Coming from Chasidic tradition, Heschel was ultimately a poet, a mystic, a social reformer, and a historian. He felt called "to remind men, with a testimony all the more convincing since it came from one who had experienced the fullness of evil, that despite the absurd and the apathy, the world is filled with mystery, meaning, and mercy, with wonder, joy, and fulfillment; that men have the power to do God's will; and that the divine image in which we are made, though distorted, cannot be obliterated."

From the Introduction

Mythologist and storyteller Martha Heyneman is reminiscent of Ursula LeGuin in her ability to present scientific questions with an archetypal echo. Here she explores the cosmology of Dante, Stephen Hawking, and Gurdjieff and forcibly calls for the return of cosmology or an "image of the universe" to our modern way of thinking, arguing that much of our spiritual sickness arises from being alienated from the world we are part of in its largest sense. This book is currently out of print.

"If Rumi is the king of poetry, Shams of Tabriz is the power behind the throne." This is a very special translation of the Maqalat, or collection of teachings, in Shams's own words.

During 1961–62 Krishnamurti, a leading teacher of the 20th century, wrote almost daily while traveling. The descriptions of his keen perceptions of the natural world around him and of his inner experiences and states of consciousness were not originally intended for publication. This unique spiritual treasure offers the reader the possibility of deeply examining long-held assumptions and beliefs.

I Am That is a collection of teachings from one of the greatest sages of India, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Now in its eleventh printing, this spiritual classic "helps the reader to a clearer understanding of himself as he comes to Maharaj again and again with the age-old questions, 'Whence am I? Who am I? and whither am I?' The listeners were never turned away from the humble abode of Maharaj then and are not turned away now."

From back cover

William Segal, philosopher and painter, began his career as a journalist. In the 1940s, he met Ouspensky and Gurdjieff, and later participated in the Gurdjieff Foundations. After World War II, through his friendship with Daisetz Suzuki, he was able to spend considerable periods at the main Rinzai and Soto Zen monasteries in Japan. These influences flavor his outlook on life and "the art of opening," which he chronicles here in various ways. A portrait of a singular man's relationship to spiritual life, this book is currently out of print and rare.

This short novel is reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia. While being entertaining and even humorous, Lewis presents essential truths about human nature and possibilities. The protagonist finds himself on a bus to Purgatory, which ends up being a place where the grass is too tough for human feet. The title is a reference to Blake's Marriage of Heaven and Hell. In Lewis' view, spiritual progress in fact calls for a continuing series of discriminations between good and evil in the course of one's daily life.

This classic spiritual account was first published in Russia in 1881. It conveys the flavor of old Russia and is an effective introduction to Eastern Orthodox spirituality. In it, a wandering pilgrim describes his journeys through rural Russia, the people he encounters, and his experience with "the prayer of the heart," also called the "Jesus Prayer."

In addition to containing diverse decorative ideas, books on Oriental rugs can reveal a whole world from the inside out. This is one of the very best general volumes on this complex and rewarding subject, containing many lovely color photos.