Finding Inner Courage: Mark Niepo

Finding Inner Courage: Mark Niepo: 9781606711446: Amazon.com: Books






Finding Inner Courage Hardcover – 2012
by Mark Niepo (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 44 customer reviews

Mark Nepo has been interviewed by Oprah on her Soul Series radio network and his The Book of the Awakening has been featured in O, The Oprah magazine and on the Oprah TV show. In this book, Mark invites readers to explore their own inner core through the stories of ordinary people, political activists, artists, spiritual teachers from a variety of traditions. These are people who have faced themselves, their warts and weaknesses. They have stood by the courage of their convictions in all kinds of moments, great and small. Nepo's insights and commentary are spot on, and help readers relate the stories of others to their own lives. 

The book is divided into three sections--

1. finding our inner core, 
2. standing by our inner core, and 
3. sustaining the practice of living from that place. 

Each of the nearly 60 brief essays and stories elucidates and inspires. Nepo's broad range of stories and people, of traditions and insights, offers myriad ways for readers to relate to their own search for courage. The late Howard Zinn said of this book, "A poetic, profoundly thoughtful rumination on how we might live."


See all 17 formats and editions


Product details

More about the author
› Visit Amazon's Mark Nepo Page

Follow

Biography
MARK NEPO moved and inspired readers and seekers all over the world with his #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening. Beloved as a poet, teacher, and storyteller, Mark has been called “one of the finest spiritual guides of our time,” “a consummate storyteller,” and “an eloquent spiritual teacher.” His work is widely accessible and used by many and his books have been translated into more than twenty languages. A bestselling author, he has published twenty books and recorded fourteen audio projects. In 2015, he was given a Life-Achievement Award by AgeNation. In 2016, he was named by Watkins: Mind Body Spirit as one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, and was also chosen as one of OWN’s SuperSoul 100, a group of inspired leaders using their gifts and voices to elevate humanity. And In 2017 Mark became a regular columnist for Spirituality & Health Magazine.

Recent work includes Drinking from the River of Light (Sounds True, 2019); More Together Than Alone (Atria, 2018) cited by Spirituality & Practice as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2018; Things That Join the Sea and the Sky (Sounds True, 2017), a Nautilus Book Award Winner; The Way Under the Way: The Place of True Meeting (Sounds True, 2016), a Nautilus Book Award Winner; The One Life We’re Given (Atria) cited by Spirituality & Practice as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2016, Inside the Miracle (Sounds True) selected by Spirituality & Health Magazine as one of the top ten best books of 2015; The Endless Practice (Atria) cited by Spirituality & Practice as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2014; and Seven Thousand Ways to Listen (Atria), which won the 2012 Books for a Better Life Award.

Mark was part of Oprah Winfrey’s The Life You Want Tour in 2014 and has appeared several times with Oprah on her Super Soul Sunday program on OWN TV. He has also been interviewed by Robin Roberts on Good Morning America. The Exquisite Risk was listed by Spirituality & Practice as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2005, calling it “one of the best books we’ve ever read on what it takes to live an authentic life.” Mark devotes his writing and teaching to the journey of inner transformation and the life of relationship.

Mark continues to offer readings, lectures, and retreats. Please visit Mark at: www.MarkNepo.com, http://threeintentions.com and http://wmespeakers.com/speaker/mark-nepo.
Show Less

44 customer reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars



Showing 1-8 of 44 reviews
Top Reviews

Dr. Diane Chesson
5.0 out of 5 starsThis Book Is a Beautiful, Truthful MiracleFebruary 10, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Really, my title says it all. This book is so wonderful that I just had to write a review. It has deep truth beautifully written from the heart. It tells my truth so well that it had me crying several times. That hardly ever (never) happens, and I'm a professional ghostwriter, so I do a LOT of reading.

The thing that happens when someone has the courage to tell the truth as Mark Nepo does is that it makes everyone who reads it feel understood at last, validated, and not so alone. Mark, you gave me courage to keep following my dream and even to step up the action.

I think that this book probably tells everyone's truth many, many times. Mark, if you've been wondering what the gift is that you will give to the universe, you can stop wondering. Thank you so much.

4 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Suzanne Carter
5.0 out of 5 starsFinding YOUR Inner Courage by reading this book.December 2, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Mark Nepo is a Spiriutal Leader for the 21st century and he does not even know this. He is just who he is and his work reflects this. I have many of his books. If I could only have two of his, It would first be the Book of Awakening, and then either this book or The Endless Practice by Nepo.
His work, his wisdom, his compassion, vast historical knowledge and his ability to combine Psychology and Spirituality in a way that all seekers can understand makes him an author that will be read and cherished again and again, and again.


HelpfulComment Report abuse

Cass
5.0 out of 5 starsJust buy it.February 6, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Stunningly beautiful. Thought-provoking. Gorgeous. There are a few parts that drag where I think a more incisive editor would've served the book better, it seems the author is a little committed to some redundancies and as a writer I understand how hard it can be to let go of what you love even when your audience doesn't really need/want it.... but even so, what is good in this book is SO GOOD that it's worth mining for.


HelpfulComment Report abuse

Ken Clifton
5.0 out of 5 starsi'm officially a Mark Nepo fanDecember 30, 2013
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
i read 'the Esquisite Risk' and found it deeply moving so this was the one that i decided to go to next. i like Mark's format. an over all theme broken down into overarching sections then broken down into managable chapters.... even with my stupid busy schedule, i read every morning and with his books, i can read one of his short chapters/sections and really sit with them a while. his work pulses with what it means to be human. to not only deal with it but to simply live it while actually being alive to it. i haven't finished this book yet (like 2/3rds through it now) but i wanted to go ahead and post a review. this might not resonate with you. with books like this, ya never know... but i know i'm beginning to feel my clay soften and sense mark's fingerprints on it. it's cool to feel a book somewhat shape you.... guide you. give skills... anyway, i'm rambling. big thumbs up from me.

2 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Victoria C Leo
5.0 out of 5 starsAnother gem from the maestroMarch 4, 2015
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Mark Nepo has done it again.... balm for the soul that needs soothing, encouragement for the soul that needs an infusion of courage. We live in such ugly times, with structural inequality growing daily, and the near impossibility of more than a few of us improving our socioeconomic standing, that it can be so easy to slide into either perennial anger or despair. Mark won't let you do either. I've read this through four times and will continue until the electrons become dog-earred.... [ebook humor]


HelpfulComment Report abuse

J. Logan Carey
2.0 out of 5 starsSpiritual gibberishDecember 4, 2018
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I wanted to like this, honestly, but it was like reading a 300 page train of thought that goes nowhere. It was also a lot more religious than really hinted at in the description.


HelpfulComment Report abuse

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsAn inspiring, life affirming readDecember 4, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I read this book during I time in my life when my world was turned upside down from a divorce after 20+ years of marriage, a horrible custody battle and no prospects for a meaningful job or other purpose in life. It inspired me to keep moving forward and to believe and hope in a new and better future when I would have rather ended the sleepless, fitful nights with poor decisions… I have now read other Mark Nepo books and will look forward to his spiritual but non-preaching prose for years to come, as they have transformed my life.

One person found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Jerry M. Collins
1.0 out of 5 starsKnow nothing about itNovember 12, 2018
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Didn't order it

Helpful

Com

Peace With North Korea Should Be a Priority for US Progressives

Peace With North Korea Should Be a Priority for US Progressives



OP-ED
WAR & PEACE
Peace With North Korea Should Be a Priority for US Progressives
People watch a television news screen at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, on June 30, 2019, showing live footage of President Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meeting at the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone.JUNG YEON-JE / AFP / GETTY IMAGES
BYChristine Ahn, TruthoutPUBLISHEDJuly 1, 2019
SHARE


READING LIST

WAR & PEACE

Noam Chomsky: Trump Is Consolidating Far-Right Power Globally

POLITICS & ELECTIONS

Trump’s July Fourth Tank Display Is a Glaring Sign of Fascism

IMMIGRATION

Border Patrol Is Using “Virtual Wall” Technology Israel Uses in Palestine

POLITICS & ELECTIONS

Massive Anti-Fascist Coalition Rebuffs Far-Right Proud Boys in Portland

HUMAN RIGHTS

Assange Is Trapped in the Web of the US Legal Empire

HUMAN RIGHTS

Reporting a Rape in Immigration Jail: One Asylum Seeker’s Fight for Justice


In his signature braggadocio way, President Trump made history over the weekend when he met North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un at the military demarcation line dividing North and South Korea and stepped over the cement border and onto North Korean soil, the first standing U.S. president to ever do so. After walking 20 steps, Trump returned back over the line with Kim by his side where they met South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

As he departed the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Trump announced that working-level meetings would be established over the next few weeks led by Special Representative Stephen Biegun. While we don’t yet know what was agreed to, it was likely some combination of offering North Korea relief of sanctions or security assurances. On Sunday, The New York Times reported that a deal was offered which amounted to “a nuclear freeze, one that essentially enshrines the status quo, and tacitly accepts the North as a nuclear power.”

Democrats — including North Korea watchers, media pundits and politicians — have issued an overwhelmingly negative response to the meeting. Yet as progressives, must we not recognize the importance of taking steps to end the 69-year-old Korean War? That war, which claimed more than 4 million lives, was temporarily halted by a ceasefire, not with a peace agreement. As I wrote last year, “A peace treaty would end the state of war between the United States and North Korea, taking the threat of a military conflict off the table.”

This weekend’s summit restarted dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, made possible by a change in the Trump administration’s position. Earlier this year, at the Hanoi summit, the Trump administration demanded the unilateral disarmament of North Korea in exchange for a promise for future prosperity. This John Bolton-style approach was antithetical to peace. Meanwhile, North Korea, which had made an offer of dismantling the heart of its nuclear program and imposing a moratorium on nuclear and missile testing, had requested a partial lifting of sanctions. Neither side could come to an agreement, and with the exception of love letters between Trump and Kim, relations remained frozen between the Cold War enemies.

What triggered the seemingly spontaneous decision by Trump to meet Kim at the DMZ over the weekend, a decision he announced in typical Trump fashion by tweet? A likely bet is the combination of a deadline and the 2020 elections. Kim gave a speech at the Supreme People’s Assembly where he set an end-of-year deadline for Washington to shift its stance; otherwise, North Korea would likely return to testing, which would not bode well for Trump’s 2020 re-election bid as he has been touting his successful aversion of a nuclear war with North Korea.

The lynchpin was Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first visit ever to North Korea 10 days ago where he affirmed Beijing’s longstanding alliance with Pyongyang. China fought alongside North Korea during the Korean War and was also a signatory to the 1953 Armistice Agreement with North Korea and the United States on behalf of the U.N. Command. As the largest trading partner to North Korea, China holds the keys to the U.S.’s “maximum pressure” campaign — which aims to strangle North Korea economically through massive sanctions (in addition to issuing military threats and forcing other countries to cut off political ties). And given that Washington and Beijing are in a trade war, China is not in the mood to cooperate. Furthermore, China has always taken the historic position that the United States needed to provide security assurances to North Korea and has long advocated for replacing the Armistice with a permanent peace agreement.Not only is Washington’s maximum pressure campaign failing to achieve its aim of forcing North Korea’s denuclearization, the Trump administration is facing a public relations nightmare as the humanitarian crisis reaches a boiling point.

Not only is Washington’s maximum pressure campaign failing to achieve its aim of forcing North Korea’s denuclearization, the Trump administration is facing a public relations nightmare as the humanitarian crisis in North Korea reaches a boiling point. There is widespread consensus among the humanitarian community that sanctions are impeding the ability of aid agencies and NGOs to provide life-saving medicine, food and materials to the most vulnerable in North Korea. According to a May 2019 report by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Program, 40 percent of North Koreans are in dire need of food aid, in part due to sanctions. They’re also hurting industries like textiles, which employs possibly hundreds of thousands of workers, of which 98 percent are women. This has compelled the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, Tomás Ojea Quintana, to say, “In my view, the sanctions regime is, in fact, having a detrimental impact on the livelihood of the North Koreans.” Quintana advocates for gradually lifting deleterious sanctions, which, he says, “shouldn’t be used as a punitive instrument.”

While South Koreans across the political spectrum cheered on Trump’s meeting with Kim, many U.S. Democrats were quick to condemn the summit. Presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted, “Our President shouldn’t be squandering American influence on photo ops and exchanging love letters with a ruthless dictator. Instead, we should be dealing with North Korea through principled diplomacy that promotes US security, defends our allies, and upholds human rights.”

It’s true that diplomacy is the answer, but dismissing the current path as a photo op is not useful to that goal. The truth is that President Obama squandered eight years through his failed “strategic patience” initiative, while North Korea tested five nuclear weapons under his watch and perfected its long-range missile program.

We should rightfully attack Trump on all of his brutal and devastating policies, but when it comes to North Korea, meeting Kim and negotiating a pragmatic approach toward achieving denuclearization through a parallel process toward peace and normalized relations is the best way to advance all our security.When it comes to North Korea, meeting Kim and negotiating a pragmatic approach toward achieving denuclearization is the best way to advance all our security.

President Jimmy Carter, who helped defuse the first nuclear crisis in 1994 that froze North Korea’s nuclear program, said ending the Korean War is “the only way to ensure true security for both Korean and American people.”

Not all Democrats took umbrage with Trump’s diplomatic overtures toward Kim. California Bay Area Rep. Ro Khanna told Fox News, “I support the president’s initiative. And, as a Democrat in the United States Congress, I will do everything I can to see it succeed.” Khanna proposed a roadmap toward achieving denuclearization, including replacing the Armistice with a peace agreement. Under his leadership, Khanna has introduced a congressional resolution, H.Res. 152, calling for a formal end to the Korean War. It now has 34 co-sponsors, including progressive champions like Representatives Barbara Lee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal, as well as the first Korean American Democrat in Congress, Andy Kim.

Progressives should embrace a real antiwar position and throw their support behind ending the Korean War.

The stakes have never been higher

As attacks on women’s rights, health care, the environment and democracy intensify, we’re going to need truth-telling journalists more than ever.

At Truthout, unlike most media, our journalism is free from government and corporate influence and censorship. But this is only sustainable if we have your support.If you like what you’re reading or just value what we do, will you take a few seconds to contribute to our work?


DONATE NOWCopyright © Truthout. May not be re

정신이 있을 때 치매 대책을 :: 자유칼럼그룹

정신이 있을 때 치매 대책을 :: 자유칼럼그룹

정신이 있을 때 치매 대책을

황경춘 2019년 07월 04일 (목)


인간이 신비에 싸인 달에 착륙한 것도 오래전이고, 우주 개발에 지구인의 새로운 희망을 걸고 있는 요즘이지만, 현대 의학이 아직도 극복하지 못한 질병 중 하나가 치매입니다. 얼마 전까지 암(癌)이 인류의 최대 적으로 간주되어, 인간사회에서 두렵고 기피하는 사람이나 상황을 ‘암적 존재’라고 표현하기까지 했습니다.

그러나 최근에 와서 인간의 가장 두려운 질병이라는 자리를 암으로부터 뺏어가는 듯한 느낌마저 주고 있는 것이 치매입니다. 수년 전 일본의 종합월간지 분게이슌주(文藝春秋)가 일본의 저명한 사회인사 42 명에게 세상을 떠날 때 무슨 병으로 죽는 것을 원하느냐는 좀 색다른 질문을 해 그 결과를 발표한 적이 있습니다. 두 사람이 암으로 세상을 떠났으면 좋겠다고 했습니다.

그중 한 사람이 일본의 유명한 방사선 암 치료 전문의 곤도 마코토(近藤 誠) 박사였습니다. 그는 답변 설명에서 이렇게 말했습니다. “암환자는 임종 직전까지 의식을 잃는 경우가 없어 인간으로서 귀중한 인지능력을 끝까지 유지합니다. 말기 암이 주는 고통은 현대 의학이 충분히 완화해 줍니다.”

일본에서는 오래전부터 치매를 인지증(認知症)이라 부르고 있는데, 정확한 환자 수는 모르나 노인 10 명 중 한 사람 정도라고 정부나 민간기관이추정하고 있습니다. 인구 고령화에 따라 환자 수는 곧 6명에 1명꼴로 증가할 것이라고, 의료관계자는 우려하고 있습니다.

고령자층 독자가 많은 이 잡지는 이달 7월호에 치매에 관한 특집기사를 실었습니다. 6개의 글 중에서 일본의 치매 권위자로 널리 알려진 하세가와 가즈오(長谷川 和夫) 박사의 수기가 눈길을 끌었습니다. 하세가와 박사는 일본 병원에서 치매 진단 때 꼭 쓰는 ‘하세가와식 인지증 진단표’ 제작자로서 일본뿐 아니라 외국에도 잘 알려져 있는 치매 연구 권위자입니다. 이름, 생년월일, 오늘 날짜 등 아홉 항목으로 된 이 문진표(問診表)는 우리나라에서도 비슷한 것을 병원이나 보건소에서 사용하고 있습니다.
-----------
이 치매 권위자가 1년 반 전 한 강연회에서 자기 자신이 치매 환자라고 고백하여 큰 충격을 주었습니다. 그의 치매는 일반적으로 잘 알려져 있는 ‘알츠하이머’형이 아니고, 80대 이후 노인들이 잘 걸리는 특수한 타입의 치매라고, 금년 90세의 하세가와 박사는 수기에서 밝혔습니다.

이 치매의 특징은 오전에는 보통 사람과 다름없이 활동하다가 오후가 되면 서서히 인지기능이 저하하여, 하세가와 박사의 경우 오후 5시경 가장 증세가 나빠져 인지기능이 약해진다고 설명했습니다. 다음 날 아침이 되면 건강한 사람과 다름없는 상태로 돌아오지만, 오후가 되어 외출할 때 문단속을 잘 했는지 걱정이 돼 확인하러 돌아온다고 했습니다. 물론 건강한 사람도 이런 경험을 하지만, 박사의 경우에는 이런 일이 한 번이 아니고 여러 번 같은 불안감을 느끼게 되어 짜증이 난다고도 했습니다.

열 살 아래 부인과 단 둘이 살고 있는 하세가와 박사는 부인이 기숙사 사감처럼 간섭하는 것이 싫어, 집 주소와 약 봉지를 매단 지팡이를 짚고 근처 카페에 잘 나간다고 합니다. 어제 한 일을 잘 잊어먹어 일기를 쓸 때 어제 뭘 했는지 부인에게 자주 묻는다고도 했습니다. 조금씩 치매 증세가 진행은 되지만, 하세가와 박사는 지난 1년 반을 이렇게 잘 지내왔다고 하며 마지막에 독자에게 이런 메시지를 남겼습니다.

"아침에 멀쩡한 자기가 저녁때가 되면 잊음이 심해지는 자신으로 왔다 갔다 하는 경험으로 볼 때, 치매와 그렇지 않은 사람 사이에 선을 그어 구별할 수는 없습니다. 인간은 누구나 나이를 먹고 언젠가는 죽음을 맞이합니다. 죽음을 준비하는 과정에서, 치매야말로 아직 당해보지 못한 죽음에 대한 공포를 완화해 주는 것이 아닐까? 죽기 전에 치매에 걸리는 것은 신이 내려주시는 은총이 아닐까? 1년 반 치매와 사귀어 오다 궁리해 낸 생각입니다.”

이 특집에서 또 하나 알게 된 심각한 사실은, 치매환자 증가로 동결된 일본 국내 재산이 2017년 말 현재 143조 엔(우리나라 돈으로 약 1,570조 원)이 된다는 것입니다. 지금 추세가 계속되면 동결되는 금액은 2030년에는 215조엔(약 2,365조 원)에 달할 거라고 한 경제연구소가 발표했다고 합니다. 치매로 진단 확정되면 본인의 은행계좌 사용과 부동산 거래 등 경제 활동은 일절 법으로 금지된다고, 한 국세청 간부가 설명했습니다.

일본의 치매환자 수는 65세 이상 노년인구의 8%에서 10% 사이로 추산되고 있습니다. 우리나라도 비슷한 비율일 거라고 언론매체가 보도했습니다. 우리나라의 중앙치매센터에 의하면 2017년도의 치매 인구는 약 72만 명으로 추산되었고, 2050년에는 노인인구의 약 15%인 271만 명이 될 거라고 추산했습니다.

제 주위에서도 많은 치매환자를 보았습니다. 제 딸아이 하나는 시어머니가 15년째 치매로 요양원에 계셔, 거의 매주 한 번은 가족 중 한 사람이 면회를 갑니다. 최근에는 아들 부부도 알아보지 못해 몹시 상심하고 있다고 말했습니다.

얼마 전 공영방송에서 치매환자 간병에 관한 토론회가 있었습니다. 의료 전문인 두 사람은 치매환자는 반드시 요양원에서 간병해야 한다는 의견이었지만 일반 가정을 대표하는 두 사람은 집에서 간병해야 한다고 주장했습니다. 이 토론회를 보고 저는 치매환자는 본인이나 가족을 위해 꼭 요양원에서 간호해야 한다고 믿게 되어, 가족들에게도 그렇게 알렸습니다.

이런 모든 결정은 본인이 정상적인 건강상태에 있을 때 해야 법적으로 유효합니다. 언제 올지도 모르는 불행한 사태가 일어나기 전에 만일의 경우에 대비하는 결정을, 본인이나 가족을 위해 인지능력이 건전할 때 미리 하는 것이 절대 필요하다고 권하고 싶습니다.

Becoming a Sun: Emotional & Spiritual Intelligence for a Happy, Fulfilling Life - Kindle edition by David Karchere. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Becoming a Sun: Emotional & Spiritual Intelligence for a Happy, Fulfilling Life - by David Karchere. 

Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.




Becoming a Sun: Emotional & Spiritual Intelligence for a Happy, Fulfilling Life Kindle Edition
by David Karchere (Author)


4.6 out of 5 stars 13 customer reviews
Becoming a Sun is a portrayal of the human journey. It shares essential emotional intelligence and spiritual wisdom that assists a person on their path.

The radical premise of the book is that, on the inside, we are already a being of incredible love, wisdom and creativity. We are a sun on the inside. Our human journey is to become a sun on the outside -- a living embodiment of what is in the depth of our soul.

-------

Editorial Reviews

Review

 "David Karchere's Becoming a Sun is a sun; it literally shone through my heart the moment I began to read it. It is the sun of light, love, the radiance of Source glowing through each of us. With this book we are able to feel the sun within us. It is always true, but often so hard to remember. I consider the poems within it to be vital gifts to all who are emerging today, guiding our world toward greater love and oneness." 

~ Barbara Marx Hubbard ~ 

Foundation for Conscious Evolution

 

"This book is so well written. David is such a great teacher. Reading Becoming a Sun is like having him sitting right next to you, explaining things clearly, calmly and compassionately. This is some wonderful learning made easy." 

~ Cliff Barry ~ 

Founder, Shadow Work 

"It is pretty safe to say that never before in modern times has the world needed David Karchere's insightful and uplifting reflection of the human spirit quite as much as it does right now. Becoming a Sun offers a new way of understanding how the light that shines within us all will also illuminate the path that lies ahead in life's wondrous journey. Simply put, Becoming a Sun is a warm-hearted gift to the reader, a proclamation of the very best that is humanly possible." 

~ Paul Bassis ~ 

Producer, The Arise Music and Camping Festival

 

"Becoming a Sun is an affirmation of the unlimited potential of humanity. In heart-felt poetry and lucid prose, David Karchere dispels the illusions that keep people separate. His words reconnect the reader with the Divine Essence and inner wisdom that lead to oneness. And he shares a brilliant recipe for personal and global transformation. The world needs this book!" 

~ Steve Farrell ~ 

Worldwide Executive Director, Humanity's Team 

"Wonderful poet, author, workshop leader, composer, teacher, and much more, David Karchere is a man to meet, hear, appreciate, and now READ. Having always deeply valued his inspirational talks and poetry, I am delighted to know I can now find them both in one place and share these with many friends. Becoming a Sun is all about how to provide a crucial difference in the world and the book may just be that crucial difference in your own life. At a time when many people are feeling defeated, here is a way to know personal victory." 

~ Dr. Tom Cooper ~ 

Co-publisher, MEDIA ETHICS magazine Professor, Emerson College

 

"I am so glad to endorse this book! Being born and having lived on the African Continent all my life, I know the fire and powerful influence of the Sun--the life-giving outer Sun. David Karchere's book, Becoming a Sun, invites all people to become Sun builders, by igniting the inner Sun that lives within the core of ourselves. I know that I carry that fire inside me. 

"What is contained in David's book is a compelling and powerful invitation issued at this crucial time on our planet. Civilizations have come and gone, and despite all the new technological advances, we are still in dire need of a radical and powerful transformation to restore our world to its natural life-giving order. I believe that this book provides an assured map for those interested in unlocking primal knowledge in bringing our natural gifts of 'warmth, light and gravitas' to each other, and beyond us into the natural world." 

~ Anne-Lise Bure ~ 

Managing Director, The Novalis Ubuntu Institute

 

"I have long admired David Karchere's genuine nature and his sincerity and passion as a spiritual director. Becoming a Sun is a glowing book about the beautiful essence and potential for life contributions that reside within each of us. Reading it will surely inspire you to radiate your unique gifts." 

~ Jim Sharon, Ed.D. ~ 

Psychologist, author and Coach for Soulful Couples 

"David nailed it in this book. Becoming the Sun is a growth and transformation process we ALL go through in life. We all are made to shine and this book provides a beautiful combination of poetic inspiration, metaphorical enchantment, sound advice and a beautiful philosophy to live from. Bravo David Karchere. Thank you for bringing this work to the world." 

~ George Carroll ~ 

Changing the World, One Audience at a Time 

 

"Though one's spiritual practice can be a solitary endeavor, David knows--and all of us eventually realize--that it takes us on a journey to serve fully for the good of all. This journey takes courage as each one of us has to embrace who we truly are and step into the life that is calling us. David's book, Becoming a Sun, is a clear and compassionate companion for anyone needing support as they pursue this awakening. I highly recommend it." 

~ Sarah McLean ~ 

Director, Meditation Teacher Academy

 

"At the core of this book is the simple yet potent assertion that the world we experience is itself the product of our collective consciousness. Especially now, as global crises compound, this insight into our most fundamental creative capacities sheds a radiant light on the road ahead, providing valuable guidance on how to let our own suns shine." 

~ Emanuel Kuntzelman ~ 

President, Greenheart International 

From the Back Cover

DAVID KARCHERE is an author, speaker, and foremost thought leader on Primal Spirituality, the spirituality that human beings experience at birth which, ideally, blossoms and grows as a person matures. David has created and led workshops for spiritual awakening and personal transformation for people around the globe. He has also developed The Creative Field Project, a global network of small groups that meet monthly to bring spiritual regeneration to the world. David's home is Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado, U.S.A., a teaching and demonstration site for Primal Spirituality.

-------
See all 2 formats and editions

Kindle $8.35
Length: 297 pages Word Wise: Enabled Enhanced Typesetting:Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled

Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download



Edgar Cayce, The Meaning of Life and What to Do About It
Stephen Hawley Martin
3.5 out of 5 stars 8
Kindle Edition $3.86

Product details

File Size: 14191 KB
Print Length: 297 pages
Publisher: Best Seller Publishing, LLC (January 22, 2019)
Publication Date: January 22, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07N1Y4SNK
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:

More about the author
› Visit Amazon's David Karchere Page

Follow

Biography
David Karchere is an author, speaker and workshop leader, and foremost thought leader on Primal Spirituality worldwide. David describes Primal Spirituality as our first spirituality—the spirituality we were born with, and the innate, sacred bond that is behind all the world’s great religions and spiritual paths. He is the author of Becoming a Sun: Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence for a Happy, Fulfilling Life.

He developed the Full Self Emergence program, a six-month internship for personal development and transformation. David originated the Healing Chant Workshop and the Journey Into the Fire Intensive. He has offered workshops, trainings and lectures in the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

David is the spiritual director at Sunrise Ranch, a teaching and demonstration site for Primal Spirituality. It is located in Loveland, Colorado, on 350 acres in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Sunrise Ranch is staffed by a multigenerational community of 100 people. It is a conference and retreat center and a working farm practicing regenerative agriculture. Founded in 1945, it is the oldest intentional community in the United States.

David is a member of the Evolutionary Leaders Circle.
Show Less




13 customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5 stars
-----------------------------------------------

Showing 1-8 of 13 reviews
Top Reviews

L. Garnett
5.0 out of 5 starsThis book is a guideline for our New LivesFebruary 1, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Becoming a Sun is a guideline for how to live our lives to the fullest - from the beginning it becomes clear what is truly important in how we can unfold the rest of our lives on this planet.

"What your world, and the people in it, need most from you is for you to be a sun. They need your warmth. Your ability to offer your care for their well-being. Your ability to offer blessing. Nothing imposed. Nothing affected. Just the abiding spirit of love, constant in your heart of hearts."

Becoming a Sun shows us how to make our changes day by day - moment by moment from the heart. Choosing to read and learn from this book and this process - is a gift to ones own unfolding.

I highly recommend this book to all Searchers - wherever you are in your own life change.

Dr. Katie Garnett

3 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Jane F. Anetrini
5.0 out of 5 starspowerful emotional and spiritual toolFebruary 4, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
So often an inspirational book requires you to search for the gold. Not true in Becoming a Sun. I found the personal stories, the poetry and the themes extremely relevant. Even if I was familiar with the idea being presented something deep within me was stirred to greater knowing and I felt intimately connected to the truth of who I am and how I can see that in others.
There is nothing like simple recipes for transformation. I didn't have to read the whole book to get the big idea. It was delivered on every page accessible to my mind and heart.
This book was quite a gift to myself.

4 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Lana R.
5.0 out of 5 starsProfound and ignitingFebruary 7, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I love this book! It presents something profound in way that is clear and easy to digest. It's medicine that serves to connect all parts of myself and align it with my higher consciousness. This book makes me feel ignited. It's pure magic! I recommend this for everyone, no matter where you are on your journey.

3 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Sece Foster
5.0 out of 5 starsA masterpiece!February 14, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I absolutely loved this book! I was pulled in the minute I began reading it. Having read hundreds of books on metaphysics, spirituality and self help, this one stands out for me. Becoming a Sun is a fresh approach to journey of the Soul, I highly recommend it!

3 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Heather J
5.0 out of 5 starsLoving itFebruary 13, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Just getting it started and so far falling in love with it I'm very excited to dive in

3 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Dr. Tom Cooper
5.0 out of 5 starsBest ever ...March 12, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
…. This is the most uplifting, personal, creative, and truthful book I have read since reading books like the Tao, the Bhagavad Gita and the works of the late Martin Cecil. Blending poetry, prose, Images, and what might be called Divine inspiration-made-human-expression, Karchere keeps “lifting me higher and higher” as the song goes. It is written such that, if you only have a minute, there is just the right poem or paragraph, but if you have an hour, there are essays and meditations which are mood-altering if not life-changing. It only looks like a book – it is actually an elevator which takes you to the great lighthouse in the sky. Another inspiring author, G.K., Chesterton, entitled one of his books WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS -- and he forgot to add that it is David Karchere’s book entitled BECOMING A SUN!


HelpfulComment Report abuse

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsHow We Create Our WorldJune 6, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I am using this book for a book study with several of my spiritual friends. We are all loving the book and its fresh approach to many common spiritual themes. I have convinced several ministers to buy the book based on my comments and praise. David is the essence of creativity as he presents the material and ideas in prose, poems, drawings, and personal stories. I am on my third reading and I keep seeing more connections and gaining new insights with each pass through the book. This book is truly a gift to humanaity!


HelpfulComment Report abuse

P. Campbell
5.0 out of 5 starsbenefited meFebruary 13, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I've read a lot of spiritual/self-help books (no need to judge me...). This one ranks up with the better ones. It's an easy read, you might even say a pleasant read, and has some original perspectives.

2 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

See all 13 reviews
Write a customer review

Amazon Customer

5.0 out of 5 starsImportant Ideas and Beautiful Imagery

February 5, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

As a primary care physician, I see how I and so many of my patients struggle with external stresses to stay optimistic, to nurture loved ones and ourselves, and then are brought low by debilitating self-criticism. As a citizen, increasingly of the world, rather than the nation state, I see how our species tends to see the planet in terms of scarcity instead of plenitude and we compete for resources rather than stewarding the planet.
“Becoming A Sun” invites us to perceive ourselves as Suns, sharing our warmth and light with those we love, in our workplace, our communities and the world. David, the author, describes in lucid, eloquent language the paths and metaphors which have become his personal journey of discovery. The book built on years of teaching workshops and refinement of his ideas, is a guidebook for the rest of us. It is very readable and clear with personal anecdotes to illustrate many of his points. I think we are at a critical juncture in the world’s history where David’s invitation to understand and transcend our fears and to lead out of love rather than competition will help build the scaffolding for movements and policies to cherish ourselves and the planet.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment Report abuse

NotSoMuchaSun

1.0 out of 5 starsUnfulfilled

March 11, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

I read this and I did not become the Sun I expected! I am a devout follower of David and his cult, but I really feel like this fell flat. I wanted more drum circles, more aimless chanting, and much much more meaningless demagoguery from David. 1 star because I'm still convinced that his manipulative nepotism and insane ideas are still worth reading!

One person found this helpful

Seven Foundational Truths – Emissaries Of Divine Light

Seven Foundational Truths – Emissaries Of Divine Light


SEVEN FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS

Here are seven foundational truths of the human experience. Each one of them offers conscious empowerment for the soul.

We don’t recommend blind belief in these statements. Instead, we invite you to reflect on them deeply. Explore whether they are true for you. See if they let you access something that you already know, but might have forgotten. Ponder how your life changes when you embrace the truth of these statements.

----

Seven Foundational Truths

1. You are Divine
2. You become what you love
3. In all things, give thanks
4. Wisdom is the active knowing of the One who knows
5. What the world needs most from you is for you to be a sun
6. You know what you express
7. Let love radiate without concern for results

You are Divine

We embrace the truth of our Being, knowing we are an individualized aspect of the Creator, incarnate in human form.


You become what you love

Through our love response to the source of all Being, we play our part with the One Law of Creation, which is the law of cause and effect, and so we become one with Source, and a creator of a new day for humankind.


In all things, give thanks

Our gratitude for the gift of life, and all that comes with it, allows us to let go of the old human story, which revolves around victimhood, and enter the sacredness of Creation.

Wisdom is the active knowing of the One who knows

When our human mind stops trying to dominate the world according to its own self-serving purposes, and opens to the pattern of Creation, it becomes a conscious instrument of the Creator.


What the world needs most from you is for you to be a sun

Just as the sun is the center of the solar system, we, as human beings, are destined to become a center of warmth, light and gravity for our world.


You know what you express

Each of us possesses profound gifts and talents that are unique to us. When they are given, our world thrives and we are fulfilled. If those gifts and talents are not given, our world withers and we live in misery.


Let love radiate without concern for results

When we open to the flow of Universal Love through our emotional body, and offer it unconditionally to the world, we become a transparent connection to the Divine.

Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn - Kindle edition by Seung Sahn. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn - 

Kindle edition by Seung Sahn. 

Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.









The classic guide for Zen students pursuing the true way.
 
“Somebody comes into the Zen center with a lighted cigarette, walks up to the Buddha-statue, blows smoke in its face and drops ashes on its lap. You are standing there. What can you do?” 

This is a problem that Zen Master Seung Sahn was fond of posing to his American students who attended his Zen centers.
 
Dropping Ashes on the Buddha is a delightful, irreverent, and often hilariously funny living record of the dialogue between Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn and his American students. 

Consisting of dialogues, stories, formal Zen interviews, Dharma speeches, and letters using the Zen Master’s actual words in spontaneous, living interaction, this book is a fresh presentation of the Zen teaching method of “instant dialogue” between Master and student which, through the use of astonishment and paradox, leads to an understanding of ultimate reality.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Consisting of dialogues, stories, formal Zen interviews, Dharma speeches, and letters using the Zen Master's actual words in spontaneous, living interaction with his students, Dropping Ashes onthe Buddha is a fresh presentation of the Zen teaching method of 'instant dialogue' between Master and student that, through the use of astonishment and paradox, leads to an understanding of ultimate reality.

Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn Kindle Edition
by Seung Sahn (Author)


4.4 out of 5 stars 61 customer reviews




See all 9 formats and editions

Kindle
$10.63Read with Our Free App
Length: 258 pages Word Wise: Enabled Enhanced Typesetting:Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled


Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 11Page 1 of 18This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.
Back


Only Don't Know: Selected Teaching Letters of Zen Master Seung Sahn
Seung Sahn
4.7 out of 5 stars 23
Kindle Edition
$16.06

Whole World is a Single FLower: 365 Kong-ans for Everyday Life with…
Seung Sahn
4.2 out of 5 stars 7
Kindle Edition
$11.16

Principles of Cartesian Philosophy
Baruch Spinoza
5.0 out of 5 stars 2
Kindle Edition
$10.95

The Lessons of History
Will Durant
4.5 out of 5 stars 440
Kindle Edition
$6.99

The Compass of Zen (Shambhala Dragon Editions)
Seung Sahn
4.7 out of 5 stars 63
Kindle Edition
$22.14
Next






Product details

File Size: 421 KB
Print Length: 258 pages
Publisher: Grove Press; Reissue edition (December 1, 2007)
Publication Date: September 1, 2018
61 customer reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5 stars

Top Reviews

Jim Martin
4.0 out of 5 starsI DON'T KNOW !!!October 28, 2011
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Very interesting read indeed... I found the intermittent cursing to be quite humorous. It's without a doubt - an entertaining, and mind boggling adventure. It makes you feel as if you're right in the classroom, getting smacked with Seung Sahn's stick.

I'd be lying if I said I was able to figure out the various kong-ans, but I'm sure I'm not the only one (I wish there were answers to these riddles, BUT that's probably asking for way too much). However, I did notice that even though I didn't understand the kong-ans that certain things did make more sense as the chapters went on... So, by the end of the book, you have a slightly better understanding than you did at the beginning. This book definitely needs to be reread. Some stories are just plain funny, some are puzzling, and some have a story to tell. *It seems that every other page someone is getting hit hard, hahaha... It's a good thing that hitting is a sign of affection from student to teacher. I've never read a book even close to something like this - it makes you wonder how amazing this man was in person. I subsequently purchased another book from Soen-sa, "Wanting Enlightenment Is a Big Mistake". I want to see how this one fares as well.

I'm hesitant to take a stab at this BUT, if I had to write something that I learned through these pages:

Naturally scriptures, holy reading and their corresponding history are very important (so is growing up and learning all the necessary skills we need to survive in this crazy world). Additionally vital is at some point in our life, we have to stop thinking we know everything. Human beings today are at a point where we just think our way through life. We think we have an explanation for everything --- I think, I think, I think.... We forget our true nature of just feeling or experiencing `things as it is'. Instead of simply experiencing something right in front of our eyes --- we sit, stare, try to break it down and explain it all... With all of this going on, we fail to realize that this precious moment is fleeing from us... What should we do? We must drop everything - `put it all down' and realize these things staring us in the face, every second of every day. We have to lose our overactive mind, and just see with our eyes what is in front of us - appreciate it for what it is, and experience it for all it has to offer...

I can honestly say that after reading this book: what I thought I knew - I DON'T KNOW...

24 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Mark Sillman
5.0 out of 5 starsHis first and best - a unique bookMarch 16, 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Echoing many other reviewers: this book is great. It's funny, it's. serious. It's the voice of a Korean Zen master who has just arrived in the US (written in 1977), just-learned English, who coins his own idioms to get things across. It does not at all read like a "spiritual" book, or like any other Zen book. It's as though the mind and spirit of Huck Finn were fused with a riddling chessmaster and used to present Zen.

When I first read this -in 1979 - it was like: I've never seen anything remotely like this. I had read 2 or 3 Zen books previously - they seemed interesting but "normal" - whereas this was anything but normal. Only decades later -helped by Seung Sahn's later "Compass of Zen" and some about the Chinese and Korean antecedents - do I see how this fits.

You can read this for the ideas, or the stories, or for the history (as a record of the arrival of a new religion from a very foreign shore). And for practise: his colorful:English expressions (only go straight-don't know) are like "seeds" for meditation, aids to "cut off all thinking". So I found this useful as a meditation guide even though it does not give anything like formal instruction (the group's web site does, though).

This is maybe more useful as a "second" book on eastern spirituality - after a "first" more conventional one. It also some tolerance for certain types of questions: when you see objects are they outside your mind or inside? (But these are meditation seeds, not philosophical treatises.). That's how I came to it - and found it fresh and compelling and unexpected.

11 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Amy L Reese
5.0 out of 5 starsIn this world, but not of it.September 15, 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Comprised of over a hundred personal letters, lectures, stories and anecdotes, this book is arranged in small chunks that make it easy to set aside, and then come back to later, or devour all at once.

'Dropping Ashes on the Buddha' gives an excellent description of Zen teaching, and the mindsets that come with different levels of understanding within the framework of Zen. It engages in active puzzle solving, using both ancient parables, humor and dharma speeches to convey how to use this puzzling to cut off thinking, and achieve a quieting of the mind. I give it five stars, because it gently explains, in plain English, some very subtle points of experience and understanding that have taken hundreds of masters many years to articulate. It is an enjoyable reading experience, despite the circular and repetitive nature of Zen teaching. I have read this book over and over, at different points in my life, and I have learned many things from it.

I would recommend this book to beginners interested in Zen, and to people who have followed the path for a very long time. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in what Zen has to offer insofar as peace and the prospect of letting go are concerned.

10 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Edward F.
5.0 out of 5 starsBig SmileNovember 5, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I have read other books by Master Seung Sahn before & this might be my favorite. The teachings on striving to maintain a true "don't know" mind & letting go of attachments, while challenging, are very insightful. Reading Master Seung Sahn's words always leaves a smile on my face.

3 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Rama
4.0 out of 5 starsIt's good, with many toeholds thatSeptember 9, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Still reading it. I had heard through a podcast interview that this is one of the more accessible books on buddhism. It's good, with many toeholds that, if read carefully, can be picked out. I'm getting the feeling like this is one that will have to be read a few times to really allow the material to sink in. It's a good book and I'm very happy with my purchase.

3 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

Milan Bydžovský
5.0 out of 5 starsOne hundred different stories that are all the sameApril 12, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
This book made me think about Zen. Now I feel like a dragon with tail of a snake who run after a bone like a blind dog in circles round a keen-eyed lion, swinging my stick in attempts to hit the Moon. I know I should sit, but my leg keep itching so I'm scratching the other one. I opened my mouth and I was wrong.

3 people found this helpful

HelpfulComment Report abuse

See all 61 reviews
Write a customer review