"…an amazing tale, told in a fast-paced and entertaining style." --Publishers Weekly This authorized biography of contemporary Taoist master Wang Liping (1949-), an 18th generation transmitter of Dragon Gate Taoism, tells the true story of his apprenticeship in Taoist wizardry, as well as the specialized body of knowledge, mystical wisdom and ritualized practice accumulated and refined over eleven centuries. The book opens with a seemingly chance encounter with three Taoist elders that changed Wang's life forever when he was a young boy. What follows is a philosophical quest in a coming-of-age tale like no other, playing out in mountainside temples and remote reaches of China. Wang's story parallels that of the Dalai Lama, as--like Tibetan Buddhists--Dragon Gate Taoists identify, raise and train specially chosen youngsters to become the holders, guardians and transmitters of their ancient, esoteric spiritual wisdom. While few of us will become spiritual gurus like Wang, his story speaks clearly and concisely to modern readers who are on their own "chosen paths," seeking their own forms of self-cultivation, enlightenment, wisdom and a life of greater harmony and truth.

Achieving a sense of equilibrium and inner peace can prove elusive when so many demands and responsibilities are constantly vying for your attention. Discover the tools for finding harmony in all aspects of your life with practical tips on everything from managing everyday stress to finding a work/life balance that is right for you. This inspirational book will help you find ways to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle and be more mindful of the wider world and your impact upon it, while making sure there is always room for ‘me’ time. Balancing your life is essential to your health and well-being, and by applying a few simple concepts you will live your life at a pace that is comfortable and ultimately rewarding.

7 simple yet powerful guidelines provide a compass for navigating life harmoniously, cultivating a peaceful mind, and spreading kindness • Offers 7 guidelines for living a life of harmony and peace based on existing guidance from Buddhism, Yoga, and other great teachings, integrated and updated for the modern world • Explains how to implement the guidelines in daily life on a practical basis, supported by real-life examples and practices • Illustrates in-depth how and why each of these guidelines hold value and how they provide a set of tools to help us deal with life’s ups and downs more skillfully, mindfully, and compassionately In our very busy world it’s easy to get lost in the details and demands of everyday living. Fatigued and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information, the myriad of choices our technologically advanced communication era offers, we lose sight of what life is all about. How do we find balance and harmony in this overloaded world? And how do we navigate life in tune with our soul as well as with modern society? As author Darren Cockburn explains, we are all part of one big universal process that encompasses and connects everything--every thought, emotion, action, nature, all there is. Over the centuries, religions and philosophies have provided direction on how to act ethically and in accordance with this process, yet in our modern world, these “rules” may seem outdated or too rigid. Integrating and updating existing guidance from Buddhism, Yoga, and other great teachings, the author offers 7 guidelines for living a life of harmony and balance: honor the body, bring awareness and acceptance into every moment, act with kindness, understand the truth and communicate it skillfully, do only what needs to be done, harmoniously obtain and retain only what you need, and apply the guidelines to your digital device usage. He illustrates how and why each of these guidelines hold value, revealing their interconnections, and explains how to implement them practically in daily life, sharing real-life examples as well as practices to support each guideline and deepen your existing spiritual practice. The author explores how the 7 easy-to-practice guidelines help us gain a deeper understanding of the universal process of life, as well as provide a set of tools to help us deal with life’s ups and downs more skillfully. They enable us to face life empowered and confident, peacefully observe and accept what life presents us with, cultivate compassion and kindness, as well as spread mindfulness to those around us. Practiced together, these guidelines provide a simple yet powerful compass to guide you to a peaceful mind and harmonious living, much needed in today’s world.

For fans of Hygge and Lagom comes this inspiring guide that introduces the Japanese wisdom of chowa—the search for balance—to help us find harmony and peace in every area of our lives. The Japanese wisdom of chowa offers a fresh approach to being, showing us how to create space and symmetry at work, at home, and in our relationships. Chowa is an ancient philosophy and set of practices that enable us to discover what matters most in our individual lives, and help us transform our way of thinking about ourselves and others. By harnessing the power of chowa, we can learn to ignore the ephemera, focus on the important things, and cultivate a steady state of equilibrium and calm that gives us the confidence and fortitude to handle any challenge we may face. Following the practical steps in this empowering book, we can better balance our priorities and relationships and find inner strength and flexibility in times of change and stress. With The Power of Chowa, curious seekers can achieve wellness, happiness, and contentment every day.

An empowering guide that will show you how to shed the myth of the “work-life balance” by merging the seven key components that make up your life to attain harmony and whole-life success “All of us have Seven Slices in our lives: our Family Slice, our Professional Slice, our Personal Slice, our Physical Slice, our Intellectual Slice, our Emotional Slice, and our Spiritual Slice. These all need to be served in some fashion—and in serving them, they, in turn, serve us.” This relatively simple but profoundly critical concept is at the heart of the method executive coach David McNeff has used to transform the lives and careers of his clients. It begins with two important facts: 1) stress happens—you can’t avoid it; and 2) your existence is composed of far more than “work” and “life.” Too often, we divide our lives into those two general categories, but we’re all a lot more complex and our lives are richer than that. By being clear and mindful of all aspects of your life—the Seven Slices—you’ll be more likely to find inner harmony when stress impacts one of them. In The Work-Life Balance Myth, McNeff takes you on a deep dive into each of the Seven Slices, explaining the components of each Slice, signs that you may not be attending to each Slice in a healthy way, and hands-on methods for accessing an underserved Slice. The Work-Life Balance Myth won’t make your life perfect—no one can do that, and you shouldn’t trust anyone who makes that promise. What this book will do is provide you with proven new ways of framing your life, seeing stress for what it is, and vastly improving your ability to navigate the emotional challenges that will inevitably arise in a way that serves your Seven Slices.

This authorized biography of the contemporary Taoist expert Wang Liping (1949 -) tells the true story of his apprenticeship in Taoist wizardry, as well as Taoist principles and secrets of inner transformation. The 18th-generation transmitter of Dragon Gate Taoism, Wang Liping is heir to a tradition of esoteric knowledge and practice accumulated and refined over eleven centuries. This is the first English translation by noted writer Thomas Cleary of the authorized biography by two longtime disciples of this living master of the Dragon Gate branch of the Complete Reality school of Taoism, which integrated Buddhism and Confucianism into a comprehensive new form of Taoism.

"If one can be balanced and harmonious in oneself, then the being that is fundamentally so is clear and aware, awake in quietude, accurate in action; thus one can respond to the less changes in the world." The Book of Balance and Harmony is a classic thirteenth-century anthology of Taoist writings, including essays, conversations, poetry, and songs from the School of Complete Reality. The writings combine the essences of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism into an alchemical elixir teaching Vitality, Energy, and Spirit -- the "three treasures" of Taoism that promise mental and physical well-being. This first translation into English of a major text of Taoism is rered and introduced by Thomas Cleary, who has been called the premier translator of Buddhist and Taoist texts. Among his many published works are original translations of monuments of Oriental spirituality, such as The Flower Ornament Scripture, the most sophisticated and comprehensive of primary Buddhist sourcebooks; The Blue Cliff Record, one of the major literary classics of Zen Buddhism; and Understanding Reality, the definitive classic of Taoist spiritual alchemy.

"Now in paperback, this national bestseller proves more than ever, your success as a leader isn't just about being great at business. You must be a great person, performing well in all domains of your life-including work, home, community, and your private self. The good news is that, contrary to conventional wisdom about "balance," you don't have to assume that these domains compete in a zero-sum game. Total Leadership is a game-changing blueprint for how to perform well as a leader not by trading off one domain for another, but by finding mutual value among all four. Stew Friedman shows you how to achieve these "four-way wins" as a leader who can be real, be whole, and be innovative. With engaging examples and clear instruction, Friedman provides more than thirty hands-on tools for using these proven principles to produce stronger business results, find clearer purpose in what you do, feel more connected to the people who matter most, and generate sustainable change. Total Leadership is a unique resource that shows how to win in all domains of life. "--

Inspired by ancient Indian philosophers, Plato and modern thinkers like Maslow, Wilber and Gardner, the outcome is a new kind of self-development book. Filled with easy-to-implement ideas, combining the needs of health, mind and body all at once in order to create a wholly integrated life. By applying the practical philosophy inside this book, your life can become more creative, more spiritual and more fulfilled. You'll understand how to prioritize your resources and find the kind of balance that improves your life.