Showing results by narrator "Michael Toms" in All Categories

The search for Dayna takes the Liberator to Solace, a former galactic tourist trap fallen on hard times. When he loses a second member of his crew, Avon is forced to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances. As Orac and Del Grant track a radical new movement that is campaigning for the purity of Solace, a deadly trap begins to tighten. The future is Fortuitas. The future is now.

When Frank Morgan sets up camp in a lush valley in Montana, the last thing he expects to see is fires lighting up the night sky as fields, farms, and homes are torched by gunslicks hired by two powerful ranchers. For the ranchers, the battle lines have been drawn in the form of newly settled farmland that's cutting through the ranges, separating cattle from grazing land and water. But the settlers are breaking no law and no one is going to prevent them from building their homes and becoming a real town.

This discussion with a remarkable Benedictine monk who founded an ashram in South India is a beautiful, stirring exploration of human spirituality. In a rare synthesis of Christian, Hindu, and modern scientific thought, the late Father Bede discusses the infusing of gross matter and daily life with spirit, the finding of God "in the divine darkness beyond word and thought," technology and simple living, Black Madonnas, mysticism, and monastic life.

Hidden in the mountains, the indigenous peoples of Mexico have kept alive the spiritual path of the ancient Toltecs, one of the most powerful Mesoamerican spiritual traditions alive today. Tracing their lineage to a time before the Aztec, the Toltecs recognize Earth as a living being, share a profound communion with their land, and demonstrate unusual powers of perception.

Topics explored in this dialogue include: why the life and work of Rumi is relevant in today's world, what is Rumi's connection to the Divine, comparisons of Rumi and other great religious leaders, why Rumi is skeptical about language, where do you find Rumi's passion in today's world, what Rumi might be doing if he were alive today, and what is the connection between Rumi's revelations and the Sufi tradition.

Farmer, ecologist, and writer Berry provides some rich and fertile ground for recreating life and culture. He speaks of enduring values, the wholeness of life and the interdependence of all creatures, especially humankind. Berry's self-discipline, ethical sense and human compassion come through as he leads us from the microcosm of his Kentucky hill farm to the macrocosm of a sane and reasoned planetary vision based on personal integrity, faithfulness, and love.

How does a body of poetry written in a remote part of the world find its way to best seller lists in the U.S. over 700 years later? What is the compelling quality inherent in great literature that resonates throughout the ages? Coleman Barks, poet and translator of Jelalludin Rumi's poetry, explores the genius, mystery and rapture of Rumi's work; why he has become the most-read poet in America, and what his poetry has in common with the immortal writings of Dickinson, Emerson and Thoreau.

Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics.

The oldest human quest serves as the central focus for this wonderful exploration into how truth is revealed. Learning to listen to the inner voice, living in relationship, suffering and liberation, finding providential help along the way and much more are covered by Needleman as he speaks to the depth and breadth of the spiritual search. He emphasizes the power of the oral tradition and the need to be open and receptive to truth when it appears.

The search for Dayna has led the crew of the Liberator halfway across the galaxy, but now Avon knows why she left them. He knows where she went. He knows what she was looking for. But can he find his missing crewmate before it is too late? The answers lie on a planet called Appallon Five - but so does danger and betrayal.

Angeles Arrien has gathered wisdom from a variety of indigenous cultures around the world, distilling it into four paths to effective action - "showing up, paying attention, telling the truth and being unattached to the outcome." These are the archetypal paths of the warrior, healer, visionary and teacher, and the opportunity to embody these archetypes arises in every situation in our lives.

The life of Huston Smith reads like an adventure novel. One of the foremost religious scholars in the world today, Smith has lived in a missionary household in China, monasteries in Japan, and a sweat lodge in North America. Smith has engaged many of the contemporary wisdom giants, including Thomas Merton and the Dalai Lama, and believes in the eternal mystery of life, cautioning against our "tendency to reduce the Divine to where it is easily manageable by our finite mind."

"As a man is, so he sees." These words of mystical poet and artist William Blake are just as relevant now as they were when they were written in 1802 - perhaps more so. Throughout his life, Blake undertook a voyage beyond rationality and materialism to an interior, visionary realm where "all things appear as they are - infinite." Yet all human beings, he believed, are capable of opening their eyes to a fuller experience of life.

One of the oldest tools for revealing the territory of the unconscious, the Tarot has been used for centuries to tap deep levels of self-knowledge. Here, Arrien, a native Basque and anthropologist, speaks of universal archetypes in the Tarot, and how these archetypes can be used for self-understanding. The power of symbols and how they impact our life so much of the time is also covered by Arrien in this expressive dialogue.

In addition to his own credentials as a writer, poet, teacher and mystic, Andrew Harvey became a dedicated friend and follower of the late Father Bede Griffiths, a scholarly, saintly Benedictine monk who founded and lived for decades in a Hindu-Christian ashram in South India. This unusual dialogue eloquently communicates the blessings of this extraordinary man.

The awesome potential of the human brain can only be tapped by providing the best possible learning environment at the earliest possible age. Scientific research has shown that television damages the full neural development of children's brains, crippling their capacity for symbol and metaphor. Pearce envisions a society in which our brains and spirits can develop to their highest potential.

In this interview, Dr. Rick Hanson explains that you have enormous power, not only to change your frame of mind, but to physically alter your body, and even the structure of your brain by taking charge of your thoughts. He explains that although your brain is pre-programmed to focus on negative information, you can manage depression or improve your self-confidence in just a few minutes a day.

Based on John Ball's novel which inspired the Oscar-winning film and the Emmy-winning television series, In the Heat of the Night pits a visiting black detective from California against a small Alabama town simmering with anger over desegregation. A fitting reflection of America in the 1960s, this Off-Broadway hit is provocative, timely, and uncomfortably relevant.

Capra relates his personal journey of meeting and interacting with some of the leading contemporary thinkers and visionaries. What emerges is a wisdom-packed dialogue about new ways of thinking and being. From Krishnamurti's spiritual insight to Gregory Bateson's intellectual prowess, Capra weaves an intricate and informative web of influences on his own pioneering work of bridging science and spirit. For anyone interested in the future, this is a conversation not to be missed.

In this interview, Dan Millman explores such questions as: Why am I here? What am I meant to do? What is my purpose? Dan has found through his research that there are four purposes and 12 required courses in the school of life that each of us are taking. He talks about the difference between career and calling, and how small acts of service lead to genuine fulfillment. Dan also explains why what you do has more impact than what you think or feel, and describes a mysterious but accurate method of pinpointing hidden gifts and drives.