Looking for religious books to read...

[On_a_Quest]

Hey! I'm trying to figure out what religious books I should read. I'd like to read them all eventually. Please list any suggestions because I know I haven't thought of all of them!

Here's what I've been working on:

Bible
Dhammapada (I wasn't sure what other Buddhist sacred texts there are?)
The Upanishads (I'm confused about the diff b/t these and the Vedas and where I can find the Vedas in print)
The Sayings of Confucius (Not sure if Confucianism is a religion exactly. Is there any particular book that represents Confucianism?)

On my to-do list:

Qur'an
Guru Granth Sahib
Book of Mormon
Tao Te Ching


What am I missing? My goal is to read all religious scripture so I can learn as much as I can and find ideas and some kind of direction.

 

[Renji]

Hello there. Try reading Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, 30 days (of prayer) with Pope John Paul II and The Rite by Matt Baglio.

 

[methylatedghosts]

I've always found browsing 2nd-hand book stores for something to jump out at me to be quite good. Today I decided on a whim to visit a book store, and that exact thing just happened. I read 28 pages on the walk home. Just go in and see if something catches your eye.

 

[Marble]

When you want to understand Advaita (non-dualism), Talks with Ramana Maharshi is a good read.

 

[On_a_Quest]

Lawrence, thanks for the suggestions! Could you give me a little more explanation on what each of those books are about?

Methylatedghosts, I think I will try that! Great idea!

 

[On_a_Quest]

When you want to understand Advaita (non-dualism), Talks with Ramana Maharshi is a good read.

Dualism means the body and soul are separate entities, right? So are you saying that Advaita means a theory that the body and soul are one? I've never heard of Advaita before.

 

[Me Myself]

Hey! I'm trying to figure out what religious books I should read. I'd like to read them all eventually. Please list any suggestions because I know I haven't thought of all of them!

Here's what I've been working on:

Bible
Dhammapada (I wasn't sure what other Buddhist sacred texts there are?)
The Upanishads (I'm confused about the diff b/t these and the Vedas and where I can find the Vedas in print)
The Sayings of Confucius (Not sure if Confucianism is a religion exactly. Is there any particular book that represents Confucianism?)

On my to-do list:

Qur'an
Guru Granth Sahib
Book of Mormon
Tao Te Ching


What am I missing? My goal is to read all religious scripture so I can learn as much as I can and find ideas and some kind of direction.

Hello my friend!

To help you in your quest:

Internet Sacred Text Archive Home

There should be a lot to see in there .

Also, this is not a sacred text in itself but a video version of one:

[youtube]ySSw8CdjIYk[/youtube]
‪Mahabharat Episode 1- With English Subtitles‬‏ - YouTube

The effects suck cause it was done in 1988, but to my taste the story is INCREDIBLE! (well specially if yu are atheist, but I mean its good )

A little fact about this series is that according to wiki it was SO popular in india that the streets were barren when it aired (well, thats what wiki says) .

It also says that hindu politicians changed the hours of their meetings so they could see the Mahabharat so they could all learn from its teachings ^_^

This BTW is a summarized version, but for a book 4 times the length of the bible, I am sure a video should help as to get a feel of it. So when you read it, it will be more exciting cause you will know a lot of new stuff about chars you already have mental images off. It is really dramatic. I am just now watching it and at the last episodes!

In any case, hope I´ve been of help!

Blessings

 

[Renji]

Lawrence, thanks for the suggestions! Could you give me a little more explanation on what each of those books are about?

Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and 30 days with PJPII are both meditative books. The first one shows a person different ways on how we can pray and how we can focus ourselves to God. For you too 'successfully ' or 'effectively' read it, read it by heart and be sensible to your environment. If a phrase catches your attention or somehow touched you, pause for a while and try to 'imagine' what God is trying to tell you. The second one is more of an inspirational type. It contains prayers ofcourse and lines from pope jpII. It will 'uplift' your soul, especially when your feeling down. The Rite is the story about Fr. Gary and his experiences while taking exorcism and deliverance course in the Vatican, which aims to reteach the clergy about the Roman Ritual of Exorcism. The book does not focus on the 'rite' itself, but it also tackles topics such as church's teachings. It's not very traditional and is smoothly narrated.

 

[Renji]

Another good book is the diary of Sr. Faustina Kowalska, which I think is a topic on a thread in this forum

 

[Otherright]

Hey! I'm trying to figure out what religious books I should read. I'd like to read them all eventually. Please list any suggestions because I know I haven't thought of all of them!

Here's what I've been working on:

Bible
Dhammapada (I wasn't sure what other Buddhist sacred texts there are?)
The Upanishads (I'm confused about the diff b/t these and the Vedas and where I can find the Vedas in print)
The Sayings of Confucius (Not sure if Confucianism is a religion exactly. Is there any particular book that represents Confucianism?)

On my to-do list:

Qur'an
Guru Granth Sahib
Book of Mormon
Tao Te Ching


What am I missing? My goal is to read all religious scripture so I can learn as much as I can and find ideas and some kind of direction.

The Rig Veda has got to be on the list. Bhagavad Gita also.

 

[Breathe]

Bhagavad Gītā, the Vedas.

The Avesta (scripture of Zoroastrianism).
Maybe the Norse Eddas, as well?
Upaniṣads and Purāṇas, maybe?

I'd focus on the main texts first and foremost, though. You have quite a bit of reading ahead of you!

 

[On_a_Quest]

Isn't the Bhagavad Gita part of the Upanishads? As for the Vedas, there are a few of them, right? What are the different books and is there any particular order in which they are supposed to be read?

What are the Puranas?

 

[Marble]

Dualism means the body and soul are separate entities, right? So are you saying that Advaita means a theory that the body and soul are one? I've never heard of Advaita before.

Dualism is when God and soul are seen as separate entities.
Non-dualism means that God and soul are one.

Isn't the Bhagavad Gita part of the Upanishads? As for the Vedas, there are a few of them, right? What are the different books and is there any particular order in which they are supposed to be read?

What are the Puranas?

Bhagavad Gita
Puranas

 

[Breathe]

Isn't the Bhagavad Gita part of the Upanishads?

Bhagavad Gītā is part of the Mahābhārata (aka Mahabharat).

As for the Vedas, there are a few of them, right? What are the different books and is there any particular order in which they are supposed to be read?

Four Vedas:

Ṛgveda (Rig Veda)
Yajurveda
Sāmaveda
Atharvaveda (th is pronounced as a "t" like in "time", not th as in think or this).

What are the Puranas?

Myths, fables and stories about various aspects of Hinduism. Important even if they contain nonfictional stories for the impact they have had upon Hindu philosophy and civilization. Purāṇas are sometimes called as the "Fifth Veda".

Upaniṣads are more worthwhile in reading than the Purāṇas in my opinion as they are more philosophically inclined.

 

[SageTree]

The Bhagavad Gita is part of the Mahabharata. For the record


"Zen mind, Beginner's mind" is a beautiful and practical book that ought to help any spiritual tradition.

"Meister Eckhart: The Essential Writings": Meister Eckhart, himself, deserves a good wikipedia-ing, itself. This book was inspiring to me and a great collection of this Mystics experiences, words and advice.

 

[Breathe]

Also, some Buddhist books I like - but not scripture:

I like both of these. However, I can't find the one with the same cover I bought as the former, and the latter is incredibly expensive.

 

[SageTree]

I like both of these. However, I can't find the one with the same cover I bought as the former, and the latter is incredibly expensive.

In reading the amazon link from the cover picture I came across this suggestion.

I would, on either book, give my recommendation to the translator whom I've heard speak in a small group twice in a retreat setting, talking more deeply about the books he has translated with the HH The Dalai Lama.


This was the blurb on amazon that helped me find this book:

If the length or cost of "Mountain Doctrine" turns you off, try Hopkins' "The Essence of Other-Emptiness" in which the 17th century sage Taranatha summarizes Dolpopa's most important teachings.

Jeffrey Hopkins continues his groundbreaking exploration of the Jo-nang-ba sect of Tibetan Buddhism with this revelatory translation of one of the seminal texts from that tradition. Whereas Dol-bo-ba's massive Mountain Doctrine authenticates the doctrine of other-emptiness through extensive scriptural citations and elaborate philosophical arguments, Taranatha's more concise work translated here situates the doctrine of other-emptiness within the context of schools of tenets, primarily the famed four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, through comparing the various schools' opinions on the status of the noumenon and phenomena. Also included is a supplementary text by Taranatha which presents the opinions of a prominent fifteenth-century Sakya scholar, Shakya Chok-den, and contrasts them with those of the leading Jo-nang-ba scholar, Dol-bo-ba.

"Anyone eager to understand the currents and interpretation that flowed through Tibetan Buddhist literary culture and contemplative practice will be delighted by this excursion into the works of one of the more colorful and daring among Tibet's intellectual yogins."--Jules B. Levinson, Ph.D., Light of Berotsana Translation Group

"This book is lovingly translated and annotated. Jeffrey Hopkins likes nothing better than this sort of challenge of explication, and here he once again comes up trumps."—The Middle Way

"This short book contains two crucial texts on the Jonangpa School's controversial doctrine of 'other-emptiness' written by the Tibetan scholar Taranatha.... J. Hopkins, the translator, is one of today's most insightful and prolific scholars of Tibet.... These texts provide a clear, concise, and approachable source for analysis of the central doctrine of a school that was, until recently, anathematized by the Tibetan Gelukpa establishment. Students and scholars of Tibetan thought will find the work a welcome addition."--Religious Studies Review

Hope this is helpful/useful and that it increases your peace and understanding.


Thanks for the original recommendations Odion.
When you were telling me about this book, I didn't realize that Jeffery Hopkins was involved in it. That guy is super down to earth and really funny to hear talk. Have a few funny stories, but don't maybe want to have them searchable under his name LoL!!!!!.....


:namaste
SageTree

 

[Breathe]

Thanks for the original recommendations Odion.

And thanks for yours - I'll have to get it some time.

Tell me the stories sometime, lol. You know how to get in touch with me.


And yeah, Mountain Doctrine is a pretty damn big book, and chock-full of quotes and sūtras. Sūtras everywhere throughout that text. An acquaintance of mine read a little bit of it and found it to be a bit intense and difficult to follow.

Another book I'd recommend is "Call of the Infinite: The Way of Shin Buddhism" by John Paraskevopoulos.

 

[SageTree]

Tell me the stories sometime, lol. You know how to get in touch with me.

You got it man!

And yeah, Mountain Doctrine is a pretty damn big book, and chock-full of quotes and sūtras. Sūtras everywhere throughout that text. An acquaintance of mine read a little bit of it and found it to be a bit intense and difficult to follow.

I think it said somewhere above, but basically the book review stated:

'Mountain Doctrine goes through proof by proof with scriptural reasoning, but that the other book was more of the gems of thought that came out of that, written by a student of, without all the cataloging of why it's true.'.....

So it's like the pamphlet version!
LoL, I guess you'd say.

 

[Riverwolf]

The only translations of the Vedas that are unabridged and in the public domain are, sadly, over a century old, and one of them (the one on Internet Sacred Texts Archive) is somewhat questionable.

However, there is a collection of 108 hymns of the Rig Veda available from Penguin Classics that's pretty good. It features pretty much the most important hymns (such as Nasadiya and Purusha Suktam.)

The structure of the Vedas is thus:

Samhita: these are the Vedas proper. These are the hymns that are so often chanted in Temples and Puja. When most people refer to the Vedas, specifically, these are the parts they are referring to.
Brahmana: These are the ritual handbooks. Sometimes interwoven with the Samhitas, these outline instructions on how to carry out the ritual.
Aranyaka: The literal translation of this is "forest book." These are texts that Sannyasi would read in the forests. As far as I can tell, they detail the inner symbolic meanings of the rituals.
Upanishad: These are often part of the Aranyakas, though sometimes they're part of the Samhitas. (The Isha Upanishad, for example, is the final hymn of the Sukla Yajur Veda). These are the philosophical discourses, and the most popular aspect of the Vedas.

Other important Hindu texts are:

Mahabharata
Ramayana
Puranas
Tamil literature

These are the "Itahasas" or "histories." The Mahabharata deals with the Kurukshetra war, and is the setting of the Bhagavad-Gita. While the only public domain unabridged translation is over a century old, it is often regarded to be true to the original. Keep in mind, however, that this is the longest poem in the world, and may take over a year to finish by my estimation. The Ramayana deals with the story of Rama, and I believe may be the earliest example of the classic "hero rescues princess" story arch, and the only one that actually is good drama. There are many versions of this story available.

The Puranas are the folk legends of various parts of India, and number 18 in terms of primary ones. Most notable among them is the Bhagavata Purana (or Srimad Bhagavatam), which centers around the life and deeds of Krishna. This is the most popular. However, there are others which are revered by other sects: the most important Saiva Purana is the Vayu Purana.

There's also Tamil literature, which is less popular in the West, but IMO equally as important. Most eminent among these is the Tirukkural, which is probably the most concise yet complete Hindu text there is. Often referred to as the "Tamil Veda", this text is primarily a Dharma Sashtra (text on Dharma), dealing with ethics, God, relationships, etc.

And even beyond these, there's hundreds of other texts in Hinduism.