Best Book Lists

[okulele]

A mind-blowing reading list from Center for Sacred Sciences sharing some high quality books on mysticism from all around the world. Enjoy!

The list.

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Recommended Reading

The following bibliography is divided into sections corresponding to different traditions. Within each section, the books are further subdivided into levels according to their degree of accessibility, with Level 1 being the most accessible. Also of interest is the reading list for our distance studies course and Joel's book The Way of Selflessness.

 

 

Introduction to Mysticism

LEVEL 1

Morwood, Joel. Naked Through the Gate. Center for Sacred Sciences, 1988. ISBN 0962038709.

Smith, Huston. The World's Religions. Harper SanFrancisco, 1991. ISBN 0062508113.

Wilber, Ken. No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth. Shambhala, 1985. ISBN 0394748816.

 

Buddhism

LEVEL 1

Goldstein, Joseph. Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom. Shambhala, 2003. ISBN 1590300165.

The Dhammapada. Translated by Ananda Maitreya, edited by Rose Kramer. Parallax Press, 1995. ISBN 0938077872.

Suzuki, Shunryu. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. Weatherhill, 1997. ISBN 0834800799.

Trungpa, Chogyam. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. Shambhala, 2002. ISBN 1570629579.

Chodron, Pema. Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living. Shambhala, 1994. ISBN 1570628394.

Sengtsan. Hsin Hsin Ming. White Pine Press, 2001. ISBN 189399614X.

LEVEL 2

Khema, Ayya. When the Iron Eagle Flies: Buddhism for the West. Wisdom Publications, 2000. ISBN 0140193006.

Wallace, B. Alan. A Passage Through Solitude: Training the Mind in a Life of Embracing the World. Snow Lion, 1992. ISBN 1559390050.

Yeshe, Lama. Introduction to Tantra: A Vision of Totality. Edited by Jonathan Landow. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1987. ISBN 0861710215.

Ngakpa Chogyanm, and Khandro Dechen. Spectrum of Ecstasy: The Five Wisdom Emotions According to Vajrayana Buddhism. Shambhala, 2003. ISBN 1590300610.

Zen Teachings of Wang Po: On the Transmission of Mind. Translated by John Blofeld. Grove Press, 1959. ISBN 0802150926.

LEVEL 3

The Lankavatara Scripture: Self-Realization of Nobel Wisdom. In A Buddhist Bible. Edited by D. Goddard. Beacon Press, 1970. ISBN 0807059110.

Longchen Rabjam. The Practice of Dzogchen. Translated by Tulku Thondrup, edited by Harold Talbott. Snow Lion, 2002. ISBN 1559391790.

 

Christianity

LEVEL 1

Keating, Thomas. Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel. Continuum, 1992. ISBN 0826406963.

Lawrence, Brother. The Practice of the Presence of God: With Spiritual Maxims. Spire Books/Revell Reprints, 1999. ISBN 0800785991.

The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way. Translated by R.M. French. Harper SanFrancisco, 1991. ISBN 0060630175.

The Cloud of Unknowing and the Book of Privy Counseling. Edited by William Johnston. Image Books/Doubleday, 1996. ISBN 0385030975.

Teresa of Avila. Interior Castle. Translated by E. Allison Peers. New Image Books/Doubleday, 1961. ISBN 0385036434.

LEVEL 2

Eckhart, Meister. Everything as Divine: The Wisdom of Meister Eckhart. Translated by Edmund Colledge and Bernard McGinn. Paulist Press, 1996. ISBN 0809136759.

Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology. Compiled by Igumen Chariton of Valamo, translated by E. Kadloubovsky and E.M. Palmer, edited by Timothy Ware. Faber & Faber, 1997. ISBN 0571191657.

John of the Cross. Dark Night of the Soul: A Masterpiece in the Literature of Mysticism. Translated by E. Allison Peers. Image Books/Doubleday, 1959. ISBN 0385029306.

Underhill, Evelyn. Mysticism. One World Books, 1999. ISBN 1851681965.

LEVEL 3

Gospel of Thomas: Annotated and Explained. Translated by Stevan L. Davies. Skylight Paths Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1893361454.

Eckhart, Meister. Part Two: German Works: 1. Selected Sermons. In Meister Eckhart: The Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises, and Defense. Translated by Edmund Colledge O.S.A. and Bernard McGinn. Paulist Press, 1981. ISBN 0809123703.

Bonaventura, Saint. Bonaventura: The Mind's Road to God. Translated by George Boas. Prentice Hall, 1953. ISBN 0023112506.

Pseudo Dionysius. Pseudo Dionysius: The Complete Works. Translated by Colm Luibheid. Paulist Press, 1987. ISBN 0809128381.

 

Hinduism

LEVEL 1

Anandamayi Ma. Matri Vani Volume II: From the Wisdom of Anandamayi Ma. Translator Atmananda. Shree Shree Anandamayee Charitable Socity, 1982. ISBN 9990001758. (Availability as of August, 2008: Blue Dove Foundation. Also available from Anandamayi Ma's Books On-Line.)

Ramana Maharshi. The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi. Shambhala, 1988. ISBN 0877730245.

The Bhagavad Gita. Translated by Juan Mascaro. Viking Penguin, 1987. ISBN 0140441212.

LEVEL 2

Upanishads. Translated by Juan Mascaro. Penguin Books, 1965. ISBN 0140441638.

Shankara. Shankara's Crest Jewel of Discrimination. Translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood. Vedanta Press, 1970. ISBN 0874810388.

Lalleshwari. Lalleshwari. Translated by Swami Muktananda. SYDA Foundation, 1981. ISBN 0914602667.

Nisargadatta, Maharaj. I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta. Translated by Sudhaker S. Dikshit and Maurice Frydman. Acron Press, 1990. ISBN 0893860220.

LEVEL 3

Chatterji, J.C. Kasmir Shaivism. State University of New York Press, 1986. ISBN 088706180X.

 

Judaism

LEVEL 1

Your Word is Fire: The Hasidic Masters on Contemplative Prayer. Edited by Arthur Green and Barry Holtz. Jewish Lights Publishing, 1993. ISBN 1879045257.

Prager, Marcia. The Path of Blessing: Experiencing the Energy and Abundance of the Divine. Jewish Lights Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1580231489.

Baxbaum, Yitzhak. An Open Heart: The Mystic Path of Loving People. Jewish Spirit Publishing, 1997. ISBN 0965711226.

LEVEL 2

Manahem Nahum of Chernobyl. Upright Practices. Translated by Arthur Green. Paulist Press, 1981. ISBN 0809123746.

LEVEL 3

Scholom, Gershom. Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism. Schocken Books, 1995. ISBN 0805210423.

 

Sufism

LEVEL 1

Lings, Martin. What is Sufism? Islamic Texts Society, 1999. ISBN 0946621411.

Nurbakhsh, Javad. The Path: Sufi Practices. Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Publications, 2003. ISBN 093354670X.

Rabi'a. Doorkeeper of the Heart: Versions of Rabi'a. Translated by Charles Upton. Threshold Books, 1988. ISBN 0939660245.

LEVEL 2

Schimmel, Annmarie. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. University of North Carolina Press, 1975. ISBN 0807812714.

Farhadi, A. G. Raven. Abdullah Ansari of Herat: An Early Sufi Master. Curzon Press, 1996. ISBN 0700703136.

'Arabi, Ibn al-. "Whoso Knoweth Himself...". Beshara Publications, 1976. ISBN 0904975061.

LEVEL 3

Chittick, William. The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi. State University of New York, 1983. ISBN 0873957245.

Chittick, William. The Sufi Path of Knowledge. State University of New York, 1989. ISBN 0887068855.

 

Taoism

LEVEL 1

Lao Tsu. Tao Te Ching. Translated by Gai-Fu Feng and Jane English. Vintage Books, 1989. ISBN 0679724346.

 

Nontraditional Mystics

LEVEL 1

Peace Pilgrim. Peace Pilgrim: Her Life & Work In Her Own Words. Ocean Tree Books, 1992. ISBN 0943734290.

Hillesum, Etty. An Interrupted Life: The Diaries 1941-43, and Letters from Westerbork. Owl Books, 1996. ISBN 0805050876.

LEVEL 2

Merrell-Wolff, Franklin. Franklin Merrell-Wolff's Experience and Philosophy: A Personal Record of Transformation and a Discussion of Transcendental Consciousness: Containing His Philosophy of Consciousness Without an Object and His Pathways Through to Space. State University of New York Press, 1994. ISBN 0791419649.

LEVEL 3

Weil, Simone. Waiting for God. Perennial, 2001. ISBN 0060959703.

Merrell-Wolff, Franklin. Transformations in Consciousness: The Metaphysics and Epistemology: Containing His Introceptualism. State University of New York Press, 1995. ISBN 0791426769.

 

Myth & Dreams

LEVEL 1

Johnson, Robert A. Inner Work: Using Dreams and Creative Imagination for Personal Growth and Integration. Harper SanFrancisco, 1989. ISBN 0062504312.

Barasch, Marc Ian. Healing Dreams: Exploring the Dreams That Can Transform Your Life. Riverhead Books, 2001. ISBN 1573228974.

LEVEL 2

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Princeton University Press, 1972. ISBN 0691017840.

Eliade, Mircea. The Myth of the Eternal Return: Or Cosmos and History. Translated by Willard Trask. Princeton University Press, 1971. ISBN 0691017778.

LEVEL 3

Eliade, Mircea. Patterns in Comparative Religion. Translated by Rosemary Sheed. University of Nebraska Press, 1996. ISBN 0803267339.

Norbu, Namkhai. Dream Yoga: and the Practice of Natural Light. Revised and enlarged edition. Edited by Michael Katz. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2002. ISBN 1559391618.

Wangyal, Tenzin. Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep. Snow Lion Publications, 1998. ISBN 1559391014.

 

Death & Dying

LEVEL 1

Morwood, Joel. Through Death's Gate: A Guide to Selfless Dying. Center for Sacred Sciences, 1995. ISBN 0962038717.

Callanan, Maggie, and Patricia Kelley. Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs. Bantam, 1997. ISBN 0553378767.

LEVEL 2

Bokar Rinpoche. Death and the Art of Dying in Tibetan Buddhism. Clearpoint Press, 1994. ISBN 0963037129.

 

Science

LEVEL 1

Wolf, Fred Alan. Taking the Quantum Leap: The New Physics for Nonscientists. Perennial, 1989. ISBN 0060963107.

LEVEL 2

Herbert, Nick. Quantum Reality: Beyond the New Physics. Anchor, 1987. ISBN 0385235690.

Zukav, Gary. The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics. Bantam Books, 1994. ISBN 055326382X.

Gribbin, John. In Search of Schrodinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality. Bantam, 1984. ISBN 0553342533.

LEVEL 3

Wallace, B. Alan. Choosing Reality: A Buddhist View of Physics and the Mind. Snow Lion, 2003. ISBN 1559391995.

D'Espagnat, Bernard. Reality and the Physicist: Knowledge, Duration, and the Quantum World. Cambridge University Press, 1989. ISBN 0521338468.

 

Sources for a New Worldview

LEVEL 1

McFarlane, Thomas J. Sacred Science: Essays on Mathematics, Physics and Spiritual Philosophy. Thomas J. McFarlane, 1995. ISBN na.

LEVEL 2

Berger, Peter L., and Thomas Luckmann. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Anchor Books, 1967. ISBN 0385058985.

Toynbee, Arnold J. A Study of History: Abridgement of Volumes I-VI. Abridgement by D. C. Somervell. Oxford University Press, 1987. ISBN 0195050800.

LEVEL 3

Kuhn, Thomas S. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. University of Chicago Press, 1996. ISBN 0226458083.

Wallace, B. Alan. The Taboo of Subjectivity: Towards a New Science of Consciousness. Oxfor

 

Pasted from <https://www.centerforsacredsciences.org/index.php/library/recommended-reading.htm>

 

[okulele]

r/Buddhism offers a fantastic book list of with many different categories. It's too long to put here. Go see it directly.

The list.

[d0ornokey]

optimize.me 

Book list for classic personal development 

[Jj13]

@Leo Gura Why not put it in the High Consciousness Resources sub?