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

reply to post by dominicus
tell your sister to go within and meditate. they teach us on earth to worship god and we don't even understand the word. first lords are rulers of planets thus the term lord over someone. second gods are anything intelligent in the universe. that's why different beings came here and was worshiped because they did things at the time humans couldn't do. the creator does not not require worship he/she just is. everything we've been taught is a lie and we'll need to relearn the truth of how the universe really works!!!

reply to post by dominicus



Why don't you make her read Lucretia, Epicurus, Nietszche, Max Stirner and Lao-Tse/Chuang-Tse? Every human should have the basics in rationality and wisdom before pretending to be on the path to "Truth"... if there is such a thing as absolute truth, that your mind can access in this universe of relativity and mortality.

I reccommend starting slow and easy with something that will help her smile, relax and shine.

Jumping into a big heavy book like The Baghavad Gita or The Bible could be too much for someone just inquiring about coming closer to God for the first time. I wouldn't want to anyone get trapped in Orthodox Hinduism or Christianity for that matter though I love them both.

The winnie the poo book "The Tau of Poo"

and "Zen and the art of motorcycle mechanics".

Spirituality is something born from Love but most big religions use fear of God to gain followers.

Also it may be best to suggest she just go to the library and pick up whatever catches her interest but please warn her of the dangers of being trapped in a cult or a religion (same thing just bigger) and to read many books that vary widely.

She should have the option to choose for herself or not choose anything or choose them all and not have anyone lead or mislead her.

Best Wishes and I whish her good luck on her quest.

Frater

reply to post by dominicus

Clever thread . So has anyone mentioned Paramahamsa yoganandas ,,Auto Biography of a Yogi

That comes highly recomended from myy daughters who are the same age as your sister .

They say he has very practical knowledge about You and your relationship with God and the world around you .

Most new age help books are actually based on the teachings of Paramahamsa Yoganananda.

Basically this book has been read by the current teachers of self help when they were in their youth and now are self help gurus , without actually stating their source work. Cheating a bit .

So no need to waste time reading current people , just go to the inspirational source .

reply to post by dominicus


This may seem a little unusual, but I'd suggest psychology boook called "The Road Less Travelled, A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth" by M. Scott Peck, M.D.

I think to get closer to God we need to first know ourselves better, and the games we play and the lies we tell, to ourselves and others, and then, by becoming more acutely, as as needed, painfully aware of our own mental illness and, according to Peck "we are all of us, mentally ill to a greater or lessor degree" - by bringing that to awareness and differentiating it, with clarity, can we generate the needed gateway clearing which makes room for the presence of God to enter into our lives, in the form of Grace.

A deep grokking of that book is what cracked me open, and caused me to "pop" I guess you could say!

reply to post by Frater

My first outside of the bible stories for kids book were books from Indian teachers , but I could not understand them at all , untill I read Bhagavat Gita As It IS by A C bhaktivedanta Swami . Prabhupada .

If it had not been for his writings I would never had had any interest in eastern writings due simply to the fact I could not understand all the flowery words jugglery.

So if you are talking about getting too heavy in reading for her I cant see how those books are heavy as that all i could understand at 17 .

Originally posted by MountainEnigma
The BIBLE is the best!

Nobody here can explain the Bible (New Testament).
Even Jesus couldnt explain things very well.
He spoke in incomprehensible parables.
People though can pretend to explain it
rather convincingly if you give them something.

Originally posted by RRokkyy

Originally posted by MountainEnigma
The BIBLE is the best!

Nobody here can explain the Bible (New Testament).
Even Jesus couldnt explain things very well.

Love God above all, and neighbor as self.

Here's my recommendation:

A BUDDHIST BIBLE

reply to post by NewAgeMan


I read his books back in the 80s . I loved them . Hes great and so is that book. .

There was another one called The( Coming of the ) Cosmic Christ , which i loved from that era as well . I think the author is Mathew Fox , who had been an ordained catholic priest until the church ex communicated him for being too liberal in church theology .

So that means he must be a good guy if he is banned by the catholic church .Mathew Foxs were writings were totally spiritual if she is looking to find that inner God connection .
Scott Pecks book is good as a self help . but once again the source material for all these self help gurus is Paramahamsa Yoganandas writings .

Originally posted by dominicusHere 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.
[atsimg]

This is a nondualist teaching that has gotten pretty popular lately
and it even has a step by step workbook




[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e2365aca4edb.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by dominicus


"Sayings of the Desert Fathers" www.amazon.com...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1311972629&sr=8-2

These are a collection of the Earliest Christian monastics who fled the world to know God after the persecutions ended and Christianity became "acceptable". Western Christianity, for the most part is scholastic which stifles the spirituality. The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox (who I appreciate, especially the Ethiopians, but can't really recommend, being EO) have a much richer mystical tradition.

For in depth Eastern Orthodox spirituality, the must have is St. Gregory Palamas. www.amazon.com...=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311972869&sr=1-2 He's like the antithesis to the Aristotlean scholastic Thomas Aquinas of the west.

I would recommend The Tao of Pooh, at least as a companion book with any others you offer her -

Specifically because it approaches the whole realm of spirituality meeting life, and does not approach "God" with the words and concepts usually bandied about in more traditional religious works.

Good luck to you and her!

The Antichrist by Frederich Wilhelm Nietzsche.

reply to post by dominicus


Close way is inside herself, you get close to god by things you do in life and a book could help her to be a better person maybe but i dont think so

Although I myself enjoy philosophy, it does not include anything from any specific religion. The most interesting to read is mostly justicial and ethical philosophy that brings me closer to myself and closer as to what is the fundamental right and wrong, mostly right as it mutually excludes what is wrong.

I'm not well read by any means, but if anyone is interested, something to be recommended would be Stuart Hampshire "The Soul And The City" and John Rawls "Justice as Fairness". These are two exceptionally great thinkers within their genre, and there is much to learn that will provide some fundamental understanding of morals and ethics which the bible is to banal to explain.

Originally posted by dalan.
reply to post by dominicus

 

She doesn't need a book.

She needs '___'.

Thats funny ....but proberly true as we all had strange stuff that affected our minds eye during our journey .

'___' is the natural plant based one isn't it ? ...I like your universal Lord smiling face on your avatar

For a movie, go with passion of the Christ. Sums it up easily, except for the gore.

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by dominicus

 

Johnathen Livingston Seagull

I had forgetten about that book . It was my first inspirational read as the teenager . She should find the album Of the same name by that great singer Neil Dimond . Read and listen at the same time for a meditation . Its a short story but a very real one obviously based in the teachings of the mystics . It is our struggle in the pack to live to find food , to survive , untill one day Jonothan the seagull starts thinking more .
I actually cant remember much past that . Is there a Special seagull that comes to "Johnathen Livingston Seagull ". ? I think thats the story , a yodo type teacher . Great read for awakenning one to the higher reality .

For something more totally extreme you go to the wilderness like that boy did in Canada " Out Into the Wilds " That movie .

Quantum Physics did it for me, the unexplained fact that we are atoms (99% empty) and still being held together is crazy to me... what keeps us together, with meditation we can travel to other locations anywhere in the universe, God is definitely a mystery but has to exist in my opinion