Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.
"Wisdom Nectar: Dudjom Rinpoche's Heart Advice"
translated by Ron Garry
Dudjom Rinpoche was one of the seminal figures in Tibetan Buddhism in the twentieth century, yet very few of this great Nyingma master's religious writings have so far been translated. This volume contains a generous selection of his inspiring teachings and writings, the core of which is a lengthy discussion of the entire path of Dzogchen, including key instructions on view, meditation, and conduct, along with direct advice on how to bring one's experiences onto the path.
“Pronoia is the Antidote for Paranoia"
with Rob Brezsny
How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings
Human beings are selfish, small-minded, violence-prone savages, civilization is a blight on the earth, and the rising tide of chaos ensures that everything's going to fall apart any day now. Right? Wrong, says Rob Brezsny. In Pronoia Is the Antidote to Paranoia, he declares evil is boring, the universe is friendly, and life is a sublime gift created for our amusement and illumination. This buoyant perspective is not rooted in denial. On the contrary, Brezsny builds a case for a "cagey optimism" that does not require a repression of difficulty, but rather, seeks a vigorous engagement with it. The best way to attract the blessings that the world is conspiring to give us, he insists, is to dive into the most challenging mysteries. This witty, inspiring how-to shows how any reader can become "a wildly disciplined, fiercely tender . . . lustfully compassionate Master of Rowdy Bliss."
"Don't Be Nice, Be Real - A Handbook to Nonviolent Communication"
with Kelly Bryson
Don't Be Nice, Be Real is a lively, light approach to a deadly serious subject - our lives. It is a mix of humor, radical wisdom, and new culture spirituality. It is about Compassion without Compromise. The book teaches the mechanics and expresses the spirit of Nonviolent Compassionate Communication (NVC) to cure "Nice-itis," a hereditary disease. So many nice people feel powerless and victimized by the people and circumstances of their lives. This book is all about showing the incredibly creative, powerful possibilities for people to learn to negotiate their needs with strength and compassion.
"Buddha's Way: A Guided Tour"
with Gary Gach
Buddhism in seven words or less? Gary Gach presents the diamond essence: what all Buddhists have in common, amongst the four major schools in the West (Insight, Zen, Pure Land, Tibetan). "Minds-on" experiential examples, plus a few fine instances of contemporary poetry will make this an energizing evening for newcomers as well as practitioners of any path. (One Dharma.) Gary Gach practices in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Author of the best-selling Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism (now in a second edition), he is also editor of What Book!? : Buddha Poems from Beat to Hiphop.
"Dr. Sprinkle's Spectacular Sex"
Make Over Your Love Life
With Annie Sprinkle, and her special guest, Elizabeth Stephens
Dr. Annie Sprinkle, the sex worker turned sexologist, will present
her hot and smart new book.
For the second half of her presentation,
Annie will be joined by her collaborator and lover, artist and UCSC
professor Elizabeth Stephens, to present a show and tell about their
latest project, the Love Art Laboratory. They have commited to
exploring love as art for seven years. (See www.loveartlab.org for more
details.)
"The Biology of Belief"
with Bruce Lipton
A groundbreaking work in the field of New Biology. Author Dr. Bruce Lipton is a former medical school professor (University of Wisconsin) and research scientist (Stanford University School of Medicine).His experiments, examining in great detail the molecular mechanisms by which cells process information, have revealed that genes do not in fact control our behavior, instead, genes are turned on and off by influences outside the cell. These influences include our perceptions and beliefs. He shows that our beliefs, true or false, positive or negative, affect genetic activity and actually alter our genetic code. Dr. Lipton's profoundly hopeful work, being hailed as one of the major breakthroughs in the New Sciences, shows how we can retrain our consciousness to create healthy beliefs, and by doing so create a profoundly positive effect on our bodies and our lives.