In the novel, Siddhartha, a young man, leaves his family for a contemplative life, then, restless, discards it for one of the flesh. He conceives a son, but bored and sickened by lust and greed, moves on again. Near despair, Siddhartha comes to a river where he hears a unique sound. This sound signals the true beginning of his life-- the beginning of suffering, rejection, peace, and, finally, wisdom.

"In honor of the bicentennial of Henry David Thoreau's birth, this edition of Walden features an introduction and annotations by renowned environmentalist Bill McKibben. 'We need to understand that when Thoreau sat in the dooryard of his cabin 'from sunrise till noon, rapt in a revery, in undisturbed solitude and stillness, while the birds sang around or flitted noiseless through the house,' he was offering counsel and example exactly suited for our...

A description of the Japanese tea ceremony that evokes Eastern culture as a whole.

"The fruit of more than thirty years' experience leading Buddhist meditation retreats, this book touches on a wide range of topics raised repeatedly by students, whether they are beginners attending their first weekend course or seasoned practitioners on a three-month retreat. In short sections that can be either read in sequence or browsed through at leisure, Joseph Goldstein offers favorite Dharma stories, key teachings, and answers to most-asked...

"In this book, one of the world's foremost teachers of yoga offers his thoughts on many practical and philosophical subjects, ranging from the place of yoga in daily life to insights from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. He includes chapters on family life, love and sexuality, health and the healing arts, meditation, death, and advice to teachers. Based on lectures and discussions with his students, the text is enlivened by many of the author's personal experiences...