Bibliography and Recommend Books

Sex and Spirituality

General Spirituality

*Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, by Levi. DeVorss Publications. (This book, which provides another, and for many people a much more realistic account, of Jesus' life, is now it its 65th printing.)

**Vivekananda, edited by Dave Delucia, Namatse Books, 2003. (Don't let the Yoga aspect fool you, this is a collection of some of the most penetrating and thought provoking spiritual perspectives available anywhere.)

** God Without Religion: Questioning Centuries of Accepted Truths, by
Sankara Saranam (Highly acclaimed, but not a fast read. Considered a new spiritual classic.)

* Working With the Law, Raymond Holliwell, DeVorss Publications, an excellent book that reduces spiritual concepts to eleven key principles.

**The Jesus Papers Michael Baigent, an updated look at some of the content of the best-selling book, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, by the same author. The latter material was used in The Da Vinci Code. Baigent's latest best-selling book responds to some of the critics and provides a very detailed historical perspective on these issues. The book further calls into question both the story of Jesus and the Church's accepted doctrines.

* The Jesus Puzzle - Did Christianity Begin With a Mythical Christ? Earl Doherty, Canadian Humanist Publications. Well thought out; well documented, and although highly acclaimed, promotes a strong negative reaction from those holding conservative religious views. Amazon.com has more than 80 substantive reactions to the book.  By doing an Internet search on Earl Doherty you can go to a web site with extensive discussions, as well as the complete text of the book.

* The Sins of the Scripture-Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love, Bishop John Shelby Spong,   HarperCollins, San Francisco, 2005.

*Christianity Must Change or Die — Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Bishop John Shelby Spong, Harper, San Francisco, 1999. (a national best-selling book.)

**Vivekananda — Lessons in Classical Yoga, edited by Dave DeLuca (A very clear, succinct summary of the best and most ancient Eastern thought as originally conveyed by Vivekananda.)

Also excellent scholarly re-examinations of the roots of Christianity: Adam, Eve, and the Serpent by Elaine Pagels, Bart Ehrman's, Lost Christianities, and B. D. Ehrmanare's The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew 
 

Recommended Books on Enlightenment

* The Power of Now - A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Echart Tolle, New World Library.  (Probably the most highly recommended in the series.)

* Spiritual Enlightenment, the Damnedest Thing, Jed McKenna, Wisefool Press, 2002, a highly acclaimed and entertaining book; an excellent place to start.

 * I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, first published in 1973, was in its 9th printing in 1996. Acorn Press. Although the most complete coverage of enlightenment, it's not the easiest to understand, due to terms and language that will probably not be initially familiar to Westerners.

The Book of Secrets, Osho*, 1974.* More than 1,000 pages covering 112 ancient (and probably still valid) techniques to enlightenment. Even apart from this, you will find Osho's knowledge of spiritual literature impressive. Presentation is easy to understand and repetitive enough to drive home the concepts.

A Course in Miracles

There is no recent book or spiritual course that has generated more interest, study (and at times confusion), than A Course in Miracles.

At over 1,000 pages, it was first published in the 1970s by the Foundation of Inner Peace. Almost two-million copies of this book are in print.

Today, there are hundreds of autonomous centers around the world where people regularly gather to study and discuss its philosophy. There are also a few dozen books that (with varying degrees of success and failure) attempt to explain its (often obscure) core beliefs.

Thorough study of the Course may take years -- and for most people who seriously pursue its goals, the rest of their lives.

The at times irreverent and often humorous book that can get you started down this path is The Disappearance of the Universe by Gary R. Renard. You can also find a six CD set of audio files by Renard that can serve as an introduction. A way to get your feet wet on some of the concepts of A Course in Miracles is with Paul Farrini's highly approachable books. These include the best-selling Love Without Conditions. Even those these books may get you started, they are not a substitute for your own intensive study for A Course in Miracles. Be aware, however, that terms such as miracles are not what they seem.

A Course in Miracles is designed to dissolve everything you think is real!  This includes many of the concepts of "that ol' time religion" you may have been brought up on. 

Many people who start the Course at first find the terminology confusing and writing style ponderous. There is a reason for this that should become clear after you've seriously studied it for a couple weeks.

A Course in Miracles has been referred to as the intellectual's definitive roadmap to life's ultimate journey. But, be prepared; this is definitely not "a walk in the park."

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*Several books in this bibliography are by Osho, who was  recognized as being enlightened. Although his later life took some unfortunate and widely publicized reversals due to ill health and debilitating medications, prior to this his work represented some of the best writing in these areas. A detailed and revealing account of his life by a man who knew him can be found on this site. You may find that some of the newer "reinterpretations" of his life and works differ significantly from accounts by those who personally knew the man.

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