Read some books to your divine self. While we cannot meet most Masters in person, we can always learn from them through their books.
From an ocean of literary works that is available today, here I provide a list of 8 books that changed the direction of my life. Some of the descriptions of these books given here are not mine but since these matched with what I had in mind I took the liberty of copying them. These have been picked from the same link that I have shared for the book.
1. Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
If I have to talk about one major event of my life then it would be reading this book which introduced me to 'Kriya Yoga' that added melody to my life. This acclaimed autobiography presents a fascinating portrait of one of the great spiritual figures of our time. With engaging candor, eloquence, and wit, Paramahansa Yogananda narrates the inspiring chronicle of his life: the experiences of his remarkable childhood, encounters with many saints and sages during his youthful search throughout India for an illumined teacher, ten years of training in the hermitage of a revered yoga master, and the thirty years that he lived and taught in America.
Autobiography of a Yogi is at once a beautifully written account of an exceptional life and a profound introduction to the ancient science of Yoga (Kriya Yoga) and its time-honored tradition of meditation. The author clearly explains the subtle but definite laws behind both the ordinary events of everyday life and the extraordinary events commonly termed miracles. His absorbing life story thus becomes the background for a penetrating and unforgettable look at the ultimate mysteries of human existence.
PS: Also it was Steve Job's favourite book and the only book he ever downloaded on his I-pad. The book that was given as a gift to all the attendees who came for his funeral.
Please note that book does not become important because of Steve Job, but to an uninitiated mind the book may sound like fiction and unbelievable unless validated by an authority figure.
2. Living with Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama
"I will tell you how I grew up and how I was trained, about the great sages with whom I lived and what they taught me, not through lectures and books but through experiences." - Swami Rama
Reading it, you will discover the human side to this yogic master. He is a young boy, full of mischief. He is a teenager, full of curiosity and adventurous zeal. He is a seeker, with certain strengths and weaknesses. Just like us, he sometimes fails to distinguish the fake gurus from genuine masters, mistaking magic for spiritual achievement. Living with the Himalayan Masters is one of those rare books that contains the seeds of transformation within its pages--sowing those seeds in the heart of the reader, and creating the potential for true spiritual upliftment. These stories record Swami Rama's personal quest for truth and enlightenment--inspiring, illuminating, entertaining, mystifying, and often droll and humorous.This life-changing book will bring you face-to-face with some great twentieth-century masters, including Mataji of Assam, a ninety-six-year-old sage who never slept; Gudari Baba, who taught Swami Rama the value of direct experience; Yogi Sri Aurobindo, who integrated meditation with action; Uria Baba, who demonstrated that every human being has the potential for healing; and Mahatma Gandhi. Read the humbling story of the man who founded the Himalayan Institute, and the great teachers who moulded him into a Himalayan Master.
3. I Am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj
A masterpiece in a simple question answer format organised under 101 topics that interest seekers..Who am I, All suffering is born of desire, Root cause of fear, Awareness, The true Guru etc One cannot read this book for entertainment, it is all about deepening your understanding of the nature of Self but what phenomenal clarity it brings. A must read for all seekers.
“Save all your energies and time for breaking the wall your mind has built around you. Your expectation of something unique and dramatic, of some wonderful explosion, is merely hindering and delaying your Self Realization. You are not to expect an explosion, for the explosion has already happened - at the moment when you were born, when you realized yourself as Being-Knowing-Feeling. There is only one mistake you are making: you take the inner for the outer and the outer for the inner. What is in you, you take to be outside you and what is outside, you take to be in you. The mind and feelings are external, but you take them to be intimate. You believe the world to be objective, while it is entirely a projection of your psyche. That is the basic confusion and no new explosion will set it right! You have to think yourself out of it. There is no other way.” ― Nisargadatta Maharaj
4. The Book of Secrets by Osho...112 Keys to the Mystery Within
This book is for those who need tools and techniques to realise their true self. It is not concerned with 'why' of things, it is concerned with 'how'; not with what is the truth, but how the truth can be attained. Thousands of years old 112 techniques that were shared by Shiva with Parvati and captured in 'Vigyan Bhairava Tantra' have been explained in layman language by Osho. Do not misunderstand 'tantra' to mean sex; it simply means technique. Anyone can easily follow and try these techniques in the comfort of their own home. All necessary instructions are given and no special guidance is needed to learn them. It is advisable to take one technique and stay with it for at least three days and if it suits then three months.
Some of the headings: Unblocking the third eye, From sound to inner silence, Changing the direction of energy, Entering this moment, Go beyond karma, Choicelessness is bliss.
“Dangers have their appeal because in danger your day-to-day, ordinary consciousness cannot function. Danger goes deep. Your mind is not needed; you become a no-mind. You are! You are conscious, but there is no thinking. That moment becomes meditative. Really, in gambling, gamblers are seeking a meditative state of mind. In danger – in a fight, in a duel, in wars – man has always been seeking meditative states.” ― Osho
5. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Herman Hesse's classic novel has delighted, inspired, and influenced generations of readers, writers, and thinkers. In this story of a wealthy Indian Brahmin who casts off a life of privilege to seek spiritual fulfillment. Hesse synthesizes disparate philosophies--Eastern religions, Jungian archetypes, Western individualism--into a unique vision of life as expressed through one man's search for true meaning.
6. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle's message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle's clear writing, supportive voice and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who's ever wondered what exactly "living in the now" means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container--more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.
7. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.
8. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Mahendra Nath Gupta
It is one of those beautiful books that is very simple to read and has the most profound of the messages.
“Only two kinds of people can attain self-knowledge: those who are not encumbered at all with learning, that is to say, whose minds are not over-crowded with thoughts borrowed from others; and those who, after studying all the scriptures and sciences, have come to realise that they know nothing.” -Sri Ramakrishna
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