Empowerment As Ceremony

Author : William Epstein
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 124 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2017-07-28
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781351296663

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Empowerment as Ceremony by William Epstein Pdf

Many people in the United States are poor, lead marginal lives, and need jobs as well as basic services such as education, medical care, and housing. Multitudes in other parts of the world, in addition to being poor, are jailed, tortured, and killed for being members of the wrong ethnic group or expressing political opinions. Those who argue for empowerment claim it is a magic bullet. It can liberate the oppressed, largely through self-organization, self-motivation, self-invention, and even self-clarity. William M. Epstein sees contemporary empowerment practice in the United States as a civic church of national values, one better in performing its ceremonial role than god-based houses of worship. By itself, empowerment is not worth the effort of commentary, since it achieves none of its goals and has not even generated a respectable critical literature. But Epstein argues that empowerment practice and American social welfare both embody prescriptive cultural preferences. Like art and music, empowerment opens windows into deeper social meaning. The social sciences have carved out roles for themselves by looking for simple remedies, ones that are inexpensive and compatible with contemporary social arrangements. Epstein shows that those in social work practices have not only deluded themselves into thinking that these services have real instrumental value, but really operate at cross-purposes. This accessible work will attract critical attention among these professional groups. It bases its carefully-documented insights upon informed sociological and anthropological theory.

Author : William M. Epstein
Publisher : Transaction Publishers
Page : 125 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2013-09-06
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781412851039

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Empowerment as Ceremony by William M. Epstein Pdf

Many people in the United States are poor, lead marginal lives, and need jobs as well as basic services such as education, medical care, and housing. Multitudes in other parts of the world, in addition to being poor, are jailed, tortured, and killed for being members of the wrong ethnic group or expressing political opinions. Those who argue for empowerment claim it is a magic bullet. It can liberate the oppressed, largely through self-organization, self-motivation, self-invention, and even self-clarity. William M. Epstein sees contemporary empowerment practice in the United States as a civic church of national values, one better in performing its ceremonial role than god-based houses of worship. By itself, empowerment is not worth the effort of commentary, since it achieves none of its goals and has not even generated a respectable critical literature. But Epstein argues that empowerment practice and American social welfare both embody prescriptive cultural preferences. Like art and music, empowerment opens windows into deeper social meaning. The social sciences have carved out roles for themselves by looking for simple remedies, ones that are inexpensive and compatible with contemporary social arrangements. Epstein shows that those in social work practices have not only deluded themselves into thinking that these services have real instrumental value, but really operate at cross-purposes. This accessible work will attract critical attention among these professional groups. It bases its carefully-documented insights upon informed sociological and anthropological theory.

Author : Etsuko Kato
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 241 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2004-07-31
Category : History
ISBN : 9781134372379

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The Tea Ceremony and Women's Empowerment in Modern Japan by Etsuko Kato Pdf

By combining anthropological observation with historical examination of the tea ceremony, this book radically revises mainstream discourses surrounding women and the tea ceremony in Japan.

Author : Sna-tshogs-raṅ-grol (Rtse-le Rgod-tshaṅ-pa),Tsele Natsok Rangdrol
Publisher : Rangjung Yeshe Publications
Page : 132 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2004-05-24
Category : Mahāmudrā (Tantric rite)
ISBN : 9627341150

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Empowerment and the Path of Liberation by Sna-tshogs-raṅ-grol (Rtse-le Rgod-tshaṅ-pa),Tsele Natsok Rangdrol Pdf

Replies to queries from a disciple on the teaching of Mahāmudrā and its initiations; an explanation instruction according to the Rñiṅ-ma-pa tradition.

Author : Bruce Newman
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Page : 305 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2022-04-19
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781559395038

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A Beginner's Guide to Tibetan Buddhism by Bruce Newman Pdf

Uncover the nature of the mind with this ground-level, practice-oriented presentation of Tibetan Buddhism. A personal and accessible guide to establishing progress on the path. The book begins with the awakening of students' interest in spirituality and the initial encounter with Tibetan Buddhism, then leads us through all the steps necessary for successful practice in the West. Included is succinct counsel on finding an appropriate teacher, receiving empowerments, becoming active in a center, and launching and sustaining a Vajrayana practice. Special emphasis is placed on the potential pitfalls, and the marvelous benefits, of the guru-disciple relationship.

Author : Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Page : 496 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2010-03-16
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781559397902

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A Complete Guide to the Buddhist Path by Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Pdf

Buddhist teachings provide numerous methods for bringing greater meaning and happiness into our lives and into our relationships with others. In A Complete Guide to the Buddhist Path, Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche reveals these methods in direct, vibrant, down-to-earth language. At the core of this work lies The Jewel Treasury of Advice, a text composed by Drikung Bhande Dharmaradza (1704–1754), the reincarnation of Drikung Dharmakirti. Khenchen Rinpoche interprets these ancient teachings with compassion, humor, and a keen awareness for their relevance in contemporary Western life. Those who sincerely want to study and practice the Buddha's teachings will find this an indispensable guide.

Author : Richard J. Kohn
Publisher : SUNY Press
Page : 404 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2001-06-14
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0791448916

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Lord of the Dance by Richard J. Kohn Pdf

A first-hand description of the Mani Rimdu festival of Tibet and Nepal, an event which encapsulates the Himalayan Buddhist experience.

Author : Dudjom
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 1346 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2012-07-23
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780861717347

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The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism by Dudjom Pdf

Written by a great modern Nyingma master, Dudjom Rinpoche's The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism covers in detail and depth both the fundamental teachings and the history of Tibetan Buddhism's oldest school. This, the first English translation of His Holiness' masterwork, constitutes the most complete work of its type in the West. An absolute treasure for students of the tradition, it is also an indispensable reference for anyone with an interest in Buddhism. The book includes chronologies and glossaries that elucidate Buddhist doctrine, and it provides fascinating insights into the Buddhist history of Tibet. Two treatises form the present volume, namely the Fundamentals of the Nyingma School and the History of the Nyingma School. Among the most widely read of all His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche's works, these treatises were composed during the years immediately following his arrival in India as a refugee. His intention in writing them was to preserve the precise structure of the Nyingma philosophical view within its own historical and cultural context. This is the first time this text has been available in a trade edition. Beautifully presented, this single-volume edition represents a truly wonderful gift, and features illustrations in black and white and in color, plus maps, bibliographic information, and useful annotations.

Author : Carol A. Markstrom
Publisher : U of Nebraska Press
Page : 455 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2008-01-01
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780803216211

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Empowerment of North American Indian Girls by Carol A. Markstrom Pdf

Empowerment of North American Indian Girls is an examination of coming-of-age-ceremonies for American Indian girls past and present, featuring an in-depth look at Native ideas about human development and puberty. Many North American Indian cultures regard the transition from childhood to adulthood as a pivotal and potentially vulnerable phase of life and have accordingly devised coming-of-age rituals to affirm traditional values and community support for its members. Such rituals are a positive and enabling social force in many modern Native communities whose younger generations are wrestling with substance abuse, mental health problems, suicide, and school dropout. Developmental psychologist Carol A. Markstrom reviews indigenous, historical, and anthropological literatures and conveys the results of her fieldwork to provide descriptive accounts of North American Indian coming-of-age rituals. She gives special attention to the female puberty rituals in four communities: Apache, Navajo, Lakota, and Ojibwa. Of particular interest is the distinctive Apache Sunrise Dance, which is described and analyzed in detail. Also included are American Indian feminist interpretations of menstruation and menstrual taboos, the feminine in cosmology, and the significance of puberty customs and rites for the development of young women.

Author : Mauro Peressini
Publisher : University of Ottawa Press
Page : 466 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2016-04-07
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780776623337

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Choosing Buddhism by Mauro Peressini Pdf

This book explores the experience of Canadians who chose to convert to Buddhism and to embrace its teachings and practices in their daily lives. It presents the life stories of eight Canadians who first encountered Buddhism between the late 1960s and the 1980s, and are now ordained or lay Buddhist teachers. In recent census records, over 300,000 Canadians identified their religious affiliation as Buddhist. The great majority are of Asian origin and were born into Buddhist families or were Buddhist at the time of their arrival in Canada. Since the late 1960s, however, the number of Canadians converting to Buddhism has doubled every decade, and this demographic now includes more than 20,000 individuals. The eight Canadians whose life stories are featured in this book are among the very first to have chosen Buddhism. Their first-hand accounts shed light on why and how people convert to a religion from such distant shores. This book also offers contextual material (photos and texts) that complements the eight life stories. This material is meant to help readers enrich their understanding of the life stories by offering them the information they need to better grasp the meaning of the Buddhist notions mentioned, and the broader historical and spiritual contexts of the biographical accounts. While this book will be of interest to specialists because of the first-hand accounts, it is primarily aimed at a wider audience interested in Buddhism, religions or spirituality in general. It will also be of use to teachers whose courses touch upon any of these subjects. By combining life stories and contextual material, and placing an emphasis on the concrete experiences of Canadians with whom readers can identify, this book is an introduction to Buddhism and to what it means to lead a Buddhist life in contemporary Canada.

Author : Dr. Pema Dorjee
Publisher : Watkins Media Limited
Page : 144 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2012-01-01
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9781780284651

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Heal Your Spirit, Heal Yourself by Dr. Pema Dorjee Pdf

A unique collaboration between a Tibetan doctor and two Westerners, introducing Tibetan medicine to a Western audience. With a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Author : Etsuko Kato
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Electronic books
ISBN : OCLC:1090029873

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The Tea Ceremony and Women's Empowerment in Modern Japan by Etsuko Kato Pdf

Author : Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche
Publisher : KTD Publications
Page : 456 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0974109215

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Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche Pdf

The five volume set, Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma, includes the text as taught by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) from 1999 to 2003, with translations by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso and Chojor Radha. Volume two examines the complete path of Mahamudra from initial experience to full realization. There is emphasis on how to conduct a proper retreat, including the use of geomancy in determining the appropriate site, the longevity practices of White Tara and Tseringma, chA practice, and how to use compassion as protection from fear and danger. This volume introduces the tantras, and gives anuttara yoga tantra instructions for Vairochana purification practices both for oneself and for the deceased.

Author : Chökyi Nyima,Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche
Publisher : Rangjung Yeshe Publications
Page : 196 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 1991
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9627341118

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The Bardo Guidebook by Chökyi Nyima,Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche Pdf

Existence is an endless cycle of experience called the four bardos. These four periods include our present life, the process of dying, the after-death experience, and the quest for a new rebirth. Drawing from his intimate knowledge of the innermost Vajrayana teachings, the Tibetan master Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche presents in The Bardo Guidebook straightforward, direct instructions on how to deal with the four bardos.

Author : Edward A. Arnold
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Page : 498 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2009-08-16
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781559393300

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As Long as Space Endures by Edward A. Arnold Pdf

The Kalacakra Tantra (Kalacakra means "wheel of time") is a tradition of Buddhist theory and practice whose root text treats a fantastic expanse of knowledge ranging from observations of the cosmos to investigations of meditative states and vital bodily energies. In the Tibetan-speaking world, a public Kalacakra initiation remains the most sought-after event in the life of a devout Buddhist. The Fourteenth Dalai Lama has long had a strong connection with the Kalacakra Tantra; he brought the initiation to the West in 1981, performing it in the United States, Switzerland, Spain, and Australia. This volume has been created to celebrate his long involvement with the Kalacakra teachings. The twenty-five contributors, scholars who have made tantric studies their specialty, have contributed translations of works by great Indian and Tibetan Kalacakra masters, analyses of historical figures, methods of practice, essays on medicine ritual expertise, and ethical discipline. The collection also includes practical advice for Western students and practitioners from contemporary Tibetan Kalacakra masters.