recommended
BOOKS
recommended
BOOKS
Welcome to Dharmaland: The Journey Begins
by Marion-Rose Banks
Step into Dharmaland, where timeless wisdom is woven into tales of magic, wonder, and discovery. Welcome to Dharmaland: The Journey Begins gently introduces children to values such as kindness, courage, respect, and honesty—principles that help them grow into compassionate, confident human beings.
I Am Ordinary Awareness: The World Is Too Small to Disturb a Wise Person
by James Swartz
This book’s appearance addresses the plethora of modern misconceptions about the spiritual nature of reality, which echo misunderstandings about enlightenment that stretch back to time’s beginning. It draws on an important workbook on non-duality by Shankaracharya, an eighth-century Vedic sage, titled Aparokshanubhuti [Direct Experience].
Existence Shining As Awareness: Commentaries on Ramana Maharshi’s Sat Darshanam
by James Swartz
To properly set foot on the path of knowledge means that one should not ignore the mind, attempt to transcend or remove it, but to cultivate it assiduously by gradually shifting one’s attention from one’s person – the “I-sense” – to Being itself, which is seemingly hidden “behind” the mind.s commentary is dedicated to Ramana Maharshi, whose teachings about the nature of freedom have been largely misunderstood by Western seekers who fail to grasp that Ramana does not endorse the view that liberation is a discrete experience of one’s innermost Self, Existence shining as Awareness.
Mandukya Upanishad with Gaudapada’s Commentaries
by James Swartz
The popular and often misunderstood Mandukya Upanishad is considered the “king” of the Upanishads because its simple, elegant logic removes the belief that the Self is a finite entity, revealing its limitless fullness. The famous commentaries of Gaudapada, a great sage of the Vedantic teaching tradition, presents a radical Creation teaching, non-origination, the idea that world ‘never happened.’ Creation teachings are important because the Upanishads unequivocally state that reality is non-dual consciousness/existence. If it is, then how can we explain the presence of duality, which we continually experience? For intermediate and advanced inquirers.
The Fire of Self Knowledge ~ Atma Bodha ~
by James Swartz
A beautifully illustrated book of James’ commentaries on Shankaracharya’s prakrana text, Atma Bodh, which presents Vedanta’s teaching methodology with many excellent simple poetic meditation verses that make it easy to understand the basic concepts.
The Yoga of the Three Energies
by James Swartz
The Yogic Science of Energy Management is a sophisticated set of simple principles that allows anyone to eliminate negative emotions and transform the mind into a powerful tool capable of scaling the sacred heights of self realization.
The Yoga of Love
by James Swartz
The Yoga of Love is an important text that addresses the many erroneous notions of devotion and liberation floating around in the spiritual world need to be properly contextualized to help devotees, East and West, achieve non-dual love.
It is also important because seekers need to know the benefit of self-inquiry: how Vedanta will transform them and their lives. This text provides an an excellent picture of a self-actualized person, someone who enjoys complete freedom and non-dual love.
The Essence of Enlightenment: Vedanta, the Science of Consciousness
by James Swartz
Because suffering is unnatural and freedom is natural to us, everyone seeksfreedom knowingly or unknowingly. The universal desire to remove the naggingsense low self-worth that dogs our days on earth has created a perennialenlightenment culture. Just as the development of sophisticated scientific,psychological and literary cultures that serve human’s material and social needstakes centuries, the spiritual need for freedom from limitation stretches back tothe beginning of human consciousness. Vedanta, the science of Consciousnessand the grandfather of all enlightenment traditions, is an independent, scientific,complete body of knowledge that connects the human heart to the non-dualfactor—some call it God—that melts the apparently separate elements thatcomprise the creation into a conscious, non-dual loving whole.
How to Attain Enlightenment: The Vision of Non-Duality
by James Swartz
This complete guide to enlightenment presents the wisdom of the ancient science of self-inquiry, a time-tested means for achieving spiritual freedom. The author discusses the purpose of self-inquiry, the quest for lasting happiness, issues of identity and transcendence, the role of wisdom and action, and the subconscious obstacles to freedom. He convincingly refutes the popular view that enlightenment is a unique state of consciousness and debunks a host of other enlightenment myths. In his straightforward style he reveals proven methods for purifying the mind, and includes chapters on love, the science of energy transformation and meditation. He takes the reader from the beginning to the end of the spiritual path, patiently unfolding the logic of self-inquiry.
Bhagavad Gita – The Divine Song: A New Translation and Commentary
by Rory B Mackay
A template for living both profound and practical, the Bhagavad Gita has for millennia provided sincere seekers with nothing less than a roadmap to enlightenment. Set on a battlefield at the onset of a terrible war, the warrior-prince Arjuna, overcome by despair and on the verge of giving up, seeks guidance from his charioteer and divine mentor, Krishna. What follows is a remarkable and life-changing dialogue, dealing with themes of life and death, the nature of the self and creation, purpose, duty, devotion and freedom from worldly suffering.
There Is A Light That Shines: Personal Reflections on Advaita Vedanta, Nonduality and Enlightenment (A Spiritual Autobiography)
by Rory B Mackay
Is lasting peace and happiness possible in life—even amid times of exceptional stress and challenge? Is there a solution to the basic sense of lack and limitation common to virtually all human beings or are we forever bound by limitation?
The answer might surprise you.
Enlightenment Made Simple: An Introduction to Advaita Vedanta
by Rory B Mackay
“Enlightenment Made Simple” demystifies enlightenment and unfolds the core principles of Vedanta, a time-tested roadmap to freedom. Topics include identity, desire and suffering, the nature of the Self, Consciousness, God and the phenomenal universe, as well as karma, meditation, devotion and how to attain freedom by taming and re-educating the mind.
Accessible yet comprehensive and written in a simple, conversational style, this book includes a six week syllabus of study and numerous guided exercises and meditation to aid in the practical realisation of this timeless wisdom.
Avadhuta Gita – Song of the Liberated Soul: Dattatreya’s Classic Vedanta Text
by Rory B Mackay
A new translation of the ancient and beloved text attributed to the Indian Sage Dattatreya. The Avadhuta Gita is a concise and powerful insight into the enlightened mind, distilling the essence of Advaita Vedanta into seven brilliant and uncompromising chapters. Featuring commentary on select verses, this is a book to treasure and a perfect aide for meditation and deep contemplation.