In Tibetan, the word for Buddhist means insidersomeone who looks not to the world but to themselves for peace and happiness. The basic premise of Buddhism is that all suffering, however real it may seem, is the product of our own minds.Rebecca Novick's concise history of Buddhism and her explanations of the Four Noble Truths, Wheel of Life, Karma, the path of the Bodhisattva, and the four schools help us understand Tibetan Buddhism as a religion or philosophy, and more important, as a way of experiencing the world."

Although kabbalah began as an esoteric practice of a small group of educated men, today this ancient mystical tradition is adapting to contemporary sensibilities, including respect for the environment, gender equality, and conscious connection to other spiritual traditions. Access to this wisdom does not depend on one leader or require you to join a cult. Kabbalah, which literally means -that which is received- refers not only to the mystical maps of reality handed down by tradition, but to the awareness each person -receives- along their own journey.Kabbalah has always aimed at healing,...