The challenges we face can be difficult even to think about. Climate change, war, political polarization, economic upheaval, and the dying back of nature together create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions. This revised, tenth anniversary edition of Active Hope shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face these crises so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. This process equips us with tools to face the mess we're in and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.

Inspiration, practices, and meditations to empower us in the face of planetary suffering: True wisdom for tough times. --John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America

Deepening global crises surround us, causing many to fall prey to denial and despair. Coming Back to Life shows how grief, anger, and fear are healthy responses to the harsh realities of our time, and that when honored through the revolutionary practice of the Work That Reconnects, they can free us from paralysis and move us toward creative action.

This new, completely updated edition of the classic text illuminates the extraordinary Work that has inspired hundreds of thousands to make strides towards the creation of a life-sustaining human culture. Buddhist scholar and environmental activist Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown introduce the Work's theoretical foundations, revealing the angst of our era with remarkable insight. Pointing the way forward out of apathy, they offer personal counsel as well as easy-to-use methods for group process that profoundly affect people's outlook and ability to act in the world.

If you want to connect with your joy even in the midst of sadness, if you want to see new life arise out of despair, Coming Back to Life has my highest possible recommendation. --John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America and co-founder and president, The Food Revolution Network

A must for all who want to mobilize humanity in service of all beings. These concepts, exercises, and meditations have proven to work across generations, religions, ethnicities and races. --Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, Director of Social Justice Organizing, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

Joanna Macy unveils an ancient set of roots for our work to transform the future.--adrienne maree brown, author of Emergent Strategy

An enduring classic of the ecology movement by the founder of the Work That Reconnects, now more timely than ever

Humanity is in an existential crisis. Facing the magnitude of our global situation as individuals leaves us feeling alone, disempowered, and despairing. Who better to listen to for wisdom and solace than Joanna Macy, one of the originators of modern environmentalism, whose life's work has been to hear and heal our pain for the planet?

World as Lover, World as Self draws on a lifetime of wisdom to offer a re-focus on the natural world, where readers can find the strength and spiritual nourishment to envision a new future for humanity built on a sustainable relationship with the earth. Rooted in the Buddha's teachings of paticca samuppada or interdependent co-arising, Macy's reflections are especially relevant for activists who want to address the underlying mindsets of fear, greed, and selfishness that give rise to overconsumption and the ultimate destruction of our world. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, this definitive edition of World as Lover, World as Self will give a new generation of readers the tools and understanding with which to meet today's challenges and crises.

In this absorbing memoir, well-known eco-philosopher, Buddhist scholar, and deep ecology activist/teacher Joanna Macy recounts her adventures of mind and spirit in the key social movements of our era. From involvement with the CIA and the Cold War, through experiences in Africa, India and Tibet, to her encounter with the Dalai Lama and Buddhism which led to her life-long embrace of the religion and a deep commitment to the peace and environmental movements, Macy's autobiography reads like a novel as she reflects on how her marriage and family life enriched her service to the world. Widening Circles reveals the unique synthesis of spirituality and activism that define Macy's contribution to the world.

This book brings important new dimensions to the interface between contemporary Western science and ancient Eastern wisdom. Here for the first time the concepts and insights of general systems theory are presented in tandem with those of the Buddha. Remarkable convergences appear between core Buddhist teachings and the systems view of reality, arising in our century from biology and extending into the social and cognitive sciences. Giving a cogent introduction to both bodies of thought, and a fresh interpretation of the Buddha's core teaching of dependent co-arising, this book shows how their common perspective on causality can inform our lives. The interdependence of all beings provides the context for clarifying both the role of meditative practice and guidelines for effective action on behalf of the common good.

Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry offers a rare combination of insight, beauty, and accessibility that has delighted readers for generations. Beloved for its unique lyrical style and musical language, his work stands as some of the most remarkable poetry of the past one hundred years.

In Praise of Mortality is an artfully curated selection of poems from Sonnets to Orpheus and Duino Elegies that investigate the emotional and psychological impact of the industrial revolution, and meditate on themes of impermanence and the steady passage of time. Barrows, an award-winning poet herself, and Macy, a well-known spiritual teacher, bring to their translations a striking sensitivity to the subtle currents of the work, approaching the poems with a fresh perspective that highlights the delicacy of their craft and beauty.

With a deep reverence for nature and a singular ability to embody the tenuous connection between the spiritual and material, Rilke's sonnets and elegies are a thoughtful antidote to the distractions, noise, and ever-increasing pace of the modern world.

Eco-philosopher and best-selling author Joanna Macy, Ph.D., shares five stories from her more than thirty years of studying and practicing Buddhism and deep ecology. Gathered on her travels to India, Russia, Australia, and Tibet, these stories give testament to Joanna Macy's belief that either humankind awakens to a new and deeper understanding of our interconnectedness with our planet and all its myriad forms of life or risks loosing it. To bring about such a transformation of consciousness each and every one of us counts. Five Stories that Can Change the World tells of encounters with individuals who share very personal stories of sudden awakening, unexpected awareness, and the co-mingling of joy and pain. Each story is imbued with the specific cultural flavor of the places where the stories originate, but all share that each individual counts in the global need for change and awakening.

Pas It On provides an introduction to Joanna Macy's work of deep ecology and the great turning and the deep interconnected nature of all beings.Introduction by Norbert Gahbler.

El concepto del Gran Giro es descrito como la aventura esencial de nuestros tiempos hacia la creaci n de sociedades que sustentan y celebran la vida. La antolog a constituye un esfuerzo de llevar la obra de Joanna Macy y colaboradores al mundo hispanohablante al explorar el valor y relevancia del Gran Giro en el contexto del Hemisferio Sur, tanto geogr fico como metaf rico, y en especifico de Latinoam rica. La presentaci n de un marco te rico que abreva de una perspectiva ecol gico-integral con injerencia en distintas reas del quehacer humano asienta las bases para los doce ensayos que conforman la segunda mitad del libro. Los ensayos, con distintos nfasis y provenientes de m ltiples latitudes geogr ficas, se encuentran organizados en base a las tres dimensiones del Gran Giro: acciones de contenci n, transformando las bases de nuestra vida y cambio de cosmovisi n. El resultante coro de voces representa la posibilidad de un mundo mejor que florece desde Latinoam rica en servicio del tan necesitado giro de conciencia, creatividad y acci n en nombre de la comunidad de la Tierra. La antolog a en su totalidad se propone como un vistazo hacia el di logo (y consecuente integraci n) entre el Norte y el Sur, basado en el enriquecimiento y huarachizaci n del Gran Giro. En celebraci n a la promesa de este libro, me inclino ante Adri n Villase or Galarza por su visi n y cuidado al llevarlo a cabo. Como activista, profesor, sanador y acad mico pertenece al Gran Giro y vive su vida a su servicio...Que las palabras y testimonios que Adri n ha reunido aqu lleguen m s lejos a n, fluyendo en c rculos expansivos. -- Joanna Macy