Prayers for a Thousand Years : Blessings and Expressions of Hope for the New Millennium by Elizabeth J. Roberts (Editor), Elias Amidon (Editor)
    With the coming of the second millennium, editors Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon felt that words of hope might be the perfect antidote to the fearful rumblings of doom, apocalyptic predictions, and computer-induced chaos. And so the duo sent out invitations asking people to offer a written message or prayer to the future. The final result is a body of work that offers a compelling and positive vision for the millennium.

American Sermons : The Pilgrims to Martin Luther King Jr (The Library of America, 108) edited by Michael Warner.
    Whether it takes the form of the formal prose of the Puritans, the clear, plain-spoken wisdom of the Quakers, or the improvisational style of African American folk preaching, the sermon is one of America's most unique types
of literature. While this collection should never be considered easy reading, its high quality and profundity more than compensate for its challenges. In fact, this collection (spanning the 17th through the 20th centuries) is packed with literary and historical gems. Absalom Jones, an African Episcopal minister, preaches a heart-wrenching sermon that sings the praises of the end of the slave trade
in 1808. Ralph Waldo Emerson delivers "The Lord's Supper Sermon," and, of course, there's Martin Luther King Jr.'s most famous sermon, "I've Been to the Mountaintop." Newsweek magazine called this "the most important book-publishing project in the nation's history." This may be annexaggeration; nonetheless, the book is certainly a worthy project, if only for its recognition of the sermon as a legitimate and stirring genre of American literature.

Work and the Life of the Spirit by Douglas Thorpe (Editor), Thomas Moore
Editor Douglas Thorpe's ambitious anthology of writings stretches back to the Navajo creation myth and legends of Athena's weaving and then forward to include examples from 19th- and 20th-century greats, such as Walt Whitman's gleanings in "Song of Myself" and William Carlos Williams's
restful poem about "The Corn Harvest." The book contains essays by present-day sages, including Pam Houston ("Cowboys Are My Weakness"), Louise Erdrich, Thomas Moore, Studs Terkel, Thich Nhat Hanh, Gary Snyder, Kathleen Norris, and Linda Hogan. Every contribution speaks to the deeper dimensions of work--how does one earn a living and stay true to one's creative yearnings? How do seemingly mundane human tasks contribute to the greater good? These questions are answered in many eloquent and surprising essays. For example, when Brenda Peterson offers the praises of chores after discovering the body of a roommate who committed suicide, readers are welcomed into the intimate ways that daily housekeeping can heal the spirit and ultimately comfort the masses.

Pilgrim Souls : A Collection of Spiritual Autobiography by Amy Mandelker (Editor), Elizabeth Powers (Editor)
This anthology is broken down into the four basic categories of spiritual journeys, according to the editors: 1) Wanderers and seekers--those who pursue "all available experiences under the sun." 2) Pilgrims and missionaries--"individuals whose life goal has been the unwavering pursuit
of God." 3) Mystics and visionaries--"who focus on supernatural experiences and epiphanies." 4) Philosophers and scholars--those who "demonstrate a lifelong commitment to the discernment of the truth through the exercise of the intellect." By organizing spiritual quests into these themes, the authors create an effect that is more liberating than confining, offering a clear context for the sometimes ethereal and wrenching stories of real-life saints, rabbis, writers, and pilgrims from all walks of life. Literary heroes add their impassioned and tender stories of spiritual transformation, whether it be Leo Tolstoy's excerpt from "The Confession," Madeleine L'Engle's self-revealing story of forgiveness and the sensuality of the human body, or
Annie Dillard's tug of war with a loving God who allows terrible things to happen to good people. Spiritual seekers will no doubt find their own stories in this stimulating and expansive dedication to the soul's eternal pilgrimage.

Eternal Echoes : Exploring Our Yearning to Belong by John O'Donohue
    John O'Donohue ("Anam Cara"), a Celtic poet, scholar, and philosopher with an Irish brogue, speaks to the deepest calling of our soul: the longing to belong. "To be human is to belong," he explains. "Belonging is a circle that embraces everything; if we reject it, we damage our nature. The word 'belonging' holds together the two fundamental aspects of life: Being and Longing, the longing of our Being and the being of our Longing." Although this may sound like an elaborate Celtic circle knot, O'Donohue has nevertheless
woven a solid and easy-to-grasp book that speaks to the soul's constant yearning. Every passage is a delight for the senses, as O'Donohue shares his lilting poetic language, his
Celtic imagery and stories, and his fireside-chat wisdom. This is a broad-reaching yet highly focused book that dares to explore the realm of legitimate angels, the meaning of suffering, and, most poignantly, how life on earth may never quench the soul's thirst for belonging.

Confucius Lives Next Door : Why East Asia Has the Safest Streets, Strongest Families, and Best Schools by T. R. Reid
    Japanese children clean their own schools and serve themselves lunch. Japanese executives do everything in their power to keep workers employed, even taking a loss over several years. While living in Japan as Tokyo bureau chief for the Washington Post, T.R. Reid discovered that the
West has a lot to learn from the East in terms of social cohesion and social equity. When he goes back to explore the roots of Confucianism, he finds an emphasis on harmony and hierarchy that still pervades modern East Asian cultures. He learns that loyalties flow both ways, which means that a worker who in the West might be laid off in the name of the bottom line would take priority in the eyes of Japanese executives, who keep their own salaries at less than shameful levels. Reid also finds that basic morality is constantly being taught in Japan, especially in the schools, where teachers shape not only productive but also moral members of society--team players. Reid weaves together history, daily life, and ancient philosophy in a seamless and entertaining narrative, holding Japan up as a model Confucian society and as a challenge to Western complacency in the face of its own crisis of morality.

The Hundred Thousand Fools of God : Musical Travels in Central Asia (And Queens, New York) by Theodore Levin
    When a Princeton-trained ethnomusicologist returns to follow up his studies in the Central Asian nations east of China and north of Afghanistan, he stumbles into a cornucopia of music, history, and religion. With a trusty guide called OM, Theodore Levin travels back and forth through the newly liberated cities and countryside of an ancient land that is
home to such exotic names as Tashkent and Samarkand. Levin writes not only about his successes in identifying and recording the musical traditions of the area but also of the experiences of the people under Soviet rule, the myths that are kept alive through music, and the healers that use music as therapy. Levin finds a complex and colorful mix of ethnic and religious traditions where music unites Jew, Muslim, and
shaman. "The Hundred Thousand Fools of God" is more than just a travel diary: it is a snapshot of an evolving culture. And the accompanying CD is divine.

The Zen Path Through Depression by Philip Martin
    Since depression sometimes responds well to drugs, it's natural to think that, without medicinal intervention, we're helpless in the face of it. Like John Tarrant's groundbreaking "Light Inside the Dark," Philip Martin's "The
Zen Path Through Depression" offers a powerful alternative.  A psychiatric social worker having recovered from depression himself, Martin is a sympathetic voice, urging the reader not to escape from depression or fight against it but to face it and work through it. He says that the mindfulness
exercises appended to each short section of his book are optional, but they seem essential. It's true that the book could stand alone with its one- and two-page sections
devoted to trenchant explorations of fear, death, sufficiency, choice. But the exercises bring you through the quagmire of depression and back into life. They are true
experiences that untie knots impervious to thought alone.  Instead of thinking your thoughts, you watch them, and where they can take you finally is back into joyful living.

Sabbath : Remembering the Rhythm of Rest and Delight
by Wayne Muller
    It's sad that we need a book to remind us of the importance of scheduling time to rest and worship. But because we can work, shop, achieve, and otherwise stay busy every hour of every day of the week, we do. The statement, "I am so busy" has become a frighteningly common lament, according to author Wayne Muller. Our perpetual state of busyness represents a war on our natural rhythms that demand quiet and renewal in order to be emotionally, spiritually, and creatively fertile.
    Honoring the Sabbath need not be a commitment to a specific day of the week, explains Muller. In fact, it can be a yearlong retreat or a morning walk--"anything that preserves a visceral experience of life-giving nourishment and rest."
    Far more than an interesting concept, this is a good read. Each chapter is provocative and fluid, with topics such as "Fear of Rest," "Dormancy," and "The Way of Enough." At the end of his chapters, Muller offers stories, poems, or practices that speak to the themes of the Sabbath. --Gail Hudson

The Art of Living : The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus, Sharon Lebell
    "Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible." The Stoic philosopher Epictetus was born on the eastern edges of the Roman Empire in A.D. 55, but The Art of Living is still perfectly suited for any contemporary self-help or recovery program. To prove the point, this modern interpretation by Sharon Lebell casts the teachings in up-to-date language, with phrases like "power broker" and "casual sex" popping up intermittently. But the core is still the same: Epictetus keeps the focus on progress over perfection, on accomplishing what can be accomplished and abandoning unproductive worry over what cannot.

Awakening to the Sacred : Creating a Spiritual Life from Scratch by Lama Surya Das, Surya Das, Lam Kam Chuen

Awakening the Buddha Within : Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World by Lama Surya Das (Preface)

 
    Surya Das: "Awakening the Buddha Within" was more specifically for the beginning Buddhist, and "Awakening to the Sacred" is broader. I intended it for people from all faiths--Jewish, Christian, atheist, agnostic--to show how in our multicultural world, in which people from all backgrounds are searching for spirituality, we can awaken a spirituality in ourselves and bring it into our everyday lives. For instance, I don't just talk about meditation; I also talk about praying, gardening, diet, yoga, keeping a spiritual journal, writing haiku, chanting, and other things. These are all spiritual practices that can bring sacredness into our lives.
    Amazon.com: But how can a person do all of that and still live a normal life in the workaday world? Are you suggesting we all move into monasteries?
    Surya Das: That's a good question, and that's why I wrote this book. You don't have to move away into the hills to have a life full of spirituality. Many people think that to
be spiritual is just sitting on a cushion or praying all the time. Living spiritually is about engaging in practices, praying, or meditating for a little while in the morning or
the evening, and then bringing that spirituality into everything you do. Whether you're driving your car, or working at your desk, or playing with your kids, you can do
it mindfully, and each time you do, it reinforces the spirituality of your entire life.
    Amazon.com: Sacredness, you point out, is common to all religions. If a person prays and feels a kind of union with the divine, is that the same as an enlightenment experience?
    Surya Das: Yes and no. People can have very powerful experiences while praying or meditating, such as becoming one with a divine light, and that can contribute to an
enlightenment experience. But enlightenment, whether it is a big experience or a small one, is a shattering experience. It is a waking up, where you view the world differently and see reality anew.

Everyday Immortality : A Concise Course in Spiritual Transformation by Deepak Chopra
    In ancient yoga traditions, a sutra is like a pearl of
wisdom--a spiritual commandment to ponder. Deepak Chopra has
assembled a selection of modern translations from India's
Gyan Yoga, known as the "yoga of knowledge." Each page
contains a simple statement--intended to be read slowly and
absorbed one reading at a time. "Each sentence must be fully
understood and comprehended and give you a new insight
before you move onto the next," instructs Chopra. "As you
progress through these exercises, understanding and insight
unfold in sequence."

Deep Play by Diane Ackerman, Peter Sis (Illustrator)
    "Deep play" is what helps humans survive, grow, and
spiritually transcend, according to acclaimed poet and
author Diane Ackerman. Children are of course drawn to deep
play--those activities that catapult them into an altered
state of consciousness, in which all their senses are
engaged, and for that moment life is timeless and fully
absorbing. But few adults are conscious of how this form of
deep play continues throughout adulthood.

Be an Island : The Buddhist Practice of Inner Peace
by Ayya Khema, Ayga Khema
    Ayya Khema is like that pesky little angel on our shoulder, except instead of saying, "Don't do this" or "Don't do that," she reminds us to pay attention and keep growing. One of the best Western exponents of the Buddhist path, Khema organizes her lectures in "Be an Island" around the Buddha's exhortation to be an island unto yourself. By taking refuge in Buddhist teachings and the Buddhist community, you can escape the petty concerns of the self and become an anchor for others. In disarmingly practical language, Ayya Khema teaches us that true practice is getting the tiny details of life right, the middling moments--thinking before we speak, recognizing greed and generosity in ourselves and others, making the mind pliable at all times. Like a weekly lecture series, this is the type of book you'll want to go back to, placing it near an altar or spiritual nook for easy access.