Reading List for the Path
The following books explore the nature of the Self and the Path of Enlightenment. They are in no sense a complete guide to worthy documents on the nature of and pathway to Self-Realization. They simply offer pointers to the one Eternal Truth, guidance as to the many aspects of uncovering this Truth within, and rich inspiration for the journey. There are many paths to Self-realization, for in the course of history and in every culture, there have been those who have set out in search of the ultimate Reality, the ultimate possibility and use of a human life.
It seems clear that different people find resonance with different books, and also that the same person may find different books appealing and of value at different times on their journey. It can be powerfully reinforcing to read about the same Reality from different angles and experiences. When the intent for God, Freedom (or whatever we call Self-Realization) becomes overwhelming, we may find that our reading tends to broaden. When a wide reading is undertaken in the context of also attempting to live the Path with some deep sincerity and devotion, then the readings seem to accelerate a feedback loop of more profound reflection, which in turn deepens the intuitive sense of the Path and how to live it. Often, hearing or reading a single phrase or word can be enough to trigger a specific realization, which may stimulate a release of old energies or prior limiting belief patterns. One interesting and faith inducing phenomenon to behold among all great and genuine writings of Truth is their striking concordance. This is true across history and across the cultural map.
Readers may initially be fooled by the use of different terminology, different language, and by the different seeming paths that are emphasized across the spectrum of teachings. For example, in Buddhism and Zen, the Absolute is referred to as Mind, or Buddhahood, or Nirvana. Whereas the more devotional traditions speak more obviously of God, or deities which represent God. By whatever name It goes – Mind, God, the Absolute, the Self, Buddhahood, Buddha nature, Universal Mind, No Mind, No self, The Atman, The Great Is, Reality, Your True Nature, etc - the subjective Realization of That, the absolute and irrevocable self-identity with and abiding in That, with no remaining trace of personal self or identification - that is the end of the Path. These different traditions each point to the same ultimate Reality. (As the Path unfolds, even distinctions such as Path of the Heart vs. Path of the Mind collapse into each other.) Most of these works have their origin in the spiritual traditions of the East, not because it is easier to realize God as an Indian or Chinese person, but because this is where spiritual life has been most powerfully established, nurtured, lived and supported by the culture over many centuries, and where these traditions have not been completely stifled or extinguished by modern times.
As one matures along the Path, the greater intuitive sense of the goal, and of the Path (as spoken of, above) allows one to see more deeply into what is being read, and so it becomes easier to see past the surface level discrepancies in language, style and approach in the different spiritual traditions of the world. With more subjective experience, the Unity of Reality begins to beckon to us more loudly and recognizably from within the pages of many very different texts.
This list contains some of the powerful writings in the human library. It is not a recommendation to any one student. Though one can definitely absorb these great works with much spiritual fruit, one must avoid being overwhelmed or feeling that this list is in any way a mandatory curriculum for success on the Path. Ultimately, one needs no books to realize the Truth. It is between you and God, or you and Your Self. Each person comes to the Path with different orientations, different lessons to learn, certainly different limiting patterns to resolve (karma to dissolve), and a different level of hunger for the Path and for God or Self-Realization. Therefore no one road map would or could ever suffice. This is another benefit of wide exposure to the words and teachings of the Great Beings of many traditions. A greater sense of one’s own road map begins to emerge from the mist. However, this is only the case when the fire and hunger for the Path become strong and you have already been sincerely attempting to live the Path for some time.
One common thread among those who make profound progress on the Path seems to be a powerful and in many cases all-consuming intent for Truth or God. It is only such a fierce intent which makes one strong enough to overcome the obstacles, inevitable ignorance, temptations, seeming reversals and multiple tests of faith that await one on this greatest of all possible journeys. It is certainly a hero’s journey in every sense. Strong intent tends to be a catalyst for one-pointedness of mind. It seems that it is often this very quality of intent which brings the teachings, teachers and the Grace into the life of the seeker that then lead him or her towards the Goal, and which give him/her the strength and the inspiration to persevere through the tests when others may turn back or choose more normal patterns of resistance and distraction.
To know the Truth is to live it and BE it. The power is in what you have become, not knowing about it. As the awareness develops and ripens, the books will eventually become more redundant. But this is only true in the later stages of the Path. The teachings have been likened to a thorn that is used to extract another thorn from the foot, but which, once the thorn is extracted, no longer serves any purpose. The teachings are not the Truth. The Truth is beyond words and concepts, and so at best the words are pointers. Hence the Buddhist term, that any teacher or teaching is simply a “finger pointing at the moon.” The moon is the pearl of great price, not the finger that points to it.
The true worth of these books is therefore not merely concepts and ideas, but in the silent radiance of the Presence from which the best of them are written, and which they reveal. To read these works is, depending on one’s openness to, and readiness and hunger for Truth, to receive a powerful ‘transmission’ from a greater awareness than one’s own. This is the most powerful and often hidden value of reading Truth. In addition, it must also be emphasized that having a rich and clear framework for what the Truth is and what it is not is of immeasurable value in walking the Path and avoiding the pitfalls and dead ends that would otherwise be most likely for the uninitiated. The insights, teachings and life examples of the most illumined beings who have walked the earth only serve to support the gaining of subjective insight and intuitive understanding. They prepare the mind and heart for God, for Love, for the deep surrender that is the price of Freedom. The sincere reader gets to see that absolutely any price is worth paying in order to make the most of this human life, and to realize God.
As greater understanding is gained, more of it can be lived in the day to day of one’s life, and this sense of real progress in one’s relationship to oneself and life often encourages a deepening of the Spiritual Will and greater surrender to the Ultimate Reality, by whatever name you call It. Above and beyond this, the teachings also provide a rich vein of inspiration, including tales of those who have really done it, who have really given and sacrificed everything it takes to allow the ultimate Reality to live through them. In the case of a rare few, their karma was so ripe that little or no sadhana (the process of spiritual practice for the purposes of spiritual maturation or ripening) was needed. Ramana Maharshi and Anandamayi Ma were like this. However, no matter how they arrived at their level of Realization, their words and stories are uplifting and timeless. To read these works is, in a more real way than one might ever imagine, to keep the company of the Great Beings of history. When the student is ready, these works can be doorways to infinity. As such they can also be powerful tools in times of crisis and forgetting.
The following works are listed by author or teacher (in the case where teachings were recorded only by others). They are in no special order. No doubt many wonderful books have been missed out. Where I only include one or two of the books by a certain author or on a certain teacher, I do not imply that others by or about them are not worth your attention too. It is likely that there are either too many to mention (i.e., with Sivananda, Buddha, etc), or that I am simply unaware of some of the others. Also, this is intended as a concise list of the most powerful writings. It is more than enough for any individual to get a deep sense of the Path and the inner world of those who have walked it and lived it from many perspectives. Finally, I use the word Liberated gently and loosely in this document to refer to some unusually high degree of Realization or Perfection. All the authors listed here either reached some very profound state of Being themselves, or have something profoundly valuable to say and share about the Path. It is not important or useful to rank the most illumined beings of history more specifically. Moreover, the very highest stages of illumination and the varying expressions of Being among the most illumined remain a mystery, and are of only academic interest, which is not our concern. For our purposes, this list is merely a collection of some of the most powerful teachings and life stories that have ever inspired the human adventure, and they are a gift to us all. The eternal Grace speaks loudly through these windows.
Remember that different books may be most worthy of your attention at any one time, according to your own needs, individual leanings and where you are at on your Path. You must choose what speaks to you, what touches something deep within you, what inspires you. You will also find it may be valuable to read several books at the same time. Such an approach might seem unfocused and restless if these were simple works of fiction. However, in this case, you may imagine you are sitting around the campfire, or the dinner table, in a conversation with some of the greatest beings who have ever lived. As you do, you will notice that some of the feeling and energy of their inner world will become your own. Thus, photographs are included for further inspiration.
The following works are thus intended to be helpful and supportive of the Path:
Ramana Maharshi
1) Be as you are: The teachings of Ramana Maharshi
2) Padamalai – Teachings of Ramana Maharshi, recorded by Muruganar
3) Talks with Ramana Maharshi
4) The Power of the Presence – 3 Vols, by David Godman
One of the Great Teachers of the 20th Century, Ramana’s teachings are powerful, and explore the nature of the Self, and his “two paths to Self-realization”: Absolute surrender to God, and Self-inquiry. Many beings were powerfully transformed or became Self-realized in his Presence.
The books are available everywhere, except perhaps Padamalai, which can be found at http://www.avadhuta.com
Papaji (Sri H.W.L.Poonja)
1) Nothing Ever Happened (3 volume set)
2) Papaji: Interviews
3) The Truth Is
Indian Self-realized being, former disciple of Ramana Maharshi, his biography (1, above) is a powerful account of this extraordinary life, and of the powerful effect of The Presence which expressed through and as him on all who came into contact with It. Includes many of his own letters and writings, and accounts of the miraculous happenings that became everyday events around Papaji.
Available at his website: http://www.avadhuta.com
Sri Ramakrishna
1) The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
2) Ramakrishna and his Divine Play
3) Great Swan – meetings with Ramakrishna
4) Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna
One of the greatest of all the illumined ones. Ramakrishna studied and followed each of the major religious pathways to their ultimate conclusion in the revelation of God consciousness. His teachings are very powerful, allegorical like those of Christ, and filled with devotion and timeless wisdom. His life is said to have influenced the entire course of Indian spiritual development from the 19th century on. The last book, and many other wonderful tomes synthesizing Ramakrishna’s teachings, are available at the Vedanta Bookshop, Hollywood, CA, USA. Tel 1-323 465 7114. See www.vedanta.org
Swami Sivananda
1) Autobiography of Swami Sivananda
2) Samadhi Yoga
3) Many other titles… (see below)
Swami Sivananda was a medical doctor who became illumined and wrote prolifically on all matters relating to the Path and the control of the mind. His writings are very clear, and his autobiography contains many insights about the Path for all aspirants. See the website, which includes many free downloads:
http://www.dlshq.org/saints/saints.htm
Swami Ramdas
1) In Quest of God
2) In the Vision of God, Vol I
3) In the Vision of God, Vol II
4) The Essential Swami Ramdas.
This is Swami Ramdas (abbreviated here as Ramdas, but to be clear this is not the white guy, Richard Alpert, who changed his name to Ram Dass after being inspired by this Indian Saint). Where the Zen Masters express a seemingly more Mind oriented Path to Realization, Ramdas is a living example of trusting God in all things. His is a personal odyssey in which the ultimate Reality revealed itself within him through intense devotion and repetition of God’s name. His many stories bring a lightness and joy that is inspirational and they show how miracles can unfold so easily when one’s heart is fully devoted to the Reality of the Presence of God.