The Roots of Fundamentalism: Huston Smith & Phil Cousineau in Conversation - DVD

THE ROOTS OF FUNDAMENTALISM DVD: The occasion for the interview was a Phil Cousineau (writer and host of LinkTV’s Global Spirit) article, Why Fundamentalism Matters, for Parabola Magazine. The interview begins with Christian Fundamentalism, a topic Smith came to, in his own words, “loaded for bear,” having just written the book The Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great Tradition. However, the topic develops into fundamentalism as it manifests itself in religion in general. Smith’s seminal NET series The Religions of Man, which formed the basis for the book of the same name (now The World’s Religions), blazed the trail for the now commonplace spirit of pluralism. With increasing strength, he comfortably navigates the currents of comparative religion. For the last fifteen years Phil Cousineau has collaborated with Smith on a series of documentary films, books, and lectures. Cousineau is presently working with Smith on his memoirs. (More)

MUSIC OF TIBET CD: HUSTON SMITH’s historic 1967 recording, MUSIC OF TIBET, The Gyuto Multiphonic Choir CD The first recording of its kind. The style of chanting heard on this recording was introduced into Tibet from India (where the art had long been lost) by Marpa in the eleventh century. In 1474, Gyuto was founded (along with Gyume) as one of the two Tibetan monasteries that were dedicated to using this mode of chanting for the ritualistic transmission of the most ancient, sacred, and esoteric teachings of the Buddha. The extraordinary vocal abilities this chanting requires first came to the West’s attention in 1968 through Huston Smith’s The Music of Tibet (Anthology Records), and it is from the masters for that disc that this CD was recorded. (More)

Huston Smith met Aldous Huxley very early in his career. Huxley served as a mentor for Smith, who is still very fond of the generous, charismatic, and gentle man he’s often described. In the mid-1950s, Aldous Huxley delivered these two lectures at the Hollywood Vedanta Temple. The lectures, as well as the Q&A session which followed Who Are We, were recorded and preserved by the Vedanta Archives and are offered as separate CD recordings (in conjunction with Vedanta Press) with the Q&A session divided between the two. Who Are We? cover drawing of Aldous Huxley courtesy of Don Bachardy.

A Zen Life - D.T. Suzuki DVD

A ZEN LIFE is a 77-minute documentary by Michael Goldberg about Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1870-1966), credited with introducing Zen Buddhism to the West. He was also instrumental in introducing Huston Smith to Zen. The DVD contains an additional 10-minutes from a hitherto unknown interview of Daisetz Suzuki by Huston Smith. There is also a printed "Supplementary Text" inserted in the case, with quotes from Dr. Suzuki’s talks in English never before published. (More)

Elda Hartley invites you to travel the globe and view through her camera lens the endlessly varied and vibrant pastiche of religious rituals practiced throughout the world. During the 1970s and 80s, this award-winning filmmaker created documentaries on a number of the world’s great religions that will open your eyes to the extraordinary differences and the striking similarities among individuals of different faiths.

• Requiem for a Faith Prof. Huston Smith on Tibetan Buddhism
• Buddhism: Path to Enlightenment The Buddha's spiritual journey
• Islamic Mysticism: The Sufi Way Prof. Huston Smith's insights into a gentle, mystical branch of Islam
• Christian Mysticism and the Monastic Life Serene life behind the walls of monasteries and cathedrals in Europe and the US
• Stairways to the Mayan Gods Joseph Campbell on Mayan ceremonial centers
• Taoism From the ancient origins of Tao philosophy to modern day practice
• The Perennial Philosophy Universal foundations of the world’s great religions

Aldous Huxley -  A Biography 

DANA SAWYER is currently working on the authorized biography of Huston Smith. Sawyer’s last book, a biography of Aldous Huxley, is one of the few Huxley biographies that take Huxley’s spiritual quest seriously. We find the book an indispensible contribution to the full appreciation of Huxley and his legacy.

Interpreting Ramakrishna is a substantial and conscientious work of scholarly and religious reflection, the best resource we have for understanding Sri Ramakrishna today. Instigated by recent debates about Ramakrishna’s identity and significance, the book fruitfully invites us to step back and take a much longer perspective, noticing a century’s worth of Ramakrishna scholarship by devotees, monastic writers, and academic scholars. But the book also looks forward to how we — with all our varied interests and perspectives — can most fruitfully reflect on Ramakrishna in the 21st century. We can only thank Swami Tyagananda and Pravrajika Vrajaprana for showing us how to remember, think clearly, and write constructively about Ramakrishna, with an honesty that is critical, unpresuming, and in fact deeply spiritual.

—Francis X. Clooney, S.J.
Parkman Professor of Divinity, Harvard Divinity School

  Related Titles from GemsTone : The Roots of Fundamentalism: Huston Smith & Phil Cousineau in Conversation DVD, Music of Tibet The Gyuto Multiphonic Choir CD, Aldous Huxley: Knowledge & Understanding CD, Aldous Huxley: Who Are We? CD, A Zen Life - D.T. Suzuki DVD, Books Signed by the Author: Jeffery Paine: Re-enchantment, Jeffery Paine: Father India, Dana Sawyer: Aldous Huxley -  A Biography, Interpreting Ramakrishna