9 Spiritual Books to Read
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There have been numerous spiritual books in the past, some directly related to religion and some delving on aspects like faith, miracles, experiences and God. You can find lot of books in both genres – fiction and non-fiction. Some of these have touched people’s lives, going on to sell millions of copies worldwide. Here are some of the most popular spiritual books you can read.
1. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
A book that tells the story of a seagull, reading the book is a spiritual experience in itself. It talks about how your strength or ability is not as important as your courage and belief that can help you sail through uncharted territories and help push you beyond limits.
2. The Awakening of Intelligence by Jiddu Krishnamurti
The book deals with several concepts on life and living that are difficult to analyze or understand. Nevertheless in true Jiddu Krishnamurti style, one can find the book talking about inner conflicts, fear, religious experiences and the traditional methods of Vedanta philosophy.
3. The Bhagawad Gita According to Gandhi by Mahatma Gandhi
A man of great stature, M K Gandhi also indulged in spiritual discussions and analysis. This book is a wonderful translation of the sacred religious text of Hindus. Although, there are a large number of translations of Bhagawad Gita, a lot of people have found this translation fascinating as much for Gandhi’s interpretation as for his own persona that lends more credibility to it.
4. Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho
He is in fact, one of the most popular writers of spiritual fiction of our time. The books sometimes have an aspect of magical realism to them. There are always spiritual connections and subtle and sublime analogies that connect our real lives to something beyond the obvious. The book is the story of a young girl who is cheated in love and by love but follows her destiny and eventually is led on the path of self-discovery. The book pushes limits of spiritual fiction, exploring concepts like sacred sex.
5. Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
One of the most popular spiritual books ever written, the book talks about the life of Paramahansa Yogananda, where he narrates his experiences and tales during his meetings with various other spiritual leaders. This book is responsible to a great extent in popularizing methods of the East when it came to self-realization and is a classic that has been listed in the 100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th century.
6. Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama
This book is a collection of breathtaking experiences of Swami Rama during his travails through the Himalayas, encounters with the holy mystical and mysterious men who one rarely gets to see or meet, leave alone converse. The book is a beautiful blend of exciting tales and great lessons delivered by masters who understood how to convey a message to the eager students.
7. Small Miracles: Extraordinary Coincidences from Everyday Life by Yitta Halberstam Mandelbaum and Judith Leventhal
This is not a novel or an autobiography. It is merely a collection of stories that reiterate in us once again, the feeling that there is something beyond the obvious that connects us all. The book offers a great read, documenting exceptional coincidences that have happened in daily lives of people, coincidences that almost start seeming like miracles.
8. Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo
A lovely plot where a skeptic is tricked by his sister into taking her guru on a road trip they had planned, the book shows how skepticism slowly morphs into amazement and belief when the right teacher appears. The guru in this case offers wonderful riddles to address the skepticism.
9. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
The book is a take on Gautam Buddha’s story were a young man leaves his family to contemplate on life’s purpose and comes across a river where he experiences a reawakening, a path that takes him through suffering first and finally to freedom.
