Updating My Spiritual Reading List, Category 3, Buddhism (Tibetan)   

June 1, 2017

In my two nonfiction books (“Beyond the Power of Now” and “Electrical Christianity”), I provide a Spiritual Reading List (of Highly Recommended and Recommended texts in the “Great Traditions”). I made a few changes to the List between “Beyond the Power of Now” and “Electrical Christianity,” and there will be more changes to the List in my forthcoming book “The Power of Now Meditation Guide” (which should be published later this year).

My Spiritual Reading List is divided into nine categories – Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism (Original), Buddhism (Tibetan), Buddhism (Zen), Christianity, Judaism, and Gnosticism, Daism, Hinduism (Yoga), Kashmir Shaivism, and Miscellaneous. In a nine-part series, I will, in turn, consider each category and provide its latest edition.

Herewith is the third category, Buddhism (Tibetan), followed by my consideration.… Read the full article

Updating My Spiritual Reading List, Category 2 (Original Buddhism)

May 20, 2017

In my two nonfiction books (“Beyond the Power of Now” and “Electrical Christianity”), I provide a Spiritual Reading List (of Highly Recommended and Recommended texts in the “Great Traditions”). I made a few changes to the List between “Beyond the Power of Now” and “Electrical Christianity,” and there will be more changes to the List in my forthcoming book “The Power of Now Meditation Guide” (which should be published later this year).

My Spiritual Reading List is divided into nine categories – Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism (Original), Buddhism (Tibetan), Buddhism (Zen), Christianity, Judaism, and Gnosticism, Daism, Hinduism (Yoga), Kashmir Shaivism, and Miscellaneous. In a nine-part series, I will, in turn, consider each category and provide its latest edition.

Herewith is the second category, Buddhism (Original), followed by my consideration.… Read the full article

Updating My Spiritual Reading List, Category 1 (Advaita Vedanta)

May 12, 2017
In my two nonfiction books (“Beyond the Power of Now” and “Electrical Christianity”), I provide a Spiritual Reading List (of Highly Recommended and Recommended texts in the “Great Traditions”). I made a few changes to the List between “Beyond the Power of Now” and “Electrical Christianity,” and there will be more changes to the List in my forthcoming book “The Power of Now Meditation Guide” (which will be published later this year).

My Spiritual Reading List is divided into nine categories – Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism (Original), Buddhism (Tibetan), Buddhism (Zen), Christianity, Judaism, and Gnosticism, Daism, Hinduism (Yoga), Kashmir Shaivism, and Miscellaneous. In a nine-part series, I will consider each category and provide its latest edition.

Herewith is the first category, Advaita Vedanta, followed by my consideration.

Advaita Vedanta

Highly Recommended

Ashtavakra Gita, trans. Hari Prasad Shastri. (Timeless Advaita Vedanta text. Available at www.shantisadan.org. Other translations also available.)
Be As You Are: The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi, David Godman.… Read the full article

Three Must-Read Ramana Maharshi Texts

April 26, 2017
Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) was India’s greatest twentieth-century guru, and his spiritual teachings are must-reading for all serious students of Self-Awakening. But which texts should those interested in his teachings read?

I have read numerous texts that contain sayings of and/or conversations with Ramana Maharshi. And I have read many texts that elaborate on Ramana’s teachings. But, in my opinion, if one reads three books – “Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi” (avoid the dumbed-down Inner Directions version), “Sri Ramana Gita,” and “Sat-Darshana Bhashya and Talks with Maharshi” – there is no need to read any other Ramana books, because they won’t add anything substantive to the material in these three. I welcome anyone who has read these three books to point me to a Ramana Maharshi text that provides unique and profound teachings not found in them.

Herewith, in order, are my five-star Amazon reviews of “Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi,” “Sri Ramana Gita,” and Sat- Darshana Bhashya”:

Must-Reading for Students of Self-Awakening

As an esoteric eclectic, I have devoted the past four decades to both the study and practice of the foremost spiritual traditions—Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhism, Hindu Raja Yoga, Advaita Vedanta, and Kashmir Shaivism, Daism (the teachings of Adi Da), and Christian Hermeticism; and in this time, I have never encountered a spiritual book better than “Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi.”
… Read the full article

The Papaji Lineage

April 10, 2017

A number of people, over the years, have asked my opinion of the late H.W. L. Poonja (1910-1997), commonly referred to as Papaji. In my opinion, Papaji, unlike his guru Ramana Maharshi, was not an Enlightened Heart Master. Moreover, none of Papaji’s disciples who became big-name gurus (Andrew Cohen, Gangaji, Mooji) impresses me.

Herewith, in order, are my Amazon reviews of Papaji’s “The Truth Is” (two stars), Andrew Cohen’s “Evolutionary Enlightenment” (two stars), Gangaji’s ‘Freedom and Resolve” two stars), and Mooji’s “Breath of the Absolute –Dialogues with Mooji” (two stars).

Adyashanti-Level Advaita Vedanta

I first read this book about ten years ago, and I recently received my copy, which had been in storage since before Barack Obama took office. Unlike the first time I read it--when I quickly motored through it because I thought it was mediocre--I decided this time I would really read it.… Read the full article

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