Bøker av Abbot G Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

"There are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." (Gospel of Saint John, final verse)You can discover much of those "many other things which Jesus did" in this unique compilation of ancient records and mystical revelations, which includes historical records of the lives of Jesus Christ and his Mother Mary that have been accepted and used by the Church since apostolic times. This treasury of little-known stories of Jesus' infancy, his sojourn in the Orient as recorded in the famous Ladakh Manuscript, and his passion, crucifixion, and resurrection, will broaden the reader's understanding of what Christianity really was in its original form: a far more vibrant and conscious movement than what we see today in its place.But this book is more than just a collection of ancient texts. Abbot George Burke's illuminating and scholarly commentary adds a further dimension and relevance, and will guide you to a deeper understanding of how, as he puts it, "to manifest the inner Christ that abides within us all."The Unknown Lives of Jesus and Mary includes the text and commentary on these early writings: >The Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus and MaryThe Gospel of the Nativity of MaryThe History of Anna, The Mother of the Blessed Virgin MaryThe Gospel of ThomasThe Infancy of the SaviorThe Ladakh Manuscript, a manuscript found in a Buddhist monastery in Tibet telling of Jesus' "Lost Years" and travels in India and TibetThe Gospel Of NicodemusThe Death of Pilate, Who Condemned JesusThe Narrative of JosephThe Book of John Concerning the Falling Asleep of MaryMiscellaneous Sources"An intelligent, respectful, and incredible perspective into an esoteric Christianity that is seldom seen. ... The quality of the piece was a pleasant surprise." -River Ezell

"With penetrating insight, Abbot George Burke illumines the Upanishads' practical value for spiritual seekers. With a unique perspective from a lifetime of study and practice of both Eastern and Western spirituality, Abbot George presents the treasures of the Upanishads in an easily intelligible fashion. The sacred scriptures of India are vast. Yet they are only different ways of seeing the same thing, the One Thing which makes them both valid and ultimately harmonious. That unifying subject is Brahman: God the Absolute, beyond and besides whom there is no "other" whatsoever. The thirteen major Upanishads are the fountainhead of all expositions of Brahman. The word "upanishad" itself comes from the root word upasana, which means to draw or sit near, and is usually considered to mean that which was heard when the student sat near the teacher to learn the eternal truths. We do not know who wrote the Upanishads. This has a distinct advantage in that the image of a historical, finite personality does not intervene to obscure the revelation handed on to spiritual aspirants. The authority of the Upanishads rests not upon those who wrote, but upon the demonstrable truths they express. They are as self-sufficient and self-evident as the multiplication tables or the Table of Elements. They are simply the complete and unobscured truth. And realization of that Truth alone matters. The teachings of the Upanishads are the supreme expressions of the eternal wisdom, the eternal vision of the ancient rishis (sages) of India. Consequently, though simple in their mode of expression, they can be extremely difficult to grasp. There are many things in this world that we need not know, but the truths embodied in the Upanishads and their inspired digest-summary, the Bhagavad Gita, are invaluable for all who would ascend to higher consciousness. The Upanishads have long interested students of philosophy in the West. The English philosopher David Hume translated some of them into English in the eighteenth century. Later he travelled to America where he taught Sanskrit to Thomas Jefferson and together they studied the Upanishads in their original form"--

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the most authoritative text on Yoga as a practice. It is also known as the Yoga Darshana because it is the fundamental text of Yoga as a philosophy (though practice is discussed), one of the six orthodox systems (darshanas) of Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Religion. There is no need to have "faith" in these texts, for their statements can be verified by any reader, as has been done over thousands of years by countless yogis in India. A virtual army of self-realized men and women have proved their veracity and accuracy. Many of them are living right now as witnesses to the truth of Sanatana Dharma, which is based on the principle that all sentient beings are destined to attain liberation-union with divinity-since they are eternal parts of the Supreme Spirit, the Purushottama. In Yoga: Science of the Absolute, Swami Nirmalananda draws on the age-long tradition regarding this essential text, including the commentaries of Vyasa and Shankara, the most highly regarded writers on Indian philosophy and practice, as well as I. K. Taimni and other authoritative commentators, and adds his own ideas based on half a century of study and practice.Serious students of yoga will find this an essential addition to their spiritual studies.

Journey to Inner Mastery through the Example of a Modern-Day SaintAt the dawn of the twentieth century in North India, a young, crippled boy encountered a spiritual teacher from the revered Nath tradition, known for the great sages Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath. This fateful meeting became the boy's gateway to the profound wisdom and practice of yoga meditation, setting him on a transformative path that would eventually redefine his existence. His name was Gajanan Murlidhar Gupte, and he emerged as the extraordinary Gajanana Maharaj.Gajanana Maharaj led an unassuming life, to all appearances a normal unmarried man of contemporary society. Crediting his personal transformation to the practice of the Soham mantra, he achieved a level of spiritual mastery that he generously shared, creating a small circle of disciples whom he simply called his friends, who thrived through his genuine, unassuming guidance. Strictly avoiding the trap of gurudom, he insisted that his friends be self-reliant and not be dependent on him for their spiritual progress. Yet he was uniquely able to assist them in their inner development. Gajanana Maharaj attributed his spiritual success to the ajapa-japa of the Soham mantra with the breath-a practice meticulously detailed in Light of Soham. This compilation of his teachings, coupled with insights from his disciples, offers a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone eager to embark on their own spiritual journey.LIght of Soham encapsulates Gajanana Maharaj's rare ability to navigate the inner landscapes of the soul, exemplifying how ordinary lives can be imbued with extraordinary spiritual significance. An insightful appendix by Abbot George Burke further demystifies the method of Soham Yoga, providing step-by-step guidance for aspirants.Don't just learn about a saint-tread the path to inner peace and enlightenment that he meticulously paved.

"This great work of mystical depth, divine insight, and spiritual illumination is, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the truly great spiritual and literary discoveries of the Twentieth Century. But unlike the Dead Sea Scrolls which were dramatically discovered by shepherds in a desert cave, the Odes were prosaically found in neglected manuscripts gathering dust on the shelves of London libraries. We do not know who wrote the Odes of Solomon. The title Odes or Ode of Solomon which is given in the Pistis Sophia and as a heading to the single Ode in the Bodmer Papyrus has led scholars to classify this work among the Pseudepigrapha-that is, among works falsely attributed to biblical characters or times. But as the word Shalom or Sh'lom in Hebrew or Syriac means "peace" or "rest," the title could be translated "The Odes of His Peace (or Rest)." This is especially fitting since the theme of rest is so prevalent in the Odes. Although the identity of the author of the Odes remains a mystery, the closeness of the tone and content of the Odes to the tone and content of the writings of St. John the Evangelist, together with St. Ignatius' familiarity with and use of the Odes (St. Ignatius was a disciple of St. John) suggest that the Odes could have grown up in the spiritual soil prepared by St. John and his disciples, in or around Antioch. Abbot George's commentary on this work illumines its practical value for seekers of spiritual attainment"--