The Wisdom Pattern


Book Description

“Order, by itself, normally wants to eliminate any disorder and diversity creating a narrow and cognitive rigidity in both people and systems. Disorder, by itself, closes us off from any primal union, meaning, and eventually even sanity in people and systems. Reorder, or transformation of people and systems, happens when both are seen to work together” – from the preface. Through time, a universal pattern can be found in all societies, spiritualities, and philosophies. We see it in the changing seasons, the stories of Scripture in the Bible, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the rise and fall of civilizations, and even personally in our lives. In this updated version of one of his earliest books, Father Richard Rohr clearly illuminates how understanding and embracing this pattern can give us hope in difficult times and the courage to push through disorganization and even great chaos to find a new way of being in the world. “We are indeed 'saved' by knowing and surrendering to this universal pattern of reality. Knowing the full pattern allows us to let go of our first order, trust the disorder, and, sometimes even hardest of all—to trust the new reorder. Three big leaps of faith for all of us, and each of a different character.” —from the introduction.




Patterns of Wisdom in Safavid Iran


Book Description

I.B. Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies The exceptional intellectual richness of seventeenth-century Safavid Iran is epitomised by the philosophical school of Isfahan, and in particular by its ostensible founder, Mir Damad (d. 1631), and his great student Mulla Sadra (aka Sadr al-Din Shirazi, d. 1636). Equally important to the school is the apophatic wisdom of Rajab 'Ali Tabrizi that followed later (d. 1669/70). However, despite these philosophers' renown, the identification of the 'philosophical school of Isfahan' was only proposed in 1956, by the celebrated French Iranologist Henry Corbin, who noted the unifying Islamic Neoplatonist character of some 20 thinkers and spiritual figures; this grouping has subsequently remained unchallenged for some fifty years. In this highly original work, Janis Esots investigates the legitimacy of the term 'school', delving into the complex philosophies of these three major Shi'i figures and drawing comparisons between them. The author makes the case that Mulla Sadra's thought is independent and actually incompatible with the thoughts of Mir Damad and Rajab Ali Tabrizi. This not only presents a new way of thinking about how we understand the 'school of Isfahan', it also identifies Mir Damad and Rajab Ali Tabrizi as pioneers in their own right.




Wisdom in the Body


Book Description

Accumulations of life stresses—physical injuries, emotional and psychological stresses, birth traumas, and toxicity—can become imprinted in the tissues, acting like a videotape that is replayed whenever stimulated. Biodynamic craniosacral therapy aims to resolve the trapped forces that underlie and drive these trauma-based patterns of disease and suffering in body and mind. Wisdom in the Body teaches practitioners to develop the finely tuned skills of hands-on palpation and perception to sense the body’s subtle rhythms and patterns of inertia or congestion, with the goal of ending trauma and facilitating the expression of the breath of life. A comprehensive introduction to this practice, the book draws on the insights of pioneers like Drs. W. G. Sutherland and Franklyn Sills to explain the key principles about the body’s natural intention to heal and how this capability can be encouraged. A valuable resource for students, practitioners, and the lay reader, the book also includes a foreword by Dr. Franklyn Sills.




The Wisdom Paradox


Book Description

The Wisdom Paradox explores the aging of the mind from a unique, positive perspective. In an era of increasing fears about mental deterioration, world-renowned neuropsychologist Elkhonon Goldberg provides startling new evidence that though the brain diminishes in some tasks as it ages, it gains in many ways. Most notably, it increases in what he terms “wisdom”: the ability to draw upon knowledge and experience gained over a lifetime to make quick and effective decisions. Goldberg delves into the machinery of the mind, separating memory into two distinct types: singular (knowledge of a particular incident or fact) and generic (recognition of broader patterns). As the brain ages, the ability to use singular memory declines, but generic memory is unaffected—and its importance grows. As an individual accumulates generic memory, the brain can increasingly rely upon these stored patterns to solve problems effortlessly and instantaneously. Goldberg investigates the neurobiology of wisdom, and draws on historical examples of artists and leaders whose greatest achievements were realized late in life.




The Wisdom of the Heart


Book Description

An essential collection of writings, bursting with Henry Miller’s exhilarating candor and wisdom In this selection of stories and essays, Henry Miller elucidates, revels, and soars, showing his command over a wide range of moods, styles, and subject matters. Writing “from the heart,” always with a refreshing lack of reticence, Miller involves the reader directly in his thoughts and feelings. “His real aim,” Karl Shapiro has written, “is to find the living core of our world whenever it survives and in whatever manifestation, in art, in literature, in human behavior itself. It is then that he sings, praises, and shouts at the top of his lungs with the uncontainable hilarity he is famous for.” Here are some of Henry Miller’s best-known writings: an essay on the photographer Brassai; “Reflections on Writing,” in which Miller examines his own position as a writer; “Seraphita” and “Balzac and His Double,” on the works of other writers; and “The Alcoholic Veteran,” “Creative Death,” “The Enormous Womb,” and “The Philosopher Who Philosophizes.”




Hope Against Darkness


Book Description

Rohr paints a bleak picture of the prevailing thought, culture and attitudes of the present-day West -- which he calls "The Postmodern Opportunity" -- including cultural biases; embrace of victimhood; and the often fearful attitudes toward one another, the Church and religion in general. He offers hope in introducing the Franciscan path of transformation, the "new way of being that would change the face of history".




A Father's Book of Wisdom


Book Description

"A few weeks after Dad passed away," says H. Jackson Brown, Jr., the compiler of A Father's Book of Wisdom, "we found eight shoeboxes in his closet filled with scraps of paper all covered with ideas Dad thought were profound, interesting, or merely amusing." The result is one father's view of life and what he thought about the importance of self-reliance, commitment, love, generosity, and success. It contains 159 quotes from Socrates, Eleanor Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, Mother Teresa, and many others covering such topics as achievement,courage, happiness, parenting, success, and values. Quotations such as "If you're looking for a big opportunity, seek out a big problem" and "Life doesn't come with an instruction book - that's why we have fathers" communicate an upbeat, positive view of the world that will inspire and charm the reader. It is the perfect gift book for Father's Day, graduation, or any time of the year, and may even inspire you to jot down a few notes of your own.




The Wisdom of the Desert


Book Description

The Wisdom of the Desert was one of Thomas Merton's favorites among his own books—surely because he had hoped to spend his last years as a hermit. The personal tones of the translations, the blend of reverence and humor so characteristic of him, show how deeply Merton identified with the legendary authors of these sayings and parables, the fourth-century Christian Fathers who sought solitude and contemplation in the deserts of the Near East. The hermits of Screte who turned their backs on a corrupt society remarkably like our own had much in common with the Zen masters of China and Japan, and Father Merton made his selection from them with an eye to the kind of impact produced by the Zen mondo.




The House of Wisdom


Book Description

Ishaq, the son of the chief translator to the Caliph of ancient Baghdad, travels the world in search of precious books and manuscripts and brings them back to the great library known as the House of Wisdom.




The Wisdom Well


Book Description

The author of this unusual book-and-card set shows readers how to combine a simplified method based on tarot reading with general principles of Jungian psychology. The resulting benefits include understanding oneself and gaining insights to the future. Thirty-six specially designed cardsï¿1/2half the number of a standard tarot deckï¿1/2allow users to conduct simplified readings. Thus they avoid the complexities and confusion they might encounter with a full tarot deck. Each of the 36 cards specifies a personality designation according to Jungian psychology. Among them are: Psyche, or our true selves . . . The Persona, or the masks we adopt in life . . . The Wise Old Man, or the well of ancestral knowledge and good counseling . . . The Child Within, signifying innocence, naivety, and immature aspects of self . . . Mother Moon Goddess, or the mother archetype . . . The Beggar, signifying psychological denial of unwelcome character traits. These are just a few of the 36 personality types reflected in the cards. The author instructs on correct methods of card reading for greater self awareness. She advises her readers to dip into the Wisdom Well and learn what the present means and what the future can bring. More than 150 color illustrations.