Book List: Daily Spiritual Contemplation Books

This is my last book list as part of my ‘give a book’ holiday effort (and as much as I love to read, I am ready to take a break!) Check the Books Page for more book lists and book reviews.

Before I dive into this last list, a few other recommendations I’d like to mention. The first is The Faith Club: Three Women Search for Understanding. I finally got around to reading this book (as part of a Religious Debate forum on Cafemom, check it out if you are into such things), and think it is a fascinating read for almost anyone, regardless of whether you are religious. In it, three women, one Muslim, one Jewish and one Christian engage in a two-year debate and discussion on their respective religions, and write about their experience. It is about a lot more than religion, touching on politics, social stereotyping, parenting and many other themes.

The other thing I’d like to mention is a ‘Mothering and Spirituality’ booklist that I recently found on a blog called RiversGrace. Scroll down the right sidebar on her blog for the list. A booklist such as this is another thing I have been working on, but I have not yet read enough books to do a full list (I do read EVERY book I put on my lists.) Several of the books on RiversGrace’s list I have read and loved, and the titles of the others sound promising, so check out this list if you have been hankering for a book on spirituality and motherhood.

OK, now for Daily Spiritual Contemplation books. These are books that are designed to be read just a few pages at a time, and in some cases are even dated that way. I was recently sent a few great ones for review by a publisher, and that reminded me how many I have that I love, and how dear they are to me. Having a book like this at your bedside, in your purse, or, yes, on the back of your toilet (I do all three) is a great way to assure you touch base with your spiritual side daily, however briefly.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to try and be more mindful, more present, more spiritual (whatever that means) or something along those lines, consider getting one of these books to help you out. Just DON’T turn it into a source of guilt, as I just won’t be part of that:-) If you miss a day, or a few, just slide back into it – no anxiety please. As usual, I have tried to offer a mix of non-denominational spiritual books, along with those tied to particular religions or traditions.

Wide Open: On Living with Passion and Purpose, Dawna Markova – This luscious book is a mixture of musings, quotes, questions and photographs designed to help you contemplate how you can do exactly what the subtitle says – live with more passion and purpose. This book is not coming from the perspective of a particular spiritual tradition or set of practices, but in my mind the themes around which the book is organized are intrinsically spiritual. Some samples: ‘Losing Yourself to Find Yourself’, ‘Embracing the Mystery’, ‘Sheltering Fear’, and ‘What Have You Been Given With Which to Give?’ The nature photography is especially stunning, so if you enjoy a mixture of text and images, this book is for you.

Quiet Mind: One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World, David Kundtz – This book offers over 150 two-page musings on aspects of our busy, hyper-stimulated modern life, and ideas for ’stopping’ in the midst of it. In ‘Telephones, Beepers and Clocks’, the author suggests designating a particular sound you hear daily – such as the microwave beep when something is done – as a trigger for a mindful moment through a single deep breath. In ‘A Hard Question’, the author muses on the materialism of our world, the pressure to accumulate more and more, and suggests looking for ways throughout that day to say to yourself  “that’s enough”. This is a great way to focus on just one simple mindful theme each day, in a way that is bound to transform your perceptions over time.

The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have, Mark Nepo – Written by a poet and teacher, this book is organized by date, with 1-2 page offerings for each day of the year. Beautifully written, each entry begins with a quote from another poet, saint (practically every spiritual tradition is represented), or other literary work, followed by the author’s musings and a set of questions to contemplate that day. Some random samples: “August 1: The Pain of Becoming – We do ourselves a great disservice by judging where we are in comparison to some final destination.” “April 10: At Home in Our Skin – The spiritual life is about becoming more at home in your own skin.”

Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat – This is a collection of hundreds (650 according to the back cover) excerpts from contemporary books and movies, organized according to spiritual themes such as ‘Things’, ‘Nature’, ‘Creativity’, ‘Service’, ‘Relationships’ and ‘A Day in the Spiritual Life’. Each section is designed to help us find the sacred in every moment and experience we have. Just opening the book randomly (which I often do), I find a poem from Mary Oliver, a quote from Thich Nhat Han, and an excerpt from a book on quilting. All of the book titles are listed right with the excerpt, so this is a great way to find new books that you might not otherwise have found, in addition to providing daily food for thought.

365 Tao: Daily Meditations, Ming-dao Deng – This book offers 365 gems of wisdom from Taoism. Each page is themed, and begins with a short quote or poem, followed by the author’s contemplation, often in the form of a parable. Day 1 – ‘Beginnings’ starts with “This is the moment of embarking, All auspicious signs are in place.” Day 59 – ‘Source’ begins “Wellspring of energy, Rises in the Body’s Core. Tap it and be Sustained, Channel it and it will Speak.” Both the content and form stay true to the essence of Taoism, without New Age clutter. If you are looking for authentic Taoism, give this a try.

Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha (Pocket Classic), Thomas Byrom – This pocket-sized version of the Buddha’s core teachings and sayings was in my purse for almost ten years when I lived in Manhattan. I read it on the subway, in line at the post office, waiting for the bus, or even stuck in traffic (one spends a lot of time on transportation in NYC.) It isn’t just that this book is small, it’s that this particular translation is excellent – accessible but true to the original meaning – and without cluttering notes or author thoughts. A random sample – “Believe, meditate, see. Be harmless, be blameless. Awake to the law, and from all sorrow free yourself.”

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki – Another Buddhist offering, this classic is not strictly speaking a daily contemplation book, but a set of Zen parables and aphorisms that cut to the heart of Zen. Since most are less than a page, they are perfectly absorbed on a one-per-day basis. If you are interested in absorbing Zen, give this a try. The trick is not to force understanding – just let each story or saying sink in over time.

The MacArthur Daily Bible: Read the Bible in One Year, John MacArthur- I went back and forth on including this, because I have reservations, but I decided to do so because I think there is alot of educational (and spiritual) value in getting through the Bible at least once in your life, regardless of your religious beliefs (or lack thereof.) I have not yet found  a truly ecumenical or interfaith daily bible, but this one worked fairly well for me. Mostly I like the organization, with each day offering a reading from the Old Testament, New Testament and Psalms. The author throws in his own commentary, which you may or may not like, but in any case can easily skip.

The Little Book of Hindu Deities, Sanjay Patel – This book also isn’t really a daily contemplation book, but it isn’t a children’s book either, and I included it on my Children’s World Religions book list. I just like it a lot, and so does everyone I have shown it too, and I wanted to include something from Hinduism. The author is an animator from Pixar Studios, and has drawn anime-style pictures of all the major Hindu deities, along with cheeky descriptions of their legends and attributes.

A Year with Rumi: Daily Readings, Coleman Barks – Rumi, a Sufi mystic, is one of my favorite poets, and this collection offers up a poem a day, accessibly and beautifully translated. A sample from June 26th, ‘The Self We Share’ begins “Look fish, you are already in the ocean. Just swimming there makes you friends with glory.” Or, from February 5th, ‘Throat-Song’, “Let your throat-song be clear and strong enough to make an emporer fall full-length, suppliant, at the door.”

For more book lists and reviews, head to the Book Page.

Book List: Introducing Young Children to World Religions

This book list is a counterpart to my last post, Spiritual Books for Young Children. Read that post for more info on how these lists came about. Both lists are part of my ‘give a book month’ effort – check the posts on the right for some great adult spiritual gift book options.

This list is of books for introducing children ages 3-9 to religions other than their own. Many of these books are also good for teaching children about their own religions, but that was not the main criteria for the list. I have focused here on selecting two books for each of the five major world religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity. There are a few honorable mentions related to other traditions, or geared for older kids, thrown in at the end.

This list is of course entirely subjective! There are a lot of children’s books out there for some of these religions, so I really tried to focus on those that entertained my own daughter the most. Feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments section.

Buddhism
Becoming Buddha: The Story of Siddhartha, by Whitney Stewart – This is an introduction to the main themes of Buddhism through a telling of the Buddha’s life story. One of the few Buddhist offerings geared for children this young, the interesting artwork and fascinating story held my daughter’s interest.

Peaceful Piggy Meditation, by Kerry Lee Maclean – One of my favorites, this book presents meditation as a tool kids can use to help them deal with the difficult everyday situations they most often confront – getting teased by their siblings, falling down at school, or served a dinner they can’t stand.

Hinduism
Lighting a Lamp: A Diwali Story, by Jonny Zucker – Geared for the younger end of my target age range, this book introduces the Hindu festival of Diwali by walking through one family’s celebration of the day. It is part of the Festival Time series, a collection of books introducing holidays from all the major religions.

The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow, by Sanjay Patel – This is actually not a children’s book, but came highly recommended, and my daughter loves it. The author is an animator with Pixar Studios, and has drawn hip, colorful drawings of all the major Hindu deities, along with brief descriptions. An entertaining way for anyone of any age to learn about the Hindu pantheon.

Islam
Ramadan, by Suhaib Hamid Ghazi – This book follows a young boy named Hakeem through the major rituals of Ramadan, including fasting, praying and visits to the mosque. Although a bit heavy on text for my four-year old daughter, her slightly older friend loved it, and it won out over others about Ramadan because of its exquisite illustrations.

Salaam: A Muslim American Boy’s Story, by Tricia Brown – A profile of a real-life American Muslim boy and his family, depicted through simple text and photographs. This book introduces the five pillars of Islam, and cultural aspects of Islam such as hijab (women’s headscarves) in an accessible way, as well as broaching the difficult topic of religious intolerance. My daughter was especially fascinated by the photographs, and flipped through the book again and again.

Judaism
What Makes Someone a Jew? by Lauren Seidman – With rhyming text and color photographs, this book introduces children to the diversity of Jews around the world. Focused on the basic shared tenets of loving and kindness, this book focuses more on a sense of inclusiveness than religious theology, but presents a powerful multi-cultural image of modern Judaism.

Beni’s Family Treasury for the Jewish Holidays, by Jane Breskin Zalben – For a more informative yet entertaining introduction to Judaism’s tenets, try this collection of five stories about bear Beni and his family’s trials and tribulations while celebrating various Jewish holidays. These tales combine educational information and good storytelling in a way rare for children’s religious books, and left my young listener clamoring for more.

Christianity
As it turns out, finding books to introduce Christianity from a non-Christian perspective was the biggest challenge I faced in compiling this list. In the end, I let the entertainment  factor take precedence and selected picturesque books that introduce the two most well-known Christian religious holidays, Christmas and Easter. Check the Honorable Mentions list below for some other Christianity ideas.

Humphrey’s First Christmas, by Carol Heyer – This adorable version of the nativity story is told from the perspective of Humphrey, a grumpy camel witnessing the event. As Humphrey begins to appreciate the value of what he is involved in, he puts his own complaints aside and learns the true meaning of Christmas – selfless giving and love. Humphrey was a hit, with me and my daughter.

The Easter Story, by Brian Wildsmith – The story of Easter is not an easy one to relay to children, with betrayal, suffering and death all prominently featured. This beautifully illustrated version does it justice, focusing on the deeper meaning of each event without glossing over the details too much. Like in the prior book, an animal features prominently, this time the donkey Jesus rides into Jerusalem.

Honorable Mentions
These were books I liked, but that were either geared for slightly older children, or dealt with religions other than the ones covered above.

One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship, by Mary Pope Osborne – Survey of all the world’s religions from children’s perspectives, geared for 9-12 year olds.

Religion (DK Eyewitness Series), by Myrtle Langley – Another survey book for 9-12 year olds, from the well-known education series DK Eyewitness.

Meet Jesus: The Life and Lessons of a Beloved Teacher, by Lynn Tuttle Gurney – Accessible and universalist telling of Jesus’ life story, appropriate for liberal Christians and non-Christians.

Aisha’s Moonlit Walk, by Anika Stafford – Introduction to pagan holidays and celebrations throughout the year.

Zen Shorts, by Jon Muth – Introduction to Zen principles by a giant panda, targeted to children 9-12, but the pictures pulled my four-year old in as well.

The Elephant Prince: The Story of Ganesh, by Amy Novesky – Beautifully illustrated tale of Ganesh, Hindu deity.

Book List: Introduction to the World’s Spiritual Traditions

Since I try and pull from all the world’s spiritual traditions in my own teaching, over the years I have compiled a book list of my favorite introductory and classic texts within each of the major traditions. This list is of course entirely subjective! I welcome other suggestions or feedback on these books in the comments section.

Tibetan Buddhism
Introductory:

• Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World, Lama Surya Das
• A Journey in Ladakh: Encounters with Buddhism, Andrew Harvey
• The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche

Classics:

• Buddhist Masters of Enchantment, Keith Dowman & Robert Beer
• Tibet’s Great Yogi Milarepa, W.Y. Evans-Wentz
• The Tibetan Book of the Dead, W.Y. Evans-Wentz

Zen Buddhism
Introductory:

• Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki

Classics:

• Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki
• The Bodhidharma Anthology, Jeffrey Broughton

Hinduism
Introductory:

• Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda
• Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna : Abridged Edition, Swami Nikhilananda
• The Eternal Companion, Swami Prabhavananda

Classics:

• The Song of God: Bhagavad-Gita, Swami Prabhavananda & Christopher Isherwood
• How to Know God, Swami Prabhavananda & Christopher Isherwood

Vedanta
Introductory:

• Just Like You, Gangaji

Classics:

• Shankara’s Crest Jewel of Discrimination, Swami Prabhavananda & Christopher Isherwood
• The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi, Ramanah Maharshi

Taoism
Introductory:

• Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life – Living the Wisdom of the Tao, Wayne Dyer

Classics:

• Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu
• I Ching or Book of Changes, C.F. Baynes, R. Wilhelm

Christianity (the emphasis here is on the practice of Christianity as a spiritual path, not religious theology)
Introductory:

• Return to Love, Marrianne Williamson
• Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch

Classics:

• The Gnostic Gospels, Elaine Pagels
• Beyond Belief, Elaine Pagels

Kabbalah
Introductory:

• Simple Kabbalah, Kim Zetter
• The Practical Kabbalah Guidebook, C. J. M. Hopking

Classics:

• Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment, Daniel Chanan Matt

Sufism
Introductory:

• Essential Sufism, Huston Smith, Robert Frager, and James Fadiman

Classics:

• Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion: Poetry and Teaching Stories of Rumi, Jelaluddin Rumi

For more book lists and book reviews, go to the Book category.

Women’s Spirituality Book List

The following is my somewhat eclectic list of favorite women’s spirituality books, divided into 4 categories: Mind Body Spirit, Women Mystics, Memoir/Spiritual Journey, and Fiction. I like books that focus on the practical issues of women’s lives and spiritual journeys, or that highlight women who found their way to mystic truth within the world’s major religions. I have included links to the author’s websites where possible. As with all the Amazon links on this site, if you purchase through them, a few cents will come back to me to help support this site, which is ad-free.

Mind Body Spirit:

Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause, Dr. Christiane Northrup – Classics in women’s holistic health, stressing the interdependence of mind, body and spirit. (www.drnorthrup.com)

A Woman’s Book of Life: The Biology, Psychology, and Spirituality of the Feminine Life Cycle and A Woman’s Journey to God, Joan Borysenko – The first focuses on women’s life cycles in terms of physiological and personal growth, while the second is part memoir and more explicitly spiritual. (www.joanborysenko.com)

The Mother Dance, Harriet Lerner – Although a decade old, this is a good psychological book about the experience of motherhood, and how it impacts women on every level. (http://www.harrietlerner.com)

Meditation Secrets for Women: Discovering Your Passion, Pleasure, and Inner Peace, Camille Maurine and Lorin Roche – Alternative meditation techniques geared towards women’s strengths. (www.camillemaurine.com)

Remember Who You Are: Seven Stages on a Woman’s Journey of Spirit, Linda Carroll – Musings on the stages of the spiritual process, integrated with dozens of poems from wonderful women writers such as Mary Oliver, Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson and more. (www.lindacarroll.org)

Women Mystics (for more info on some of the mystics featured in these books, go to the Women Mystics Page.)

Wise Women: Over Two Thousand Years of Spiritual Writing by Women, Susan Neunzig Cahill – This book includes writings from women mystics from every major world religion and time period, with brief historical bios.

Visions and Longings: Medieval Women Mystics, Monica Furlong – Anthology that excerpts the writings of eleven medieval Christian women mystics.

The Receiving: Reclaiming Jewish Women’s Wisdom, Tirzah Firestone – Biographies of women Jewish mystics from several time periods, interspersed with the author’s insights on how their wisdom is relevant to women today. (www.tirzahfirestone.com)

Women of the Way: Discovering 2,500 Years of Buddhist Wisdom, Sallie Tisdale – The life stories of Buddhist women, mostly nuns from Zen lineages, reimagined in a way that highlights their feminine challenges and experiences.

Memoirs/Spiritual Journey

Your Truest Self – Embracing the Woman You Are Meant to Be, Janice Lynne Lundy – Interviews with and lessons from 12 contemporary women spiritual mentors, some of whom are well-known such as Dr. Joan Borysenko, Dr. Iyanla Vanzant and Naomi Judd. (www.awakenedliving.com)

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman’s Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine, Sue Monk Kidd – Memoir by the author of The Secret Life of Bees on her personal struggle to reconcile her Christian faith with Christianity’s harsh patriarchal past. (www.suemonkkidd.com)

Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert – A bestseller for a reason! This book resonates with many women, and is essentially a spiritual memoir. The psychological baggage she must release to move forward spiritually rings true. (www.elizabethgilbert.com)

Just Like You, Gangaji – Memoir of contemporary American spiritual teacher Gangaji, as told by her to one of her students in interview form. (www.gangaji.org)

Initiation, Elisabeth Haich – Written mostly as a past life memory in Ancient Egypt, this book is a little strange and slow in parts, but the sections on ancient Egypt offer a fascinating glimpse into what temple priestess training might have been like.

The Sorcerer’s Crossing, Taisha Abelar – Written by a female sorcerer who studied within the same circle as the infamous ‘shaman’ Carlos Casteneda, this book profiles a very different journey than his.

Fiction
Strands of Starlight, Gael Baudino – A suprisingly insightful story of female spiritual persecution and forgiveness, based on 14th century Europe, but told within the context of a fantasy world.

The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley – This classic retelling of the Arthurian legend from the perspective of the women characters touches on many themes of women’s spirituality and persecution.

Evensong, Gail Godwin – A novel centered around a woman Episcopalion minister as she confronts questions regarding her faith and the nature of love and marriage.

Keeping Faith, Jodi Picoult – A riveting story in which a young girl begins to experience stigmatas, and claims God is a women, plunging her family and community into turmoil and soul-searching.

Enlightenment for Idiots, Anne Cusheman – A recent favorite of mine (see my Book Review). I included this because unlike the memoirs and fiction on this list, the main character is in her twenties and involved in all the latest urban spiritual trends (i.e. this book is much hipper than most on the list!) (www.enlightenmentforidiots.com)

For more book lists and book reviews, check out the Book page.