Updating My Spiritual Reading List, Category 9, Miscellaneous

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 ninth category, Miscellaneous, followed by my consideration.

Miscellaneous

Highly Recommended

The First and Last Freedom, J. Krishnamurti. (“Must” reading for all mystics. If you appreciate this book and want to read more Krishnamurti, get his multivolume Commentaries on Living.)

Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, Ayn Rand. (“Must” reading for all mystics.)

Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, Leonard Peikoff. (“Must” reading for all mystics.)

The Way of Chuang Tzu, Thomas Merton. (Other translations also available.)

Recommended

Alan Oken's Complete Astrology, Alan Oken. (Best overall book on astrology.)

Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing, Vasant Lad. (Fascinating and enlightening exposition of the principles and practical applications of Indian Ayurveda, the oldest healing system in the world.)

Awaken Healing Energy Through the Tao, Mantak Chia. (Introductory handbook to the practice and principles of Taoist energy-yoga.)

The Mystique of Enlightenment: The Radical Ideas of U.G. Krishnamurti, U.G. Krishnmurti (U.G. was the ultimate spiritual iconoclast. Jean Klein called him “pathological.” I call him “a great read.”)

The Perennial Philosophy, Aldous Huxley. (Classic text by a great writer.)

The Tao Te Ching. (Numerous translations available.)

Consideration

I have, since “Electrical Christianity,” eliminated a couple of books – Ken Wilber’s “A Brief History of Everything” and Brian Hines’ “Return to the One: Plotinus’s Guide to God-Realization” -- from the Recommended part of this category. I deleted Ken Wilber’s book because I find Ken’s progressivist, globalist politics to be anything but “integral.”  Ken is considered the “Godfather of Integral” by many, but given the disintegral politics he now pushes, I can no longer recommend his books.

I deleted Brian Hines’ “Return to the One” because Brian, a failed, un-Initiated mystic, now rejects mysticism and esoteric spirituality. I never cared for his text, because it lacks a spiritual dimension. But I wanted to include a basic, very readable Plotinus text on my list, and given that I was participating at Brian’s blog, and couldn’t find a better choice, I included his. I’m not much of a Plotinus fan, because I find him a pain to read, and for now, I’ll leave him off my Spiritual Reading List.