Books on Spirituality

[spidey]

Dear Friends,
When I chanced upon this site , I came in touch with some people with fabulous knowledge , people who are open minded and truly spiritual. Through there writings , I came to know about some very good books which have given me a lot of mental peace.
My purpose of starting this thread is to learn more about such books , share my own knowledge so that everyone including me is benefited.

So far I have read the following books -

1) Yogis , Destiny and the wheel of time - though this is a book on astrology , I would term this as a book on spirituality. One should read this book to really understand the greatness of the yogis and saints that K.N Rao has interacted in his life. One would also come to know about the greatness of the author himself. A very practical view on spirituality , mixed with doses of astrology

2) Aghora - the left hand side of God - My favorite book in this whole world. A few pages into it and you would be hooked into the hypnotic and surreal world of Vimalananda and Robert Svodoba. I can say this with ease that this is the finest book I have ever read. But I should also give a warning here. This book is not meant for anyone. One has to be very open minded to read and appreciate this. A lot of people can get grossed out because it talks about tantra and some esostric practises . Most importantly , this book talks about the greatness of Maa. I have suggested this book to a few people, a handful loved it. Most of them disliked it because they were too engrossed in the means than the end.

3) Aghora II - Kundalini - Another fabulous book , though I must say that this focuses mostly on the technical aspects of worship.

4) Aghora III - The law of Karma - This book is a treatise on the law of karma. The working of the law of karma has been explained through the usage of various examples involving Vimalanda's horses . At times a bit too technical , but a treasure house of information on the law of Karma.

5) Autobiography of a Yogi - This is another of my favorite books . The language used in this book is one of the finest I have ever read in any english book. You would get to read about Sri Yukteshwar , guru of Paramhansa yogananda and about some great souls like Lahiri mahasaya , Babaji , and paramhansa yogananda himself. A wonderful beginners book for any spiritual aspirant.

6) The gospel of Sri Ramkrishna - this book is the english translation of the book 'Ramakrishna Kathamrit' in bengali. A very famous book and perhaps needs no introduction.

7) Many lives . many masters - Dr. Brian Weiss - this is a famous book which deals with past life regression. Though it is not strictly a book on spirituality , it does indeed give you a different viewpoint in understanding the world outside of our own.

Waiting for some more contributions from your side friends...and feel free to disagree with me

Thanks and regards,
Spidey

[kandhan]

The Aghora series(I, II & III) is avaialble in electronic format in scribd for those who are interested. Very very engrossing books.

[Narayan]

Respected Anupamji:

"As far as Aghora is concerned it is like a live encyclopedia of hidden spiritual knowledge. The reason is whatever I faced that was so enigmatic and weird which ultimately took me to my wits end. Finally this book and 95% of the puzzles of mine were solved. I am waiting for the rest 5% that except God nobody can unfold"

I would like to know "Aghora is a live encyclopedia of hidden knowledge"? You mean by reading Aghora, one will get enlightenment and samadhi?

Yes, I mean by reading any of these books will get one enlightenment or samadhi is my question? Just because each being here is only and only for that purpose, nothing else. Yes, these books may show the way, may quote the experience of the great souls, and these may serve as theorotical purpose of knowledge, but can they give enlightenment or real experience?

I am not in any way starting a debate here, but my way of belief is pure experience rather than theortical part because at the subtlest level, I believe experience is what matters. Books can always show us the path like Gurus, but what about experience? Anybody can write whatever they want, but at the end, it is the experience again which is going to matter just because nothing is going to come with you...only you have come alone and you have to leave alone, nobody else and beyond that time, you have to find yourself, I mean again the experience. Can these books give real experience?

If i am wrong Anupamji, I am always learning and ready to learn and suggestions and opinions are always welcome. Anupamji, it prompted me to write or ask you when u said "Aghora the book-live encyclopedia of the reality." I just wanted to know more about that from your holiness.

Meanwhile, almighty may soon help you out in finishing the rest of 5% so that your holiness can help every being around you.

Thanks and regards


Narayanan

[Narayan]

Thanks a lot Anupamji for explaining. I just wrote just because I am not interested in any theorotical part because I know this is this by god's grace, but right now I am seeking for that divine grace to dawn upon me and embrace me once and forever. As you said, it might be individualistic as to my soul's liking.

But since you have said, I will also try to find out the same here and go through it.

Once again thanks a lot,


Narayanan

[P.Srinivas. Rao]

[

quote="spidey"]Dear Friends,
When I chanced upon this site , I came in touch with some people with fabulous knowledge , people who are open minded and truly spiritual. Through there writings , I came to know about some very good books which have given me a lot of mental peace.
My purpose of starting this thread is to learn more about such books , share my own knowledge so that everyone including me is benefited.

So far I have read the following books -

1) Yogis , Destiny and the wheel of time -

2) Aghora - the left hand side of God - 3) Aghora II - Kundalini - Another fabulous book , though I must say that this focuses mostly on the technical aspects of worship.

4) Aghora III - The law of Karma - .

5) Autobiography of a Yogi -

6) The gospel of Sri Ramkrishna - .

7) Many lives . many masters - Dr

. Brian Weiss -


Thanks u a lot. Like this kindly say few more books which are worth reading. I dont mind any subject, but it should be worth, like few books u mentioned above. Once again thanks


With Regards

[Basab]

Hi,

I think you guys forgot to talk about the main books, the epics I mean. 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata'! I read 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata' by Krishna Dharma, and I have to say this that till date 'Mahabharata' by Krishna Dharma is the finest book I have ever read. 'Sai Sat Charitra' is also a good book. 'Mystical Stories from the Bhagvatam' by Amal Bhakta is also a fine book, which has 26 stories from the 'Srimad Bhagvatam'. Then, there is this book called 'Mystery of Death' by Swami Abhedananda, which is a fine book again. Then again there is another book 'Swami Vivekananda on Himself', which I loved reading. 'Many Mansions: The Edgar Cayce Story on Reincarnation' by Ginna Cerminara is also a good book.

[spidey]

Basabji,

I think you guys forgot to talk about the main books, the epics I mean. 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata'!

totally agree...I have read the abridged version of Mahabharata and feel that it is one of the best ever books written.

Then, there is this book called 'Mystery of Death' by Swami Abhedananda, which is a fine book again.

Are you talking about the book 'Moroner Pore' in bengali , translated into english ? Or is this another book ?

Many thanks for sharing the other books

Cheers,
Spidey

[Basab]

Hey Spidey,

Are you Bengali? I am asking this because you know the Bengali name of the book 'Mystery of Death'--yeah, it indeed is "Maroner Pare" in Bengali.

[spidey]

Hi Basabji ,
Yes I am

Cheers,
Spidey

[Basab]

Me too.

Hi Basabji ,
Yes I am

Cheers,
Spidey

[Dev]

Dear Spidey:

You have given a list of books. Please tell me if they would be available at Higginbothoms or suggest other centres.
Thanks,

Dev

[spidey]

Dear Dev ji,
I believe you are based in Chennai , am I right ?
If you have access to a store called Landmark , you can get all the Aghora books over there.
(You being a vrischik lagna would perhaps appreciate the first part )

Autobiography of a yogi is available freely (and legally) online.
Here is the link - http://www.anandaindia.org/inspiration/books/ay/
Another one - http://www.crystalclarity.com/yogananda/

Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is also available freely (as per what I remember)
Many Lives many masters is a very famous book and is available in any book store.

Please let me know if you cannot access the bookstores I mentioned above. There are other stores available.

Hope this helps

Thanks and regards,
Spidey

[Basab]

Dev,

The books on Aghora is available on flipkart.com with good discount, no shipping charges and cash-on-delivery system too. I buy most of the books from there. Here's the link for all 3 of them:

http://www.flipkart.com/aghora-robert-s ... 8171673422
http://www.flipkart.com/aghora-ii-rober ... 8171673430
http://www.flipkart.com/aghora-iii-robe ... 0914732374

The link for Ramarkishna book: http://www.belurmath.org/gospel/

[Dev]

Thanks Spidey for your instant answer. Yes, I will try locating the shop. I already have that yogi book. Your suggestion of the series of books is very interesting one and I think everyone should read and benefit from them.

You will never get knocked down .

Dev

[digitsoftime]

Dear Spidey,

The Gospel of Ramakrishna (2 Vols) alone is a gem and nice that you have mentioned it. It alone is capable of standing as a huge shelter of spiritual mansion. Swami Nikhilananda's translation is amazing!
Anupamji's suggestion conversation with God is a very nice book too.
Apart from the ones mentioned above, I would like to mention a few more.
1.) Yoga, Enlightenment and perfection- Of Shri Abhinav Vidhyatheertha of Sringeri Mutt. This was one of the most amazing books I have ever read. It is a compilation of dialogues with the Jagadguru of Sringeri Mutt where he describes how he became a saint, awakening of his kundalini etc.. It would be great if you get hold of it. Also "Shri Ramakrishna-The great Master" by Swami Saradananda is a very good biography. I think its called Shri Shri Ramakrishna Lilaprasanga(2 Vols) in Bengali.
2.) Letters to a spiritual seeker and Walden - Henry David Thoreau.
3.) Essays- Ralph Waldo Emerson
4.) The power of Now - Ekhart Tolle
5.) Meditation, Ecstasy and Illumination - Swami Ashokananda.. this is a very good overview of Vedanta.
6.) Yoga Vashishta
7.) Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
8.) Seven years in tibet - Heinrich Harrer
9.) Letters for spiritual seekers - Swami Shivananda.
10.) Dhammapada
11.) A search in Secret India - Paul Brunton
12.) The Quest of the Overself - Paul Brunton
13.) Hidden Teaching Beyond Yoga - Paul Brunton
14.) Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (8 Vols.)
15.) Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature - William James (This is a classic)
16.) Buddha - Karen Armstrong
17.) Self Restraint and Self Indulgence - M.K.Gandhi (Good study of Brahmacharya)
18.) Hinduism: Its Meaning for the Liberation of the Spirit - Swami Nikhilananda (This is a wonderful overview of Hinduism, It should be available in the Ramakrishna Mutt)

These are some of the books I found very inspiring and helpful. The more one traverses on the path of spirituality, the more one comes to appreciate the books. Reading in itself would not take us farther than fertile imagination and an intellectual gratification.
Also as the mind expands in dimension by experience, realization or logic, one comes to appreciate ideas and accommodate things that went unnoticed before.
On a non spiritual side, you could try (if you already haven't), Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky and Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham. These are results of ultimate experiences by the authors and it has helped me appreciate life in a different level.
Thank you

very sincerely,
Sunny

[spidey]

Thanks Spidey for your instant answer. Yes, I will try locating the shop. I already have that yogi book. Your suggestion of the series of books is very interesting one and I think everyone should read and benefit from them.

You will never get knocked down .

Thank you Dev ji

Dear Sunnyji ,
Thanks for sharing the list. Exactly what I was looking for. You are much ahead of me in the learning curve , and it helps to have some help from people like you.
I have read Eckart Tolle's - The power of Now. It's an excellent book. I have tried to incorporate a few things he mentioned. I have been successful in a very limited way , because I was not that evolved as a person.

On a non spiritual side, you could try (if you already haven't), Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky and Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham. These are results of ultimate experiences by the authors and it has helped me appreciate life in a different level.

Good that you mentioned that. My dad suggests me those books often. I will read them one day for sure.

Thanks once again ,
Cheers,
Spidey

[Basab]

"The Gospel of Ramkrishna" is the best book on spirituality! It indeed is a gem! I have the abridged version of it. It pulls me to it like a magnet. I have read it twice and feel like reading it again and again. I would like to share one experience with you guys, which will tell you how powerful an impact the book can have on you. Before telling about my experience, let me tell you that I am not a spiritual person, nor am I a devotee of God. I love God, but I am most of the time indifferent about Him. Now here it goes:

In the book there is a point where it's said that the doctor who used to treat Sri Ramakrishna for his throat cancer had come to check him, and then, one of Sri Ramakrishna's disciple had started singing a song of God, and then, everyone had got so ecstatic by it that they had started dancing in the room, taking the name of God, with Sri Ramakrishna also joining them in the dance. (It was called God-intoxication.) The doctor, who was a practical person had looked at the scene in wonder. Later on he had said that even he was tempted to get up and dance with Sri Ramakrishna and his disciples, but then, had restrained his emotion, with great difficulty. Let me tell you now that while reading that portion in the book, even I had also had to check my emotion because while reading that portion, I even felt like getting up and dancing, taking the name of God. I felt like joining Sri Ramakrishna and his disciples and dance and chant the name of God. In those few moments I felt like leaving everything in this world and just to dance, chanting the name of God and think about nothing else but God—God—only God!! That was what I felt, and even when I read the book the second time, I felt that same emotion while reading that portion.

[digitsoftime]

Dear Sunnyji

Dear Spidey,

You could very well skip the ji.

I would highly recommend books 7.) and 8.). The reason being, it is not easy to understand (atleast for me) to realize and appreciate the status of a spiritually evolved person. This needs a certain level of evolution in ourselves. It would be more easy to see the growth of person from gross and cruder nature into one of maturity rather than a Mahapurusha or Nitya Siddha like Shri Ramakrishna or Chaitanya.
7 and 8 are good examples of such a maturity.

I may have missed out many interesting books. I shall update the list in the same post as and when I remember them.

I will read them one day for sure.

Please do. And write how you like it.

Thanks
very sincerely,
Sunny

[digitsoftime]

But, I am extremely surprised that a person as great as Ramakrishna had to suffer from a disease like cancer.

Dear Rajitha ji,

Whoever born on this Earth has to experience the laws of Nature like birth, disease, fear, sorrow and ultimately death. Nobody is an exception to this rule. Not even an incarnation!
Rama wept when Sita was away, Krishna was shot by a hunter, Vasishta was such a great Rishi and yet he could not bear the grief of the death of his sons, Ramakrishna suffered from throat cancer, Vivekananda suffered from diabetes..
The laws of life has to be accepted at some point.. That's the way the cookie crumbles!

regards,
S

[Narayan]

Dear Rajithaji and Sunnyji:

"Rama wept when Sita was away, Krishna was shot by a hunter, Vasishta was such a great Rishi and yet he could not bear the grief of the death of his sons, Ramakrishna suffered from throat cancer, Vivekananda suffered from diabetes..
The laws of life has to be accepted at some point.. That's the way the cookie crumbles!"

But the difference is their identity were self-centered and not body.

"Whoever born on this Earth has to experience the laws of Nature like birth, disease, fear, sorrow and ultimately death. Nobody is an exception to this rule. Not even an incarnation!"

We somehow have to keep on repeating that it is the body which is born and it is the body which is going to die and keep on repeating saying I am not body, I am not mind, I am not false-ego, I am not chitta vritti, I am not this brain or buddhi, but beyond all this who is a sakshi to all the states. When this true Jnana dawns, then as per my manasik Guru Nochur Venkataraman, even the prarbadha karma can even be conquered by knowing I am not any of these things.

In Hastamalaka Gita, Hastamalaka breaks his silence to Sri Shankara Bhagwadpada through this unexceptional and truest sloka:

"Naham Manushyo Na Ha Deva Yakshavu, Na Brahmana Kashtriya Vaishya Shudra
Na Brahmachari Na Grihi Na Vansathova
Bikshuhu Na Cha Aham Nijah Bodha Swarupaha"

I am not human, I am not a Deva, I am not Yaksha, I am not Brahmachari, I am not Kasthriya, vaishya, or shudra
I am not Brahmachari, I am not a householder or a forest dweller
Neither I am a monk, but I am that real self whose nature is pure awareness"

Hence we have to keep on asking that question as to who am I? who am i? who am I, which inturn will find some day to all questions and the questioner.

Regards

Narayanan

[digitsoftime]

Dear Spidey,

I have updated the list of books with a few more interesting ones that I recently read or still reading.
I thought you might be interested.

best regards,
Sunny

[spidey]

Thank you Sunny and Anupamji...

[digitsoftime]

1 The Unconscious Mind by Carl Jung.

Dear Anupam ji,
Yes, Paul Brunton's books are trunks of wisdom and a delight to read.
Thanks for mentioning Carl Jung. I have read most of Jung's works.
But do you mean the book Psychology of the unconcious by Carl Jung?
Three more books of Jung that I wish to mention is Man and His Symbols, The Undiscovered Self and his autobiography Memories,Dreams and Reflections. His autobiography esp. is a really scintillating book and very engrossing. The whole book is like a journal of spiritual experiences. He also wrote a book called The psychology of Kundalini Yoga (I haven't read this).
Would like to more of your opinion. Thanks

regards,
Sunny

[Basab]

But the people who are afraid of fat books better neglect them but still I would say they are more than worthy to read if really someone wants to understand 'Geeta'.

Anupamji,

Very nicely put. I am the victim of this fear: the fear of fat books. But you know, I don't know about others, but I found Gita boring, as in, it is too theoretical.

[digitsoftime]

I am not sure about the exact title. In my mind it is 'The unconscious mind' but this above quoted title also has the same meaning so it is possible that it is right and I have forgotten something. I also liked Yogananda's ' God talks with Arjuna'. It is in two parts but surely one of the best book I have ever read upon 'Geeta'. For this title I am more than sure since both the parts are still in my shelf . But the people who are afraid of fat books better neglect them but still I would say they are more than worthy to read if really someone wants to understand 'Geeta'.

Dear Anupam ji,

I just asked about the name of the book because there is another book as well by the name you mentioned.
Thanks for mentioning this book 'God talks with Arjuna'. I always wanted to buy it. When I had no money, the book was everywhere. When I have money, I don't find it easily
Can you say a few words about the book. Its always interesting to read a review of someone who has read it in depth. How is it different from other Bhashyas of Gita?

sincerely,
Sunny