Top Ten Books for Every Spiritual Enthusiast

Influence; it’s an interesting thing, is it not? Speaking on the matter, author J.B Neblett once wrote, “We are the sum total of our experiences. Those experiences — be they positive or negative -make us the person we are, at any given point in our lives. And, like a flowing river, those same experiences, and those yet to come, continue to influence and reshape the person we are, and the person we become. None of us are the same as we were yesterday, nor will be tomorrow.”

Similarly, still, Nathalie Nahai wrote in a piece called, The Psychology of Online Persuasion, “Whether we like it or not, the reality is that our decisions are influenced by a whole host of factors, many of which lay beyond our conscious awareness and control. It is this subtly transparent quality at the forefront of influence that is so incredibly fascinating. Most of the time, those who influence us, have the slightest intention let alone awareness that they are even doing so as the quote implies.

And it is from this same almost unconscious level that we seem to have an influence over others in our lives, and often much to our surprise. For instance, I vividly recall how awestruck I was when I had a colleague from college reach out to me, and message me about how inspirational I was through my perseverance, dedication, and commitment in regards to my writing.

I could hardly believe it. This individual whom I hold in high esteem was wildly successful in comparison in his endeavors. The type that had European cars, Armani suits, the house, and the dream life before finishing college; voted in one states 40 under 40, and so much more accomplished than I. Honestly speaking, there is a part of me that regrets not taking up a business venture offer over pursuing my writing career. Still, how could I be of any inspiration or influence in such a person’s life?

And how mind boggling it is how most of what influences us takes place at this level that is not conscious. Most of the decisions that we make, our thoughts and opinions about the world around us, and the beliefs that we would nearly die for, are hardly ever our own.

How we would like to take the credit for all the big choices that we’ve made in the journey of our life, but it is much more complicated than that, and nothing could be further from the truth.

Did we come to the decision to attend that prestigious university all on our own accord, or was it instilled us through the countless dinner conversations about how, “Statistically speaking, the college student earns more per year, or, “I tell you, I wouldn’t be where I was today if I didn’t have a degree?” Not only that but if you really stop and think about it, what do you think the odds are that those sentiments are being passed down to you in the same capacity that they were passed down onto them, probably under similar circumstances.

No, that same ideology is further pushed onto the individual as it is repeated by the student’s favorite history teacher, or counselor, or basketball coach, in more or less the same way. The English teacher recommends giving a certain book a try; one that overarching theme encourages education, and is filled with a plethora of inspirational quotes on the matter, and the mind is further molded and shaped to think a certain way.

In this way, in any decision, through whatever life might throw our way, we carry with us, the thoughts and influence of our family, friends, loved ones, everything that we’ve heard, read, seen, watched, and every other experience we’ve encountered. So, when we think about starting that business, taking the risk on a career change, or anything else for that matter, we also at the same time, consider through the lens of what our brother, sister, mother, father, lover, neighbor, teacher, and mentor might think. I’m going to do such and such a thing, but, what would my wife think, or, oh, but Johnny, think about the kids.

The oldest sibling has a deep love for reading, and all of a sudden out of nowhere, books sprout out like wild weeds amongst all the children, so heaven forbid you take up a ‘bad’ habit because they take it in and absorb it like a sponge. We listen to the music, and watch the movies trending amongst our friends, and is our religion so much a choice as is it the direct consequence of the locale and place that one is born into?

On that note, there is perhaps no greater influence than that of what we read. There is some magical capacity of the written word. Without asking to be, it is revered with a certain level of respect. To be an author of something means to be an authority on the matter, in fact, that is the origin of the word authority. And interestingly enough so many of us are closet writers, or secretly want to author something. We pay small fortunes to become educated, just as we do to have specialized mentors teach us about such and such a thing. And what does the education system have us do, read plenty of books, and write about what we think of them. We pay so much for tuition when it costs us next to nothing to pick the mind of some of the most brilliant minds known to man in the works that they’ve written. Similarly still, not only does reading take us to other worlds that we hardly thought imaginable, just as they teach us untold amounts of knowledge but by the same means, you can pay a fraction of the price to be mentored by those individuals through those same works. Ralph Waldo Emerson once made an observation to this point as he wrote, “If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.” I can not emphasize enough as both a writer and a lifelong learner how often I have done this myself. I have grown up with the blessing of having been surrounded by individuals of a rare intellect all throughout my life. My Uncle worked at both the Pentagon and for Raytheon, and of course, this was amongst my top inquiries at an attempt to pick at his brain. I’ve asked this from my favorite educators, and all those who have had a tremendous influence over my life, and at the very least, looked into those books recommended by some of the greatest minds.

It is for this reason that I compile this list of the ten best spiritual books out in the market right now. Just as a writer might consult Stephen King’s, On Writing, or a Business Man might take some business courses or refer to an Intro to Business or Marketing book, so too is the case in pursuing a lifestyle that is more conducive to the spiritual self, in that we should look to the advice laid forth by those individuals that have come before us and mastered it themselves. Those that wrote the book so to speak. I hope that you find these works as enjoyable and useful as I have and that you grow to love them as much as I have. Without further ado, here is a review of the top twenty spiritual books that everyone should have on their bookshelves.

The first written piece under examination in this article comes in two parts, as both works were composed by the same individual in one Eckhart Tolle. More likely than not, you have probably heard of at least one of the titles that I will recommend you. I speak of that of his first published work, The Power of now, which I will begin with.

There is an Eastern proverb that states, “When an ordinary man attains knowledge, he is a sage; when a sage attains understanding he is an ordinary man.” To a certain extent, this ancient teaching perfectly depicts the life story of the German native. Prior to his being the spiritual leader and best-selling later author that he is today, he was very much a representation of the ordinary man, albeit a very intellectual one at that. He studied literature and history at the University of London, and latter, Cambridge University, at about the very same time that one Stephen Hawking was amongst the staff as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. That being said, he was plagued by tremendous angst, anxiety, and deep-seated depression that most if not all of us experience at one point or another during our lifetime. Intellectual or not, he was still very much the common man that you might expect to run into on the bus, at the grocery store, or at the local college. As, The Power of Now, brilliantly illustrates, it was a spontaneous and quite serendipitous occasion that on one night in fighting these more primal feelings, and this particular state of mind, that those dark feelings acted as a sort of catalyst that collapsed down onto itself and lead to his own individual enlightenment. In this way, we can see how the ordinary became the same, and yet in a kind of beautiful paradox, he is every bit as ordinary as ever, if not more so. The only difference being that he is enlightened and has attained what most people are looking for.

In this spiritual tour de force that is as thoughtful and considerate as it is brilliant, this particular work, as with the vast majority of Tolle’s work places a strong emphasis on the significance of presence and being deeply rooted in the infinite now, and how important it is to foster and cultivate total acceptance of what occurs in the context of this moment. He draws upon a plethora of different spiritual analogies and dialogs to articulate this point, while also offering a sort of psychological perspective of his insight. For instance, highlighting that when the individual is depressed, usually this takes place when one focuses on the past, whereas angst is the cause of thinking about some future event that may or may not even happen, and when speaking of time, he frequently refers to it in the context of the construct that it is, or in terms of perceived psychological time where the individual views life through the lens of the past, or as part of a projection of what the future may have in store, instead of what is in the moment before us. In his

Another focal point throughout the book is the way that each individual already has enlightenment within, but that they are caught up in a kind of cloud of pain in suffering which is caused by being attached or identified with thought, thought-form, and the ego’s sense of self, and how we are in fact not our mind.

Both time, or our false perception of time, as well as ego, or our falsified sense of self are at the crux of his argument of what holds us back from being, consciousness, and becoming enlightenment. Tolle highlights, quite in-depth, the way the mind clings and attaches to this false sense of self that the mind has created for itself as a result of our occupations, education, status, reputation, family history, relationships, possessions, income, and all other aspects of our social and material world. He goes on to discuss how the way that this creates for the individual’s pain body, which is a word that he leverages to describe the ways in which we hold on to and attach from the pain and suffering of the story of my life; a story that Tolle says is a fictional narrative that we repeat to ourselves, and that when we become conscious and aware of it, it falls down and collapses on itself like a house made of cards.

This discussion of the egoic mind is further utilized by Tolle to bring to the reader’s attention, or awareness, how, while the mind can be a useful tool at times, when it is needed, that we have become, quite literally addicted to thinking, and that it is this constant chatter or noise issuing forth from the mind that is our biggest obstacle in becoming conscious, aware of our being, our true nature, and ultimately in seeing our own enlightenment. At the same time, he stresses that enlightenment comes when the individual can rise above or transcend thought.

Further still, the notion of time as a construct and a beautiful illusion that plays a huge part in this discussion of Tolle, and ties in wonderfully with the title of his work. According to Tolle, the ego, or a false sense of self, cannot exist without the construct of time, or what may be referred to as clock time. Without a story of my life found in the context of the past, or a future to project itself into, the egoic mind, or the fictional narrative, has no place to reside in. In a way, it is as if the egoic mind is petrified of no mind, or of being so deeply present because without mind or time it has no place to reside or dwell in; the story no longer carries on. It is like a total death to the ego. Tolle goes on to further bolster this argument, Tolle highlights the way that much of the chatter or thought processes that occur in the overactive mind is that or reminiscing on the past, or thinking about some event that is coming up in the perceived future. Although it almost seems an odd sort of oxymoron or paradox to even associate Tolle with any kind of argument. Again, like the egoic mind, it is this obsession with psychological time or the illusion of clock time that hinders us from reaching nirvana. And Tolle prolifically brings his point home by reminding us that both past and future are part of the same beautiful illusion that is time, and how anything that will ever happen will occur in the present moment. In the now.

The second piece by Tolle under this examination is found in that of A New Earth: Awakening To Your Life’s True Purpose. For the most part, this second literary work by the most popular spiritual leader of our epoch resembles, The Power of Now, in many ways, dealing with a lot of the same ideologies and topics as his first book, although from a slightly different perspective or frame of reference if you will.

For instance, one of the main overarching themes throughout A New Earth revisits the whole notion of the egoic mind and this false sense of identity. However, the main difference is that a far greater emphasis is placed on the egoic mind in this work, in the context of what the individual can do in terms of combating the egoic mind or removing the conflict that arises within the false sense of self in so deeply identifying with it. He does this by defining, identifying, and highlighting the nature or state that is the egoic mind. In doing this, he brings to the reader’s awareness of how it is highly compulsive at its core.

Tolle’s remedy for the obsessive and compulsive nature of the mind is to simply observe it as a subjective participant in the activities of the mind, like a kind of fly-on-the-wall observer as it were. It is always a delight to take in the way Tolle’s means of conveying these deep and sometimes difficult themes with his reader as simply as possible. He does so by composing his works in a question and answer format while offering moments of witty humor, for according to Tolle, it is humor that allows us to break through the ego. For instance, when describing the repetitiously obsessive and compulsive nature of the egoic mind, he likens it to watching a child repeating something they just learned over and over to themselves, as he tries to bring attention to how the mind plays out certain thought patterns and ideas over and over again to itself, especially in the context of the perceived sense of self.

Arguably the biggest difference when juxtaposing The Power of Now against, A New Earth, is found at the main premises behind awakening to your purpose. In this latter work by Tolle, he takes the conceptualizations behind his first work and profoundly amalgamates them in order to answer perhaps the greatest inquiry in what are meaning and purpose is.

At the heart of Tolle’s ideas on the matter, is made of the stuff that can render the reader in tears of happiness, saying that, that is what I want. If only I could ever touch the surface of what is being proposed here. For Tolle, we are the one’s that ascribe meaning to whatever it is that we are experiencing, and it is no surprise to come to find that, as for the purpose, that it is only ever as far away as in the present moment, the infinite now.

Tolle notes that when we completely emerge ourselves in and give our full awareness to what is taking place in the present moment, whatever it is that we are engaged in right now, that is our purpose. For instance, right now, at this precise moment, I am fully lost and transfixed in writing this article for you. In this particular moment, that is my purpose, and I alone give my own meaning or interpretation of said purpose.

At the same time, we find purpose in the moment, in presence, because our purpose is to awake, so to speak. To come to a place of awareness, a place of consciousness, and to become fully rooted in presence, while also becoming aware of our spiritual essence, that is within all of us, and the enlightenment that is available to all of us, if we so choose. This too is our purpose.

On a final note, both of these works I rank as number one on the list, however, I will have to be candidly honest in that I may be a little biased. For me, these books had the greatest influence in my own spiritual journey, and have helped me through some of the darkest periods of my life, through the dark night of the soul if you will.

In the same way, If I were to recommend any book for someone to read, it would be one of these two, due to the way that they sort of acted as a seed, the spark, point of ignition, for me to come to the point that I wanted to pursue a life for myself that was spiritually based. If I could do anything in this lifetime, it would be to embrace the present and reach the state of consciousness that Tolle describes in these works. If not for myself, it is my hope in recommending them to another, that it could allow for the process to occur within them, or, at the very least, act as the seed in sending them down the rabbit hole of their own spiritual awakening. That being said, I would also recommend reading The Power of Now, alongside the Practicing The Power of Now workbook that goes along with it, just as I would highly recommend reading anything by Eckart Tolle or watching any of his many speeches which can be found on YouTube.

Our next book under review for this article is another personal favorite for me as found In Osho’s, The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery within. That being said, I feel there are a few things that should be said before we divulge deeper into what this sizable book contains within. In the east, there are numerous stories of the meeting of the two wisest men of their time, each of whom left an entire religion or philosophy behind them in Confucius and Lao Tzu. While they are far-reaching in their scope, the main premise can be found at the heart of each one. Typically speaking, Confucius is portrayed as the practical sage, who is of the intellectual mind, and to whom could be found in a library consulting the ancient texts in his quest for wisdom. Conversely, Lao Tzu, whose name literally means, an old guy, is shrouded in mystery, attaining enlightenment or Tao, through more mystical and otherworldly means. In these stories, while Confucius is regarded as the wisest man in all of ancient China, at the center of his being, he still fills unsatisfied; he has not attained the level of wisdom he has sought, he still has not come to find Tao, which he has heard so much about, and as a direct consequence, he sets out to find one who is wiser than he, though many doubt there was such a person, for Confucius deeply believed that true wisdom could ever be found in a state of humility. To cut an ancient narrative short, the two finally meet, with Lao Tzu expecting the arrival of Confucius. The two have a lengthy dialog about attaining Tao, the basis of Taoism; a conversation that renders Confucius both speechless, and in such a great state of astonishment that he actually fled the mystical old guy. At the end of the story, Confucius returns home to his people who inquire all about how he went about, and what he advised Lao Tzu. They were even more awestricken to hear what occurred between the two, with Confucius comparing the old man to a Dragon, concluding with, “But finally, I have met a dragon. How could I possibly give any advice to an ancient dragon?” I start this way for two primary reasons, both of which say everything that I said I felt should be mentioned in introducing this work. Hailing from India, Osho, born, Chandra Mohan Jain, who upon his enlightenment would come to be known by many different aliases, personified and ostensibly epitomized the mystical dragon himself in many ways. For instance, while there are countless books written by Osho, each one of which I would strongly recommend, although not as much as this one, the fact of the matter, added to the sense of enigma and mysticism that surrounded the man, is that he never wrote a single word of any single one. The published works of the enlightened individual known as Osho were all taken from interviews, speeches, lectures, lessons, and teachings that he gave, the result of which creates for an interesting composition in that you truly feel as if he is speaking to you directly, as a teacher relating his insight to his pupil in the reader. In the same way, I also introduce Osho’s, The Book of Secrets, in this way, because although the enlightened one that has come to be known as Osho was not associated with any one religion, in particular, the progression of his works referred to as, The Rajneesh Movement, a great many of his works deal with the ideologies at the center of Taoism, such as that of his book, “The Secret of Secrets,” which is a full discourse on the ancient text, known as, “The Secret of the Golden Flowers,” which he describes as the very essence of Taoism, as well as all major world religions, in this loose translation of the historical text in question

While, The Secret of Secrets, could be viewed as an original in its own right, especially in the current epoch of human history that it was written in, at best, it is a reinterpretation of one of the most historic pieces of writing in Hindu tradition. More specifically, the text that Osho references and reiterates throughout the entirety of The Secret of Secrets is that of Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, which is commonly referred to as the masterpiece of meditation, and is viewed as law, or the final word in regards to meditation.

To summarize, The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within, is a commentary where Osho provides, as the title suggests, the very same 112 meditation techniques as were recorded in the Hindu Vigyan Bhairav. Largely a clear exemplification of tantric literature, the format that The Book of Secrets is written in such a style that mirrors and parallels the original text in many ways. Although it is written as a question and answer forum between teacher and student, Osho brilliantly leverages this methodology to present these 112 meditative techniques in the same manner that it was done in the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra. For, in the case of the former, it was presented as a question and answer dialog between the Hindu God, Lord Shiva, and his wife Parvati, as she inquires upon her good lord as to the meaning of our existence; a dialog that Osho references religiously in describing each of these meditative techniques. Here, I think it is worth circling back some and mentioning the way that Osho heavily stresses that these are techniques. The reason for this being is found in the introduction, in that one should approach these 112 meditations in an experimental stride, almost like a science, as opposed to trying to view it as a philosophy, something that needs to be understood, or comprehended by the mind. Not only that, but tantra quite literally means technique, so the book is that of 112 tantras or techniques for self-realization and self-love. A discourse on how to love oneself at any time and place.

Two brief authorial notes before we continue forward. The first, one of the most interesting aspects of the 112 tantras related by Osho, is found in the way that the first eleven of these are all centered around breathing techniques. Osho reminds us how the Buddha attained enlightenment by practicing breathing for six years, which was the same case for Ram Dass, although it took him twelve years. It is this point that leads us to the second, in that the general theme found in most of these spiritual works, is the way in which the pathway to enlightenment or consciousness always seems to be found in the most simple means; means such as the focus on ones breathing, or conversely that of rooting the self in the present moment, which is a truly humbling revelation.

What I absolutely love about this next work under examination is the way it so beautifully amalgamates the scientific with spiritual precepts; the psychology of the soul if you will. Not only that, but it stands out in the way that it is almost ineffable in trying to describe or compare it, as a direct result of how truly unique it is in its composition of presenting these ancient spiritual ideations.

Written in late 11976, Helen Schucman’s, A Course in Miracles, is yet another exemplification of a spiritually rooted self-observation workbook or program. Every last aspect of this phenomenal book permits it to set itself apart from other spiritual books on the market. On one level, like Osho’s 112 Meditations, it is a restatement of the main universal truths, wisdom, and ideologies presented in every major religion. In the same way, this is largely due to the way in which there is simply no means of juxtaposing it against and religion, pedagogy, paradigm, group, class, philosophy, ideology. It simply doesn’t fall in any one little box of self-classification, and as a result, it is as much a Christian work, as it can be related by the Buddhist, the Hindu, or any other religious sect for that matter. The terminology, in its references to God, Christ, the Ascension, is all intrinsically Christian, and yet at the same time, the ideas presented also lend themselves to a good majority of Eastern Philosophies and beliefs.

Not only that but Schucman’s, A Course in Miracles, is irrevocably a truly original work on the mere surface level of its composition. This of course is illustrated in the way that the entirety of the book presented to its audience. At a glance, this spiritual piece is subdivided into three sections. At the forefront of this 1033 page text, is that of the actual content, which is the meat and bones behind this particular piece. From there, Schucman presents a workbook of 365 lessons for students, which act as daily practices to implement the sentiments presented in work in every day-to-day life.

It is here that it is worth mention, yet another interesting component at the heart of A Course in Miracles, in that, following the 100th lesson, the remaining pages of this behemoth of a text are all written in iambic pentameter. Perhaps, Schucman decides to utilize this style of prose for all the same reasons that Shakespeare had. Mainly, emphasis on stressed and unstressed syllables sort of mimics the way that people speak, which also, ironically enough, is very similar in nature in comparison with the rhythms of the heart. Or, in the way that in its own capacity it is as rhythmic as it is soothing, making it easy for the audience to memorize as a consequence of its poetic undertones.

What we see in the final segment of Schucman’s work, is the way that she highly considered the work from beginning to end in its conception, which allows the student to become their own master or teacher. This is highlighted in the way that the third part consists of a manual for teachers, providing them further clarification on some of the more difficult to grasp conceptualizations and vocabulary, and an easily understandable question and answer format. At the same time, this final chapter also provides answers for the more frequent questions posited by students of the course. The result; the makeup of, A Course of Miracles, is provided and articulated in such a way that allows for a complete and full understanding of what is being articulated throughout the course of the book.

Enough on composition and overarching themes, I can hear my reader say. What does the book consist of? What does the material contain? Well, let us take a look at that next. To begin, let us merely note the title of the book, A Course in Miracles. Like a standard Biology, textbook introduces the theme of the class, Helen’s work is a full discourse on the topic of miracles. Here, it is essential to note that she defines thus as, one’s complete and total conscious decision to create for a sort of shift from the non-observable effects of others, of separation from others, to that of recognizing the element of God within all of us, to a more, loving, place of inclusion. The shift pointing us at a junction that allows us to consciously see ourselves in another, understanding that if we lived every variable just as they had, we would be just like them and that behind the reputation, status, occupation, race, education, we are all deeply connected, and have much more in common than we would think. Just as it is about saying yes to love, and learning to love oneself in all places at all times, for what we reject, we reject in ourselves. In a way, the message behind every spiritual paradigm has been a message of love. One could argue that that in itself is the miracle.

Further still, A Course in Miracles is presented in a way that is from a completely non-dualistic vantage point. Meaning, that things are not seen in the more typical, black, and white kind of dichotomy where good is separate and different from bad or perceivable evil. Rather, it speaks a lot of illusion, in that separation is an illusion. In fact, what we see is that most things in existence that are observable are an illusion, the illusion being that of separation. Furthermore, the separation that we observe in ourselves, others, and in the external world, is the byproduct of our natural state and is a reflection of our separation from God. Dealing with issues of the ego, it stipulates that the discontent that we have for others is in fact part of the egoic agenda of superiority and inferiority, in an attempt to create and allow for further separation. For instance, with everything being an illusion of separation, meaning the separation of the self, this roughly translates into that anything that is done onto us, in all actuality, is brought onto by the self.

At the same time, the thought is that light in its general term is information. Just as love can be viewed as creation. The book argues that another cause of suffering is in the misunderstanding of knowledge and information, and how it is for this reason that created for what can be referred to as the fall, such as in the fall of man. Providing standard definitions of knowledge, Schucman articulates how, once again, the egoic mind leverages knowledge or information to create for even more separation. What we see in this instance, is that it also asks for another mental or psychological shift, from perspective to that of understanding. Love in its nature is accepting and understanding. From this place, we can recognize that what we do onto another individual, we do onto ourselves. In a nutshell, A Course in Miracles attempts to remind us, or reawaken us to the fact that we are all children of God, of the Christhood within us all, and to walk in the shoes of oneness, teaching only love as we go along.

“My teaching are easy to understand, and easy to put into practice. Yet your intellect will never grasp them, and if you try to practice them, you’ll fail. My teachings are older than the world, how can you grasp them? If you want to know me, look into your heart.”

At a glance, this quotation taken from Lao Tzu’s, Tao Te Ching, seems like some lofty egotistic statement, as if his audience is incapable of comprehending his teachings, but nothing could be further from the truth. In a word, the central theme of Lao Tzu’s work is that of awareness, or perhaps more accurately that self-awareness, and synonymously through it that of consciousness. As Eckart Tolle jokes in his own work, “A more accurate translation for the Tao Te Ching, should be that of The Power of Now,” as he remarks on the similarities consistent throughout it and his own work, such as that of issues of awareness as well as that of the importance of presence. It should be noted, however, that Tao Te Ching roughly translates to mean, ‘the way of integrity.”

Further analyses of the contents of the eighty-one-verse text that is the Tao Te Ching reveals how Tolle’s comparison carries with it a certain level of truth. This is observable in the way that both works focus on the issue of self-awareness, or interchangeably, consciousness as it is referred to in, The Power of Now. Not only that, but this is also apparent in the way that both speak to the tenant of Buddhism in the way that suffering is created by attachment. In both the Tao Te Ching, as well as that of, The Power of Now, the primary attachment referred to is that of our identifying with the obsessive-compulsive way in which we go about thinking about the world around us; that it is a kind of addiction in the way that we over-analyze and overthink the reality around us, completely identified with the thought forms, and the names, labels, categories, and all other defining characteristics that make up our subjective reality. The only real noticeable difference between the two, other than the poetic means in which the Tao Te Ching is written, is found in that of the terminology. For instance, self-awareness, as found in the Tao Te Ching, is synonymous with Tolle’s consciousness or presence, as the discussions on our dysfunction of overthinking as is inherent in Lao Tzu’s work could be replaced with Tolle’s notion of ego or ego identity.

At the heart of the Tao Te Ching, is a call to discover the mystery found within. Here, the second hermetic law of as within so without reverberates with a crystalline clarity. The way, or Tao, is found from turning away from the senses and from the outer world, turning said awareness within. In terms of Western ideals, this roughly translates in the form of mindfulness. Rather than having a mind full of ideas, mindfulness calls not only for presence, but for a clear mind free of ideas. Although Bruce Lee was ostensibly an atheist, his martial arts training consisted of a combination of Buddhist and Taoist Kung Fu, and this is more than evident in the way that Lee articulated these basic precepts in his iconic Be Like Water interview where he famously said, “Empty your mind… “You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water into a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” It is in the mere word choice of this statement, where we see the Taoist influence, as this remark is riddled with the language of the Tao Te Ching, which repetitively refers to Tao is formless, shapeless, and similar to the likes of water.

It is for this reason that Tao, or the way, is close to the wanderer as was revealed to us in the classic rendering of Confucius’s meeting with Lao Tzu, and it also explains to us why Lao Tzu’s teaching can not be understood through the mind. It is not because the idea itself is too difficult to understand or grasp, but rather, it is not supposed to be understood through the mind. On a day-to-day basis, it is estimated that we have some 60,000 thoughts a day. As we go about our days, the very left-brained logical, and rational brain attempts to define everything we encounter. The mind says this thing is good, bad, ugly, beautiful, and so on and so forth. Not only that, but throughout the day, we are constantly removed from presence, as we consider something that we have to attend to in the very near future, or as we contemplate some event in the past that we wish would have gone differently.

The Tao Te Ching, however, suggests to us to become self-aware enough to stop the insanity of this process. It tells us to practice non-action for this reason so that we are not constantly encumbered by the thoughts of I have to be doing this at such and such a time, and so that we can simply allow things to be without having to consider causality, or to have to be in a constant process of defining, categorizing, and labeling the world around us; calling us to simply be, and that if we practice non-doing, that all things will fall into their appropriate places on their own. Not only that, but Lao Tzu calls us to develop a certain level of self-awareness that we are enabled to care for all things as we care for ourselves, and that it is only Tao that allows us to care for both ourselves and for others. Considering how the book is noticeably short, its eighty-one verse text making it easy to finish in a time of an hour or so, Lao Tzu’s the Tao Te Ching, is a staple for every spiritual enthusiast’s bookshelf.

At this midway point, I should hope that the determining criterion that has created for this little compilation of spiritual literature has become evident to the reader. First and foremost, the works found within this work were selected based on the central theme of self-awareness or consciousness, as well as that of an appreciation for the present moment, in the pursuit of evolving consciousness and to ease the suffering of the planet, which is essentially the mission statement for this website. We continue forward with this overarching theme in examining the next piece by the Tibetan monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, whose work typifies all the ideologies of modern-day Buddhism. The text in question is that of, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, which was based on both how well it was received by its intended audience, as well as in the merit of its widescale popularity when compared to the likes of his other books such as Living Buddha, Living Christ. At the same time, I feel it worth mentioning that any of his other literary achievements could easily take the place of this specific work.

Where are you at this very moment? Are you sitting comfortably on your favorite couch at home? Or, perhaps at this moment in time, you find yourself taking a mental break at the office; surfing the internet for some glimmer of hope as to how you can create for an increase in your perceivable sense of happiness in your day-to-day life? Whatever the case, this is where Thich Nhat Hanh’s work begins, in giving ample consideration as to where the reader finds themselves in the exact moment in time that the divulge into the depths of Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life.

Nhat’s intended purpose for this, of course, is to bring the readers awareness to the importance of developing mindfulness, as well as for an appreciation for what the present moment brings, which is that of an opportunity for self-awareness and, through is, peace. Offering the profound insights that he has gained as a sensei, community leader, and peace activist, Nhat achieves this effect by creating for a prolific combination of lessons that he has learned through his teaching, guided meditations, as well as a plethora of insightful dialogues, commentaries, and that of his own personal narratives.

Through this methodology, Nhat offers a wealth of information for considering how to be more conscious, aware, mindful, and present from moment to moment. In his own words, he suggests that we should learn how to, “walk the earth as if your feet were kissing the earth with each step,” which speaks, of course, both to the title of the work, as well as the sentiment of developing a deep appreciation for each moment of our lives.

Again, this application of mindfulness, refers to placing our sense of consciousness, our awareness on what is transpiring in this moment of our subjective reality. Unsurprisingly, Nhat offers a variety of breathing techniques that are useful in promoting for this level of awareness, which is consistent in most of the works included in this article. At the same time, Nhat does this to emphasize how we can find peace and contentment in each passing moment, through a deep conscious breath, whether we are trimming our flowers, driving in traffic, or in the middle of a stressful business conference. To this end, Nhat offers his audience a multitude of different exercises that allow for the individual to consciously place their awareness in what is unfolding before them in the present moment; offering a wide selection of meditations suitable for all modalities of life. In so doing, Nhat articulates how meditation is readily available to us in the infinite now, no matter what we are doing, and lends his expertise and spiritual prowess to illustrate how to incorporate this ideology in all aspects of our lives.

With this next selection, I must be candidly honest in that it somewhat deviates from typical lists of this sorts as far as the contributing author is concerned. Again, there were certain characteristics that I was aiming for in this compilation as was previously mentioned. Not to mention that I was trying to create for a space that allowed for me to choose one piece of literature from each of the major spiritual leaders of our current day and age. This author taught us the importance of being nobody, in his critically acclaimed documentary, and of course, I am speaking of Ram Dass. That being said, the reason that my recommendation breaks from what is generally recommended are that I decided to focus on his book, Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guide, for those that are new to his works, as opposed to that of the series of books related to, Be Here Now, which are normally suggested. As I review this work, I will explain further as to why I have come to this decision.

Published in 1978, what we see in Ram Dass’s, Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guide, is a tour de’ force that is strikingly similar to that of Osho’s, The Book of Secrets. The caveat here is that Dass does not offer his audience all the meditative techniques that are synonymous with the Tibetan tradition of Tantra as Osho, but rather, he offers the reader practical ways to incorporate meditation into their daily lives. According to Dass, Everyone has at one point or another in their lives experienced at least one moment of profound awareness, where the mind is not constantly identifying with thought form, as in that is a tree, or that is a beautiful mountain or any other means in which the minds labels the world around it, but that is just in it’s pure, I am, presence. Thus, the overarching aim for Dass in his work, Journey of Awakening, is conveying to the reader that that state of awareness is the essence of mediation, and through this means, he hopes the reader can reach that plane of conscious awareness of simply being through meditation.

Incorporating his insights as both a spiritual leader and that of a psychologist, which in a way could very well be viewed as a kind of past life for this love guru, Dass imparts his insights by covering the full gamut of different ways that people can meditate in their day-to-day lives. He provides a methodology that is useful to all that read the contents of this piece, as he discusses everything from chanting mantras, the power of positive visualization, incorporating a sort of feeling based prayer throughout the day, leveraging singing as a kind of meditative practice, to the more stereotypical ideation of sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, repeating om over and over in hopes that it creates for a space of mindfulness. And for the high energy extroverted types, Dass also divulges deep into the more physical meditative art forms, such as that of tai chi, yoga, and the likes, all in a highly colorful dialog that is as didactic as it is funny.

The reason that I decided to incorporate Journey of Awakening for those that are new to the works of Dass is a matter concerning formatting. Typically, in a list of this similitude, the works that are recommended for newbies, is that of Ram Dass’s, Be Here, Now, or any of the other books found within this specific series. In my own spiritual journey, I followed said advice, and began, as recommended, with Be Here, Now. I recommend Journey of Awakening because the way that Be Here, Now is composed and presented to its intended audience can be a little off-putting, and outright distracting to start with. This is due to the way that it is composed in this picture book like way where a phrase of vague wisdom is scrawled out across the pages. Consequently, because of this unique style, the effect that it creates for is that the reader gets so lost in translation in trying to figure out what to make from the formatting, questioning in the back of their mind as to whether or not they have the right book or not, that the wisdom offered on the pages becomes secondary. For this reason, from my own experience, I would recommend Journey of Awakening, first, and from there the reader can make their own decision as to how they would personally like to branch out in terms of exploring the insightful literature of Ram Dass.

Although I try to be as unbiased as possible, we find here, another work that reiterates the core beliefs that are at the heart of Buddhism, which can be expected from this next spiritual leader. At the same time, I would like to bring attention here to my sort of Buddhist influence and hope that it in no way tampered with the integrity of this list that I have compiled for the reader. That aside, with this next selection we once again come to a suggestion that is a toss-up between two books from the same author, whose content is similar in both cases, to which both books could be read almost interchangeably depending on the reader’s individual preference. The books in question are that of, The Art of Happiness at Work, as well as that of The Book of Joy, both of which were a collaborative effort written by his holiness, the Dali Lama.

In a word, both works are about that of happiness, or that of joy, again, both of which can almost be used interchangeably. This is accomplished in the case of, The Art of Happiness at Work, as the result of the book’s detailed dialog that takes place between the co-author of the work, Dr. Howard Cutler, as he relates to his readers the conversations that he has had with the Tibetan monk to whom divulges deeply into the insights that he has gained from all of the public teachings that he has given throughout his lifetime. The overarching theme for Cutler in this narrative is to highlight how, on the most rudimentary level, that each of us is guided by our innate need for happiness, while at the same time, through the exchange with his holiness, to see if there is any way that we can all come to living more satisfying, fulfilling lives, and ultimately to find the happiness that we all seek.

Almost right away, the reader immediately detects the profound wisdom of the Dali Lama through his responses to the exchange between him and Dr. Cutler, a good deal of which have to do with a matter of perspective. For example, Cutler begins by inquiring as to what can be done in the workplace, where people too often express feelings of resentment and ultimately that of deep-seated dissatisfaction. To this, the monk replies simply, as he does in most cases, that this is a matter of perspective. That from a particular vantage point of awareness, that it does not take to much effort to shift one’s perspective to a place that is more grateful, or some other more positive emotion; a statement that is reminiscent of Tolle’s statement that there are certain attitudes that we should adopt in our day-to-day lives, with acceptance being the easiest of these. That is, that a mere change of attitude can have a profound impact on our lives.

It should be noted here, in the case of The Art of Happiness at Work, is that the central theme of the book is that of finding happiness as it occurs in the context of the workplace, as the title of the book rightly implies. Throughout the book, there are brief intermission periods where Cutler makes comments and observations from the insights of the Dali Lama. Once such instance of this is found in the way that he juxtaposes these negative feelings of misery that is so commonly noted by those in the workplace, to that of how the monks of Tibet have been subjected to great suffering, impoverishment, and all sorts of atrocities of humankind, including that of their imprisonment, remarking on how awe-inspiring it is that, despite all of this, that their people have persevered to live a life of compassion, kindness, and gratitude in the face of their great adversity. And, as is characteristic of his previous work of this likeness, Cutler remarks on how the social climate of Tibet has allowed for such happy people, and for individuals like his holiness, in a locale where the primary focus of the people for the last two thousand years has been that of a culture fascinated with the afterlife with an emphasis on awareness, consciousness, and ultimately that of enlightenment; a very rich culture indeed when viewed from this lens.

We receive a similar experience in the context of the narrative found in The Book of Joy, the small caveat is that this specific piece is not oriented on how to find happiness in the workplace. Rather, what we find is a book that details a conversation between both his holiness the Dali Lama, as well as that of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. On that note, I would like to make an authorial comment that I would personally recommend this book on that merit alone. In this dialog, the two observe the unimaginable trials, tribulations, and suffering that they were both subjected to, which included, but was by no means limited to decades of imprisonment, exile, oppression, and horrendous violence. They bring these tremendous hardships to the reader’s awareness to set out to answer one simple inquiry; how was it that these two individuals managed to find joy and happiness amidst being thrust into a world of monumental suffering. Here, the two manage to relate the core values and beliefs, as they expand on the virtues they leveraged through these periods of intense suffering, such as that of the eight pillars of joy, or that of the obstacles to happiness, such as that of attachment, fear, anger, resentment, grief, illness, death, and the likes. At any rate, both works should be a staple for the spiritual individual’s bookshelf.

What I love most about this next work, is the way that it beautifully articulates one of my favorite topics in that of how we are starting to see a sort of collision taking place where the similarities and the relationship between that of spiritual philosophies and that of science, and more specifically that of the field of Physics, especially in the areas of String Theory, as well as the developments taking place in Quantum Physics, that subtly suggest that our sense of consciousness creates for, or manifests for our material world, or our subjective reality. The work that I speak of, is that of Deepak Chopra’s, You Are the Universe: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and Why It Matters.

What we can observe as a central theme in the totality of some eighty books that Chopra has authored, is that of his mastery and the way he has exerted himself as an authority figure in terms of mind-body medicine. At the same time, we can also note the way he so effortlessly amalgamates the spiritual realm with modern-day Physics, especially in terms of the realm of what is commonly referred to as Quantum Healing, which exemplifies the ways that Chopra has completely redefined the entire paradigm of wellness, and there is perhaps no better book that demonstrates these constant themes than that of You Are the Universe: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and Why it Matters.

In attempting to articulate the main message at the heart of Chopra’s book, there are two sentiments that immediately leap to mind, that ultimately speak to the title of the work itself. The first was that statement issued by Carl Sagan, as he said something to the effect of, “We are quite literally made of the stuff of stars,” as he commented on the way that the same carbon that made up all the stars in the universe where found within us on a subatomic level. Similarly, I think of a quote attributed to none other than spiritual leader Tolle, in that, “You are not IN the universe, you ARE the universe, an intrinsic part of it. Ultimately you are not a person, but a focal point where the universe is becoming conscious of itself. What an amazing miracle.”

These observations highlight the main message in, You Are the Universe, in that we are on the most basic level, part of a human universe, and that on this level, it is our consciousness that allows us to be a kind of co-creator of the universe around us. That it is the sum of our thoughts, feelings, and actions, that make for the subjective reality that each one of us experiences on a day-to-day basis. That, through a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, that it is through our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that we experience a version of reality that we to a certain extent expect to take place. To quote Chopra directly, “the universe is essentially made up of what we expect it to show us,” which suggests that consciousness itself directly impacts what we perceive as our personal subjective reality, that on this level, we basically have a direct impact on the very fabric of both the universe and that of what we believe to be reality. Chopra tackles this difficult concept by offering his empirical insights as he answers some of the greatest questions such as that of what came before the big bang, or the consciousness of the universe, as well as the observable way that the known universe seems to fit so perfectly together as if by some mathematical design or the consideration of where time itself comes from.

Even still, Chopra takes us further into this complicated quantum world by giving a detailed discussion on whether the universe itself is conscious, the inquiry as to whether all things are apparently interconnected through this quantum realm, as well as other main points found throughout the literature of astrophysics, such as that of what the universe is basically made out of, or how did the first lifeforms come to be at a time before such awareness. For avid spiritualist and lovers of science, this is a great read that will quite literally blow your mind.

As is found in the basic pattern of the other works in this list, what we find is that on the majority of articles that cover this topic, there are several of Chopra’s works that get placed alternatively in this slot. Seeing that most of his works cover this converging point between science and spirituality as far as quantum physics is concerned, alternative titles include that of his works, Quantum Healing, Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment, Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment, as well as that of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. I would like to make a brief comment before I continue, in that, although it is not written by Chopra, another sufficient alternative is that of Dr. Amit Goswami’s, The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates for the Material World, which more or less, address all of the same topics.

The thing that is perhaps most noticeable about this highly recommended example of spiritual literature, is the way that it is so completely different from most books in this category. Its uniqueness is found in the way that, unlike the works by the contemporaries it in itself is not a kind of self-help book that relates to us the ways that one can awaken to spirituality, come to awareness or consciousness, peace, happiness, nirvana, or anything of the likes. Instead, it achieves this through a fictional narrative that tales of an individual’s own journey towards spirituality and accomplishing this for themselves, and I am sure that you’ve at least heard of the title, as it permeates throughout popular culture. I speak of course of Paulo Coelho’s, The Alchemist.

What we find in, The Alchemist is an inspiring tale of a young shepherd. The boy, Santiago, decides to embark on a perilous expedition in search of treasure found in the depths of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Throughout his quest he runs into an array of interesting strangers; a gypsy, a king, and, as the title would have it, an alchemist just to name a few. Each of these new strangers guides the boy along his way, directing him in terms of their own projection or impressions of what treasure means to them. Along the way, we see a shift as the boy transitions from searching for a materialistic or worldly treasure to that of searching for the treasure within, inspiring us all to do the same; to become the alchemist of our own personal reality.

I conclude this list with a book that is extremely near and dear to my heart and is among one of the first pertaining to spirituality that I started off with. It has become almost obvious to me that there is a kind of correlation between art and spirituality, seeing as the aim of art is to imitate life, and to capture the essence of what we call the human spirit, and as an artist, it was this reason that I was so drawn to and captivated by this next work, which I hope is the case for any that find themselves as even remotely artistically inclined. However, I am of the belief that we all, to a varying extent, are artists in our own way. The artist is the creator of beautiful things, and we, as human beings, are in an almost constant state of creation; whether that is the relationships we create, the life form we give creation to through love, our different careers, and the greatest masterpiece is that of what we do in all of our life works. It is on this level, even if you don’t fancy yourself as an artist, that you may stumble across this piece, as it is so monumentally helpful in creating for the life that you want for yourself. The book in question is that of, Julia Cameron’s, The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.

I refer to the book as a self-help book, because of the way that Cameron offers her audience a vast arsenal of exercises, routines, techniques, and practices for the artistic individual to adopt in order that they may hone in on their particular craft and to reach their maximum potential. Not only that, but the book offers practical ways, such as daily affirmations, so that the artist may find a sense of self-efficacy within their abilities, in that they may become more self-assured in themselves as artists, and not necessarily in the traditional sense. I have found this book extremely helpful, and I still utilize its techniques to this very day. For instance, one such exercise is allowing time in the more to create for what Cameron calls morning pages. This particular practice consists merely of conducting a sort of steady stream of consciousness journaling session, where the practitioner writes out three consecutive pages of the first thing that comes to mind, whether that be things we want to change in our waking lives, ideas we want to manifest, or simply things we want. As a writer, I have personally found this particular practice extremely useful, and still go through this process every morning, which I have done for the last seven years now.