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Tai Chi Ch'uan For Health and Self-Defense
by T.T. Liang and Paul B. Gallagher
For the student who has already mastered the basic postures, this book addresses itself to the philosophy behind the system of movements and to all the variations possible.
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Tai Chi Chuan: A Simplified Method of Calisthenics for Health
by Cheng Man-Ch'ing
This is the original classic about the Short Form the most popular and widespread form of Tai Chi in the West, it is a must read for every serious Tai Chi student.
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There Are No Secrets
by Wolfe Lowenthal
Tai Chi Chuan, despite the plethora of books on the subject, is still quite mysterious. Most of the books available are instructional in that they have diagrams and/or pictures of one (or more) of the forms and explanations of how to get from Point A to Point B. In There Are No Secrets, there are no such maps to a form. Instead, Wolfe Lowenthal provides the pearls of wisdom that Professor Cheng Man-ch'ing gave him.
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Gateway to the Miraculous: Further Explorations in the Tao of Cheng Man-Ch'Ing
by Wolfe Lowenthal
The style is very similar to "There Are No Secrets" - it is equally entertaining and informative. There is some repetition from the first book, but in my opinion his first book contains so much information that it is nearly impossible to digest it all. I think it is helpful to hear a few of the same ideas rephrased or put in a different context.
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Tai Chi Theory & Martial Power: Advanced Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan (Martial Arts-Internal)
by Jwing-Ming Yang, Alan Dougall (Editor)
Dr. Yang has again written a book in keeping with his usual high standards. For students wishing to go beyond the basic Taijiquan form, and learn more advanced levels and techniques of qi flow, the different types of jin, and how to generate them, this book is indispensable. One caveat : as its title suggests, this book is for more advanced students, and assumes that the reader has a foundation in Taijiquan, at least the basics of the form and some basic qigong.
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Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: The Essence of Tai Ji
by Al Chung-Liang Huang, Chungliang Al Huang
This book breaks away from the formal movements that we see so many people associating with Tai Ji. It actually explains the philosophy behind the movements and what each movement represents. It is not necessary to do the movements in any particular sequence and the reader is given the freedom to express themselves in an individual way. The ancient Tao text translations are excellent and awe inspiring. Al Huang himself is charismatic and has a wonderful, dramatic, and inspiring presence. I highly recomend this book.
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(yet, not required by those who lead the way) |
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The Profit
by Kahlil Gibran 1883 - 1931
Poet, philosopher, and artist. Kahlil was born in Lebanon, a land that has produced many prophets. The millions of Arabic-speaking peoples familiar with his writings in that language consider him the genius of his age.
But he was a man whose fame and influence spread far beyond the Near East. His poetry has been translated into more than twenty languages. His drawings and paintings have been exhibited in the great capitals of the world and compared by Auguste Rodin to the work of William Blake
In the United States, which he made his home during the last twenty years of his life, he began to write in English. The Profit and his other books on poetry, illustrated with his mystical drawings, are know and loved by innumerable Americans who find in them an expression of the deepest impulses of man's heart and mind.
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On a personal note, If you are not familiar with his work, I highly recommend this book. I received this copy as a gift, but I prefer my old worn copy that I have treasured for many years. This is the perfect season to read it for the first time, or reacquaint yourself with this masterpiece. I Highly recommend this thought-provoking classic.
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Chronicles of Tao : The Secret Life of a Taoist Master
by Ming-Dao Deng
San Francisco Chronicle
"An intriguing story... evokes both a China that no longer exists and its headlong clash with modern times."
Ingram
This extraordinary spiritual odyssey "transcends the tangible and points to the mysteries of all we can imagine and all we cannot" (Los Angeles Times). Part adventure, part parable, this true story of the making of a Taoist ma ster leads readers through a labyrinth of Taoist practice, martial arts discipline, and international intrigue. Line drawings.
Book Description
An art-as-spirituality sourcebook that integrates personal healing and renewal in a context of multicultural awareness, spiritual depth, and creative meditation -- for artists and non-artists alike.
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Thief of Time
by Terry Pratchett
The Monks of History live in a Tibetan sort of area known as "enlightenment country." Their job: "to see that tomorrow happens at all." A mysterious Lady wants time-obsessed Jeremy Clockson to build a totally accurate glass clock. It will trap time and stop it, eliminating humanity's irritating unpredictability. This would make the Auditors, who observe the universe and enforce the rules governing it, very happy. It would also put Death out of a job, which the Grim Reaper isn't happy about. Fortunately, the History Monks have encountered this situation before; in fact, Lu Tze, the Sweeper, has personally dealt with it before. Even better, he has a new, gifted apprentice, Lobsang Ludd, the "thief of time." This time, they'll stop trouble before it can start! To add chaos to the mix, there's the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse - the one who quit before they became famous.
"An interesting little book, enjoy" - Stephen
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In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to the river. Some say he's a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, like thousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons. But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, and charisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising future for the life of a wandering ascetic. Still, true happiness evaded him. Then a life of pleasure and titillation merely eroded away his spiritual gains until he was just like all the other "child people," dragged around by his desires. Like Hermann Hesse's other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has a good dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphany challenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither a practitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes to blend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending the reader's ear down to hear answers from the river. In this translation Sherab Chodzin Kohn captures the slow, spare lyricism of Siddhartha's search, putting her version on par with Hilda Rosner's standard edition. |
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| My intent is to keep adding additional books, that are very meaningful to me, both in self-education and inspirational, time permitting! |
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(audio book) |
Guided Meditations: For Developing Calmness, Awareness, and Love
by Bodhipaksa
This is hands-down the best meditation CD I've come across. I'd give it 6 stars if I could. It's not tarted up with hokey sound effects and New Age music but is simply the teacher's (very pleasant) voice, guiding you to calm and relaxation. His approach is highly accessible for Westerners and really taught me how to meditate. I'm such a big fan of this CD, in fact, that I've bought at least four to give as gifts to stressed-out friends and family members. (One of the recipients was a voice teacher who said she could listen to him all night.) If you like what you hear, you should also check out the outstanding online meditation courses he offers on www.wildmind.org. I can't recommend the CD or the courses highly enough.
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