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Which Hindu religious/spiritual literature(s) influenced you?

La_Sonadora

Member
This is a continuation from my discussion on the "visiting temples" thread that I felt got a bit off topic. I thought that this question was best placed in a section devoted to such a vast query.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Be Here Now, - by Ram Dass
The Only Dance There Is. - Ram Dass
Illusions. - Richard Bach
The Dancing Wu Li Masters. - Gary Zukav
The Tao of Physics. - Fritjof Capra
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
In my case, Srimad Bhagawat Purana, Upanishads, Tulsi Ramayana (local dialect, I am at an advantage because I can understand and savor it), and Srimad BhagawadGita (read in that order). That makes Aupmanyav.
 

Asha

Member
Namaste

For me the main books were,

Mahabarata
Bhagavad Gita as it is
Ramayana

folowed by,
Srimad Bagavatam
Brahma Samhita
Sri Skiksastakam
Chaitanya Caritamrita

Also many others that relate to my tradition but these are the most formative for me .
 

ShivaFan

Satyameva Jayate
Premium Member
Which Hindu religious/spiritual literature(s) influenced you?

In regards to specific scriptures, I also want to mention that I was hugely influenced by writings of Hindu authors that were not scriptures at all but rather ranged from "catechism" type books, to those who wrote about the lives of Saints, to the actual selective Saints, to even "temple brochures" that included LOCAL traditions and history of local Devatas, to even travelogues! These non-scripture books ranged from Saiva Siddhanta literature, books, "how to" and such, to some of the other books and periodical types and even magazines, and JUST AS IMPORTANTLY song books of bhajans. Yes, I am serious. ALL had a huge influence, writings of modern Savants, Guru, all of it which is not "official scripture". I even was hugely influenced by Teachers where the document was HAND TYPED ON A TYPEWRITER and then photocopy or other copy type of the original paper with the type on it including their blemishes.

Now in terms of actual scripture, as with Hindus - where could I began? A lot.

But I will reserve mention of ONE which har profound heart for me and I will die with it in my arms - but even to mention this, there were MANY authors, versions, regional editions and traditional retelling of, even from many counties. I love and have most all of them.

The Ramayana.

And there are as many Ramayanas as the babes of the rabbit. More. More than the eggs of a chicken. More.
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
The Autobiography of a Yogi.....by Paramhansa Yogananda
Satya Sai Speaks.....by Satya Sai Baba

It doesn't have to be ancient to be important and worthy of reverence. People often reserve great reverence only for the ancient scriptures as if a mystical class of being can only have existed in the deep past (with few details known about them).
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
My first influence was from the inside. Most likely most of us had that. Some inner sense of how to make sense of this world, and it jived with what we now know as Hinduism
 

Satyamavejayanti

Well-Known Member
Satyartha Parakasha by Maharishi Swami Dayananda Saraswati was first influence

Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda were next (various translations)

The Kural stands alone at third

Bhagwad Gita/Mahabharatta/Ramayan comes in equal fourth.

Kama Sutra/Yoga Sutra/Sankhya Sutra next

Maybe Upanishads Last
 
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