|| Zen || Tantra || Sufism || Alternative Healing || Mystical Experiences || Buddhism ||
|| Meditation || Chronicles of Seekers || In the Words of the Master ||

 

 

 

|| ZEN ||

 

1. Rinzai: Master of the Irrational – OSHO
Rinzai, also known as Lin-Chi, was born in the early 9th century and was to become the founder of one of the most significant schools of Zen. In this book the Enlightened Master Osho speaks with humour, wisdom and insight on the magical and mysterious anecdotes and sutras of Rinzai.

 

2. Joshu: The Lions Roar – OSHO
Joshu was one of those exceptional people who got enlightened without any formal initiation. One of the most loved Masters in the Zen tradition Joshu’s words are both poetic and penetrating. Osho brings Joshu back to life and presents him to us radiant in the essence of Zen.

 

3. Isan: No Footprints in the Blue Sky – OSHO
Isan was a great Zen Master who lived from 771 to 853. He left home at fifteen to become a monk and was ordained at the age of twenty three. Thousands became Isan’s disciples yet he left no great scriptures or commentaries behind. With clarity and humour Osho leads us into the baffling and profound world of Isan and Zen.

 

4. The Empty Boat: Talks on the Sayings of Chuang Tzu – OSHO
Osho revitalizes the 3000-year-old Taoist message of self-realization through the stories of the Chinese mystic, Chuang Tzu. He speaks about the state of egolessness, "the empty boat"; spontaneity, dreams and wholeness; living life choicelessly and meeting death with the same equanimity. This beautiful edition overflows with the wisdom of one who has realized that state of egolessness himself.

 

5. Dogen: The Zen Master – OSHO
Dogen was born into an aristocratic family in Kyoto, Japan over eight hundred years ago. He was a uniquely intelligent child who began to read Chinese poetry at the age of four. His father died when he was two years old and his mother when he was seven. Dogen was to say later on to his disciples that he was infinitely grateful that his parents died when they did as they gave him through their death the opportunity to rise to the greatest heights free of attachments. Osho translates this great Zen Master for us with equally great insight.

 

6. Hyakujo : the Everest of Zen – OSHO
Hyakujo was the direct heir of Ma Tzu and became most well known for his establishment of the first truly Zen monasteries and his treatise on sudden enlightenment. Osho is the best and most lucid interpreter of Zen.

7. Kyozan: A True Man of Zen – OSHO
The Zen Master Kyozan's uniqueness is his simplicity. When Kyozan was fifteen he wanted to become a monk but his parents would not allow it. Two years after that he cut off two fingers from his left hand and pleaded with his parents to let him follow the spiritual path. This time they agreed. As OSHO says “Nothing can be said about him (Kyozan) except that he was absolutely authentic, honest. If he does not know a thing he will say so, even at the risk of people thinking that he has fallen from his enlightenment.”

8. Hsin Hsin Ming The Book of Nothing: Talks on the Faith Mind of Sosan– OSHO
In OSHO’s own words, "Sosan was a man of power, a man who has come to know. And when he says something, he carries something of the unknown into the world of the known. With him enters the divine, a ray of light into the darkness of your mind." As the meaning of Sosan’s teachings are unraveled, so are the habitual patterns and prejudices of the reader’s mind. Furthermore, the work is so subtle and delicate; the surgery is performed almost before you know it. As you turn the last page, you may suddenly realize that you’ll never be quite so captivated by your own inner chatter again - and without any effort you’ve taken the first, vital step toward meditation.

 

9. Nansen: The Point of Departure – OSHO
Nansen was a disciple of the famous Zen Master Ma Tzu. OSHO subtitles this book of discourse on Nansen as the Point of Departure because he says “From the past spirituality Nansen is a tremendous departure, accepting secular and sacred as together, one -- two aspects of one reality….. He opens Zen to a wider variety, he gives Zen more dimensions. It is no more a small stream, but becomes an ocean.”

 

10. The Zen Manifesto: Freedom from Oneself – OSHO
"Zen has nothing to do with the mind - It is the lion’s roar. And the greatest thing that Zen has brought into the world is freedom from oneself." Osho.
The Zen Manifesto is a collection of the last discourses of Osho with his last publicly spoken words.
"As you savor the chapters, you’ll discover that Osho is like a Zen archer. Almost poetically he circles his target, surveying it over and over again from many positions before he draws back his bow and lets the arrow fly."
Robert Rimmer, USA. Author of The Harrad Experiment and Proposition 31

 

11. No Water No Moon – OSHO
Brimming with paradox and humor, Osho is guaranteed to shake shock and delight with these discourses based on Zen stories. This book is about sudden enlightenment - that supreme moment when we cease struggling to understand with our minds matters beyond the mind, and jump wholeheartedly into the void. Osho offers us deep insights into our individual natures and the universe in which we live.

 

12. Meditating with Koans – J. C. Cleary
Koans (those paradoxical conversational exchanges between Zen master and student) have been used as focal points for Buddhist meditation for centuries in China and Japan. Cleary's excellent introduction is a perfect setting for this little Chinese Zen gem from about 1600. Included are lessons on using koans given by a wide range of classic Zen teachers. Cleary compares the effort needed in Zen work to athletic training, so that one begins to understand the ceaseless, exasperating effort needed to progress toward the Buddhist goal. As Cleary warns, this is serious work, not antirational amusement. An appendix gives a small collection of koans.

 

|| TANTRA ||

 

 

1. Tantric Quest- Daniel Odier
A wonderful autobiographical account of the journey of a seeker and the selfless and compassionate Master who gives everything of herself to lead him to the portal of the divine. Tantra demystified and glorious, experienced through a rare and wondrous journey.

 

2. Tantra the Supreme Understanding – OSHO
Nothing much is known about the Indian master Tilopa, yet his mystical insight into Tantra in the form of a song passed on to his disciple, Naropa, has lived on through the ages. Tilopa’s sutras contain many significant meditation techniques suitable for people today. The ultimate may not be expressible, but whatsoever can be said is included here within the tantric vision of Osho and Tilopa.
“Tantra is freedom; freedom from all mind-constructs, from all mind-games; freedom from all structures; freedom from the other. Tantra is space to be. Tantra is liberation.” Osho

3. Aghora: At the Left Hand of God – Robert E. Svoboda
One of the most profound and sensational books that have ever been written on Tantra. It describes the journeys of the Tantric adept Aghori Vimalananda through realms of existence far removed from the mundane world, and hidden from most of us. Reading this book can cause a radical change in the concepts we've formed about the universe, God, life, death and the mystical.

4. Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses: Spiritual Secrets of Ayurveda – Dr. David Frawley
David Frawley has done a fine exposition of Hindu Tantra. He not only knows the subject well, but he also can convey it in a readable and lucid manner. The best part about Frawley is that he writes as a seeker of truth. After Frawley dispels common misconceptions about Tantra he proceeds to define aspects of Tantra and the various paths within it. Then the bulk of the book deals with the Ten Mahavidyas or wisdom goddesses. Later chapters deal with the chakras, pranas, tejas and ojas. Overall an excellent introduction to Tantra.

5. Kali’s Odiyya: A Shaman’s True Story of Initiation – Amarananda Bhairavan
A rare and exciting true story of worship and initiation in a culture that still exists today. Bhairavan writes of his experience of initiation into the world of Kali's odiyyas shamans of the goddess. We learn the goddess tradition first-hand and experience exorcism, Kundalini training, astral travel, shape-shifting, healing, how to deal with the death of a shaman, and information about how a matriarchal society functions. Excellent reading. A book that is impossible to put down.

6. The Book of Secrets – OSHO
Osho elaborates on the meditation techniques described in the 5,000-year-old scripture, "Vigyan Bhairav Tantra". In this comprehensive and practical guide, the secrets of the ancient science of Tantra become available to a contemporary audience for the first time. Confined to small, hidden mystery schools for centuries, and often misunderstood and misinterpreted today. Tantra is not just a collection of techniques to enhance sexual experience. As Osho shows in these pages, it is a complete science of self-realization, based on the cumulative wisdom of centuries of exploration into the meaning of life and consciousness. Tantra-the very word means "technique"-is a set of powerful, transformative tools that can be used to bring new meaning and joy to every aspect of our daily lives.

 

 

 

|| SUFISM ||

 

1. The Way of Passion: A Celebration of Rumi – Andrew Harvey
A powerful, clear and ecstatic interpretation of Rumi the Sufi mystic and his message of divine love and union. A penetrating antidote to today's spiritual crises, The Way of Passion presents Rumi's magnificent visions of spiritual surrender and mystical union.

2. First Among Sufis: The Life and Thought of Rabia al Adawiyya, the Woman Saint of Basra
– Widad El Sakkakini
Born in Basra in the 8th century of an impoverished family, orphaned and sold into slavery, Rabia al-Adawiyya, rose to become one of the greatest Sufi teachers. An extraordinary kaleidoscope of myth and reality, of imagination and fact... is it not of importance that a woman of such stature and independence of mind existed so early in the story of Islam, to show what women could be, and how they could be regarded? Introduction by Doris Lessing.

3. The Secrets of Secrets: Hazrat Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
– Interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti
Considered one of the greatest works of classical Sufi mysticism and interpreted here for the first time in English, The Secret of Secrets was written by the eponymous founder of the Qadiriya order, the first of the great Sufi brotherhoods which radiate throughout the Islamic world. This book reveals the very essence of Sufism.

 

 

|| ALTERNTIVE HEALING ||

 

 

1. Quantum Touch- Richard Gordan
Quantum Touch represents a major breakthrough in the art of hands on healing. This book teaches you how to use special breathing and body focusing techniques to raise your energy levels so high that with a light touch you can see postural corrections spontaneously occur as bones glide back into their correct alignment. Heals pains and inflammations as well. Anyone can practice Quantum Touch.

 

2. You Can Heal Your Life- Louise L. Hay
The timeless message of the book is that we are each responsible for our own reality and "dis-ease." Hay believes we make ourselves ill by having thoughts of self-hatred. She includes a directory of ailments and emotional causes for each with a corresponding affirmation to help overcome the illness. An amazing woman who cured herself of cancer and through her book has helped millions help themselves.

 

3. Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind Body Medicine – Dr. Deepak Chopra
Early on in Quantum Healing, Deepak Chopra asks an interesting question: Why, when your body mends a broken arm, is it not considered a miracle, but when your body rids itself of cancer, it is? Dr. Chopra believes the two phenomena spring from the same well, that the body is capable of doing much more than we assume it can. He calls this ability to cure disease from within "quantum healing," and shows how we're all capable of it. He believes intelligence exists everywhere in our bodies, in each of our 50 trillion cells, and that therefore each cell knows how to heal itself.

4. Ayurvedic Healing: A Comprehensive Guide – Dr. David Frawley
Ayurvedic Healing presents the Ayurvedic treatment of common diseases, covering over eighty different ailments from the common cold to cancer. It provides a full range of treatment methods including diet, herbs, oils, gems, mantra and meditation. The book also shows the appropriate life-style practices and daily health considerations for your unique mind-body type both as an aid to disease treatment and for disease prevention. This extraordinary book is a complete manual of Ayurvedic health care that offers the wisdom of this ancient system of mind-body medicine to the modern reader relative to our special health concerns today.

 

|| MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES ||

 

1. Many Lives Many Masters – Dr. Brian Weiss
As a traditional psychotherapist, Dr. Brian Weiss was astonished and skeptical when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism was eroded, however, when she began to channel messages from "the space between lives," which contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weiss's family and his dead son. Using past-life therapy, he was able to cure the patient and embark on a new, more meaningful phase of his own career. An extremely convincing book for non-believers and a fascinating one for those who like to delve in the mystical.

2. Light on the Path: Through the Gates of Gold - Mabel Collins
“No man is your enemy, no man is your friend. All alike are your teachers. Your enemy becomes a riddle that must be solved. Your friend becomes a part of yourself a riddle hard to read. Only one thing is more difficult to know-your own heart.” With these words Mabel Collins, mystic, clairvoyant and healer takes us into a fascinating journey of Light which unravels the most esoteric mysteries of Divinity and God. In this, her first book, Mabel Collins reveals a set of transmissions she received on her mystic Path, which she identifies as transmissions, “directly from the source of an ancient Sanskrit Sutra.” Un lettered in any ancient Indian texts or wisdom, the source and methods of her knowledge are fascinating. What is absolutely awesome is the depth, clarity and simplicity in which the absolute truth and the state of enlightenment are revealed to her. A must, for all seekers who are looking for a Path.

 

|| BUDDHISM ||

 

1. Meetings with Remarkable Women: Buddhist Teachers in America – Lenore Friedman
This book celebrates the flowering of women in American Buddhism. Lenore Friedman set out to explore this phenomenon by interviewing some of the remarkable women who are/were teaching Buddhism in the United States. The seventeen women she writes about vary in background, personality, and form of teaching. Together they represent the growing presence and influence of women teachers in America--a development that will surely affect Buddhism in the West for years to come. This revised edition includes a new section describing developments in these women's lives and work since the book's first publication in 1987. Teachers include:Toni Packer, Maurine Stuart, Pema Chödrön, Joko Beck, Ruth Denison, Bobby Rhodes, Jiyu Kennett, Sharon Salzberg, Karuna Dharma, Joanna Macy, Gesshin Prabhasa Dharma, Sonja Margulies, Yvonne Rand, Jacqueline Mandell, Colleen Schmitz, Ayya Khema, and Tsering Everest.

 

2. Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama – Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama's autobiography should leave no one in doubt of his humility and genuine compassion. Written without the slightest hint of pretense, the exiled leader of Tibet recounts his life, from the time he was whisked away from his home in 1939 at the age of 4, to his treacherous escape from Tibet in 1959, to his winning of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. The backdrop of the story is the 1950 Chinese invasion of Tibet. He calmly relates details of imprisonment, torture, rape, famine, ecological disaster, and genocide that under four decades of Chinese rule have left 1.25 million Tibetans dead and the Tibetan natural and religious landscapes decimated. Yet the Dalai Lama's story is strangely one of hope. This man who prays for four hours a day harbors no ill will toward the Chinese and sees the potential for good everywhere he casts his gaze. Someday, he hopes, all of Tibet will be a zone of peace and the world's largest nature preserve. Such optimism is not naive but rather a result of his daily studies in Buddhist philosophy and his doctrine of Universal Responsibility. Inspiring in every way, Freedom in Exile is both a historical document and a fable of deepest trust in humanity.

3. The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living – Dalai Lama, Howard Cutler
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down with the Dalai Lama and really press him about life's persistent questions? Why are so many people unhappy? How can I abjure loneliness? How can we reduce conflict? Is romantic love true love? Why do we suffer? How should we deal with unfairness and anger? How do you handle the death of a loved one? These are the conundrums that psychiatrist Howard Cutler poses to the Dalai Lama during an extended period of interviews in The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. Like any art, the art of happiness requires study and practice--and the talent for it, the Dalai Lama assures us, is in our nature.

4. Minding Mind – Thomas Cleary
Because of the growing popularity of meditative practices in many spiritual traditions, this anthology of Buddhist meditation manuals is timely. Collected here are texts that discuss a variety of techniques of meditation, the distinctions between sudden and gradual enlightenment, the value of Zen koan meditation, and the power of meditation in action. Cleary's translations are clear and lively.

5. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying – Sogyal Rinpoche
This acclaimed spiritual masterpiece is widely regarded as one of the most complete and authoritative presentations of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings ever written. A manual for life and death and a magnificent source of sacred inspiration from the heart of the Tibetan tradition, The Tibetan Book Of Living and Dying provides a lucid and inspiring introduction to the practice of meditation, to the nature of mind, to karma and rebirth, to compassionate love and care for the dying, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path.

6. Cave in the Snow: A Western Woman’s Quest for Enlightenment – Vicki Mackenzie
This is the incredible story of Tenzin Palmo, a remarkable woman who spent 12 years alone in a cave 13,000 feet up in the Himalayas. At the age of 20, Diane Perry, looking to fill a void in her life, entered a monastery in India--the only woman amongst hundreds of monks---and began her battle against the prejudice that had excluded women from enlightenment for thousands of years. Thirteen years later, Diane Perry a.k.a. Tenzin Palmo secluded herself in a remote cave 13,000 feet up in the Himalayas, where she stayed for twelve years. In her mountain retreat, she face unimaginable cold, wild animals, floods, snow and rockfalls, grew her own food and slept in a traditional wooden meditation box, three feet square. She never lay down. A fascinating book outlining the courage, determination and single mindedness of a seeker. A portion of the royalties from this book will help towards the completion of Tenzin Palmo’s convent in India to revive the Togdenma lineage, a long-forgotten female spiritual elite.

7. Fire Under the Snow – Palden Gyatso
The autobiography of the monk Palden Gyatso, who was arrested in 1959 after taking part in a non-violent demonstration for Tibetan independence. After a failed escape bid he was starved and tortured. Following his release in 1992, after 33 years of captivity, he fled to India and began to reveal the true extent of the Chinese oppression in Tibet. This book is a story about endurance and perseverance.


8. Voices of Insight – Sharon Salzberg
You don't have to be a practicing Buddhist to thoroughly appreciate these informative and engaging essays written by members of The Insight Meditation Society (IMS). Like a carefully prepared cup of green tea, each of these pieces is quieting to the psyche while energizing to the soul.
The teachings of IMS revolve around Theraveda Buddhism, which in the West translates into a commitment to insight, moral integrity, and compassion. As a result, these themes resonate throughout. For example, Steven Smith speaks about the insight he gained from the death of a friend--it helped him grasp the sacredness of friendship. In another essay, Michele McDonald-Smith talks about accidentally locking her car keys and her other sandal in her car. From this anecdote she begins to ponder what it would be like "to live like a guesthouse"--always ready to receive the unexpected guests and situations that come to us in everyday life. It is the use of personal stories that make these Buddhist gleanings so satisfying and accessible. As editor Sharon Salzberg explains in her introduction, "We are unfolding a tradition that speaks of current challenges, our own triumphs, and our unique lessons.... It is a significant step in the transmission of a living truth."

9. Mother of the Buddhas: Meditation on the Prajnaparamita Sutra - Lex Hixon
Many Masters comment on how indefinable the final state of enlightenment really is. Gautama Buddha’s Prajnaparamita Sutra, the Mother of Buddhas, is a rare and almost singular expose to define the indefinable, to express the inexpressible and to capture into words the immeasurable experience of ‘nothingness’. Containing the subtlest and most ‘exalted’ teachings of Lord Buddha, this scripture which contains nearly 25,000 verses, has been sifted for forty key passages and matchlessly translated by Lex Hixon to present these timeless dialogues on enlightenment. Prajnaparamita, or the Perfect Wisdom, is in effect for an advanced spiritual traveler who has already entered the realm of subtle wisdom. Hixon’s work brings this dynamic wisdom to your doorstep in the simplest and most terse translation yet. For seekers, on the threshold of disappearing into the ‘void’ or nirvana, this book is a rare catalyst.

 

|| MEDITATION ||

 

 

1. Meditation: The First and Last Freedom – OSHO
Meditation is indigenous to all religions, and this book is a compilation drawn from Osho’s profound work on meditation. It contains a wide variety of methods. From ancient Buddhist, Taoist, Sufi and Hindu practices to Osho's own modern Dynamic Meditation and Mystic Rose Meditation, these methods will help any spiritual seeker further along the path to fulfillment. The most complete, the most updated and the most modern book about meditation. A book made for the contemporary man. This book will completely change your perception of meditation. You are invited to experience your own inner sky.

 

|| CHRONICLES OF SEEKERS||

 

 

1. The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
Coelho is a gifted writer with both talent and wisdom. The story is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasures found within. Dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

 

2. The Pilgrimage – Paulo Coelho
The Pilgrimage recounts the spectacular trials of Paulo Coelho as he journeys across Spain to discover personal power, wisdom, and a miraculous sword that seals his initiation into the secret society of the Tradition. With his enigmatic mentor, Petrus, he follows a legendary road traveled by pilgrims of San Tiago since the Middle Ages, encountering a Chaucerian variety of mysterious guides and devilish opponents. Coelho's experiences and his mentor's teachings impart the spiritual wisdom that reveals itself as the true purpose of their exciting journey. Part adventure story, part guide to self-mastery, this compelling tale delivers a powerful brew of magic and insight.

 

3. The Fifth Mountain – Paulo Coelho
Written with the same masterful prose and clarity of vision that made The Alchemist an international phenomenon, The Fifth Mountain is Paulo Coelho's inspiring story of the Biblical prophet Elijah. In the ninth century B.C., the Phoenician princess Jezebel orders the execution of all the prophets who refuse to seek safety in the land of Zarephath, where the unexpectedly finds true love with a young widow. But this newfound rapture is to be cut short, and Elijah sees all of his hopes and dreams irrevocably erased as he is swept into a whirlwind of events that threatens his very existence. In what is truly a literary milestone, Coelho gives a quietly moving account of a man touched by the hand of God who must triumph over his frustrations in a soul-shattering trail of faith.

 

4. By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept – Paulo Coelho
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept tells of Pilar, a frustrated scholar looking for some greater meaning in the endless cycle of her days. When a childhood friend contacts her, she is surprised to learn that her former playmate is now a charismatic spiritual leader, someone revered as a miracle worker. She is even more astonished when he reveals that Pilar has always been his great love.
Confused by this sudden opportunity for a new chance at life, Pilar gradually comes to realize that the man she loves is being called upon to choose between her and his spiritual calling. As the suffering lovers travel through sacred sites in the French Pyrenees, the difficult choice they face offers a startling revelation about the divine and the redemptive power of love. Full of warmth and wisdom, joy and unexpected sorrow, their story is a magical celebration of the endless possibilities that life has to offer, and a fable about opening your heart to miracles.

5. The Valkyries – Paulo Coelho
The enchanting, true story of The Valkyries begins in Rio de Janeiro when author Paulo Coelho gives his mysterious master, J., the only manuscript for his book The Alchemist. Haunted by a devastating curse, Coelho confesses to J., "I've seen my dreams fall apart just when I seemed about to achieve them." In response, J. gives Coelho a daunting task: He must find and speak with his guardian angel. "The curse can be broken," he replies, "if you complete the task."
Rising to the challenge, Paulo and his wife, Cristina, drop everything, pack their bags, and take off on a forty day adventure into the starkly beautiful and sometimes dangerous Mojave Desert--where they encounter more than they bargained for. A masterful blend of the exotic locales, dramatic adventure, and magical storytelling for which Coelho's fictional works are renowned, this true-life account is at once a modern-day adventure and a metaphysical odyssey.

 

 

|| IN THE WORDS OF THE MASTER ||

 

 

1. I Am That – Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Hailed as a modern spiritual classic, I Am That is a collection of the timeless teachings of a great modern day India sage. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj was a teacher who did not propound any ideology or religion, but gently unwrapped the mystery of the self. His message is simple, direct and yet sublime. I Am That preserves his dialogues with the followers who came from around the world seeking guidance in destroying false identities.