The Prophet

Another book to share from my personal collection—"The Prophet" by Khalil Gibran.

I adore this spiritual classic. Gibran imparts philosophical and spiritual lessons using a poetic style. The language is beautiful and the content is inspiring.

If you haven’t read this one, do so!

The Art of Happiness

“The Art of Happiness” by Dalai Lama is a good read. I’ve often wished I could sit down with a great spiritual leader and ask some questions. This book is based on questions asked to the Dalai Lama.

This man is inspirational. He radiates peace, contentment and compassion. And isn’t that happiness?

There are some excellent concepts discussed in this book. A definite recommend for those on a self-discovery or spiritual quest.

Bhagavadgita

Another spiritual text worth reading is the “Bhagavadgita.” This is Indian scripture/classic religious text. 

I believe this book goes beyond Hinduism with valuable lessons for people of all faiths. These lessons are given through poetic, beautiful prose. If this is your first time reading this type of text, I definitely  recommend one with introductions and a glossary, for enhanced understanding.

For those seeking wisdom along their spiritual path, add this to your “to-read” list.

Heart of Buddha's Teaching

If you've been following my blog, you must know that I love various types of books. However, very few actually make it into my personal collections. One book you will find on my shelf is “Heart of Buddha’s Teaching” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

The author is a Vietnamese monk, Zen master and activist for peace. Simply put, he inspires me.

My awakening to spirituality happened in my early teens. I had been brought up in the Lutheran church. My family was not in regular attendance, but around 12, I started to become more interested in learning about the faith. I fed on the idea of being part of something larger than myself. I was virtually unaware of other faiths, as in a small town, Christianity is prevalent.

My disillusionment occurred after my confirmation ceremony, when my pastor tailored a teaching around why the Caucasian race is dominant and actually read bible verses meant to show that other races were put on Earth to serve whites. I was crushed. Absolutely heartbroken. So hurt that this man, someone I trusted, had used the bible to “teach” such ridiculous things. I never went back.

I decided that I needed to find my own truths. I needed to study religion in depth and find what made sense in my own heart. I read the Bible. I read the Koran. I read the Torah. I read the Tao Te Ching. I read the Bhagavad Gita. And my personal beliefs began to evolve and grow in strength. In college I took courses in World Religion and continued to read individual books about each religion. I needed to be on my own spiritual path, not part of an organized group. Christianity was out. Judaism, out. Islam, out. The faith that spoke to me the most was Buddhism.

I had been so uninformed. Like a lot of people, I thought that Buddhists worshipped Buddha. And that they did not believe in God. But neither of these things is true. The Buddhist beliefs allow you to focus on your own spirituality. Buddhism is a guide to finding enlightenment in life. Had I not gone on my own spiritual journey, with help from Buddhist teachings, I feel I would not be the person I am today.

I don’t claim to be a Buddhist. In fact, I make it a point not to claim any religion. I live my life by the moral code that I believe in, justifying myself to no one. I have faith in a higher power and that relationship, to me, is intensely personal.

This book had an impact on my life, at a time when I was still searching for meaning. It acts as a guide for the person interested in Buddhism and also a guide for the person looking to reaffirm their own personal beliefs. Thich Nhat Hanh goes through all the core teachings of Buddhism including the Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path and the Seven Factors of Awakening. He is able to take the complex teachings and explain them in simple terminology. The focus, for me, is that suffering in life is self created, training your mind allows you to transform that suffering into peace, joy and liberation.

Overall, this book resonates with the way I strive to live my life. Thich Nhat Hanh is an inspiration amid a world of insanity.

James Van Praagh

On my spiritual journey I have been drawn to many people. One such person was James Van Praagh. Reading his books, I was introduced, for the first time, spiritual ideas similar to mine.

Van Praagh is a professional medium, which throws some people off. But his thoughts on the afterlife and  soul are fascinating and really resonate. If you are interested in spirituality or open to new ideas, try “Reaching to Heaven” or “Talking to Heaven” or any other of Van Praagh’s works.  

Man's Search for Meaning

Sometimes a book can literally change who you are. One such book, for me, was “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. I was absolutely riveted by the insight and wisdom contained in this book.

Frankl imparts his experience of laboring in Nazi concentration camps over a five year period. He was a successful man and then, one day, absolutely everything was taken from him. His very identity was stripped away; a number was tattooed on his arm giving him his “new” identity. His parents, brother and pregnant wife were all killed. This complete dehumanization is such an appalling thought that my mind cannot grasp it.  But Frankl goes on. He survives years of unimaginable physical and psychological torture. He holds on to the only thing he has left: himself. He makes a choice to stay strong and search for a meaning in his new life. He allows his mind to take over and keep him sane on a journey through hell.  

Frankl shows that you often can’t avoid disastrous circumstances, but you are the only one who can choose how to adapt, find meaning and continue on your path. In the book, Frankl discusses other men, and how they dealt with these horrors. Some gave up hope and wasted away. Some turned into animals. It’s hard to imagine how one would respond; you couldn’t know if this torture would ever end and I think it may be easy to lose hope, to perhaps even hope for death. Frankl argues that one must dig deep inside and find a reason to live, a meaning to every suffering.

Most of us will never experience this type of absolute low point in life, but I believe that this type of circumstance is when you truly know yourself. No one can give you an ultimate purpose and meaning, this is a journey that only you can take. I see so many people going through the motions of life who seem to have no purpose. I have a strong belief that my purpose in life is to accept suffering, to love others and myself and to learn and find meaning every day of my life. Frankl says “He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How.”

Read this book. I honestly don’t see how anyone could not be profoundly impacted by Frankl’s moving work.

A Prayer for Owen Meany

John Irving won my heart with "A Prayer for Owen Meany." This is, perhaps, one of my favorite books of all time.

Strong spiritual issues are introduced throughout the book. What is the meaning of life? What is faith? What is fate? I tend to be drawn into anything spiritual in nature and this book has this theme in spades.

I was in love with Owen Meany. His intelligence and wit command attention throughout the book. You can truly learn from anyone in your life, especially from people vastly different then yourself. This is what happens to John in this book, through his friendship with Owen. Events that happen in life can increase our wisdom in startling ways.

The book is quite long and takes time for a serious read, but I highly recommend it.

Awakening the Buddha Within

Lama Surya Das has been an inspiration to me along my spiritual path. His book “Awakening the Buddha Within” is brilliant.

Becoming more aware of yourself and the world around you is vital to growth as a human being. This book helps guide the spiritually inclined through the key principals of Buddhism. It turned my focus inward and to wisdom and love. Most importantly, it helped me continue on the path to building my compassionate nature, and giving back to the less fortunate.

Buddhist or not, this book will help you on your journey, if you are currently aware of your journey.

The Power of Now

What does spirituality mean to you? To me, spirituality is the harmony of your inner self with the world around you. Spirituality is being content and peaceful. Throughout my life I have been pulled toward many great thinkers. One of these is Eckhart Tolle.

“The Power of Now” was a book that truly moved me and opened doors of thought that had previously been closed to me. I had to read this book twice to get some valuable insight and I think with further reading I could glean much more.

Often people want to force you into a box of religion. Either you believe in “this” God, or you are wrong. I have chosen a more brood minded approach to my spiritual growth. I think “religion” should be lived and not discussed. All of the rules in typical organized religion miss the point of spirituality completely, in my opinion. To me, religion is the strongest, most private thing a person can experience.

That is one of the reasons this book spoke to me so strongly. I believe that feeding your inner self and living your life in such a way to improve the lives of others is the highest purpose of a life. Also, living in the Now--there is only this moment. Your past is gone and your future is not promised. Eckhart calls this “the joy of Being.”

This book is absolutely not for leisure reading, nor is it for reading by those that are not interested in self-development and/or spirituality. If that is not important to you, reading this book is useless.

Food for Soul

The atrocities of the Holocaust are endless. I have read many memoirs by Holocaust survivors and their stories fascinate me. How does one live through such an unimaginable nightmare, and how does it change who they are?

One man who pens incredible narratives regarding his time in Auschwitz, is Primo Levi. I read “If This is a Man” and “If Not Now, When?” Both of these books touched me in many ways.

“If This is a Man” tells of his incarceration in a concentration camp for nearly a year. Levi was a chemist and became a writer following his ordeal. The views he expresses on the substance of man and of religion are complex. The way he tells his story is heart-wrenching. It is unbelievable that humans are capable of treating other humans in such a manner. As a survivor, Levi took on an enormous responsibility in bearing witness to the horrors of the Nazi regime's attempt to exterminate the Jewish people.

His story kept me awake, reflecting on the horror that people went through during this time in history. I put myself in the place of the mothers, waiting to go into the gas chambers, holding their crying, hungry children. I dreamed of feeling that powerless and persecuted. I also reflected on my own religious beliefs and they only grew stronger.

Ignoring the atrocities committed is wrong, and allows history to repeat itself. Levi was not afraid to tell his story and to be graphic in its telling. Everyone should be aware of just what happened to millions of people due to the beliefs of a few people in power. This is something that could very well happen again. Something that happens in parts of the world on varying scales.