Collection: Spirituality & Religion

This is the 20th anniversary edition of Continuum's best-selling spiritual classic, which has sold over half a million in the English language and has appeared in 10 foreign-language editions (Croatian, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesia, Italian, Korean, Polish, and Portuguese). The new edition consists of a substantial new preface, an expanded glossary, some changes in terminology, and a reordering of several chapters.

The Upanishads, the earliest of which were composed in Sanskrit between 800 and 400 bce by sages and poets, form part of the Vedas - the sacred and ancient scriptures that are the basis of the Hindu religion. Each Upanishad, or lesson, takes up a theme ranging from the attainment of spiritual bliss to karma and rebirth, and collectively they are meditations on life, death and immortality. The essence of their teachings is that truth can by reached by faith rather than by thought, and that the spirit of God is within each of us - we need not fear death as we carry within us the promise of eternal life.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

2019 Reprint of 1911 Edition Originally Published in Two Volumes and Now Bound into One. New introduction by Jane Harrison. Two volumes bound in one. In this book E. A. Wallis Budge, one of the world's foremost Egyptologists, focuses on Osiris as the single most important Egyptian deity. In Ancient Egyptian mythology, Osiris was the god of the beyond whose death and resurrection brought a guarantee of an afterlife to mortals. He was a kindly Pharaoh, teaching agriculture, music, arts, and religion to his people. Jealous of his successful reign, his brother Seth killed him with the help of many accomplices and took control of Egypt. However, Seth's reign was foreshortened by Isis's great love for her husband and brother Osiris, whom she brought back from the dead. Osiris and Isis then conceived Horus, their beloved son. Seth, seething in anger, killed Osiris once again, this time by cutting his body to pieces and throwing them into the Nile River. Isis, with the help of Anubis, the god with the jackal head, reconstituted Osiris's body with bandages and embalming rites, thus creating the first mummy. During this act, the god Thoth recited an incantation. Finally, Horus avenged his father Osiris in a bloody duel with Seth in which Horus lost his eye, which was then given as a food offering to Osiris.

This is the most thorough explanation ever offered of Osirism. With rigorous scholarship, going directly to numerous Egyptian texts, making use of the writings of Herodotus, Diodorus, Plutarch and other classical writers, and of more recent ethnographic research in the Sudan and other parts of Africa, Budge examines every detail of the cult of Osiris. He also establishes a link between Osiris worship and African religions.

Minister, teacher and author James Stewart reveals how Paul the Apostle developed the Christian religion in the 1^st century AD, shedding light on the emergence of early Christianity.

Informed by the author's scholarship, this superb book is based off a series of well-received lectures which the author delivered at the University of Edinburgh. The text is annotated at length, with incidences of the Bible's Greek and references to various sources from previous centuries. The flowing narration of Paul's progression from follower to great herald of Christianity, and the evolution of early Christian doctrines, is complimented in equal measure by the author's gifts for sermon writing and scholarship.

Given that he is addressing events that took place millennia ago, Stewart takes care not to stray to rigidity or supposition: it is simply a fact that the history and records of the time have their limitations. The chief sources, for their authority, consist of the New Testament, including the Gospel of Jesus. An honesty underpins the text, which treats the moral and historical elements of Christianity with utmost respect. How the character and events of Christ's life came to be described, and Paul's role in the development of the Christian faith, is told with accuracy.

In all, we find here an engrossing, well-written and convincing narrative of St. Paul, which explains and clarifies his role and importance in the formation of Christianity.

The Secret Commonwealth is a fascinating and enigmatic text about Celtic fairies. Written in 1691 by a Scottish clergyman, Robert Kirk, though not printed until the early 19th century, this work is an unusual account of the fae, and a complex of still mysterious extrasensory phenomena including poltergeists, clairvoyance, and 'co-walkers'.

This edition was issued in 1893 in a very limited edition by the London the London publisher David Nutt. It incorporates commentary by folklorist Andrew Lang.

Rebel Satori here presents a facsimile of the 1893 edition in hardback format.

Standing at the crossroads of psychology and religion, this catalyzing work applied the scientific method to a field abounding in abstract theory. William James believed that individual religious experiences, rather than the precepts of organized religions, were the backbone of the world's religious life. His discussions of conversion, repentance, mysticism and saintliness, and his observations on actual, personal religious experiences - all support this thesis. In his introduction, Martin E. Marty discusses how James's pluralistic view of religion led to his remarkable tolerance of extreme forms of religious behaviour, his challenging, highly original theories, and his welcome lack of pretension in all of his observations on the individual and the divine.

Almost unique among the works of Muslim scholars, this book, which for Malikis is THE Risalah, was written for children when the author was 17 years old. The sheer pedagogical audacity of introducing children to what is in effect a complete overview of life and human society escapes most people and most Muslims today. The author commences with usul ad-deen - the roots of the deen - a survey of the vital Muslim worldview, proceeding then through purification and the acts of 'ibadah, the ordinary transactions such as marriage, divorce, buying and selling and so forth, and concluding with chapters of a general and miscellaneous nature.

The book is here matched by the outstanding lucidity of the translation which reveals a book written in a narrative descriptive style rather than in a didactic scholarly tone, making it breathtakingly accessible. So significant was the book's authorship and so quickly was it recognised that its author became known as the "Young Malik" and his work became a foundational pillar of the madhhab of the School of Madinah and has endured for a millennium, in use both to teach absolute beginners as intended and as a resource for scholars.

Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani (310 AH/922 CE - 386 AH/996 CE) was born in Qayrawan in Tunisia, arguably one of the most important Muslim cities after Makkah and Madinah, which was always famous for learning and in particular for its staunch adherence to the school of the people of Madinah as transmitted by Imam Malik. His life was overshadowed by the Fatimid dynasty, during which he and the other teachers of Qayrawan calmly kept alive the teaching of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah. Among his other well-known works are the massive multi-volume an-Nawadir wa'z-Ziyadat and a mukhtasar-abridgement of the Mudawwanah of which only the Kitab al-Jami', a comprehensive work containing a wide variety of topics, is extant.

Aisha Bewley is the translator of a large number of classical works of Islam and Sufism, often in collaboration with Abdalhaqq Bewley, notably The Noble Qur'an - a New Rendering of Its Meanings in English; Muhammad, Messenger of Allah - the translation of Qadi 'Iyad's ash-Shifa'; the Muwatta' of Imam Malik ibn Anas; and Imam an-Nawawi's Riyad as-Salihin.

The Parousia is a New Testament commentary by James Stuart Russell, wherein the authority attempts to clarify and explain aspects of prophecy explained in the Gospels and elsewhere in the NT.

The term 'Parousia' is derived from a Greek word meaning simply, 'a coming' or 'a presence'. In the context of the Bible and Christianity, it refers to the return of Jesus Christ as a core prophecy of the New Testament scripture. It is by investigating all of this material that James Russell seeks to make clear what exactly the Bible predicts and what specifically believers may expect in the future, and what aspects of the prophecy have already occurred in the distant past.

Exhaustively researched and painstakingly compiled, Russell's thesis is lengthy and split into three parts: firstly, he analyses the four Gospels of Christ, secondly, he examines the Acts of the Apostles, and lastly, he looks at the Book of Revelation and the visions therein. No detail is spared from the author's learned gaze, with aspects of the Bible lore clarified and explained. For his part, Russell believed that most aspects of the Bible prophecy have already been fulfilled in history - only certain passages of Revelation have not yet corresponded to real world events.

Quoting and narrating the Biblical passages at length, Russell efforts to clarify are not in vain - at the time this work was first published in the 1870s, then edited and republished in the 1880s, the reaction was one of praise. Christians, for whom the Bible's words and ideas had hitherto been a mystery, at last had a book to consult whose wisdom was soundly supported by the very words of the Holy Bible. It is thus with a measure of joy that the publisher presents this new reprint, which unites all three parts of Russell's work in one volume.

The Kybalion was first published in 1908. Purportedly based upon ancient Hermeticism, its philosophies, in conjunction with others, have become founding pillars within the New Thought movement of the early 1910s. The book early on makes the claim that it makes its appearance in one's life when the time is appropriate and includes axioms and insights similar to those found in the Book of Proverbs. The "Three Initiates" who authored The Kybalion chose to remain anonymous. As a result, a great deal of speculation has been made about who actually wrote the book. The most common proposal is that The Kybalion was authored by William Walker Atkinson, either alone or with others, such as Paul Foster Case and Elias Gewurz.

Based in a tradition of spiritual, mental and emotional recovery, this book provides you with Twelve time-tested Steps, used by people throughout the world for leading a satisfying and fulfilling life, regardless of any physical health challenge. Whether your chronic condition is a result of - accident or surgical procedure - disorders such as arthritis, lupus, MS, fibromyalgia, diabetes, Crohn's disease - life-threatening illness, such as cancer or heart disease - back pains, headaches or nerve pains - or any other persistent physical illness or pain-related trauma or disease ... the Steps are a practical recipe and guide for reclaiming a celebration of life. This book will demonstrate that you are not alone. Recipe for Recovery is filled with dozens of true-life stories--personal testimonies of other people just like you. Each one speaks to how the principles of Chronic Pain Anonymous literally saved them from self-obsession, fear and depression, opening the menu of their lives to a whole new range of possibilities for happiness, acceptance and service to others.

In 1779, Franz Anton Mesmer wrote an 88-page book, Mémoire sur la découverte du magnétisme animal, to which he appended his famous 27 Propositions. While undertaking research, G.F. Frankau obtained, on loan from a private library, an original edition of Mesmer's Mémoire sur la découverte de Magnétism Animal. Realising its medico-historical importance and tempted by a layman's vanity to undertake the translation himself, he eventually decided that the task could only be accomplished by an expert; He secured the services of Captain V. R. Myers of the Berlitz School of Languages. Myer's rendering of the eighteenth-century French is highly praiseworthy. The adjective "mesmeric", the substantive "mesmerism", and the verb to "mesmerise" have not changed their meanings since they first became current--posterity's unique tribute to a unique man.

"The number-one piece of required reading for anyone who plans to have rope on their body." --Topologist, rope bondage instructor

The pioneering book on getting tied up for fun, from bedroom play to advanced suspensions. You'll learn all about finding the right partner for rope bondage (aka shibari or kinbaku), types of rope bondage scenes, avoiding injuries, pain processing, and the 7 Helpful Skills of Rope Bottoming, including Mindfulness, Being Prepared, and Communicating With Your Rope Top. You'll also learn how to evaluate a suspension hardpoint for safety and much more! Sprinkled throughout are photos plus true stories of rope bondage scenes that went wrong and scenes that went right. You'll also find a list of valuable rope bottoming resources. If you're interested in rope bondage, shibari, or kinbaku, whether in the bedroom, at a BDSM club or dungeon, or even in front of an audience, this guide is a must-read.

How to make a magic carpet, become invisible, and find love are among the useful procedures detailed in this famous book of magic. Reputedly written by King Solomon himself, this major text of Western ritual magic contains chants, prayers, and instructions -- both general and specific -- on trafficking with the spirit world.
Editor and translator S. L. MacGregor Mathers was a leader of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an influential group of magicians and mystics whose members included Arthur Machen, W. B. Yeats, and Evelyn Underhill. MacGregor Mathers based this extraordinary book on seven manuscripts from the British Museum's collections. Its formulas for conjuring up spirits and performing rituals offer a rich source of study for students of comparative religion, psychology, and the history of ideas. For working occultists, this classic provides a valuable and important guide to the execution of magical ceremonies.

Britain's pagan past, with its mysterious monuments, atmospheric sites, enigmatic artifacts, bloodthirsty legends, and cryptic inscriptions, is both enthralling and perplexing to a resident of the twenty-first century. In this ambitious and thoroughly up-to-date book, Ronald Hutton reveals the long development, rapid suppression, and enduring cultural significance of paganism, from the Paleolithic era to the coming of Christianity. He draws on an array of recently discovered evidence and shows how new findings have radically transformed understandings of belief and ritual in Britain before the arrival of organized religion.

Setting forth a chronological narrative, along the way Hutton makes side visits to explore specific locations of ancient pagan activity. He includes the well-known sacred sites--Stonehenge, Avebury, Seahenge, Maiden Castle, Anglesey--as well as more obscure locations across the mainland and coastal islands. In tireless pursuit of the elusive "why" of pagan behavior, Hutton astonishes with the breadth of his understanding of Britain's deep past and inspires with the originality of his insights.

Written in India in the early 8th century AD, 'S=antideva's Bodhicary=avat=ara addresses the profound desire to become a Buddha and rescue all beings from suffering. The person who acts upon such a desire is a Bodhisattva. 'S=antideva not only makes plain what the Bodhisattva must do and become, he also invokes the powerful feelings of aspiration that underlie such a commitment, employing language which has inspired Buddists ever since it first appeared. Indeed, his book has long been regarded as one of the most popular accounts of the Buddhist's spiritual path. Important as a manual of training among Mah=ay=ana Buddhists, especially in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, this text continues to be used as the basis for teaching by modern Buddhist teachers. This new translation from the original language provides detailed annotations explaining allusions and technical references. Also, the Introduction both serve to locate 'S=antideva's work in its proper context, and for the first time explain its structure.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

All knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind . . ."
In the quest for understanding one's own mind, body, and soul, and to attain liberation, each man seeks spirituality as per his own means and understanding. Yoga, with its origin dating back to ancient India, has always been considered a pathway of achieving moksha.
This edition combines the four paths of yoga as expounded by Swami Vivekananda in the nineteenth century. They include the three yogas mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita-- Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga-- and Raja Yoga, which is based on Maharshi Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and together they speak to the active, the emotional, the mystic, and the philosophical inside us.
Complete with timeless universal wisdom, and not restricted to asanas and physical exercises, the yogic practices explained by Vivekananda become a way of life and hence lead to the realization of the Absolute.