Silence A User S Guide Volume Two

To learn to read a text for the portals of silence that are implicit in it is to gain a powerful tool for supporting and expanding one's silence, and to open the reader to the insight that ensues. The sort of reading proposed in this volume is both costly and rewarding. These pages invite readers once again to look at their own minds, to reflect on what is happening there, and to understand the essential role of silence for being human, and for living our own truth with one another.

To learn to read a text for the portals of silence that are implicit in it is to gain a powerful tool for supporting and expanding one’s silence, and to open the reader to the insight that ensues. The sort of reading proposed in this volume is both costly and rewarding. These pages invite readers once again to look at their own minds, to reflect on what is happening there, and to understand the essential role of silence for being human, and for living our own truth with one another.

Silence is essential for the health and well-being of humans and the environment in which they live. Yet silence has almost vanished from our lives and our world. Of all the books that claim to be about silence, this is the only one that addresses silence directly. Silence: A User's Guide is just what the title says: it is a guide to silence, which is both a vast interior spaciousness, and the condition of our being in the natural world. This book exposes the processes by which silence can transfigure our lives--what Maggie Ross calls "the work of silence"; it describes how lives steeped in silence can transfigure other lives unawares. It shows how the work of silence was once understood to be the foundation of the teaching of Jesus, and how this teaching was once an intrinsic part of Western Christianity; it describes some of the methods by which the institution suppressed the work of silence, and why religious institutions are afraid of silence. Above all, this book shows that the work of silence gives us a way of being in the world that is more than we can ask for or imagine.

To learn to read a text for the portals of silence that are implicit in it is to gain a powerful tool for supporting and expanding one's silence, and to open the reader to the insight that ensues. The sort of reading proposed in this volume is both costly and rewarding. These pages invite readers once again to look at their own minds, to reflect on what is happening there, and to understand the essential role of silence for being human, and for living our own truth with one another.This second volume of Maggie Ross's Silence: A User's Guide offers application to support the process set out in volume one.

The twenty mysteries of the rosary are a circular “gallery,” a matrix of theology and spirituality. They can inspire us profoundly. For those seeking a deeper encounter in faith, these mysteries have the power to move us toward contemplation. A lengthy Introduction explains in detail the meaning of the term “mystery” in Christian thought, provides a brief history of the rosary, explains the significance of Mary in the mysteries, explores the importance of “beholding” in the Scriptures and in our spirituality, and explores Christian iconography. The centerpiece of the book is the “gallery” of the mysteries as illuminated by the iconography of Solrunn Nes, each image supplemented with explanatory commentaries by Addison Hodges Hart. The latter incorporate biblical exegesis, pertinent historical details, and insights from classical spiritual writers. The aim is to provide insight into the symbolism and typology of each mystery and to lead the reader into contemplative prayer and action. Throughout, the book unites an outward “beholding” of the mysteries of the rosary with the inner practice of the work of silence.

How the Light Gets In: Ethical Life I presents a systematic account of the teachings of the Christian faith to offer a vision, from a human, created, and limited perspective, of the ways all things might be understood from the divine perspective. It explores how Christian doctrine is lived, and the way in which beliefs are not simply cognitive sets of ideas but embodied cultural practices. Christians learn how to understand the contents of their faith, learn the language of the faith, through engagements that are simultaneously somatic, affective, imaginative, and intellectual.

The subtitle of Maggie Ross's new book captures its essence, for it is about silence and our need to behold God. Beholding is a notion that we are in danger of losing. It is often lost in translation, even by the NRSV and the Jerusalem Bible. Beholding needs to be recovered both in theology and practice. Ross is very aware of "poor talkative Christianity." There is a twofold plea to enter into silence--for lack of silence erodes our humanity--and to behold the radiance of God. This is a book full of deep questioning and the testing of our assumptions. Throughout there is a great love for the world and for our humanity, accompanied by sadness that we are so easily distracted . . . . We are invited into a silence that is not necessarily an absence of noise, but is a limitless interior space. Ancient texts are used in new and exciting ways, and many of our worship practices are challenged. She is in no doubt that "the glory of the human being is the beholding of God." --adapted from a review in The Church Times (London) by Canon David Adam.

Thoughts are very real things. They can be compared to the elements that create the weather we experience. From clear and sunny to overcast and dreary, your thought-machine mind creates your reality. Whether or not you are consciously aware of it, you alone control the angles and rotations of the kaleidoscopic mirrors within the workings of your mind. If you dont like your reality, you can always adjust your outlook simply by adjusting your way of thinking. One of lifes mercies is that we can retrain our mind. This guide is an appeal for rational thinking. When all is said and done, there are only three fundamental areas over which you have any real control in your life: how you think/feel (as in two sides of the same coin), how you act, and how you react. When you are unhappy in life or love, the best place to start looking for both the cause and the cure is within the inner narrative of your thoughts. It is here you will find the fountainhead of resiliency from which your strength and well-being flow. Resiliency in people is not an accidental occurrence; rather, it is the cumulative effect of an individuals decision making. In a nutshell, humans need not always interpret things in the negative, instead, the choice to view things either as a positive or as a negative is entirely your own to make. The intelligent approach insists you strive to see both the positive and the negative in people, situations, and events. Doing so wont negate the negative, it simply helps to balance it. The knowledge contained in A Users Guide to Your Mind is threefold: how to live mindfully of your thoughts, how to exercise emotional intelligence in relationships, and how to exercise social intelligence in everyday life. Exercising social and emotional intelligencealong with good old common senseis essential to soundly managing your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. If you are tired of just talking about making changes and are now actually prepared to do something about it, the guidance within will provide detailed blueprints to get you started in redesigning your life and relationships. Best of all, you can implement what you learn as you see fit, according to your own goals, value system, and moral principles. This book shows you how.