The words “in the hope of nibbana” are often found printed on invitations to anniversaries or festival meals, sent by the Burmese to their friends. Early in the morning, monks are fed, followed by other invited friends who arrive for a good social meal together. All of this is done, as the invitation reassures, “in the hope of nibbana”. Thus does the ordinary Buddhist, himself far from nibbana, honor those who are striving, humbly hoping that his modest charitable efforts will somehow by the process of kammic multiplication add up to a nibbanic sum in the end. Such words characterize the Buddhist ethical endeavor.In the Hope of Nibbana offers a glimpse into the process of a "religion" and a culture struggling to align ethical values with the realities of the modern world. Buddhism is deeply woven into the fabric of life in Burma, now called Myanmar, and the country's insular history has made it an ideal place to experience Buddhism's influence on a culture and people.

Offering a feminist analysis of foundational Buddhist texts, along with a Buddhist approach to social issues in a globalized world, Hsiao-Lan Hu revitalizes Buddhist social ethics for contemporary times. Hu's feminist exegesis references the Nikāya-s from the "Discourse Basket" of the Pāli Canon. These texts, among the earliest in the Buddhist canon, are considered to contain the sayings of the Buddha and his disciples and are recognized by all Buddhist schools. At the heart of the ethics that emerges is the Buddhist notion of interdependent co-arising, which addresses the sexism, classism, and frequent overemphasis on individual liberation, as opposed to communal well-being, for which Buddhism has been criticized. Hu notes the Buddha's challenge to social hierarchies during his life and compares the notion of "non-Self" to the poststructuralist feminist rejection of the autonomous subject, maintaining that neither dissolves moral responsibility or agency. Notions of kamma, nibbāna, and dukkha (suffering) are discussed within the communal context offered by insights from interdependent co-arising and the Noble Eightfold Path. This work uniquely bridges the worlds of Buddhism, feminism, social ethics, and activism and will be of interest to scholars, students, and readers in all of these areas.

The dream of owning your own business is as entrenched in American culture as our joy in rooting for the underdog. We love David and Goliath stories because we get to vicariously sling our own rocks at "The Man." We especially enjoy sink or swim battles where our hero is in unfamiliar waters - and in way over his head.Nirvana in a Cup: The Founding of Oregon Chai is all that - and more. It's the true-life story of a mother-daughter entrepreneurial team who built a business in completely unfamiliar terrain - and sold it less than a decade later for $75 million dollars.Heather, the college-aged daughter discovered - and fell in love with - an ancient, spicy, milky tea called "chai" while hiking high in the Himalayas. She and her mother, Tedde, then brewed up a classic kitchen table start-up and brought this new drink that no one had ever heard of, much less could pronounce, to the American market - and beyond.Their journey was littered with speed bumps, u-turns and collisions. Tedde watches with pride as her little girl grows into a CEO before her eyes. Together they negotiate partnerships, secure financing (both private and SBA), conceive of clever branding and innovative packaging strategies and deal with production nightmares and manufacturing mishaps every step of the way.This book, an authentic case study of small business growth pains, gives a rare and unapologetically accurate, fly-on-the-wall glimpse into the trials and tribulations of never having enough cash or energy to keep up with the insanely precarious growth rate of 430%. Not to mention, the perks and drawbacks of running a family - and friend - owned business.Nirvana in a Cup is a story that everyone can enjoy. It's a heart-warming business memoir filled to the brim with life lessons learned along the way, taking an idea to market - and executing it. Brilliantly.This is the textbook for the Ultimate American Dream.

Samantha Dalton is CEO of Dalton Enterprises, her father's business. She was taught all the wonderful morals, values and traditions of the catholic faith. Unfortunately, things may happen in life that make you wonder what path is the right choice for you. Samantha was brought up with a great family but they were friends with the mob. She loved them as if they were family and knew no differently. Samantha's life takes some unnerving twists and turns as she rides through life on a roller coaster ride. She is constantly contemplating her faith and what she must do to save her family from the ultimate in destruction. Later on in the book her two sons are at odds. One belongs to the mob and the other belongs to the regular "Joe" on the street. She watches them as life goes on hoping they will remember growing-up together and stay true blue. Come take this journey and see where it takes Sam with every flip of the page you'll fall more in love with this character. A must-read for all "Novel Lovers" out there:)

Other people would be happy to be a prince, but he would also suffer to be a prince. Fortunately, he had unintentionally become the leader of the Sun Moon Sect, and in order to survive in this chaotic world, he had to fight against the heavens and the earth, and he had to fight with his life on the line in order to survive in this chaotic world. At the same time, this book will research the kung fu of Jin Yong Wuxia martial arts, the history of the matter, to the peak. As the first protagonist, should the Great Qing ask the master of the Central Plains according to the original history, or raise a flag to save the emperor, allowing the Sun Moon Sect to experience the phoenix's rebirth, and the Great Ming Dynasty to be reborn from the fire? The novel merges history with reality, combining history with martial arts, painting a magnificent picture of history. Close]

In Quest of Nirvana is a vivid portrayal of the struggle for survival in the author's newly adopted country, the USA, after having been forced to flee from his native Hungary at the end of World War II. He encounters a political haven, a free Democracy, a society where few restrictions exist, but help is available only to those who help themselves. His total loss of a lifestyle that had been comparable to "Utopia" is the reason for a difficult re-start at the lowest economic levels; a fight against all odds, facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Impoverished and degraded from the highest levels of the social elite, the author nevertheless builds upon a basis of moral strength, courage, perseverance and a lasting incentive to achieve consistently improving conditions. His goals are set high; the means by which to reach them are extremely varied, and demand an unrelenting personal drive to overcome a constant series of serious challenges. A life-story that can only be described as fascinating. It consists of a succession of events, arrestingly told, with emphasis on the many quirks of fate rather than on the individual. A vivid presentation of a human life-span made even more realistic by numerous visual examples of important moments of the past fifty years. This autobiography tells a true story, all the more compelling, because eventhough every detail is real, it unfolds in the style of a novel. The reader can't help but be carried along with the ups and downs of a fate rich in unusual experiences and humorous anecdotes. To share in this review of a half-century is rewarding to those who value a summary of significant technological developments as well as taking part in a very special saga of personal evolvement. The author's childhood in Hungary and years of hardship as a refugee in Austria had been described in the predecessor of this work entitled: VISIONS OF UTOPIA. (Laszlo Szechenyi, 1991. www.universal-publishers.com)

Religion is not any ideology. Religion does not believe in any ideals. Religion is to become aware of the impossibility of idealism – of all idealism. Religion is to live here and now, and idealism goes on conditioning your mind to live somewhere else. And only the now exists. There is no other way to live. The only way is to be here. You cannot be there. The tomorrow is non-existent, it never comes, and idealism believes in the tomorrow. It sacrifices the today at the altar of the tomorrow. It goes on saying to you, ’Do something – improve yourself. Do something – change yourself. Do something – become perfect.’ It appeals to the ego. Idealism belongs to the world of the ego. It appeals to the ego that you can be more perfect than you are; in fact you should be more perfect than you are. But each moment is perfect, and it cannot be more perfect than it is.

Rahul Sharma—who was born in India but moved with his family to the United States when he was only a year old—has always tried to walk the straight and narrow. But when he crosses paths with unruly Tom Spencer, his life is turned upside down. The two form an unlikely friendship that follows them through high school, college, and into their careers. While Rahul strives to succeed in everything he does, Tom falls into drugs, alcohol, and a devastating gambling addiction. As Rahul builds a life for himself with his new wife, Julie, Tom stumbles into a massive gambling debt with crime lords and international terrorists operating out of Las Vegas. Tom’s dealings rope the unwitting Rahul into the fray, and soon the two find themselves involved in a deadly car chase. Following the crash that ends the chase, Rahul wakes, confused about why everyone seems to want to call him Tom. Slowly, he pieces together he has been reincarnated into Tom’s body. He is now faced with the difficult task of convincing everyone in his life he is in fact Rahul. Most resistant of all is his wife, Julie. As much as she loved her husband, her deep hatred of Tom won’t allow her to care for the man now wearing his face. Even worse, Rahul’s second chance at life comes with more lethal side effects—because even Tom’s many enemies believe he is Tom.