Book Recommendations

Here are some spiritual books that I have found inspirational on the pathway to enlightenment. All of these are books that have gotten me very "high" spiritually and I highly recommend all of them. But you may have read other books that you thought were great...and if so that's really cool too.

Graceful Exits: How Great Beings Die: Death Stories of Tibetan, Hindu and Zen Masters by Sushila Blackman

This book has come highly, highly recommended to me as having a lot to offer in the way of inspiration after the physical death of Rama. I looked at it and it has a very beautiful energy. When a great teacher dies, it is not merely a death but they enter their mahasamahdi which means that in many ways their empowerment is stronger than it ever was before, because they no longer have to focus any of their attention on the physical body. I've just ordered this book myself, but as noted it comes highly recommended and I will keep the readers of this Website posted about this book.

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahamsa Yogananda

This has always been one of my favorite spiritual books, and I have just finished reading it for the third time. There is something about the way Yogananda tells the story of his spiritual life that makes it sound like a really exciting adventure story. Yogananda's descriptions of the causal realms are especially inspiring; the reader gets a real feel for the wonders that await if one sticks on the spiritual path. I was also highly impressed by how Yogananda has such a strong respect for all spiritual traditions and describes meetings with great spiritual, political, and scientific leaders from both East and West. It takes about a weekend to read this book, and I don't recommend starting it on a Sunday; you won't be able to put it down and you'll be sure to miss work on Monday!

The Don Juan Books by Carlos Castaneda

These books, describing Carlos Castaneda's experiences studying with the Yaqui Indian brujo don Juan Matus, are absolute spiritual classics and rightfully so. Castaneda takes you on a journey to another world, the world of the second attention, which operates in parallel with the physical world but on a more subtle level. In doing so he describes a world of incredible beauty. If you read these books and take the advice of don Juan to heart, you will have made an important first step on the sorcerer's path. And don't get put off by the word "sorcerer". For don Juan and his students, "sorcerer" is pretty much synonymous with "warrior"--someone who is able to live impeccably in every moment. There are nine books in all, and it is well to remember that because these books were written at different stages in Carlos' apprenticeship, some of them do a better job than others at capturing the essence of don Juan's teachings. The ones that I especially liked were: Journey to Ixtlan, Tales of Power, The Power of Silence, and The Art of Dreaming. In particular, I feel Jouney to Ixtlan is the best in the entire series, and I would recommend reading it first.

The Snowboarding Trilogy by Rama/Dr. Frederick Lenz

These books were written by my enlightened former Buddhist teacher, Rama/Dr. Frederick Lenz. So far Rama has written the first two books in the snowboarding trilogy: Surfing the Himalayas and Snowboarding to Nirvana. The first book was a beautiful and peaceful spiritual experience, and reading the second book was an absolutely intense spiritual powerhouse. Everything in the room just seemed incredibly bright and glowing as I was reading Snowboarding to Nirvana. Beyond working his magic through these books, what Rama has done with this trilogy has been to make the spiritual path accessible to a late-20th century Westerner. Rama makes the path seem like something fun, light, and happy...and that's the way the spiritual path is always supposed to be, but somehow when a book is written by a Western teacher for Westerners, but incorporating ancient teachings from the East, it packs just that much more punch. I can't wait to see how Rama's going to top Snowboarding in the third book of the trilogy!

Bhagavad Gita translated by Swami Prabhavananda/Isherwood

This classic deals with the problem of Arjuna, who is facing a battle and is trying to find an excuse for wimping out of the battle. Arjuna's teacher, Krishna, is able to persuade Arjuna of the justness of the battle, and indeed the justness of all battles that we face with the right spirit. By the end of the book Arjuna is ready to fight. I read this classic for the first time while in the final stages of my Ph.D. program at Stanford, and I found it very inspirational. It was just the right book for me at that point, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone facing a difficult battle or challenge in their own life. And since the spiritual journey is the ultimate challenge, that means I'd recommend the Gita to anyone interested in becoming a spiritual warrior.

The Awakened One: A Life of the Buddha by Sherab Chodzin Kohn

This book is a very accessible and readable account of Siddhartha's journey to enlightenment. It gave me a very clear understanding of the basics of Buddhism. After reading this book I felt very inspired that I was connected through my own study of Buddhism with these events 2,500 years ago.

Illusions by Richard Bach

This was probably the first spiritual book I ever read, and I read it long before I met Rama and when I still didn't spirituality very seriously. I didn't read it for spiritual reasons; I read it because I was interested in aviation. And yet, surprise, surprise, I found myself really captivated not just by the flying in the book but also by the spiritual quest under taken by Bach when he meets his teacher Donald Shimoda. This book really affected my view of the nature of reality and of the power of our thoughts to change our reality; it's a very quick read and from time to time I reread it.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Although Tolkien's classic Ring trilogy might not always be thought of as a spiritual book, I found something very inspirational about these books. For those unfamiliar with the trilogy, it tells the fantasy story of an obscure Hobbit named Frodo comes into possession of the One Ring on which the fate of the entire continent of Middle Earth depends. Frodo is thus thrust into the center of something far bigger than himself, something which he never expected and for which he is quite unprepared. Yet Frodo is able to rise to the occasion and triumph, perhaps precisely because he just does whatever he has to do without allowing his ego to get in the way. Or at least he doesn't allow his ego to get in the way much. Also check out Tolkien's prologue to The Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

I've never specifically heard Rama recommend these books, but I read the entire set of seven books this summer and really enjoyed them. Although intended for children, and supposedly with a Christian focus, I really found that the relationship between the children and their spiritual teacher, the great Lion Aslan, has a lot to teach anyone of any age and any practice about their path. The way in which their study of the spiritual path with Aslan in the magical land of Narnia is interleaved with their day-to-day lives in England seems so much like studying Buddhist meditation where you have magical experience in meditation and yet still lead an impeccable life on a day-to-day basis.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu/translated by Samuel Griffith

This classic book remains as timely today as when it was first written 2,500 years ago. More than merely a guide to "war", it is really a practical to life in all forms. Sometimes I think this book is misinterpreted as being "win at all costs". Quite the contrary, I think that it is as much a guide as to when not to engage in the "art of war" as when to engage in it. Much of the time the costs will exceed the benefits, and Sun Tzu advises to prudent warrior not to engage in that kind of battle. Sun Tzu's message seems to me to be to use "the art of war" sparingly, and yet highly effectively, for maximum benefit. Don't avoid battle, and always enter battle impeccably prepared, and yet choose your battles carefully.