While I have read a great number of books, the following are some of my favourites.
PATHWAYS THROUGH TO SPACE.
By Franklin Merrell-Wolff. Julian Press. ISBN 0-517-52777-4. A personal record of transformation of consciousness that happened in 1936. The value of this book lies in the fact, that it is not a translation or interpretation from another culture or language, nor is it from distant centuries past. It was written by an American, in english, in our time, by a well educated and needless to say spiritual man. A day to day account leading up to his 'awakening' and a daily narrative of the days and months following. The most informative book I have ever read on the subject.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF CONSCIOUSNESS WITHOUT AN OBJECT.By the same author, a few years later. Also Julian Press.
THE ACT OF WILL.By Roberto Assagioli, M.D. An Esalen book. (Penguin.)ISBN 0-1400.3866-3. Deals with will-power, all it's facets, and how it relates to every-day life. How to increase it by excercise. Comprehensive but neither dull nor boring. Valuable also in helping to bridge the gap between psychology and the Spiritual life. Excellent reading.
365 TAO.By Deng Ming-Dao. Harper SanFrancisco. ISBN 0-06-250223-9. Taoist daily meditations.
THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING.Author unknown. Penguin books. ISBN 0-14-04.4385-1. Includes other works. The Epistle of Privy Counsel./Dionysius' Mystical Teaching./The Epistle of prayer.
THE ENLIGHTENED HEART.By Stephen Mitchell. HarperPerennial. ISBN 0-06-092053-X. An anthology of sacred verse.
THE ENLIGHTENED MIND.By Stephen Mitchell. HarperPerennial. ISBN 0-06-092320-2. An anthology of sacred prose.
THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE.By H.P. Blavatsky. The H.P.B. Lending Library. ISBN 0-9690784-4. Chosen fragments from the Book Of The Golden Precepts.
THE DHAMMAPADA. Penguin Classics. Translated by Juan Mascaro.
THE ZEN TEACHING OF INSTANTANEOUS AWAKENING.By Hui Hai. Translated by John Blofeld. Buddhist Publishing Group. ISBN 0-94667-03-2.
THE CREST JEWEL OF DISCRIMINATION.(Viveka Chudamani.) By Shankara. Vedanta Press.
THE ZEN TEACHING OF HUANG PO.Translated by John Blofeld. Grove Press. ISBN 0-8021-5092-6.
THE BOOK OF ANGELUS SILESIUS.Translated by Frederick Franck. Vintage books. ISBN 0-394-71641-8.
THE PROPHET.By Kahlil Gibran. Published by A.Knopf, inc.
WALDEN.By Henry David Thoreau. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01309-8.
THE WISDOM OF INDIA.By Lin Yutang. Jaico Publishing House. (Bombay) An anthology of Indian religious Philosophy. Contains The Bhagavad-Gita./ The Yoga Aphorisims Of Patanjali./ And much much more.
TOWARD THE ONE.A Sufi book. Harper Colophon Books. ISBN 06-090352-X.
THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.By William James. Mentor Books.
THE JOURNAL OF HENRY DAVID THOREAU.By himself. Dover Publications Inc. ISBN 486-20312-3. Originally published as fourteen volumes, now in two. The essence of Thoreau. Never have I had such an empathy with any other writer, as I have with Thoreau. These two volumes are a bit pricy, I paid $200 plus about five or six years ago.
SUBLIMINAL ATHEISM.Author unknown. (by me) I found this book in a reply on a bulletin board, posted by (I assume) the author, and signed only by the initials db.
This is excellent reading if you are at all interested in the obvious moral decay of our present society. It demonstrates the effect that moral decay has on all facets of our society, including family, education, business (including the advertising and entertainment industries) politics and politicians, crime, drugs and racism. Very well written by a mature high school teacher who has a deep concern for where we are all headed as a society unless this blight is checked.
I checked with Amazon.com et al, and it was not listed, which does not necessarily mean it has not been published. It is copyrighted, however there were no conditions attached either for or against electronic reproduction. I am aware that I have taken a liberty here, but I suspect that whomever wrote this is not motivated by either money or self esteem. For a full rendition click HERE.
