There are incompletable tasks. Tasks which are either impossible to accomplish or impossible to comprehend. Such tasks allow one neither the illusion nor the distraction nor the escape of what is styled "success." On the contrary, the unperceived glory of perpetual failure is their sole promise. Far from whetting the appetite for worldly enterprise, tasks of this sort exercise a stunning and bewildering effect on the will, plunging it into a perplexity which borders on vertigo. Did it puff...

"Through the alchemical magic of his marvelous prose, Spranger somehow manages to transform the inferno of human suffering into a luminous paradise of pure literary delight." — Edward Deville"Like some sort of hybrid of La Rochefoucauld and Frankenstein, Christopher Spranger has dusted off that venerable relic of literary taxonomy, the epigram, and reanimated it for the twenty-first century. The precocious Spranger has been compared to Cioran not only for his gravity, profundity, s...

In Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success James Allen shows us where to begin if we are to find Happiness and Success. This simple guide will help you find the correct mind-set to begin to change your life for the better. This little book has inspired millions. "It is wise to know what comes first, and what to do first. To begin anything in the middle or at the end is to make a muddle of it." -James Allen

The timeless spiritual classic on overcoming anxiety, embracing uncertainty and learning to live in the present, from the acclaimed philosopher and author of The Way of Zen.‘The perfect guide for a course correction in life’ Deepak Chopra, bestselling author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success‘What we have forgotten is that thoughts and words are conventions, and that it is fatal to take conventions too seriously’

Many years ago, long before the present prosaic era, there lived in Yedo a young man named Toshika. His family belonged to the aristocratic rank of the hatamoto samurai, those knights who possessed the right to march to battle directly under the Shogun's flag (hata), and his father was a high official in the Tokugawa Shogunate. Toshika, whose disposition was of a dreamy and indolent nature with scholarly tastes, had no occupation. He took life easily, and when his studies were finished, he...

At eighty-two, Florida Scott-Maxwell felt impelled to write about her strong reactions to being old, and to the time in which we live. Until almost the end this document was not intended for anyone to see, but the author finally decided that she wanted her thoughts and feelings to reach others. Mrs. Scott-Maxwell writes: “I was astonished to find how intensely one lives in one’s eighties. The last years seemed a culmination and by concentrating on them one became more truly oneself. Though...

Precepts on the spiritual life from ancient Sanskrit sources.

The letters in Letters to a Young Poet provide a window into Rilke's thoughts on art, love, solitude, and the human condition. In his first letter, Rilke encourages Kappus to focus on developing his own voice as a poet, rather than seeking approval or validation from others. He urges Kappus to embrace his inner life and solitude as essential components of creativity, advising him to turn inward and trust his instincts.Throughout the correspondence, Rilke reflects on the struggles of the ar...

The cycle of 55 sonnets that comprise Rainer Maria Rilke's "Sonnets to Orpheus" were written in a period of three weeks during 1922, a time which the poet himself described as a "savage creative storm." Inspired by the death of his daughter's friend, Wera Knoop, Rilke commenced to the production of "Sonnets to Orpheus," a work filled with mythological and biblical allusions. During the same burst of creative energy he set to working on the completion of the "Duino Elegies," a work begun so...

The sun gives forth to us heat and light rays, without which this old world could never be. Glory to warmth and light, which are power and wisdom shed upon us. But there is likewise a third kind of ray shed by old Sol, whose mission we may not so readily bless. The sun’s actinic rays are death-dealing. They cause disintegration, decomposition.

Poetry is a fascinating use of language. With almost a million words at its command it is not surprising that these Isles have produced some of the most beautiful, moving and descriptive verse through the centuries. In this series we look at individual poets who have shaped and influenced their craft and cement their place in our heritage. In this volume we venture to the East. To met a poet who speaks a common language of love and mysticism which continues to convey valuable insights into ...

Untroubled Mind, The by Herbert J. Hall, M.D_ offers a concentrated, compelling experience within fiction / literary. This concise work presents carefully drawn characters and purposeful plotting that together explore themes of choice, consequence, and human connection. The prose is precise and economical, balancing vivid scenes with clear pacing to maintain narrative momentum. Ideal for readers seeking a thoughtful, accessible read, the book is well-suited to book clubs and classroom disc...