Ascending The Heights

In the sixth century, a monk named John wrote a book outlining the stages of the spiritual life. He based his entire work on the image of the ladder of thirty rungs, stretching from earth to heaven. Each rung described a step in the pursuit of virtue and the spiritual life. Since it was first written, The Ladder of Divine Ascent has been an essential formation of Orthodox monasticism, and a mainstay of Orthodox ascetic spirituality. But it is not just for monks and nuns.This book is written to help those in a non-monastic setting, with "ordinary lives" to understand how to apply the Ladder. Each chapter contains many direct quotes from St. John's writings, in addition to commentary on St. John's words. This book, therefore, should be used as a primer to the Ladder as a helpful tool for ascending the spiritual heights.

Rituals, ceremonies and prayers may be shared by groups or used by individuals in private practice. These rites are designed for use by those who seek a way to increase the intensity of their mystical life. The elements may be used in part, or the whole rite may be used, it is up to you. What you will find here is uplifting material that leads toward the mystical and transcendent contact with the greatness that is above and beyond the human experience.

July 1918-1943 include reports of various neurological and psychiatric societies.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1874.

Promoting cultural understanding in a globalized world, this text is a key tool for students interested in understanding the fundamentals of Chinese culture. Written by a team of experts in their fields, it offers a comprehensive and detailed introduction to Chinese culture and addresses the fundamentals of Chinese cultural and social development. It notably considers Chinese traditional culture, medicine, arts and crafts, folk customs, rituals and etiquette, and is a key read for scholars and students in Chinese Culture, History and Language.