5 ms·

Ask HN: Which is the best spiritual book you have read?

10 points by quietthrow 7y ago

Looking for recommendations as I have some free time. Documentaries welcome too.

AnimalMuppet 7y ago
The Bible. Second place: "He Is There and He Is Not Silent" by Francis Schaeffer.
coder4life 7y ago
Chuang Tzu Second place: Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
rufmirza 7y ago
As a science oriented person I reach spirituality only through secularism. I can recommend this book: "Why Buddhism is True - The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment" https://www.amazon.com/Why-Buddhism-True-Philosophy-Enlightenment/dp/1439195455 https://www.amazon.com/Why-Buddhism-True-Philosophy-Enlighte... In essence this book tells why secular Buddhism (secular, western meditation) is actually a very reasonable way of spirituality.
andrei_says_ 7y ago
I am That by (talks with) Nisargadatta Maharaj It is an indescribable direct experience cutting through BS, “spirituality”, and illusion. I cannot recommend it enough.
methusala8 7y ago
All these books (apart from the second one) offer a peak into Advaita Vedanta (Non Duality). a) Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi b) Tao te ching, Lao Tzu c) I am That, Nisargadatta Maharaj d) Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle e) Silence of the heart, Robert Adams
g123g 7y ago
Dhammapada (https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1590306066 https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1590306066)
exhoez 7y ago
Warrior of the light (A manual) - Paulo Coelho
maynman 7y ago
1. The Bible 2. Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
qnsi 7y ago
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, but this is spiritual book for people who don't really like spirituality
runjake 7y ago
- Illusions by Richard Bach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusions_(Bach_novel) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusions_(Bach_novel) - The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. Disclaimer: this book is seriously woo woo new age junk with recycled western and eastern mysticism concepts, but it hit me at the right time in life and I took away some really life-changing lessons without succumbing to any of the woo woo junk. I've re-read it a few times. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celestine_Prophecy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celestine_Prophecy
Japhy_Ryder 7y ago
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan is currently blowing my mind.
p0d 7y ago
The Bible. Mark is the shortest gospel so a good place to start. I can't think of any documentaries but I usually enjoy this podcast, https://thisculturalmoment.com/ https://thisculturalmoment.com/.
glidefresh 7y ago
St. Augustine - Confessions (first spiritual autobiography) or City of God G. K. Chesterton - The Everlasting Man
- christopher8827 7y ago
  I have read the City of God and it's massive. Are you talking about a particular section?
mersing 7y ago
4th-5th century: Confessions and City of God by St. Augustine 13th century: Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas 14th century: The Divine Comedy (includes Inferno) by Dante Alighieri 20th century: Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Humanae Vitae (Theology of the Body) by Pope Paul VI
dragonwriter 7y ago
Tao Te Ching. (And I'm a Catholic Christian, not a Taoist.) As a standalone spiritual work divorced from the attached context of community and tradition, I would not recommend the Bible (plus, it's massive) or, similarly, most well-known Christian theological works.
kleer001 7y ago
Zen flesh, Zen bones. - Translated by Paul Reps If I only had one book this would be it.
ebcode 7y ago
The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba, translated by John Stevens
GoldenMonkey 7y ago
The Spiritual Guide by Michael Molinos. Spanish mystic banned by the Catholic church. A guide to contemplative inner spiritual experience.
yesenadam 7y ago
Some great answers! Never expected to see Ramana Maharshi or Nisargadatta on HN. The Gospel of Ramana Maharshi is great. I reread it 20 years later and found I still agreed with 90% of it, to my surprise - it's based in what he learnt for himself, mostly, not what he read somewhere/was taught! He's a mid-20th C Hindu guru, widely considered as good as it gets. Gangaji, an American woman, is of his lineage, and has very good bs-free books and videos (some on youtube), which take you straight there... Be Here Now by Ram Dass, a US Hindu guru, is a great hippie-era introduction to Hindu-based religious practices, also has a lot of quotes from different books and traditions, from which I discovered a lot of great stuff. Some of his other books and recordings of his retreats are gold. A very articulate and thoughtful guy. Buddhism: I got a lot from the down to earth Thai-forest-monk-style Buddhism of Ajahn Chah's books. The first philosophy and spiritual books I read, as a teen, were the Chinese classics - Confucius, Mencius, Chuangtzu, Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching). All fascinating, a joy to read, deep. I'm very glad I happened to start there. Oh but I forgot my favourite (too close to me[0]) - Emerson's Essays, First and Second Series, which I guess is a 'spiritual book'. The first time it was like he'd described a thousand things I'd experienced but thought indescribable. Has had more impact, a better impact, than any other author, provided endless inspiration and...embiggenment. I read in him every day for many years. He's always with me. [0] "Emerson. – Never have I felt so much at home in a book, and in my home, as – I may not praise it, it is too close to me." - Nietzsche, notes
kettunen 7y ago
Be Here Now by Ram Dass
infiniteseeker 7y ago
Look up stuff by Rupert Spira, Michael Langford, Nisargadatta (already mentioned a few times in this thread), "The Ashtavakra Gita", "Dhammapada".
christopher8827 7y ago
The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by the Revered James Martin, SJ. Pretty awesome book on Catholic/Jesuit spirituality, though the actual writer is pretty liberal in real-life. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius if you are into Stoicism. I wouldn't directly dive into the Bible cause its rather thick, and confusing especially the Old Testament, except maybe the Gospels for a start -
BGthaOG 7y ago
Quran translations. Out of the ones I have read, I recommend Rashad Khalifa's (https://www.masjidtucson.org/quran/ReadQuran.php https://www.masjidtucson.org/quran/ReadQuran.php).
imakwana 7y ago
1) Total Freedom : The Essential Krishnamurti. Selected writings of Jiddu Krishnamurti from his 50+ years of lectures and notes to self. 2) Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality without Religion, by Sam Harris. An amazing masterpiece on a rational approach to meditation. 3) Coming to our senses, by Jon-Kabat Zinn. A collection of essays which delve into the urgency of understanding oneself in the present moment & the case for contemplative life.

10 points by quietthrow 7y ago

Looking for recommendations as I have some free time. Documentaries welcome too.

AnimalMuppet 7y ago

The Bible. Second place: "He Is There and He Is Not Silent" by Francis Schaeffer.

coder4life 7y ago

Chuang Tzu Second place: Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

rufmirza 7y ago

As a science oriented person I reach spirituality only through secularism. I can recommend this book: "Why Buddhism is True - The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment" https://www.amazon.com/Why-Buddhism-True-Philosophy-Enlightenment/dp/1439195455 https://www.amazon.com/Why-Buddhism-True-Philosophy-Enlighte... In essence this book tells why secular Buddhism (secular, western meditation) is actually a very reasonable way of spirituality.

andrei_says_ 7y ago

I am That by (talks with) Nisargadatta Maharaj It is an indescribable direct experience cutting through BS, “spirituality”, and illusion. I cannot recommend it enough.

methusala8 7y ago

All these books (apart from the second one) offer a peak into Advaita Vedanta (Non Duality). a) Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi b) Tao te ching, Lao Tzu c) I am That, Nisargadatta Maharaj d) Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle e) Silence of the heart, Robert Adams

g123g 7y ago

Dhammapada (https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1590306066 https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1590306066)

exhoez 7y ago

Warrior of the light (A manual) - Paulo Coelho

maynman 7y ago

1. The Bible 2. Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis

qnsi 7y ago

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, but this is spiritual book for people who don't really like spirituality

runjake 7y ago

- Illusions by Richard Bach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusions_(Bach_novel) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusions_(Bach_novel) - The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. Disclaimer: this book is seriously woo woo new age junk with recycled western and eastern mysticism concepts, but it hit me at the right time in life and I took away some really life-changing lessons without succumbing to any of the woo woo junk. I've re-read it a few times. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celestine_Prophecy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celestine_Prophecy

Japhy_Ryder 7y ago

How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan is currently blowing my mind.

p0d 7y ago

The Bible. Mark is the shortest gospel so a good place to start. I can't think of any documentaries but I usually enjoy this podcast, https://thisculturalmoment.com/ https://thisculturalmoment.com/.

glidefresh 7y ago

St. Augustine - Confessions (first spiritual autobiography) or City of God G. K. Chesterton - The Everlasting Man

christopher8827 7y ago
I have read the City of God and it's massive. Are you talking about a particular section?

mersing 7y ago

4th-5th century: Confessions and City of God by St. Augustine 13th century: Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas 14th century: The Divine Comedy (includes Inferno) by Dante Alighieri 20th century: Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Humanae Vitae (Theology of the Body) by Pope Paul VI

dragonwriter 7y ago

Tao Te Ching. (And I'm a Catholic Christian, not a Taoist.) As a standalone spiritual work divorced from the attached context of community and tradition, I would not recommend the Bible (plus, it's massive) or, similarly, most well-known Christian theological works.

kleer001 7y ago

Zen flesh, Zen bones. - Translated by Paul Reps If I only had one book this would be it.

ebcode 7y ago

The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba, translated by John Stevens

GoldenMonkey 7y ago

The Spiritual Guide by Michael Molinos. Spanish mystic banned by the Catholic church. A guide to contemplative inner spiritual experience.

yesenadam 7y ago

Some great answers! Never expected to see Ramana Maharshi or Nisargadatta on HN. The Gospel of Ramana Maharshi is great. I reread it 20 years later and found I still agreed with 90% of it, to my surprise - it's based in what he learnt for himself, mostly, not what he read somewhere/was taught! He's a mid-20th C Hindu guru, widely considered as good as it gets. Gangaji, an American woman, is of his lineage, and has very good bs-free books and videos (some on youtube), which take you straight there... Be Here Now by Ram Dass, a US Hindu guru, is a great hippie-era introduction to Hindu-based religious practices, also has a lot of quotes from different books and traditions, from which I discovered a lot of great stuff. Some of his other books and recordings of his retreats are gold. A very articulate and thoughtful guy. Buddhism: I got a lot from the down to earth Thai-forest-monk-style Buddhism of Ajahn Chah's books. The first philosophy and spiritual books I read, as a teen, were the Chinese classics - Confucius, Mencius, Chuangtzu, Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching). All fascinating, a joy to read, deep. I'm very glad I happened to start there. Oh but I forgot my favourite (too close to me[0]) - Emerson's Essays, First and Second Series, which I guess is a 'spiritual book'. The first time it was like he'd described a thousand things I'd experienced but thought indescribable. Has had more impact, a better impact, than any other author, provided endless inspiration and...embiggenment. I read in him every day for many years. He's always with me. [0] "Emerson. – Never have I felt so much at home in a book, and in my home, as – I may not praise it, it is too close to me." - Nietzsche, notes

kettunen 7y ago

Be Here Now by Ram Dass

infiniteseeker 7y ago

Look up stuff by Rupert Spira, Michael Langford, Nisargadatta (already mentioned a few times in this thread), "The Ashtavakra Gita", "Dhammapada".

christopher8827 7y ago

The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by the Revered James Martin, SJ. Pretty awesome book on Catholic/Jesuit spirituality, though the actual writer is pretty liberal in real-life. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius if you are into Stoicism. I wouldn't directly dive into the Bible cause its rather thick, and confusing especially the Old Testament, except maybe the Gospels for a start -

BGthaOG 7y ago

Quran translations. Out of the ones I have read, I recommend Rashad Khalifa's (https://www.masjidtucson.org/quran/ReadQuran.php https://www.masjidtucson.org/quran/ReadQuran.php).

imakwana 7y ago

1) Total Freedom : The Essential Krishnamurti. Selected writings of Jiddu Krishnamurti from his 50+ years of lectures and notes to self. 2) Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality without Religion, by Sam Harris. An amazing masterpiece on a rational approach to meditation. 3) Coming to our senses, by Jon-Kabat Zinn. A collection of essays which delve into the urgency of understanding oneself in the present moment & the case for contemplative life.