I can only read it on the net yet, the bookshop has to order it for me,
Rumi I mean.
But I found this one and quite like it

The Desert by Rumi

They say the wheat cannot grow
In the desert or amidst snow
Will the clouds bring their rain?
Will the snow melt once again?
In the meantime will wheat survive?
Will this grain become alive?

I seem to be that lone grain
In my desert silent remain
Endure the draught and sandy pain
Till the clouds wash me again.
They say clouds will only rain
When they decide. We wish in vain.

No matter how brilliant a mind
A soul that’s wise, a heart that’s kind
When lost in this endless space
Walking the desert pace after pace
When of grace there’s no trace
It is futile for us to chase
The spirit we try to embrace;
God in God’s time reveals God’s face.

Invisible - thanks very much for the precursor, can't wait.
Bl8ant and davinci, I started a cut and past of books I need to read.
There have also been other suggestions in these talks, so I added them
too.

THANX all of you for the suggestions.

I really think times have changed. This used to be one of those great
topics for discussion. Especially fun in new groups of people, and yea,
ok, somtimes our thinking was assisted by outside substances. For years
the number 1 book EVERYONE

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever is a trilogy of
fantasy novels by Stephen R. Donaldson. It was followed by The Second
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, also a trilogy, and The Last Chronicles
of Thomas Covenant, a planned quartet.

The main character is Thomas Covenant, a cynical writer afflicted with
leprosy, shunned and despised by society, who is destined to become the
heroic saviour of an alternate world - or, perhaps, only of his own
sanity. Throughout six novels published between 1977 and 1983, Covenant
struggles against the evil Lord Foul - "The Despiser" - who intends to
break the physical universe to escape its bondage and wreak revenge upon
his arch-enemy "The Creator".

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever
Lord Foul's Bane – (1977)
The Illearth War – (1978)
The Power that Preserves – (1979)

I really loved reading these books. You may, too.

In the Thomas Covenant stories, Donaldson takes several terms from
Sanskrit that are significant in Hinduism and Buddhism and reassigns
them meanings in the Land. For example, the term moksha, which in
Sanskrit refers to liberation from the cycle of sorrow, is given as an
alternative name to Fleshharrower, a fearsome creature known as a raver.
Another raver, Satansfist, is called samadhi, which in Sanskrit refers
to a state of mind in which one achieves oneness with the object of
one's concentration. A third raver, Kinslaughterer, is called turiya,
Sanskrit for a state of pure consciousness. Donaldson does this
application of Sanskrit terms to seemingly unrelated aspects of the Land
to other terms, including: dukkha, dharmakshetra, and yajna.

RainbowTrout,

That series is one of my all time favorites.

I enjoy LOTR, there, as in my watches in nature, one can see, that even
the smallest member of the community has his place and makes ripples in
the pond. The loyalty of Samwise Gamgee is amazing.

invisible,

I agree. That's why my picture is a frog. Size for size, frogs are
some of the most fierce creatures. They are also my favorite animal and
make great pets.

Did you notice that it was Sam's loyalty, which almost killed them both
and damned Gollam to die a terrible death? Loyalty must be tempered
with mercy and love, but Sam had nothing but hate for Gollam.

Spider, once I started reading it I couldn't put them down.

I read the second series.

The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
The Wounded Land – (1980)
The One Tree – (1982)
White Gold Wielder – (1983)

I haven't got to read the last Chronicles, yet.

The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
The Runes of the Earth – (2004)
Fatal Revenant – (Planned release date October 9, 2007 in the U.S.,
October 18 in the U.K. [3])
Against All Things Ending – (expected late 2011)
The Last Dark

WHAT! There are more past the second chronicles? I'm going to have to
get them, thanks for the heads up.

These are just book suggestions, I figure everyone can guess what books
I would take to a desert island.

The Talisman / Black House are great books, the Talisman is better than
Black House though. Both are written by Steven King and Peter Straub.
I guess they took turns writting chapters.

Any Dune book by Frank Herbert. Don't read the ones by his son, unless
you are angry at yourself.

Wheel of Time series.

Just about anything by Clive Barker is good.

Incarnations of Immortality by Peirs Anthony. Death, War, Time, Mother
Nature, Fate are all jobs and each book is the story of a normal person
who has to become an immortal and do their assigned job.

Oh, forgot one.

The Dark Tower series by Steven King. If you are going to read it,
there is a reading list of his other books that you should read. "It",
"Salem's Lot", "The Talisman", "Dark House", "The Stand", "Eyes of the
Dragon" are all I can think of off the top of my head. This series is
the culmination of his life's work. Many of his most loved books are
revisted through this series. The first book in the series is boring,
but everything thereafter is excellent.

HEY - I LOST MY POST! I'll try again.

For years this was one of those great topics that could warm a cold
group of new friends. It was also a great 'round the campfire' or
chillin in the basement or around the table as we passed around more
than the words.

The number one choice EVERYONE always picked was the Bible (except for
me, of course). A couple years ago I tried using the topic again, and
then here. Rarely is the Bible ever given. Just my own findings from a
small sampling of folks, and what it means I could only guess. So I
will guess, I think that these past 30 years, or so, have begun to show
a new conciousness. Perhaps it has been the huge strides in mass
communication, but I like the new thought processes and for the first
time, I see that I have gotten way behind on my reading.

I think some of the biggest questions, one considers, when determing
what 3 books one might want to bring to a developing world, would be:

1. Is there anything so worthy of saving that it should be taken.
2. Is there anything that could be useful, without, affecting the path
that of innocense with which this new world might fourish.
3. What would be the most worthy with regards to securing an undying
commitment to protect the earth and assure the people in it, a future of
peach and contentment.

I used to change my choies, many times over. Today, I simply feel
unworthy to even attempt this daunting task.

I think now, more in terms of what would offer the greatest insight for
maintaining a culture based on respect and harmony, care and concern,
not only of the poeple, but of every living thing, including the planet.
For any government this society ends up adopting and for every law these
new poeple may end up making should always put these ideals first and
formost.

Redykeulous,

Sorry, I wasn't trying to hijack your thread.

Here are my books:
1. Bible
2. Strong's Concordance
3. Some sort of survival guide

I suppose something about natural gardening wouldn't go astray.
Most people in a City have sure forgotten how to build a simple
compost heap

Only three books??

Permaculture by Robin Clayfield

Hard Times Handbook by Keith and Irene Smith

Backyard Self-Suficiency by Jackie French



Stephen King was one of my passions as an author in my late 20's...oh
my, all his earlier works.

The Thomas Covenant Chronicles: trilogy 1 and 2, were also woven in
there, 10 years or so ago.

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, 28 years ago were a passion.

Isaac Asimov with Hammerfall, was an eye opener, as was Positronic
Man...(not sure if Asimov was the author), can't remember.

Shakespeare as a child..I was reading his works at 10..Taming of the
Shrew, Midsummer's night Dream, Othello..

Books are wonderful worlds to wander into.

The Four Agreements...for the guide to healthy thinking.

The Talisman...for the importance of friendship and determination

Fahrenheit 451...to show the importance of diversity