
Ask HN: Which is the best spiritual book you have read? - quietthrow
Looking for recommendations as I have some free time. Documentaries welcome too.
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p0d
The Bible. Mark is the shortest gospel so a good place to start.

I can't think of any documentaries but I usually enjoy this podcast,
[https://thisculturalmoment.com/](https://thisculturalmoment.com/).

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runjake
\- Illusions by Richard Bach

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusions_(Bach_novel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusions_\(Bach_novel\))

\- The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. Disclaimer: this book is
seriously woo woo new age junk with recycled western and eastern mysticism
concepts, but it hit me at the right time in life and I took away some really
life-changing lessons without succumbing to any of the woo woo junk. I've re-
read it a few times.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celestine_Prophecy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celestine_Prophecy)

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yesenadam
Some great answers! Never expected to see Ramana Maharshi or Nisargadatta on
HN.

 _The Gospel of Ramana Maharshi_ is great. I reread it 20 years later and
found I still agreed with 90% of it, to my surprise - it's based in what he
learnt for himself, mostly, not what he read somewhere/was taught! He's a
mid-20th C Hindu guru, widely considered as good as it gets. Gangaji, an
American woman, is of his lineage, and has very good bs-free books and videos
(some on youtube), which take you straight _there_...

 _Be Here Now_ by Ram Dass, a US Hindu guru, is a great hippie-era
introduction to Hindu-based religious practices, also has a lot of quotes from
different books and traditions, from which I discovered a lot of great stuff.
Some of his other books and recordings of his retreats are gold. A very
articulate and thoughtful guy.

Buddhism: I got a lot from the down to earth Thai-forest-monk-style Buddhism
of Ajahn Chah's books.

The first philosophy and spiritual books I read, as a teen, were the Chinese
classics - Confucius, Mencius, Chuangtzu, Lao Tzu ( _Tao Te Ching_ ). All
fascinating, a joy to read, deep. I'm very glad I happened to start there.

Oh but I forgot my favourite (too close to me[0]) - _Emerson 's Essays, First
and Second Series_, which I guess is a 'spiritual book'. The first time it was
like he'd described a thousand things I'd experienced but thought
indescribable. Has had more impact, a better impact, than any other author,
provided endless inspiration and...embiggenment. I read in him every day for
many years. He's always with me.

[0] " _Emerson_. – Never have I felt so much at home in a book, and in my
home, as – I may not praise it, it is too close to me." \- Nietzsche, notes

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methusala8
All these books (apart from the second one) offer a peak into Advaita Vedanta
(Non Duality).

a) Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi b) Tao te ching, Lao Tzu c) I am That,
Nisargadatta Maharaj d) Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle e) Silence of the heart,
Robert Adams

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AnimalMuppet
The Bible.

Second place: "He Is There and He Is Not Silent" by Francis Schaeffer.

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rufmirza
As a science oriented person I reach spirituality only through secularism. I
can recommend this book: "Why Buddhism is True - The Science and Philosophy of
Meditation and Enlightenment" [https://www.amazon.com/Why-Buddhism-True-
Philosophy-Enlighte...](https://www.amazon.com/Why-Buddhism-True-Philosophy-
Enlightenment/dp/1439195455)

In essence this book tells why secular Buddhism (secular, western meditation)
is actually a very reasonable way of spirituality.

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christopher8827
The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by the Revered James Martin, SJ.
Pretty awesome book on Catholic/Jesuit spirituality, though the actual writer
is pretty liberal in real-life.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius if you are into Stoicism.

I wouldn't directly dive into the Bible cause its rather thick, and confusing
especially the Old Testament, except maybe the Gospels for a start -

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BGthaOG
Quran translations. Out of the ones I have read, I recommend Rashad Khalifa's
([https://www.masjidtucson.org/quran/ReadQuran.php](https://www.masjidtucson.org/quran/ReadQuran.php)).

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andrei_says_
I am That by (talks with) Nisargadatta Maharaj

It is an indescribable direct experience cutting through BS, “spirituality”,
and illusion.

I cannot recommend it enough.

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mersing
4th-5th century: Confessions and City of God by St. Augustine

13th century: Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas

14th century: The Divine Comedy (includes Inferno) by Dante Alighieri

20th century: Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, Mere Christianity and The
Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Humanae Vitae (Theology of the Body) by Pope
Paul VI

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dragonwriter
_Tao Te Ching_.

(And I'm a Catholic Christian, not a Taoist.)

As a standalone spiritual work divorced from the attached context of community
and tradition, I would not recommend the Bible (plus, it's massive) or,
similarly, most well-known Christian theological works.

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infiniteseeker
Look up stuff by Rupert Spira, Michael Langford, Nisargadatta (already
mentioned a few times in this thread), "The Ashtavakra Gita", "Dhammapada".

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Japhy_Ryder
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan is currently blowing my mind.

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g123g
Dhammapada
([https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1590306066](https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1590306066))

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GoldenMonkey
The Spiritual Guide by Michael Molinos. Spanish mystic banned by the Catholic
church. A guide to contemplative inner spiritual experience.

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qnsi
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, but this is spiritual book for people who don't
really like spirituality

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glidefresh
St. Augustine - Confessions (first spiritual autobiography) or City of God

G. K. Chesterton - The Everlasting Man

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christopher8827
I have read the City of God and it's massive. Are you talking about a
particular section?

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ebcode
The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba, translated by John Stevens

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kleer001
Zen flesh, Zen bones.

\- Translated by Paul Reps

If I only had one book this would be it.

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exhoez
Warrior of the light (A manual) - Paulo Coelho

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imakwana
1) Total Freedom : The Essential Krishnamurti. Selected writings of Jiddu
Krishnamurti from his 50+ years of lectures and notes to self.

2) Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality without Religion, by Sam Harris. An
amazing masterpiece on a rational approach to meditation.

3) Coming to our senses, by Jon-Kabat Zinn. A collection of essays which delve
into the urgency of understanding oneself in the present moment & the case for
contemplative life.

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coder4life
Chuang Tzu

Second place: Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

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kettunen
Be Here Now by Ram Dass

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maynman
1\. The Bible

2\. Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis

