So my sister wants to get closer to God, wants a book. Suggestions?

reply to post by DaddyBare

*nods* In defference.
My only tat is a simplistic seagull, blue and white, with JLS underneath.

At the time, it meant that much to me.

reply to post by DaddyBare


'One' wasn't a total bust, but it certainly was no Illusions, or JLS.

Amazing author though.

Stephen King liked him so much he wrote under the pseudonym 'Richard Bachman' for a while...

Originally posted by CeeRZ

Originally posted by dominicus
As always with ats and any "God" related post, the first few responses are usually atrocious flames of subjective bias from the other side of the looking glass.

BIg arrse NEWS FLASH: ive experienced an infinite being that is prior to all thought, reaction, bias, or any of you opinionated bullish and remebered pre-existing as a soul or pure awareness prior to taking on a body. So any talk of atheism,euthanasia, or imaginations area waste of your time to post. I used to be n atheist and it was a completevwaste of unenlightened time in my life. You couldnt pay me enough to or ever convice me otherwise after having experienced the infinite ocean of absolute beingness.

Everyone else , thanks for your suggestions. Looking into them now.

As for the bible, its a little too heavy for her. As far as the know yourself thread, she would need an example from a book on how to know yourself. As for koran, no thanks. Anything that has to dowith enlightenment, union with God, interfaith, tips n tricks from all paths that help for a primarily christian-mystical typebackgnd.

Thanks,and if you have no advice then please dont post

From the sound of it, she isn't looking for God then.... or you aren't helping her find her "version" of God. I am as far as it comes from religion. I don't even consider myself atheist.. because it's another titled religion. I believe what I believe... and that is something absolutely no one here or anywhere will ever understand, because it is so entirely personal. If she wants to find God... what is it she really wants to find? Is it a being? Is it a feeling? Is it salvation? Is it faith? Is it a replacement for fear? Is it God...Religion...Spirituality... or is she just confused about life? There are absolutely no books that can be suggested unless there is a real understanding of why she is interested. So maybe... before looking for "God"... she should start looking in herself first.
Still, with all that said - my book recommendation (seriously this time...) would be, IMHO, the best start for even someone who wants to find their version of God - The Celestine Prophecies. It's a fictional book with so much truth behind it. And the way you described your faith, I bet you have already read it.

It's interesting because as soon as I read the reply about Christian/Mystical I thought o fthe Celestine Prophecies. I only wondered if it would be confusing to someone early in their relationship with God. It is a really great book though and was important to me. I don't think it was really represented as fiction though...

reply to post by Jdawg9909


I have to agree it's a personal experience more than anything and always will be in my opinion.

reply to post by dominicus


Do her a favor, give her a book of logic instead. Like Carl sagans cosmos, or pale blue dot.
give her one of god she will think magical thoughts and eventually be unable to see reality and live in her delusion.

The laws of physics are god, it's pointless to worship gravity, or electromagnetism or thermodynamics.

Just enjoy life, make it count and help others do the same. Being happy doesn't require you praying to a book for the rest of your life.

If you suffer forever because you didn't worship god, well turns out that's not god. A real god wouldn't punish truly good people just for not believeing. A being like that sounds evil.

"worship me forever or you will burn forever" does that sound like the word of god? No sounds like a malevolent being that wants to be praised like a god, and he's a big part of Christianity (what your worshipping the devil and never knew? Your dumb)

Originally posted by DaddyBare
reply to post by dominicus

 

Get her this book
"The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah"
this was Richard Bach's second book following Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

Ah, indeed. I mistakenly mentioned 'One' earlier in the thread, where I was meaning to suggest 'Illusions (adventures of a reluctant messiah)'.
It's been a while, I might pick them up again myself.
I've only read those three, but he wrote more than that.

The teachings of Don Juan, or anything by Carlos Castaneda:

The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge,
A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan,
Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan,
Tales of Power, (Autumn 1971 to the 'Final Meeting' with don Juan Matus in 1973.)
The Second Ring of Power, . (Meeting his fellow apprentices after the 'Final Meeting'.)
The Eagle's Gift, (Continuing with his fellow apprentices; and then alone with La Gorda.)
The Fire From Within, . (Don Juan's 'Second Attention' teachings through to the 'Final Meeting' in 1973.)
The Power of Silence: Further Lessons of Don Juan, . (The 'Abstract Cores' of don Juan's lessons.)
The Art of Dreaming, (Review of don Juan's lessons in dreaming.)
Magical Passes: The Practical Wisdom of the Shamans of Ancient Mexico, (Body movements for breaking the barriers of normal perception.)
The Wheel of Time: Shamans of Ancient Mexico, Their Thoughts About Life, Death and the Universe, 1998. (Selected quotations from the first eight books.)
The Active Side of Infinity, (Memorable events of his life.)


His books changed my life.

Men from Mars and Women from Venus.

To know God is to know yourself.

The Celestine Propechy. It's not a religious book, in fact, it's fiction. But it could not sum up the basic tenets of spirituality any better or more compactly.

It is a good starting point for exploring other related topics, not the be all end all of everything.

Pick up some books on meditation. If she wants to be closer, she needs to begin within and work her way outwards. I think she would be pleasantly surprised with her results.

To get closer to God, find and experience her/him/it/all... inside of you and everywhere. *No intermediary necessary!

In the Gospel of St. Thomas, it says something like: "Lift a stone and you will find me, cleave a tree and I am there."

To "read" about God, I think it's important to understand the many views on who/what/where God is from every possible perspective... The synthesis of which your inner wisdom will help you find your own path.

I have a ton of suggestions from philosophical classics to spiritual deliberations, but here are a few:

- Upanishads
- Jonathon Livingston Seagull
- Black Elk Speaks
- Dhammapada
- The Alchemist - Paolo Coelho
- Ethics - Baruch Spinoza
- Essays on Zen - D.T. Suzuki
- The Little Prince
- Interior Castles - St. Teresa of Avila
- Bhagavad Gita
- Yoga Sutras - Patanjali
- Inferno - Dante
- Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
- Confessions or City of God - St. Augustine of Hippo

All very cool. All providing a nugget of gold to contemplate and add to your understanding and questioning of this amazing thing called Life.

reply to post by donatellanator


That was a very good book.
Synchronicity works.

'___' "The Spirit Molecule" , open up your third eye

reply to post by AnotherYOU


Truth spoken AnotherYOU. In this vein I recommend: "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" - Richard Bach and "The Tao of Pooh" - Benjamin Hoff.

Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy....It is all contained within that one great text...

"The Source" by James Michener is my recommendation. Also, Proverbs 31 from the Bible shows what God considers good according to that book, and it is all about women. She probably will see herself in that short chapter, and it is all good stuff, too.

If I may?
Another would be Don Quioxte.
Apologies if this has been mentioned.

reply to post by dominicus


I grew up in a fairly devoted Anglican family, but still had the desire to 'find' God myself, instead of having him presented to me the way he was throughout my life, and it's been far more of an enriching spiritual journey. One book that really opened my eyes was The Celestine Prophecy. Even though the story came across as a pretty cheesy, Indiana Jones type adventure, the message behind it all still sticks with me today. Oh, and please, if you do suggest this book, tell her to avoid the movie at all costs... She should only watch it for kicks AFTER reading the bool!

Also, another book I never read, but my mother swears by it, is The Message, which is a very modern translation of The Bible. This may be a good one for her if she's looking for literature about the traditional Judeo/Christian God.

Edit to add: Seems I should have read through the entire thread before offering The Celestine Prophecy... although, it's nice to see others feel the same way as I do!

This may sound odd, but C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is an entertaining allegory that conveys the basic concepts of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection in a children's story. It's an entertaining read, too.

to Beezer and Daddybear for the JLS reference! I haven't thought of that story in a long time.

Originally posted by dominicus
As some of you guys here on ats my know about me and the countless personal experiences i have posted about when it comes to finding God or the Absolute truth.

Well now my dillema is that my younger sister, 26, wants me to giveher a basic book that describes sort of a how to guide to get closer to God. And i cant think of one.

Here i am studying nonduality, gnostics, plato, majamudra, desert fathers and all the deepest philosopho-mystical-theological hardcoreness i can find and having myself all these profound insights and God like experiences but this request completely stumps me.

As for my sis, shes been to church and likes to read all those stupid true blood and eclipse vamp book series. So someting more along the lines where you can follow a character as they get closer to God would probably be best. Shes has experience when relaxing in a bath to go deep within and in letting go and has also had fleeting mystical experiences before......... just as somewhat of a background.

Any suggestions?

steven hawkins - brief history of time

that should sort her head out and get her back on track to normality