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The military religious orders emerged during the Crusades as Christendom`s storm troopers in the savage conflict with Islam. Some of them still exist today, devoted to charitable works. "The Monks of War" is the first general history of these orders to have appeared since the eighteenth century. The Templars, the Hospitallers (later Knights of Malta), the Teutonic Knights, and the Knights of the Spanish and Portuguese orders were `noblemen vowed to poverty, chastity and obedience, living a monastic life in convents which were at the same time barracks, waging war on the enemies of the Cross`. The first properly disciplined Western troops since Roman times, they played a major role in the `Baltic Crusades` which created Prussia, in the long reconquest of Spain from the Moors, in fighting the Infidel` right up to Napoleonic times. This celebrated book tells the whole enthralling story, recreating such epics as the sieges of Rhodes and Malta and the destruction of the Templars by the Inquisition. Acclaimed on publication, it has now been revised and updated, with a concluding chapter to take events into the 1990s.

The true story of how five monks saved the oldest Zen Buddhist monastery in the United States from wildfire. When a massive wildfire surrounded Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, five monks risked their lives to save it. A gripping narrative as well as a portrait of the Zen path and the ways of wildfire, Fire Monks reveals what it means to meet a crisis with full presence of mind. Zen master and author of the classic Zen Mind, Beginner`s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi established a monastery at Tassajara Hot Springs in 1967, drawn to the location`s beauty, peace, and seclusion. Deep in the wilderness east of Big Sur, the center is connected to the outside world by a single unpaved road. The remoteness that makes it an oasis also makes it particularly vulnerable when disaster strikes. If fire entered the canyon, there would be no escape. More than two thousand wildfires, all started by a single lightning storm, blazed across the state of California in June 2008. With resources stretched thin, firefighters advised residents at Tassajara to evacuate early. Most did. A small crew stayed behind, preparing to protect the monastery when the fire arrived. But nothing could have prepared them for what came next. A treacherous shift in weather conditions prompted a final order to evacuate everyone, including all firefighters. As they caravanned up the road, five senior monks made the risky decision to turn back. Relying on their Zen training, they were able to remain in the moment and do the seemingly impossible-to greet the fire not as an enemy to defeat, but as a friend to guide. Fire Monks pivots on the kind of moment some seek and some run from, when life and death hang in simultaneous view. Novices in fire but experts in readiness, the Tassajara monks summoned both intuition and wisdom to face crisis with startling clarity. The result is a profound lesson in the art of living.

This chic Abilene Seamist decorative pillow is a modern touch to any sofa or bed. This throw pillow showcases a multicolor houndstooth design and a soft, American-made down-like fiber fill. Set includes: One pillowColor options: Beige/brown/blueRemovable coverCover closure: Hidden zipper closureEdging: Knife edgePillow shape: Rectangle Dimensions: 12.5 inches wide x 19 inches longCover: Linen/rayonFill: Down-like fiberLooks and feels like real feather and down with the benefit of being hypoallergenic Care instructions: Machine washableThe digital images we display have the most accurate color possible. However, due to differences in computer monitors, we cannot be responsible for variations in color between the actual product and your screen.

Track Listing:Blac Monk IntroAggravated MonkeysZillion Ways To DieDeath Before DishonorSecrets Of The Hidden TempleRumble In The JungleBuddah NatureGetos In The MindDoin' It Jungle StyleWho Will Bell The CatMonks In The JungleStraight MadnessOutro1995

Travel in style with this fashionable Abilene Vintage rolling carry-on from Nicole Lee. This attractive upright features a gorgeous leopard print with stud embellishment and double reinforced interior hinges for durability. Materials: Faux leatherColor: Leopard printDimensions: 18.8 inches long x 13.8 inches wide x 7 inches highInterior dimensions: 18 inches high x 13 inches wideRetractable handle 20 inches highFrame height 21 inches including wheelsStud embellishmentsSignature nameplate in antique goldAntique gold flip lock closureDouble reinforced interior hingesWheeledSturdy single handles for vertical and horizontal carryingCare instructions: Wipe clean with damp cloth

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