Black Lotus: The Spiritual Journey of an Urban Mystic explores the life and mission of His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami, an African-American seeker who became one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the twentieth century. His story begins in a Cleveland ghetto and culminates in the spiritual world. Along the way, readers meet John Favors, known by family and friends as “Johnny Boy.” A particularly gifted youth, he overcame numerous obstacles, including a speech impediment and impoverished conditions, to reveal his exceptional character, wisdom, and spirituality.

A unique and exquisitely wrought story of one multiracial woman’s journey to discover and embrace herself in a family that sought to deny her black heritage, Sil Lai Abrams shares her story in Black Lotus: A Woman’s Search for Racial Identity—an account that will undoubtedly ignite conversation on race, racial identity, and the human experience. Author and activist Sil Lai Abrams was born to a Chinese immigrant mother and a white American father. Out of her family, Sil Lai was the only one with a tousle of wild curls and brown skin. When she asked about her darker complexion, she was given vague answers. At fourteen, the man she knew her entire life as her birth-father divulged that Abrams was not his biological child, but instead the daughter of a man of African descent who didn’t know she existed. This shocking news sparked a quest for healing that would take her down the painful road to reclaim her identity despite the overt racism in her community and her own internalized racism and self-hatred. Abrams struggled with depression, abuse, and an addiction that nearly destroyed her. But eventually she would leave behind the shame over her birthright and move toward a celebration of her blackness. In Black Lotus, Abrams takes you on her odyssey filled with extreme highs and lows and the complexities of not only the black experience, but also the human one. This vivid story reexamines everything you think you know about racial identity while affirming the ability of the human spirit to triumph over tragedy. Ultimately, Black Lotus shines a light on the transformative power of truth and self-acceptance, and the importance of defining your personal identity on your own terms.

Ninja and samurai lore come together with action and adventure to create an explosive new book perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Brandon Mull! "Wonderful characters, unbelievable adventure . . . I loved this book." -- Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl seriesGhost, Cormac, and Kate are not like other kids. Ghost can turn invisible, Cormac can run up walls, and Kate can talk to animals--all abilities that make them perfect recruits for the Black Lotus, a training school for ninjas who are sworn to protect the world from the evil samurai-run Empire. But when the Moon Sword--a source of unimaginable power--is stolen, the three are forced to put their new skills to the test and go back in time to sixteenth-century Japan and retrieve it.

The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus is a study and celebration of the artwork that went into making the first ever Blade Runner animated series. The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus is a study and celebration of the artwork that went into making the first ever Blade Runner animated series. Concept art, sketchwork, pre-viz, animation tests, final frames and more, are paired alongside interviews with the masterminds behind the show to give fans the full story of Black Lotus. Respected co-directors Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama provide an exclusive, in-depth interview that explores their relationship with the Blade Runner universe, and their intimate analyses of and inspiration behind the characters. Alcon producers describe the creative journey, that spans many years prior, behind what they envisioned for the story, how Black Lotus would fit in the wider Blade Runner narrative, and who they wanted the protagonist to be. The writers explain how they conceptualised the characters and the voice actors share their personal journeys and light-hearted anecdotes on how they brought those characters to life. The lighting and animation team also share how they captured Blade Runner’s cyberpunk visual and auditory palette in a new medium for the franchise: anime. Written by Japanamerica author Roland Kelts, this book is illustrated to the brim with concept art that is beautifully vivid and presented in a gallery format throughout the book; organised chronologically by character, location, and event as they are introduced in the show. Readers will be able to breeze through this companion guide as they watch the show for a deeper, richer, and more personal viewing experience. At the back of the book, you’ll find never-before-seen sketches of the Black Out short films that accompanied Blade Runner 2049.

Black Lotus: The Spiritual Journey of an Urban Mystic explores the life and mission of His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami, an African-American seeker who became one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the twentieth century. His story begins in a Cleveland ghetto and culminates in the spiritual world. Along the way, readers meet John Favors, known by family and friends as "Johnny Boy." A particularly gifted youth, he overcame numerous obstacles, including a speech impediment and impoverished conditions, to reveal his exceptional character, wisdom, and spirituality.In his teenage years, he worked with Dr. Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and became a young but prominent participant in the Civil Rights movement. As months turned to years, he excelled in school and went on to Princeton University, uncommon for an African-American in the late-1960s. While there, he majored in psychology and learned the science of yoga.His abiding interest in black consciousness, the powers of the mind, and Eastern philosophy, however, was overshadowed by his spiritual inclinations, which led him to the Hare Krishna movement, known in India by its traditional name, Vaishnavism. This is the ancient science of the soul, long forgotten in the West and known in its purest form only to a select few even in the mystic East. Through his intense practice, "Johnny Boy" quickly transformed into "Bhakti Tirtha Swami," an adept who became renowned for his severe asceticism; his heartfelt praying; his material and spiritual welfare work around the world; his initiation of hundreds of students into the practice of bhakti (devotional yoga); and his coronation as a High Chief in the prestigious Warri kingdom of Nigeria.But his greatest accomplishments involved pragmatic application of high ideals - simple living and high thinking. To this end, he established farm communities, schools for children, published books, and founded the nonsectarian Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology (IFAST), which sponsors seminars and provides workshops for professionals and spiritual seekers of various persuasions. In the process, he demonstrated that effective spiritual life includes the best aspects of psychology and principle-centered leadership. More, he taught how to balance head and heart in pursuit of the spirit. His inspiring story is enriched by personal interviews with family, friends, college professors, mentors, disciples, and other fellow travelers on the spiritual path. These interviews make their appearance in the book as inset quotes, allowing his associates to speak for themselves. As a result, Black Lotus offers an intimate look at the Swami's life and times, which blossom on these pages for the first time in written form. As the beauty and sublime perfection of a lotus rises in supreme majesty above its stem, which is buried deeply in clouded waters, so Black Lotus is a tribute to one who rose above all boundaries and limitations, and inspired others to do the same.

They say when you take revenge against another you lose a part of your innocence. But I’m not innocent. I haven’t been for a very long time. My innocence was stolen from me. Taken was the life I was supposed to have. The soul I was born with. The ruby heart embedded in a life full of hopes and dreams. Gone. Vanished. I never even had a choice. I mourn that life. Mourn the what-ifs. Until now. I’m ready to take back what was always meant to be mine. But every plan has a fatal flaw. Sometimes it’s the heart.

"Sil Lai Abrams always knew she was different, with darker skin and curlier hair than her siblings. But when the man who she thought was her dad told her the truth--that her father was actually black--her whole world was turned upside down. Raised primarily in the Caucasian community of Winter Park, Florida, Abrams was forced to re-examine who she really was and struggle with her Caucasian, African American, and Chinese identities"--

An Exclusive and Original Long Story Novel by. FiSha Title : Who Am I : I'm the Prince of Dragon Kingdom. Category : Long Story Novel. Genre Tags : Action, Fantasy, Comedy, Cultivation, Eastern Fiction, Adventure. Age Category : 15 years and over. Series Part : Part 1 - The Beginning of a Young Master's Adventure. Word Count : 158803 Words. Number of Chapters : 32 Chapters. Number of pages : 875 Pages. Author : FiSha. Publisher : FiShaArt. Publication Year : 2022. Synopsis : Long Ming Zhi is a Young Master of a Clan. As he was a baby, he had taken away by a young man due to his Family Clan's internal troubles. He is then cared for and raised by a middle-aged woman who works as a butcher, who is then determined to find out his past for himself. " Who am I, and where do I come from ? " " Cihh ..., But the hell with all that " " Wherever it is, I will find out, and I’ll create my own Legend ". Notes : This novel is a fictional story. Certain Names, Characters, Stories or Events are purely the imagination of the Author.

In order to avoid an Internal Affairs investigation, Detective Wolf must hunt down the "Black Lotus Killer," a pursuit that leads to a cold case from his past.

The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus is a study and celebration of the artwork that went into making the first ever Blade Runner animated series. The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus is a study and celebration of the artwork that went into making the first ever Blade Runner animated series. Concept art, sketchwork, pre-viz, animation tests, final frames and more, are paired alongside interviews with the masterminds behind the show to give fans the full story of Black Lotus. Respected co-directors Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama provide an exclusive, in-depth interview that explores their relationship with the Blade Runner universe, and their intimate analyses of and inspiration behind the characters. Alcon producers describe the creative journey, that spans many years prior, behind what they envisioned for the story, how Black Lotus would fit in the wider Blade Runner narrative, and who they wanted the protagonist to be. The writers explain how they conceptualised the characters and the voice actors share their personal journeys and light-hearted anecdotes on how they brought those characters to life. The lighting and animation team also share how they captured Blade Runner’s cyberpunk visual and auditory palette in a new medium for the franchise: anime. Written by Japanamerica author Roland Kelts, this book is illustrated to the brim with concept art that is beautifully vivid and presented in a gallery format throughout the book; organised chronologically by character, location, and event as they are introduced in the show. Readers will be able to breeze through this companion guide as they watch the show for a deeper, richer, and more personal viewing experience. At the back of the book, you’ll find never-before-seen sketches of the Black Out short films that accompanied Blade Runner 2049.