Spiritual Books

Swami Vivekananda

When a farmer is irrigating his field the water is already in the canals, only there are gates which keep the water in. The farmer opens these gates, and the water flows in by itself, by the law of gravitation. So, all human progress and power are already in everything; this perfection is every man’s nature, only it is barred in and prevented from taking its proper course.


If anyone can take the bar off, in rushes nature. Then the man attains the powers which are his already. Those we called wicked become saints, as soon as the bar is broken and nature rushes in. It is nature that is driving us towards perfection, and eventually she will bring everyone there.


All these practices and struggles to become religious are only negative work to take off the bars, and open the doors to that perfection which is our birthright, our nature. To-day the evolution theories of the Yogis will be better understood in the light of modern research.


And yet the theory of the Yogis is a better explanation. The two causes of evolution advanced by the moderns, viz., sexual selection and survival of the fittest, are inadequate. Suppose human knowledge to have advanced to much as to eliminate competition, both from the function of acquiring physical sustenance and of acquiring a mate. Then, according to the moderns, human progress will stop and the race will die.


And the result of this theory is to furnish every oppressor with an argument to calm the qualms of conscience, and men are not lacking, who, posing as philosophers, want to kill out all wicked and incompetent persons (they are, of course, the only judges of competency), and thus preserve the human race!


But the great ancient evolutionist, Patanjali, declares that the true secret of evolution is the manifestation of the perfection which is already in every being; that this perfection has been barred, and the infinite tide behind it is struggling to express itself.

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"How to Focus" by Thich Nhat Hanh is a thought-provoking guide that offers practical advice on cultivating concentration and mindfulness. This book is part of the Mindfulness Essentials series, which provides readers with simple yet powerful tools to achieve mental clarity and focus.

Through his simple, refreshing meditations, Thich Nhat Hanh gives readers the tools to cultivate concentration and overcome distractions. He shares the essential foundations of mindful practice and meditation, making it easier for readers to incorporate mindfulness into their daily lives.

Readers have found "How to Focus" to be a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their concentration and reduce mind-wandering. The book's guidance on mindfulness and meditation has been particularly helpful for those seeking to reduce stress and increase productivity.

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Wabi Sabi

When you realize you are perfectly imperfect just as you are, you have less need for "stuff" to boost your self-image. This understanding allows you to let go of unnecessary possessions and focus on what truly matters. Ultimately, soulful simplicity in your home is about you and the experience you want to create for yourself, your family, and your friends.


It's about tuning into what you love and making space for authentic inspiration. This approach prioritizes quality, depth, and choice, rather than quantity. By embracing this philosophy, you create a restful atmosphere that nourishes family life and welcomes guests.


A wabi-sabi-inspired home embodies principles of embracing imperfection, simplicity, authenticity, quality over quantity, and non-judgment. There is no right or wrong in this approach. It's unpretentious styling, done in a perfectly imperfect way.


By embracing wabi-sabi, you create a space that celebrates the beauty of imperfection. This space honors treasured possessions that carry love and evoke memories, rather than impulse buys. It's about focusing on experience, not material possessions, and prioritizing what brings joy and meaning.


Japanese concepts related to wabi-sabi include wabi (simplicity, rustic beauty), sabi (aging, patina), yūgen (profound, mysterious sense of beauty), and mingei (folk art, emphasizing everyday beauty). These principles encourage self-reflection, simplicity, and intentional living.


This journey of embracing wabi-sabi creates a harmonious and beautiful space that nurtures both body and soul. By letting go of perfectionism and judgment, you cultivate gratitude for what you already have and create a truly special home.

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Robin Sharma

One of the greatest lessons for a highly fulfilling life is to rise from a life spent chasing success to one dedicated to finding significance. And the best way to create significance is to ask yourself one simple question: “How may I serve?” All great leaders, thinkers and humanitarians have abandoned selfish lives for selfless lives and, in doing so, found all the happiness, abundance and satisfaction they desired. Joy comes from giving.


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Atma Upanishad

The inner self perceives the outside world,
Made up of earth, water, fire, air, and space.

It is the victim of likes and dislikes,
Pleasure and pain, and delusion and doubt.

It knows all the subtleties of language,
Enjoys dance, music, and all the fine arts;

Delights in the senses, recalls the past,
Reads the scriptures, and is able to act.

This is the mind, the inner person.


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Dalai Lama

When life becomes too complicated and we feel overwhelmed, it’s often useful just to stand back and remind ourselves of our overall purpose, our overall goal. When faced with a feeling of stagnation and confusion, it may be helpful to take an hour, an afternoon, or even several days to simply reflect on what it is that will truly bring us happiness, and then reset our priorities on the basis of that.


This can put our life back in proper context, allow a fresh perspective, and enable us to see which direction to take. From time to time, we are faced with pivotal decisions that can affect the entire course of our lives.


We may decide, for instance, to get married, to have children, or to embark on a course of study to become a lawyer, an artist, or an electrician. The firm resolve to become happy – to learn about the factors that lead to happiness and take positive steps to build a happier life – can be just such a decision.


The turning toward happiness as a valid goal and the conscious decision to seek happiness in a systematic manner can profoundly change the rest of our lives.

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Thich Nhat Hanh

As a monk, I do not have genetic children or grandchildren, but I do have spiritual children. I have seen that it is possible to transmit my realization and wisdom, and the capacity to adapt, to my students—my spiritual children and grandchildren.

Just as I look like my parents, so do my students and disciples also somehow look like me. This is not genetic transmission, but spiritual transmission. There are many thousands of people in the world who walk, sit, smile, and breathe like me. This is proof of a real transmission that has been incorporated into the life of my students and inscribed in every cell of their bodies.

Later on, my students will in turn transmit this adaptation to their descendants. We can all contribute to helping Homo conscius—the species that embodies mindfulness, compassion, and enlightenment—develop and continue in the world for a long time.

The world is in great need of enlightenment, understanding, compassion, mindfulness, and concentration. There is so much suffering caused by stress, depression, violence, discrimination, and despair, and we need a spiritual practice. With a spiritual practice, we will be able to adapt and survive.

By living with solidity and freedom, we can transmit mindfulness, concentration, insight, joy, and compassion to others. This is our legacy, our continuation body, and we hope future generations will inherit our life’s offering.


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Shakti Gaiwan

Let us imagine that life is a river. Most people are clinging to the bank, afraid to let go, and risk being carried along by the current of the river.


When the pain of hanging on becomes greater than the fear of letting go, we let go and the river begins to carry us along safely. Once we are used to being in the flow of the river, we can begin to look ahead and guide our course.


We choose which of the many branches of the river we prefer to follow, all the while still going with the flow. We can enjoy being here now, flowing with what is, and at the same time, guide ourselves consciously toward our goals by taking full responsibility for creating our own lives.

As I relax and let go, I flow toward
my greatest good.

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Ramana Maharshi

Solitude is in the mind of man. One might be in the thick of the world and maintain serenity of mind; such a one is in solitude.


Another may stay in a forest, but still be unable to control his mind. He cannot be said to be in solitude.


Solitude is a function of the mind. A man attached to desire cannot get solitude wherever he may be; a detached man is always in solitude.


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Nisargadatta Maharaj

Realization is but the opposite of ignorance. To take the world as real and one's self as unreal is ignorance, the cause of sorrow.


To know the self as the only reality and all else as temporal and transient is freedom, peace, and joy. It is all very simple.


Instead of seeing things as imagined, learn to see them as they are. When you can see everything as it is, you will also see yourself as you are.


It is like cleansing a mirror. The same mirror that shows you the world as it is, will also show you your own face.


The thought 'I am' is the polishing cloth. Use it.


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Sadhguru

When we say 'Shiva', it's not about creating one more idol, one more god that we can beg to, ask for more prosperity, and for better things in life. It is not about that.


The word 'Shiva' means 'that which is not.' Not that which is, but that which is not. If you want to put it in logical terms, we have been saying everything begins from nothing and ends with nothing.


Everything that's here has evolved itself out of nothingness; now it is here; and again it goes back to nothingness. This is a fact of life.


That nothingness is Shiva. What we call 'shoonya' is Shiva. That emptiness is Shiva. You can call it by any name or form, or if you have that much awareness, you can look at it as a formless energy.


But that which contains everything, that which is not, is Shiva.


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Om Swami

Ayurveda states that one should consume foods according to one's constitution. When we do that, our nature starts to synchronize with nature, and the foods we eat lead to better health and harmony.


Each food has a certain quality that affects our well-being. Just like we have physical and mental humours, food too has something similar. Every natural food has a living energy in it. This is the mystical aspect of our food.


It is why the fermentation of grapes and the fermentation of wheat are not the same. Even if two foods have identical tastes throughout the four stages of digestion, it doesn't mean that they'll have the same effect on your mind.


In the short term, they may appear to have the same effect on your body. But ultimately, it's their effect on your mind that will determine the outcome for your body. Foods invigorate or aggravate your genetic disposition.


The food you eat and the manner in which you eat it makes a great difference to your physical and mental health. No, I'm not asking you to become a vegetarian, I'm simply giving you a new perspective on food.


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Eckhart Tolle

Enlightenment is a state of wholeness, of being "at one" and therefore at peace. At one with life in its manifested aspect, the world, as well as with your deepest self and life unmanifested - at one with Being.


Enlightenment is not only the end of suffering and of continuous conflict within and without, but also the end of the dreadful enslavement to incessant thinking. What an incredible liberation this is!


Identification with your mind creates an opaque screen of concepts, labels, images, words, judgments, and definitions that blocks all true relationship. It comes between you and yourself, between you and your fellow man and woman, between you and nature, between you and God.


It is this screen of thought that creates the illusion of separateness, the illusion that there is you and a totally separate "other." You then forget the essential fact that, underneath the level of physical appearances and separate forms, you are one with all that is.


By "forget," I mean that you can no longer feel this oneness as self-evident reality. You may believe it to be true, but you no longer know it to be true. A belief may be comforting. Only through your own experience, however, does it become liberating.


Thinking has become a disease. Disease happens when things get out of balance. For example, there is nothing wrong with cells dividing and multiplying in the body, but when this process continues in disregard of the total organism, cells proliferate and we have disease.


The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive. To put it more accurately, it is not so much that you use your mind wrongly - you usually don't use it at all. It uses you. This is the disease. You believe that you are your mind. This is the delusion. The instrument has taken you over.


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Dandapani

Distraction is the thief of time and energy, robbing us of precious moments and connections in life without remorse. Distraction costs everyone time and energy, but not everyone feels the loss of them equally.


The purposeless person has all the time and energy in the world to squander. The person with a purpose has finite time and energy, and for this person, distraction is too high a cost to bear.


For every minute awareness, hence energy, is taken away from what it should be focused on, that is a minute that is gone forever. My ability to focus allows me to be present in each of the moments of the experiences I share with my family and loved ones.


Distraction would cost me those moments—moments, each unique in time and space, that I would never regain or be able to conjure up again. Moments I am not willing to sacrifice.


When the cost of distraction is too heavy to bear, the price of focus is worth paying. So much precious time in life is wasted because people are perpetually distracted.


So many precious moments with loved ones squandered because of people's inability to be focused in the present moment. The impact of distraction on an individual level is vast, though this impact may only be visible to those who can focus.


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Ānāpānasati Sutta

Experiencing the mind while breathing in, he trains himself.
Experiencing the mind while breathing out, he trains himself.

Making the mind tranquil and fresh while breathing in, he trains himself.
Making the mind tranquil and fresh while breathing out, he trains himself.

Concentrating the mind while breathing in, he trains himself.
Concentrating the mind while breathing out, he trains himself.

Releasing the mind while breathing in, he trains himself.
Releasing the mind while breathing out, he trains himself.


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The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim

"Is it the world that's busy, or is it my mind?"

The world moves fast, but that doesn't mean we have to. In this timely guide to mindfulness, Haemin Sunim, a Buddhist monk born in Korea and educated in the United States, offers advice on everything from handling setbacks to dealing with relationships and loved ones, in a beautiful book combining his teachings with calming full-colour illustrations. Even as we speed toward what comes next, Haemin Sunim's messages of encouragement speak directly to the anxieties that have become part of modern life and remind us of the strength and joy that come from slowing down.

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