Press Release

Wisdom from World Religions Pathways toward Heaven on Earth John Marks Templeton For Immediate Release Contact: Sharon Kelly Tel. (484) 531-8380 Email: publicity@templetonpress.org Friday, February 01, 2002

There are times when we ask: Who am I? Why am I here? How can I cope with all this? Where is my place in the world? How can I be productive and happy?

John Marks Templeton, who will celebrate his 90th birthday this year, has devoted the greater part of his life to studying "laws of life," universal spiritual principles that can answer these questions and lead us to fuller, happier lives. In his new book, Wisdom from World Religions (Templeton Foundation Press, $14.95), he adapts his bestselling Laws of Life to speak directly to young people. In doing so, he offers another look at the truths that guide us at every age, making this volume equally valuable to adults, families, study groups, business, schools, and colleges.

A Law of Life:
Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. - TheDhammapada 1:1

There is a definite difference between acquiring knowledge and information and possessing wisdom, Sir John points out in his Introduction. The 200 laws of life he presents here include some we may know but seldom give thought to, such as:

Laughter is the best medicine.- Norman Cousins

Once a word is spoken, it cannot be recalled. - Wentworth Roscommon

Readings and teachings are from Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Persian, Native American, Sikhism, Taoism, Zen, and Zoroastrianism, along with modern-day and ancient parables, disciplines, and quotations. Some offer reminders, thereby giving us direction:

We are not punished for our anger; we are punished by our anger. - The Bhagavad Gita

To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have. - Ken Keyes

Each law of life is discussed in an essay, and alongside the essays are wisdom quotes pertaining to the topic.

Laws of life also include:
A soul without a high aim is like a ship without a rudder. - Thomas Carlyle

Minds are like parachutes-they only function when they are open. - Dick Sutphen

To discover new oceans you need the courage to lose sight of the shore. - Anonymous

The way to mend the world is to create the right world. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The laws of life in Wisdom from World Religions are organized for academic study and are arranged into the forty weeks of a typical school year. At the end of each week there are highlights from the material in the essays, guideline exercises for "Living with Various Spiritual Laws," and space to note personal ideas and examples for working with the laws.

By working with the laws of life, John Marks Templeton notes, "it becomes easier for us to look beyond the appearances of a situation to the heart of another person." Understanding, working with, and incorporating the laws of life into our everyday helps us-whatever our age-grow in wisdom by bringing body, mind, and spirit into a harmonious alignment.

Your dreams can come true when you activate them. - John Marks Templeton

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