Download or read book Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature written by Chet Shupe and published by Bookbaby. This book was released on 2022-12-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shupe's book goes beyond self-help. It reveals how our emotional connections to one another have been severed, by our dependence on legal systems. Shupe reminds us that humans once lived in a state of contentment, because they depended on each other to survive. But our current dependence on legal systems has deprived us of our greatest need--to love and to be loved by our fellow man. Shupe's book informs us of something modern people fail to grasp: We humans do have an inborn wisdom, endowed by evolution. It is essential to our happiness, and to the wellbeing of life, that we be true to this inborn map of life. Humans created civilization, because we thought life would be better if everyone complied with sovereign laws. In terms of material benefits, civilization has succeeded. But depending on laws--not emotional intelligence--to maintain order, has so socially isolated us that reality, as we experience it, is a spiritual wasteland. Unable to emotionally engage in our surroundings, we have no access to the wisdom of human nature, which reveals itself exclusively through feelings in response to one's immediate circumstances. The result of this spiritual alienation is pain. To manage it, we modern humans space ourselves out on beliefs, ideologies, drugs, hope, dreams--and even the promise of science. When those fail to quell the pain, people turn to suicide--the only option left. Shupe's answer is to return to the natural spiritual homes in which Homo sapiens once thrived. But people cannot establish a spiritual home, merely by design or intent. Spiritual homes will eventually form naturally: When enough people become disillusioned with the promises of modern life, they will acquire a new perspective on what life is about. Among spiritually awakened people, a real home is organic. Indeed, for humans to experience a natural sense of emotional and material comfort, a spiritual home--one that is maintained by our emotional intelligence--is the only option that exists.
Download or read book Redicovering the Wisdom of Human Nature How Civilization Destroys Happiness written by Chet Shupe and published by Bookbaby. This book was released on 2020-09 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book was written to get us in touch with our own human nature--the inborn recipe of requirements for human wellbeing. In case you haven't noticed, civilization wants us to follow a totally different recipe--one that keeps telling us to ignore what we feel, and act otherwise. This book tells the truth about what humans need to be happy, and how our civilized way of life insists that we spend the vast majority of our time doing the opposite of what we feel. Evolution made us what we are--feeling beings. And that is how humanity lived, developed, and thrived, in intimate small groups of people who trusted, supported, and protected each other completely. Today, we all live largely in a state of emotional isolation from others. We feel the absence of intimacy--our most powerful need. Most modern humans are aware of the anxieties and irritations of our modern lives, but we accept them as part of life-itself. So, most readers of this book will be shocked to find out how many of those things we call problems are not our own fault, at all, but are brought on by the unnatural weight of what civilization requires of us, emotionally. It wasn't just to shock you that I wrote this book. I wrote it to bring a change in perspective that will free us from the grip that modern institutions now have on the psyche of every human alive.
Download or read book The Brighter Side Of Human Nature written by Alfie Kohn and published by . This book was released on 2008-08-05 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing from hundreds of studies in half a dozen fields, The Brighter Side of Human Nature makes a powerful case that caring and generosity are just as natural as selfishness and aggression. This lively refutation of cynical assumptions about our species considers the nature of empathy and the causes of war, why we (incorrectly) explain all behavior in terms of self-interest, and how we can teach children to care.
Download or read book Radical Nature written by Christian de Quincey and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-02-22 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of consciousness in all matter--from quantum to cosmos • Outlines theories of consciousness in ancient and modern philosophy from before Plato to Alfred North Whitehead • Reveals the importance of understanding mind-in-matter for our relationships with the environment, with other people, even with ourselves Are rocks conscious? Do animals or plants have souls? Can trees feel pleasure or pain? Where in the great unfolding of life did consciousness first appear? How we answer such questions can dramatically affect the way we live our lives, how we treat the world of nature, and even how we relate to our own bodies. In this new edition of the award-winning Radical Nature, Christian de Quincey explores the “hard problem” of philosophy--how mind and matter are related--and proposes a radical and surprising answer: that matter itself tingles with consciousness at the deepest level. It’s there in the cells of every living creature, even in molecules and atoms. Tracing the lineage of this idea through Western philosophy and science, he shows that it has a very noble history--from before Plato to Alfred North Whitehead. He reveals that the way to God is through nature and that understanding how body and soul fit together has surprising consequences for our relationships with our environment, with other people, and even with ourselves.
Download or read book The Fate of Nature written by Charles Wohlforth and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2010-06-08 with total page 899 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "What capacity for good lies in the hidden depths of people?" Starting with this question, award-winning author Charles Wohlforth sets forth on a wide-ranging exploration of our relationship with the world. In The Fate of Nature, he draws on science, spirituality, history, economics, and personal stories to reveal answers about the future of that relationship. There is no better place to witness the highs and lows of our treatment of the natural world than the vast wilds, rocky coasts, and shifting settlements of Alaska. Since the first encounter between Captain Cook's crew and the Alaskan Natives in 1778, there have been countless struggles between people who have had different plans for the region. Some have hoped to preserve Alaska as they found it, while others aimed to create something new in its place. Incidents such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill may seem like cause for despair. In the face of such profound tragedies, Charles Wohlforth has found heartening developments in the science of human altruism. This new understanding of what causes humans to cooperate and act conscientiously may be the first step toward taking the actions necessary to preserve an environment that has already been altered drastically in our lifetime. A clear-eyed, original work of research, reportage, and philosophical reflections, The Fate of Nature gives us a chance to change the way we think about our place in society and the world at large.
Download or read book The Sacred Balance written by David Suzuki and published by Greystone Books. This book was released on 2009-05-01 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this extensively revised and enlarged edition of his best-selling book, David Suzuki reflects on the increasingly radical changes in nature and science — from global warming to the science behind mother/baby interactions — and examines what they mean for humankind’s place in the world. The book begins by presenting the concept of people as creatures of the Earth who depend on its gifts of air, water, soil, and sun energy. The author explains how people are genetically programmed to crave the company of other species, and how people suffer enormously when they fail to live in harmony with them. Suzuki analyzes those deep spiritual needs, rooted in nature, that are a crucial component of a loving world. Drawing on his own experiences and those of others who have put their beliefs into action, The Sacred Balance is a powerful, passionate book with concrete suggestions for creating an ecologically sustainable, satisfying, and fair future by rediscovering and addressing humanity’s basic needs.
Download or read book Jesus the Great Philosopher written by Jonathan T. Pennington and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2020-10-20 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of us tend to live as though Jesus represents the "spiritual part" of our lives. We don't clearly see how he relates to the rest of our experiences, desires, and habits. How can Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity become more than a compartmentalized part of our lives? Highly regarded New Testament scholar and popular teacher Jonathan Pennington argues that we need to recover the lost biblical image of Jesus as the one true philosopher who teaches us how to experience the fullness of our humanity in the kingdom of God. Jesus teaches us what is good, right, and beautiful and offers answers to life's big questions: what it means to be human, how to be happy, how to order our emotions, and how we should conduct our relationships. This book brings Jesus and Christianity into dialogue with the ancient philosophers who asked the same big questions about finding meaningful happiness. It helps us rediscover biblical Christianity as a whole-life philosophy, one that addresses our greatest human questions and helps us live meaningful and flourishing lives.
Download or read book Body Soul written by J. P. Moreland and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2009-09-20 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While most people throughout history have believed that we are both physical and spiritual beings, the rise of science has called into question the existence of the soul. Many now argue that neurophysiology demonstrates the radical dependence, indeed, identity, between mind and brain. Advances in genetics and in mapping human DNA, some say, show there is no need for the hypothesis of body-soul dualism. Even many Christian intellectuals have come to view the soul as a false Greek concept that is outdated and unbiblical. Concurrent with the demise of dualism has been the rise of advanced medical technologies that have brought to the fore difficult issues at both edges of life. Central to questions about abortion, fetal research, reproductive techologies, cloning and euthanasia is our understanding of the nature of human personhood, the reality of life after death and the value of ethical or religious knowledge as compared to scientific knowledge. In this careful treatment, J. P. Moreland and Scott B. Rae argue that the rise of these problems alongside the demise of Christian dualism is no coincidence. They therefore employ a theological realism to meet these pressing issues, and to present a reasonable and biblical depiction of human nature as it impinges upon critical ethical concerns. This vigorous philosophical and ethical defense of human nature as body and soul, regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees, will be for all a touchstone for debate and discussion for years to come.
Download or read book Nourishment written by Fred Provenza and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2018 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reflections on feeding body and spirit in a world of change Animal scientists have long considered domestic livestock to be too dumb to know how to eat right, but the lifetime research of animal behaviorist Fred Provenza and his colleagues has debunked this myth. Their work shows that when given a choice of natural foods, livestock have an astoundingly refined palate, nibbling through the day on as many as fifty kinds of grasses, forbs, and shrubs to meet their nutritional needs with remarkable precision. In Nourishment Provenza presents his thesis of the wisdom body, a wisdom that links flavor-feedback relationships at a cellular level with biochemically rich foods to meet the body's nutritional and medicinal needs. Provenza explores the fascinating complexity of these relationships as he raises and answers thought-provoking questions about what we can learn from animals about nutritional wisdom. What kinds of memories form the basis for how herbivores, and humans, recognize foods? Can a body develop nutritional and medicinal memories in utero and early in life? Do humans still possess the wisdom to select nourishing diets? Or, has that ability been hijacked by nutritional "authorities"? Consumers eager for a "quick fix" have empowered the multibillion-dollar-a-year supplement industry, but is taking supplements and enriching and fortifying foods helping us, or is it hurting us? On a broader scale Provenza explores the relationships among facets of complex, poorly understood, ever-changing ecological, social, and economic systems in light of an unpredictable future. To what degree do we lose contact with life-sustaining energies when the foods we eat come from anywhere but where we live? To what degree do we lose the mythological relationship that links us physically and spiritually with Mother Earth who nurtures our lives? Provenza's paradigm-changing exploration of these questions has implications that could vastly improve our health through a simple change in the way we view our relationships with the plants and animals we eat. Our health could be improved by eating biochemically rich foods and by creating cultures that know how to combine foods into meals that nourish and satiate. Provenza contends the voices of "authority" disconnect most people from a personal search to discover the inner wisdom that can nourish body and spirit. That journey means embracing wonder and uncertainty and avoiding illusions of stability and control as we dine on a planet in a universe bent on consuming itself.
Download or read book The Book written by Alan Watts and published by Vintage. This book was released on 1989-08-28 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revelatory primer on what it means to be human, from "the perfect guide for a course correction in life" (Deepak Chopra)—and a mind-opening manual of initiation into the central mystery of existence. At the root of human conflict is our fundamental misunderstanding of who we are. The illusion that we are isolated beings, unconnected to the rest of the universe, has led us to view the “outside” world with hostility, and has fueled our misuse of technology and our violent and hostile subjugation of the natural world. To help us understand that the self is in fact the root and ground of the universe, Watts has crafted a revelatory primer on what it means to be human—and a mind-opening manual of initiation into the central mystery of existence. In The Book, Alan Watts provides us with a much-needed answer to the problem of personal identity, distilling and adapting the Hindu philosophy of Vedanta.
Download or read book Land of Hope written by Wilfred M. McClay and published by Encounter Books. This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 642 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For too long we’ve lacked a compact, inexpensive, authoritative, and compulsively readable book that offers American readers a clear, informative, and inspiring narrative account of their country. Such a fresh retelling of the American story is especially needed today, to shape and deepen young Americans’ sense of the land they inhabit, help them to understand its roots and share in its memories, all the while equipping them for the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in American society The existing texts simply fail to tell that story with energy and conviction. Too often they reflect a fragmented outlook that fails to convey to American readers the grand trajectory of their own history. This state of affairs cannot continue for long without producing serious consequences. A great nation needs and deserves a great and coherent narrative, as an expression of its own self-understanding and its aspirations; and it needs to be able to convey that narrative to its young effectively. Of course, it goes without saying that such a narrative cannot be a fairy tale of the past. It will not be convincing if it is not truthful. But as Land of Hope brilliantly shows, there is no contradiction between a truthful account of the American past and an inspiring one. Readers of Land of Hope will find both in its pages.
Download or read book Anam Cara written by John O'Donohue and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Anam Cara is a rare synthesis of philosophy, poetry, and spirituality. This work will have a powerful and life-transforming experience for those who read it." —Deepak Chopra John O'Donohue, poet, philosopher, and scholar, guides you through the spiritual landscape of the Irish imagination. In Anam Cara, Gaelic for "soul friend," the ancient teachings, stories, and blessings of Celtic wisdom provide such profound insights on the universal themes of friendship, solitude, love, and death as: Light is generous The human heart is never completely born Love as ancient recognition The body is the angel of the soul Solitude is luminous Beauty likes neglected places The passionate heart never ages To be natural is to be holy Silence is the sister of the divine Death as an invitation to freedom
Download or read book This Book Was a Tree written by Marcie Chambers Cuff and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At no time in human history have we been more disconnected with what lies outside our front doors. Within just a century, our relationship with our surroundings has transformed from one of exploration to one of disassociation. In This Book Was a Tree, science teacher Marcie Cuff issues a call for a new era of pioneers—not leathery, backwoods deerskin-wearing salt pork and hominy pioneers, but strong-minded, clever, crafty, mudpie-making, fort-building individuals committed to examining the natural world and deciphering nature’s perplexing puzzles. Within each chapter, readers will discover a principle for reconnecting with the natural world around them, from learning to be still to discovering the importance of giving back. With a mix of science and hands-on crafts and activities, readers will be encouraged to brainstorm, imagine, and understand the world as inventive scientists—to touch, collect, document, sketch, decode, analyze, experiment, unravel, interpret, compare, and reflect.
Download or read book Ecological Intelligence Rediscovering Ourselves in Nature Easyread Large Edition written by Ian McCallum and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2009-12 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A best seller in Africa, Ecological Intelligence defines a new way of thinking about the unprecedented environmental pressures of our day. Ian McCallum offers a compelling argument: that we must think differently about ourselves and the earth if we are to take seriously the survival of wilderness areas, wild animals, and the human race. He explores the relationship between humans and nature from both a biological and poetic perspective, articulating a wild and ethical imperative - an urgent reminder that we are inextricably linked to the land and that we must not be the creatures of our own undoing. ''A profound and necessary book about an important idea. Something like this had to be done.'' - Lyall Watson, best-selling author of Supernature.
Download or read book The American Soul written by Jacob Needleman and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2003-06-02 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looking at the lives of America's founders-including Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin-scholar and bestselling author Jacob Needleman explores their core of inner beliefs; their religious and spiritual sensibilities; and their individual conception of the purpose of life. The founders, Needleman argues, conceived of an "inner democracy": a continual pursuit of wisdom and self-improvement that would undergird the outer democracy in which we live today. Any understanding of America as a nation of spiritual values will in the years ahead require Needleman's work as a point of reference.
Download or read book Rediscovering Birth written by Sheila Kitzinger and published by Pinter & Martin Publishers. This book was released on 2011 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For thousands of years women have given birth among people they know in a place they know well. Knowledge is shared between the participants and birth is a social event. In this new, revised edition of her classic book, Sheila Kitzinger explores the universal experience of pregnancy and birth. She looks closely at the place of birth, what is done to help women in childbirth and examines the bond traditionally formed between mothers and midwives.
Download or read book Rediscovering Life written by Anthony De Mello and published by Image. This book was released on 2012-06-12 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A companion to Anthony De Mello’s all-time bestselling work of inspiration, Awareness. Anthony De Mello was one of the most important spiritual writers of the 20th century. Since his death in 1987, his stature has only increased. His books, including Song of the Bird, Sadhana, and the international bestselling Awareness are considered by many to be some of the most influential spiritual teachings of the last 50 years. Now, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his passing, Image Books is proud to present what may very well prove to be the last published work of this beloved spiritual teacher. Based on a lecture given just months before his death, Rediscovering Life invites us to unlock the deeper meaning of our lives. By becoming aware of the circuitous and habitual nature of our limiting thoughts, we can find simple solutions that will release us from feelings of isolation, anger, sadness and depression. In short, De Mello offers us a new way to look at the world and God that will transform our lives. Rediscovering Life is a timeless and compassionate book that will awaken you to the beauty of human experience and increase your ability to see God in all things.
