyday actions, Creating Affluence gently fosters the wealth consciousness needed to tap into this field and create anything you desire.

Seated Guanyin. Chinese Loggia. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. by Travis Simpkins

Seated Guanyin. Chinese Loggia. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. by Travis Simpkins

Sketch of a

Seated Guanyin

Chinese, 11th to 12th Century

Collection of the

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

by Travis Simpkins

For more info, please visit:

gardnermuseum.org

Seated Guanyin. Chinese Loggia. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. by Travis Simpkins

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. by Travis Simpkins

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

His Holiness

The 14th Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso

Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso

(born Lhamo Dhondup)

Reincarnation of 

Avalokitesvara, Boddhisattva of Compassion

Spiritual Leader of the

Gelug or "Yellow Hat" School

of Tibetan Buddhism

Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1989)

by Travis Simpkins

The Dalai Lama - Biography

The Dalai Lama - Overcoming Anger and Anxiety

The Dalai Lama - Vision of a Compassionate and Peaceful World

For more info, please visit:

dalailama.com

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso. Tibetan Buddhism. A Call for Revolution. by Travis Simpkins

Awakening the Buddha Within. Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World. Lama Surya Das. Dzogchen. Buddhism

Awakening the Buddha Within. Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World. Lama Surya Das. Dzogchen. Buddhism

Lama Surya Das is an American (born as Jeffrey Miller in New York) who has dedicated most of his life to the study and teaching of Tibetan Buddhism. He has a wonderful clarity to his words while communicating Eastern spiritual ideas to a Western audience. Originally published in the 1990s, "Awakening the Buddha Within" is probably his best known work.



Lama Surya Das, the most highly trained American lama in the Tibetan tradition, presents the definitive book on Western Buddhism for the modern-day spiritual seeker.
The radical and compelling message of Buddhism tells us that each of us has the wisdom, awareness, love, and power of the Buddha within; yet most of us are too often like sleeping Buddhas. In Awakening the Buddha Within, Surya Das shows how we can awaken to who we really are in order to lead a more compassionate, enlightened, and balanced life. It illuminates the guidelines and key principles embodied in the noble Eight-Fold Path and the traditional Three Enlightenment Trainings common to all schools of Buddhism:
Wisdom Training: Developing clear vision, insight, and inner understanding—seeing reality and ourselves as we really are.
Ethics Training: Cultivating virtue, self-discipline, and compassion in what we say and do.
Meditation Training: Practicing mindfulness, concentration, and awareness of the present moment.
With lively stories, meditations, and spiritual practices, Awakening the Buddha Within is an invaluable text for the novice and experienced student of Buddhism alike.