We Were The Blessed Ones

The best evidence that this book characterizes the spirit of Buddhism correctly can be found in the welcome it has received throughout the entire Buddhist world. It has even been officially introduced in Buddhist schools and temples of Japan and Ceylon. The eminent feature of the work is its grasp of the difficult subject and the clear enunciation of the doctrine of the most puzzling problem of tman, as taught in Buddhism. So far as we have examined the question of tman ourselves from the works of the Southern canon, the view taken by Dr. Paul Carus is accurate, and we venture to think that it is not opposed to the doctrine of Northern Buddhism.

"In the summer of June 1939, someplace over the horizon, the plains, and bright hills, lay expectations of a destitute family destined to face the worst thing that could possibly happen to them in the South, in a state that was known to up hold the laws in different ways, not to support everyone but just made for the most elite race of people who were not of the same color. In 1939 and years before, people of color were treated less than humans but as workers, not even as hired help, just as slaves owned by the so-called white masters." "We Were the Blessed Ones" by David E. Clemons tells the tale of one family's journey out of slavery-and all of the little things in life that truly make one blessed. About the Author David E. Clemons is a retired Federal Government employee. He worked in the Defense Department as a comptroller, managing funding for the agency. David is also a retired soldier and worked in education. Now he helps individuals who would like to write their own stories. David's many hobbies include reading, singing, and listening to all types of music. He is very involved in his church and serves as the coordinator for his community safety program.

This is a collection of translations and essays on a region known for a small and often forgotten Christian community that has preserved the language of Jesus since the time of Christ. Their living institutions are expressed in monuments of stone, manuscripts, and a spoken dialect of Aramaic called Syriac. These stories about monasteries and saints are a witness to a civilization of Christians who should never be forgotten.

Forming the final part of the Sanskrit Mahabharata, the Harivamsha's main business is to supply narrative details about the great god Vishnu's avatar Krishna Vasudeva, who has been a comparatively minor character in the previous parts of the Mahabharata, despite having taken centre stage in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna is born in Mathura (some 85 miles south of present-day Delhi). As an infant he is smuggled out of Mathura for his own safety. He and his brother Baladeva grow up among cowherds in the forest, where between them they perform many miraculous deeds and kill many dangerous demons, before returning to Mathura where they kill the evil King Kamsa and his cronies. Thereafter, Krishna is the hero and unofficial leader of his people the Yadava-Vrishnis. When Mathura is besieged by enemies, Krishna leads his people to abandon the town and migrate west, founding the dazzling new city of Dvaraka by the sea. Krishna then repeatedly travels away from that base repeatedly to perform heroic deeds benefitting those in need - including his own people, his more immediate family, and the gods. After narrating the stories of Krishna, the Harivamsha ends by finishing the story of Janamejaya with which the Mahabharata began. The Harivamsha is a powerhouse of Hindu mythology and a classic of world literature. It begins by contextualising Vishnu's appearance as Krishna in several ways, in the process presenting a variety of cosmogonical, cosmological, genealogical, mythological, theological, and karmalogical materials. It then narrates Krishna's birth and adventures in detail. Presenting a wide variety of exciting stories in a poetic register that makes extensive use of natural imagery, the Harivamsha is a neglected literary gem and an ideal starting-point for readers new to Indian literature.

'The police officer stormed into Circuit City shouting, 'Freeze! You're under arrest!' He pulled my arms behind my back and handcuffed me. In a matter of minutes, I was escorted out of the store and placed in the backseat of the police car. I imagined what the gathering audience was thinking. 'Oh, look at Miss White Woman in her blue and white tennis dress wearing handcuffs.'' Forty-year-old Veronika seemed to have it all: a home in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons, a nursing job she loved, and the nice things she'd always wanted. But she still couldn't find the approval she secretly sought. Soon her life was spiraling out of control, and she found herself in the one place she never expected to be: prison. Two years later, when Veronika is released, she finds her world is still upside down. She turns to the bottle to soothe away her pain and soon ends up on the same path as her husbanda "that of an alcoholic. But unlike her husband, she finally turns to Alcoholics Anonymous and God for help. Just as she's beginning to feel confident and on track again, a family tragedy takes her back to her past, where she realizes she has more to face than alcohol addiction. Join Veronika on this compelling, inspiring journey to breaking free of the chains of the past and learning how You Have the Right to Remain Silent."

A moving, confronting and ultimately uplifting story about a young girl’s escape, with her family, from war-torn South Sudan to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, and then to Australia. In 1996, when Akuch Kuol Anyieth is five, her mother flees to Kakuma with her children, intent on finding safety and freedom for her family, while her husband stays behind in South Sudan to fight in the civil war. The family spends nine years in the camp, eking out an existence amidst famine, disease, unbearable heat, and chronic violence. Despite their suffering, Akuch never loses hope or her sense of humour. She’s a bright student who loves learning and does well at the local school. In 2005, the family is finally granted a family humanitarian visa to Australia. They are on the way to paradise. But the reality of their new lives in Melbourne is complex. As Akuch’s brother’s behaviour spirals out of control, the family find themselves isolated and struggling with various forms of racism. But Akuch is determined. She learns English from scratch, excels in her educational achievements, and tries to live the life of a regular teenager. Above all she does everything she can to help her family emerge from the bonds of violence. Akuch Kuol Anyieth’s Unknown is a remarkable memoir. It’s a homage to the strength of her mother in protecting her family against all the odds, a story of sadness, anger, humour, determination, survival and love. Akuch Kuol Anyieth is a graduate researcher in crime, justice and legal studies. Her research engages with masculinity and domestic violence, examining customary law, pre- and post-migration experiences of South Sudanese families and how they adapt to the western rule of law in the diaspora. She is a frequent contributor to discussions about her community. Her book South Sudanese Manhood and Family Crisis in the Diaspora was published in February 2021. She lives in Melbourne. 'This is a compelling story about what it means to be a black refugee in Australia, told with fierce intelligence and urgency. Everyone who has worked with, befriended or cares about our 'unknown' refugees should read Akuch's book.’ Alice Pung, author of Unpolished Gem and Her Father’s Daughter ‘Heartbreaking. Raw. Real. Unknown is the story every Australian needs to know.’ Michael Mohammed Ahmad, award-winning author of The Lebs ‘Unknown is a spellbinding, incandescent book that I simply could not put down. Its power and amazing grace lie in making me realise that I was truly blind, but now, with the unsparing acuity of Akuch Anyieth’s words, perhaps now I can see. Brutal, honest and devastatingly topical, Uknown needs to be on every school reading list. This is more than a refugee story. It is a passionate appeal for justice, mercy and peace. An absolute triumph.’ Clare Wright, author of The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka and You Daughters of Freedom 'Akuch Kuol Anyieth's story is unwavering in its power, insight and grace. A riveting, necessary book.’ Sarah Krasnostein, author of The Trauma Cleaner and The Believer 'A remarkable story told by a remarkable woman. This book demands readers to bear witness to the reality of black refugee experience in Australia. A true testament to the strength of a family, told with honesty, clarity, and love.’ Sara El Sayed, author of Muddy People

Thoughts in Silence (Observations & Insights) Silence is one of the core requirements, an often unmentioned yet vitally necessary ingredient in the creation of poetry and writing in general. Silence allows the writer to receive the ideas, images, and emotions, which seem to arrive from nowhere but actually arrive from within, or beyond, from the field of energy, and essence that surrounds us, like a shroud. In this section, the poet shares poems that came through that silence, that shroud, at various points during his lifetime. In life, it is rare that we pause to take stock, to ask ourselves directly - who we are, why we are, and what we are. Such thoughts are often tossed aside, cast of with lines like - don’t be silly, what are you talking about, that’s crazy talk - of course I know who I am, what I am, and why. Actually, most of us do not, we have never been that honest with ourselves or sat in silence, taken inventory, asked ourselves what we feel, what we believe, and why. In a way, it is true, it is crazy talk, after all we are born, we develop our beliefs, we hold to those beliefs firm (generally) and we live our lives without inventories conducted in silence - or Emerson, read within season . Thoughts in Silence (Observations & Insights) is a book in which the Poet pauses, opens the door, and allows us to enter in, to read, to watch, to listen and finally - to consider for ourselves what we feel about, or think about what the poet has written and what response, if any we have from having gone through this experience. The invitation is sent, the door is open, enter - if you wish.

No one but Jesus would entrust His Twelve to go into the entire world to reveal the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven! What a high calling, and what a mixture of culture, background, schooling and beliefs there were among these men""a tax collector, fishermen, an assassin, seekers of truth""all in one close-knit group who were together twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. It could not have been easy, but little by little they bonded into a united flock as they listened to Him, and followed their Shepherd every day, witnessing miracles too numerous to count. Their vision was transforming them to embrace their future, and those who distrusted each other became friends and those who were hesitant were drawn in. In this Bible-based fictional account we watch as these men walk with Jesus and see the miraculous every day? Yet there were also various obstacles to pierce and prod them, and their tempers flared and their hearts repented as they journeyed through the process of becoming united into one heart and one mind for the Kingdom of Heaven. Gradually, His Word of Life became the very core of their character, and their dedication, commitment and fiery love for the Kingdom became a powerful force leaving behind them an eternal bold blaze of glory to shine for all eternity! (Not including Judas Iscariot.) Perhaps the transformation of the Twelve was His greatest miracle of all.