Spiritual Warrior (Set of 6 Volumes)

This book, Spiritual Warrior I, by Bhakti Tirtha Swami, presents a universal approach to religion and spiritual growth that attempts to reconcile several important spiritual traditions. The book's underlying philosophy is taken from the Vaisnava tradition of India However, the book is aimed primarily at people influenced by a number of other traditions. These include Christianity and Islam, the mystery schools of ancient Egypt, the spiritualistic traditions of Africa, and the many supernatural and quasi-supernatural manifestations of the "new age."

SELF-IMPROVEMENT / SPIRITUAL

In a world gone haywire, where wars rage around the globe, people Lare overcome with fear and despair, and the planet itself is in crisis, is there any hope? Yes, replies Bhakti-Tirtha Swami in no uncertain terms, Spiritual Warrior II: Transforming Lust into Love shows us a way out, demonstrating that our various problems come from a common root: lust. As a desire for self-centered gratification in all aspects of life, lust lures and deludes us, leading us into the many impasses that confront us today. The antidote is love-selfless, unconditional love—and its inseparable companion, service. Are we ready to conquer lust and offer love to others? Are we prepared to become spiritual warriors, helping to relieve the suffering on this planet? Each of us can make a difference. This book shows us how.

B.T. Swami is a spiritual teacher, author, Princeton graduate and director of the Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology in Washington, D.C. He is a specialist in human relations and conflict, resolution who has served as an international consultant to diplomats, heads of state and the general public for more than twenty years. A powerful speaker and an inspiring role model, he tours the world, offering his message of love, service and community consciousness to people of all nationalities, races and creeds, and from all walks of life.

“Spiritual Warrior II: Transforming Lust into Love is a book to savor and treasure, book that needs to be read and reread because of its spiritual potency and priceless value for everyday living...... Some books give us an 'ah-ha!' or two, or one interesting point to apply, which may be enough to justify the price of the book and the time spent reading it. Here, how about every paragraph, and sometimes every line! I am currently on my second and even third reading of certain chapters of this divinely inspired offering.... Everyone needs a copy of this book.”

— Terry Cole-Whittaker. D.D. author of:

What You Think of Me Is None of My Business

Spiritual Warrior III: Solace for the Heart in Difficult Times consists of lectures given by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami (Swami Krishnapada) so a wide variety of live, radio and television audiences around the world, over a period of several years. Because the topics were originally presented in spoken form, the style is conversational and informal. In the editing process, we have modified the text to enhance readability, yet sought to preserve some of the verbal nuances that would maintain the mood of the original presentations. By so doing, we hope to create an atmosphere that literally makes you part of the audience, where you can experience the powerful presence of the speaker as he shares essential nourishment for the soul.

We would like to mention a few other stylistic considerations. In the course of his discussions, Bhakti Tirtha Swami includes perspectives from many different spiritual philosophies, however because his audiences are composed mainly of people in the Christian and Vedic traditions, he makes the most extensive references to these scriptiures.

SELF-IMPROVEMENT/SPIRITUAL

The spiritual warrior must protect the healthy and serve the wounded..

Although this negative culture will continuously increase, the spiritualist has the duty to try to counteract its influence and facilitate the victims. If possible, spiritualists should first try to weed out the enemies in their own consciousness and then act as spiritual warriors to assist others.

“This very well written book provides an approach encompassing not only material but spiritual paradigms, incorporating all of the complexities that life has to offer... I am sure those readers who are not spiritual warriors will surely like to join B.T. Swami and become one."

-Ravi P. Singh, M.D., M.P.H. Diplomat, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

“His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami shares with us insights in spiritual technology from ancient sources that are in many ways the most radical and scientifically advanced lifestyle and thought systems available to us. He espouses the application of a mental health approach based on spiritual realities that integrate individual and social healing themes across the range of human experience and opportunity."

-Kenneth Carter, M.D., M.P.H., Dipl. Ac.

(Master of Public Health, Board Certified in Psychiatry and Acupuncture)

SELF-IMPROVEMENT / SPIRITUAL

younded or not wounded, if you develop a more positive internal W dialogue, you can join as a leader in the transcendental army of spiritual warriors. We want to gradually turn our mind into the deepest lover without fear of distraction from the different allurements or even fear of loving deeply, Yes, the enemies of the mind are getting stronger, but the spiritual warrior's ranks are also increasing.

“Spiritual Warrior V is not only an inspiration for a new aspirant on the spiritual journey, but it is a manual for all experienced people of higher consciousness. His Holiness has gone to the root cause of stagnation in the progress of spiritual experience and gives remedial measures how to come out of these blocks."

Gyanendra Mahapatra, M.D. (Former Vice-chancellor of Vedic University in Noida India)

“His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami inspires us to be spiritual warriors in life, following the tradition of Arjuna, the Great Warrior depicted in the Bhagavad-gita. However, in this book he achieves this by updating the metaphors and language in a way that will reach out to many people in today's world. It is a message of love, faith and devotion that constantly inspires."

—Nigel Hamilton MA (Couns, Psych), Dipl. ClinPsych & Social Psych, Director of The Centre for Counselling & Psychotherapy Education, London, UK

When we look at ourselves as human beings, we have to watch our thoughts because our thoughts lead to words. We watch our words: they lead to actions. We have to watch our actions because actions become our habits. We should watch our habits because they become our culture. We want a culture of divinity. not a culture of sectarianism, fanaticism, incarceration, and war. We want a culture of liberation that is about love and service to God and all creation.

Bhakti Tirtha Swami was born John E. Favors in a pious, Godfearing family. As a child evangelist, he appeared regularly on television, and as a young man, he was a leader in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s civil rights movement. At Princeton University, he became president of the student council and also served as chairman of the Third World Coalition. Although his main degree is in psychology, he has received accolades in many other fields, including politics, African studies, and international law.

Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s books are used as reference texts in universities and leadership organizations throughout the world. Many of his books have been printed in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Macedonian, Croatian, Russian, Hebrew, Slovenian, Balinese, and Italian.

His Holiness has served as assistant coordinator for penal reform programs in the State of New Jersey, Office of the Public Defender, and as a director of several drug abuse clinics in the United States. In addition, he has been a special consultant for Educational Testing Services in the U.S.A. and has managed campaigns for politicians. Bhakti Tirtha Swami gained international recognition as a representative of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, particularly for his outstanding work with scholars in the former communist countries of Eastern Europe.

Bhakti Tirtha Swami directly oversaw projects in the United States (particularly Washington D.C., Potomac, Maryland, Detroit, Pennsylvania, West Virginia), West Africa, South Africa, Switzerland, France, Croatia, and Bosnia. He also served as the director of the American Federation of Vaisnava Colleges and Schools.

In the United States, Bhakti Tirtha Swami was the founder and director of the Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology, director of the International Committee for Urban Spiritual Development, and one of the international coordinators of the Seventh Pan African Congress. Reflecting his wide range of interests, he was also a member of the Institute for Noetic Sciences, the Center for Defense Information, the United Nations Association for America, the National Peace Institute Foundation, the World Future Society, and the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders.

A specialist in international relations and conflict resolution, Bhakti Tirtha Swami constantly traveled around the world and had become a spiritual consultant to many high-ranking members of the United Nations, to various celebrities, and to several chiefs, kings, and high court justices. In 1990, His Holiness was coronated as a high chief in Warri, Nigeria in recognition for his outstanding work in Africa and the world. In recent years, he met several times with then-President Nelson Mandela of South Africa to share visions and strategies for world peace.

In addition to encouraging self-sufficiency through the development of schools, clinics, farm projects, and cottage industries, Bhakti Tirtha Swami conducted seminars and workshops on principle-centered leadership, spiritual development, interpersonal relationships, stress and time management, and other pertinent topics. He was also widely acknowledged as a viable participant in the resolution of global conflict.

Spiritual Warrior 1: Uncovering Spiritual Truths in Psychic Phenomena consists of lectures given by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami to a wide variety of live, radio and television audiences around the world, over a period of several years. Because the topics were originally presented in spoken form, the style is conversational and informal. In the editing process, we have modified the text to enhance readability, yet sought to preserve some of the verbal nuances that would maintain the mood of the original presentations. By so doing, we hope to create an atmosphere that literally makes you part of the audience, where you can experience the powerful presence of the speaker as he shares essential nourishment for the soul.

We would like to mention a few other stylistic considerations. In the course of his discussions, Bhakti Tirtha Swami includes perspectives from many different spiritual philosophies, however because his audiences are composed mainly of people in the Christian and Vedic traditions, he makes the most extensive references to these scriptures. At times he uses Sanskrit terminology from the Vedas, a vast body of ancient scriptures originating from the area of the world known today as India. We have translated and removed these terms wherever possible, but where the use of the terms seemed important to the point, we endeavored to explain them within the context of the discussion. Also, the end of each chapter includes a few of the many questions and answers exchanged during the original lectures. We hope that these will respond to some of the concerns that may arise in the course of your reading. These discussions between Bhakti Tirtha Swami and the audience may also give you different angles from which to view the topics presented.

Spiritual Warrior II: Transforming Lust into Love consists of lectures given by Bhakti Tirtha Swami to a wide variety of audiences over a period of several years. Because the topics were originally presented in spoken form, the style is conversational and informal. In the editing process, we have modified the text to enhance readability, yet sought to preserve some of the verbal nuances that would maintain the mood of the original presentation. By so doing, we hope to create an atmosphere that literally makes you part of the audience, where you can experience the powerful presence of the speaker, B.T. Swami, as he shares essential nourishment for the soul.

We would like to mention a few other stylistic considerations. As B.T. Swami examines the issues of lust and love, he includes various perspectives from many different spiritual philosophies. At times he uses Sanskrit terminology from the Vedas, a vast body of ancient scriptures originating from the area of the world known today as India. The text explains the meaning of these Sanskrit terms, and for convenience a glossary at the end of this book also defines them. Finally, the end of each chapter includes a few of the many questions and answers exchanged during the original lectures. We hope that these will respond to some of the concerns that may arise for you in the course of reading this material. These discussions between B.T. Swami and the audience may also give you different angles from which to view the topics presented.

This book is the second edition of the second volume in our Spiritual Warrior series of lectures by B.T. Swami. Spiritual Warrior 1: Uncovering Spiritual Truths in Psychic Phenomena, Spiritual Warrior III: Solace for the Heart in Difficult Times, Spiritual Warrior IV: Conquering the Enemies of the Mind, Spiritual Warrior V: Making the Mind Your Best Friend, and Spiritual Warrior VI: Beyond Fanaticism, Terrorism, and War: Discover the Peace Solution are already in print, and several more volumes are planned. The information presented within these pages is extremely rare, and we hope you will make the most of the knowledge they contain. If you take these teachings seriously, they can transform your life into a most sublime, loving adventure.

Spiritual Warrior III: Solace for the Heart in Difficult Times consists of lectures given by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami to a wide variety of live, radio and television audiences around the world, over a period of several years. Because the topics were originally presented in spoken form, the style is conversational and informal. In the editing process, we have modified the text to enhance readability, yet sought to preserve some of the verbal nuances that would maintain the mood of the original presentations. By so doing, we hope to create an atmosphere that literally makes you part of the audience, where you can experience the powerful presence of the speaker as he shares essential nourishment for the soul.

We would like to mention a few other stylistic considerations. In the course of his discussions, Bhakti Tirtha Swami includes perspectives from many different spiritual philosophies. However, because his audiences are composed mainly of people in the Christian and Vedic traditions, he makes the most extensive references to these scriptures. At times he uses Sanskrit terminology from the Vedas, a vast body of ancient scriptures originating from the area of the world known today as India. We have translated and removed these terms wherever possible, but where the use of the terms seemed important to the point, we endeavored to explain them within the context of the discussion. Also, the end of each chapter includes a few of the many questions and answers exchanged during the original lectures. We hope that these will respond to some of the concerns that may arise in the course of your reading. These discussions between Bhakti Tirtha Swami and the audience may also give you different angles from which to view the topics presented.

This book is the third volume in our Spiritual Warrior series. The first two volumes, Spiritual Warrior: Uncovering Spiritual Truths in Psychic Phenomena and Spiritual Warrior II: Transforming Lust into Love, are already in print, and have been translated into several additional languages along with His Holiness' other works. The information presented within these pages is extremely rare, and we hope you will make the most of the knowledge they contain. If you take these teachings seriously, they can transform your life into a most sublime, loving adventure.

The Spiritual Warrior series consists of lectures given by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami to a wide variety of live radio and television audiences around the world, over a period of several years. Since the topics were originally presented in spoken form, the style is conversational and informal. In the editing process, we have modified the text to enhance readability, yet sought to preserve some of the verbal nuances and maintain the mood of the original presentations. By so doing, we hope to create an atmosphere that literally makes you part of the audience so that you can experience the powerful presence of the speaker as he shares essential nourishment for the soul.

We would like to mention several other stylistic considerations. In the course of his discussions, B.T. Swami includes perspectives from many different spiritual philosophies; however, because his audiences are composed mainly of people in the Christian and Vedic traditions, he makes the most extensive references to these scriptures. At times, he uses Sanskrit terminology from the Vedas, a vast body of ancient scriptures originating from the area of the world known today as India. We have endeavored to keep many of these terms and have tried to explain them within the context of the discussion. When coming upon such terms, if one needs additional information and clarification, we invite you to consult the glossary. However, there are some terms we would like to initially clarify:

• When His Holiness B.T. Swami refers to the one God that we all know of, he uses different terminologies. Sometimes he says the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mother-Father God, or Krishna.

• He often uses the word “devotees.” He is drawing attention to those spiritualists who are connected to the Vedic tradition as well as to all aspiring spiritualists who are embarking on the spiritual journey.

• He also uses the term “nine-fold process”, which refers to various activities that a person engages in during his or her spiritual practices of devotion to God, such as hearing about the Lord, speaking about Him, remembering Him, praying to Him, serving Him, fully surrendering, and so on.

Furthermore, the end of each chapter includes many of the questions and answers exchanged during the original lectures. We hope that these will respond to some of the concerns that arise during the course of your reading. These discussions between Bhakti Tirtha Swami and the audience may also give you different angles from which to view the topics presented.

The Spiritual Warrior series consists of lectures given by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami to a wide variety of live radio and television audiences around the world, over a period of several years. Since the topics were originally presented in spoken form, the style is conversational and informal. In the editing process, we have modified the text to enhance readability, yet sought to preserve some of the verbal nuances that would maintain the mood of the original presentations. In this way, we hope to create an atmosphere that literally makes you part of the audience so that you can experience the powerful presence of the speaker as he shares essential nourishment for the soul.

We would like to mention several other stylistic considerations. In the course of his discussions, Bhakti Tirtha Swami includes perspectives from many different spiritual philosophies; however, because his audiences are composed mainly of people in the Christian and Vedic traditions, he makes the most extensive references to these scriptures. At times, he uses Sanskrit terminology from the Vedas, a vast body of ancient scriptures originating from the area of the world known today as India. We have endeavored to keep many of these terms and have tried to explain them within the context of the discussion. When coming upon such terms, if you need additional information and clarification, we invite you to consult the glossary. However, there are some terms we would like to initially clarify:

• When His Holiness B.T. Swami refers to the one God that we all know of, he uses different terminologies. Sometimes he says the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mother-Father God, or Krishna.

• He often uses the word “devotees.” He is drawing attention to those spiritualists who are connected to the Vedic tradition as well as to all aspiring spiritualists who are embarking on the spiritual journey.

• He also uses the term “nine-fold process,” which refers to various activities that a person engages in during his or her spiritual practices of devotion to God, such as hearing about the Lord, speaking about Him, remembering Him, praying to Him, serving Him, fully surrendering, and so on.

Furthermore, the end of each chapter includes many of the questions and answers exchanged during the original lectures. We hope that these will respond to some of the concerns that may arise in the course of your reading. These discussions between Bhakti Tirtha Swami and the audience may also give you different angles from which to view the topics presented.

One of the great questions facing modern society is how to reconcile different religious traditions. The conflicts between competing religious doctrines and metaphysical systems give strength to the skeptical argument that religion is simply a product of human imagination, with no basis in truth. Even if a person wants to follow a spiritual path, what is he to believe?

This book, Spiritual Warrior I, by Bhakti Tirtha Swami, presents a universal approach to religion and spiritual growth that attempts to reconcile several important spiritual traditions. The book's underlying philosophy is taken from the Vaisnava tradition of India. However, the book is aimed primarily at people influenced by a number of other traditions. These include Christianity and Islam, the mystery schools of ancient Egypt, the spiritualistic traditions of Africa, and the many supernatural and quasi-supernatural manifestations of the “new age.”

Two basic approaches to the problem of religious diversity are the exclusive approach and the inclusive approach. According to the exclusive approach, ideas which differ from a given set of accepted religious doctrines are rejected as invalid. This approach simplifies things for those who can fully place their faith in a particular set of doctrines. It can be of great value for some people, because it allows them to imbibe the wisdom of their particular tradition without distraction. However, for people who are doubtful and confused by many conflicting claims, religious exclusivism may act as a barrier to spiritual progress.

The inclusive approach attempts to unite diverse schools of thought by combining them together. According to this idea, different traditions are describing the same reality from different perspectives. Even though some accounts may be corrupted or adulterated with false material, one can arrive at a consistent picture of reality by combining different traditions and noting their strong points and their common features. This is the method used in this book.

What picture emerges if we try to combine different traditions? Bhakti Tirtha Swami emphasizes a basic three-tiered picture of reality based on the world of gross matter, the world of subtle material energy, and the transcendental world of pure spirit. Paralleling this is a threetiered picture of ourselves (and other living beings) as combinations of gross physical body, subtle mind, and transcendental soul.

Spiritual Warrior II: Transforming Lust into Love is a book to savor and treasure, a book that needs to be read and reread because of its spiritual potency and priceless value for everyday living. I receive so many books in the mail to read and, I am sorry to say, the vast majority of them have little or no substance, simply being combinations of words strung together to entertain the mind and, perhaps, the intelligence. You can imagine how happy and excited I was as I began to read Spiritual Warrior II and found myself saying, “Yes, yes! This is what I need. This is what I choose to learn and apply."

It is with great pleasure that I offer my reactions to Bhakti Tirtha Swami's unique, easy-to-understand presentation of the ancient, eternal teachings included in this book. Although I have never met B.T. Swami personally—an occasion I look forward to—in a sense I have already met him through his previous books and an audiotape of one of his lectures. His courage to speak the deepest truths and his wealth of knowledge has impressed me greatly. As a writer, minister, and speaker myself, I am familiar with the tendency to say what pleases people so that they will continue to listen and attend classes. B.T. Swami cuts right to the core of our problems and offers real, eternal solutions that transcend the mundane beliefs and rhetoric of the average religious leader or politician.

The book's combination of primarily, but not exclusively, Christian, Muslim, and Vedic teachings is for serious students who genuinely desire to know who they are, how to live in harmony with God's laws, and how to love God and achieve success as a human being. The lessons the author shares so generously are the difficult ones, not how to catch a man, how to keep a woman, or even how to use God and His universe to get what you want. All these benefits come naturally when you love—not when you use, but when you love.

Those of any religion who care about themselves and truly desire to fulfill their mission as human beings will devour the knowledge that jumps off every page of Spiritual Warrior II. Some books give us an “ah-ha!” or two, or one interesting point to apply, which may be enough to justify the price of the book and the time spent reading it. Here, it happens every paragraph, and sometimes every line! I am currently on my second and even third reading of certain chapters of this divinely inspired offering.

In 1893, the World Parliament of Religions gave birth to an organized religious summit and marked the beginning of a dialogue between the religious traditions of the East and West. A century later, in 1993, the Parliament of World Religions was reborn in Chicago, and the dialogue intensified. Over eight thousand people from around the world came together to explore religious and spiritual responses to critical issues that confront the international community. This gathering powerfully celebrated the role of diversity in creating harmony among peoples.

In 1999, it was no coincidence that the Parliament of World Religions conference was held on the African continent in Capetown, South Africa. Many felt it was a testimony to emerging patterns of unity in the world. South Africa represents a microcosm of the rest of the world, and its history in the last decade of the twentieth century is a testimony to the capacity of people to work together to create new levels of material and spiritual liberation for society. As it pursues the thorny path of reconstructing its society in the next decades of the new century, South Africa is forging new ways for people to live and work together. This process embodies the spirit and purpose of the Parliament of World Religions, and South Africa proved a fitting matrix for the expression of our purpose as the new millennium dawned.

The 1999 Parliament of World Religions conference brought the religions of the world together at a most critical moment in human history. As the twentieth century ended, some of the greatest problems facing humanity were those of sectarianism, racism, tribalism, nationalism, gender conflicts and religious fanaticism. These problems are fragmenting the planet and decimating the foundations of human societies the world over.

How critically important, then, it was for religious people and institutions to come together to confront these planetary adversaries through the sharing of perspectives and spiritual solutions, and the initiating of practical initiatives for change. The wider circles of unity created at the Parliament are even now unleashing a collective will to combat the problems of the age and develop a world that preserves the honor and destiny of every soul.

In the midst of numerous self-help books decorating libraries and bookstore shelves, it gives me immense pleasure to welcome His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami's Spiritual Warrior IV: Conquering the Enemies of the Mind. Why? Simply because this will provide readers with real glimpses of unique technologies to deal with depression, anxiety, anger, and grief. It is heart warming to note that the author does not demean the biological aspect of these diseases but provides a compendium for persons who are getting or seeking help with biological therapies. As it is very evident from the author's preface, Spiritual Warrior IV and V will offer readers different spiritual technologies for accomplishing this purpose.

This very well written book provides an approach encompassing not only material but also spiritual paradigms incorporating all of the complexities life has to offer. At the same time, B.T. Swami accomplishes this without proselytizing us to follow his chosen spiritual path. However, he never denies or sugar coats his commitment to his Vaisnava tradition as we find in authors of other self-help books who try to portray themselves as secular.

Now let us examine this book chapter by chapter. In the first chapter, Avoiding Excessive Anxiety, the author invites us to be introspective which is also highly essential to biological psychiatry. Hence persons seeking help for anxiety who do not introspect will never achieve remission. B.T. Swami further defines anxiety and gives the process for avoiding its devastating effects. He also answers us on the basis of scriptures that “the Supreme Lord has the duty to protect and fulfill His part.” To support this, he has extensively quoted great personalities of the Vedic tradition.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura founded his Gaudiya Matha on sixty-four principles that outline a perfect and complete foundation for a spiritual society. With unwavering dedication to the mission of his spiritual master, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada revived the spirit of that vision. In 1965, according to the instructions he received from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura forty-three years earlier, Srila Prabhupada traveled to the Western world to establish his International Society for Krishna Consciousness as the pure embodiment of the principles that were propounded by his beloved spiritual master.

| Although they are not yet widely recognized in our society in their original form, our success lies in the implementation of these sacred instructions. They fully reveal the true essence and framework of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. As we progress and mature, we must realize that ISKCON carries the responsibility to epitomize the ideals on which Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura created the Gaudiya Matha. By remaining loyal to these principles, our society will surely prosper in spreading the message of Krishna consciousness and inspiring devotees in their spiritual growth. Therefore, in order to share these potent instructions with the community of devotees, I translated the original guidelines and printed them in Spiritual Connections, a magazine published for my disciples and friends.

Spiritual seekers take the availability of sacred texts for granted. Digital scanning and other efforts to preserve the past have rendered rare manuscripts easily accessible. Add tools such as Google, Amazon.com, and online electronic archives, and the exegetic treasures of faith traditions lie virtually at our fingertips. Gaps of course exist. Inventor Louis Daguerre created the first chemical plates in 1829. Prior to that time, preservation of sacred teachings was the domain of oral and written transmission, both subject to faulty reporting and prejudiced interpretation. As technology progressed, so did the accessibility of source materials. Today, anyone can conduct an online search for chapters of the Zohar or words to the Sanskrit Gayatri mantra and obtain documents previously restricted to the most advanced practitioners.

Still, physical possession of texts does not equate to understanding them. Here are the writings, but what do they mean? How do these precepts translate into practice? Do realizations posited hundreds or perhaps thousands of years ago apply to a post-modern world? What relevance do they have in the current environment of globalization, secularism, genetic engineering, and conventions on universal human rights?

**Contents and Sample Pages**