Sponsored by the Fetzer Institute and the Nathan Cummings Foundation -- the visionary donors who funded Bill Moyers's acclaimed Pbs-TV series Healing and the Mind -- this superbly practical resource gathers the wisdom of the greatest spiritual teachers and experts from the major religious traditions in America today. Those contributing their expertise include Jon Kabat-Zinn, Dean Ornish, David Steindl-Rast, Ram Dass, Joseph Bruchac, Joan Halifax, Robert Thurman, Edward Espe Brown, Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man, and Sharon Salzberg. Focusing on the essentials of human life that range from daily activities (such as waking, eating, and working) to major life transitions (birth, marriage, and death), Gifts of the Spirit offers an illuminating and authoritative tour through a variety of religious customs that will inspire readers toward their unique spiritual paths.