books of interest

Introductory writings on mysticism

Smith, Huston. The World’s Religions. Harper SanFrancisco, 1991.

Underhill, Evelyn. Mysticism. One World Books, 1999.

Wilber, Ken. No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth. Shambhala, 1985.

 

Buddhism

Goldstein, Joseph. Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom. Shambhala, 2003.

Suzuki, Shunryu. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Weatherhill, 1997.

Trungpa, Chogyam. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. Shambhala, 2002.

Chodron, Pema. Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living. Shambhala, 1994.

Sengtsan. Hsin Hsin Ming. White Pine Press, 2001.

Khema, Ayya. When the Iron Eagle Flies: Buddhism for the West. Wisdom Publications, 2000.

Yeshe, Lama. Introduction to Tantra: A Vision of Totality. Edited by Jonathan Landow. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1987.

Ngakpa Chogyanm, and Khandro Dechen. Spectrum of Ecstasy: The Five Wisdom Emotions According to Vajrayana Buddhism. Shambhala, 2003.

Zen Teachings of Wang Po: On the Transmission of Mind. Translated by John Blofeld. Grove Press, 1959.

Longchen Rabjam. The Practice of Dzogchen. Translated by Tulku Thondrup, edited by Harold Talbott. Snow Lion, 2002. 

 

Christianity

Keating, Thomas. Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel. Continuum, 1992.

Lawrence, Brother. The Practice of the Presence of God: With Spiritual Maxims. Spire Books/Revell Reprints, 1999.

The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way. Translated by R.M. French. Harper SanFrancisco, 1991.

The Cloud of Unknowing and the Book of Privy Counseling. Edited by William Johnston. Image Books/Doubleday, 1996.

Teresa of Avila. Interior Castle. Translated by E. Allison Peers. New Image Books/Doubleday, 1961.

Eckhart, Meister. Everything as Divine: The Wisdom of Meister Eckhart. Translated by Edmund Colledge and Bernard McGinn. Paulist Press, 1996.

Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology. Compiled by Igumen Chariton of Valamo, translated by E. Kadloubovsky and E.M. Palmer, edited by Timothy Ware. Faber & Faber, 1997.

John of the Cross. Dark Night of the Soul: A Masterpiece in the Literature of Mysticism. Translated by E. Allison Peers. Image Books/Doubleday, 1959.

Gospel of Thomas: Annotated and Explained. Translated by Stevan L. Davies. Skylight Paths Publishing, 2002.

Bonaventura, Saint. Bonaventura: The Mind’s Road to God. Translated by George Boas. Prentice Hall, 1953.

Pseudo Dionysius. Pseudo Dionysius: The Complete Works. Translated by Colm Luibheid. Paulist Press, 1987. 

 

Hinduism

Ramana Maharshi. The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi. Shambhala, 1988.

The Bhagavad Gita. Translated by Juan Mascaro. Viking Penguin, 1987.

Upanishads. Translated by Juan Mascaro. Penguin Books, 1965.

Shankara. Shankara’s Crest Jewel of Discrimination. Translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood. Vedanta Press, 1970.

Nisargadatta, Maharaj. I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta. Translated by Sudhaker S. Dikshit and Maurice Frydman. Acron Press, 1990.

Chatterji, J.C. Kasmir Shaivism. State University of New York Press, 1986. 

 

Judaism

Your Word is Fire: The Hasidic Masters on Contemplative Prayer. Edited by Arthur Green and Barry Holtz. Jewish Lights Publishing, 1993.

Prager, Marcia. The Path of Blessing: Experiencing the Energy and Abundance of the Divine. Jewish Lights Publishing, 2003.

Baxbaum, Yitzhak. An Open Heart: The Mystic Path of Loving People. Jewish Spirit Publishing, 1997.

Manahem Nahum of Chernobyl. Upright Practices. Translated by Arthur Green. Paulist Press, 1981. 

 

Sufism

Lings, Martin. What is Sufism? Islamic Texts Society, 1999.

Nurbakhsh, Javad. The Path: Sufi Practices. Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Publications, 2003. ISBN

Rabi’a. Doorkeeper of the Heart: Versions of Rabi’a. Translated by Charles Upton. Threshold Books, 1988.

Schimmel, Annmarie. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. University of North Carolina Press, 1975.

Farhadi, A. G. Raven. Abdullah Ansari of Herat: An Early Sufi Master. Curzon Press, 1996.

Chittick, William. The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi. State University of New York, 1983.

Chittick, William. The Sufi Path of Knowledge. State University of New York, 1989.  

 

Taoism

Lao Tsu. Tao Te Ching. Translated by Gai-Fu Feng and Jane English. Vintage Books, 1989. 

 

Nontraditional Mystics

Merrell-Wolff, Franklin. Franklin Merrell-Wolff’s Experience and Philosophy: A Personal Record of Transformation and a Discussion of Transcendental Consciousness: Containing His Philosophy of Consciousness Without an Object and His Pathways Through to Space. State University of New York Press, 1994.

Weil, Simone. Waiting for God. Perennial, 2001.

 

Myth and Jungian insights

Johnson, Robert A. Inner Work: Using Dreams and Creative Imagination for Personal Growth and Integration. Harper SanFrancisco, 1989.

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Princeton University Press, 1972.

Eliade, Mircea. The Myth of the Eternal Return: Or Cosmos and History. Translated by Willard Trask. Princeton University Press, 1971. 

Eliade, Mircea. Patterns in Comparative Religion. Translated by Rosemary Sheed. University of Nebraska Press, 1996.