Hatha Yoga Pradipika original Sanskrit Swatmarama translation

Hatha Yoga Pradipika the original Sanskrit Swatmarama translated by James Mallinson and published in 2004. Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a classic root text of Hatha Yoga written in 15th century CE. The book is build around four chapters, including material on asanas, pranayama, chakras, kundalini, bandhas, kriyas, shakti, nadis and mudras among other topics. Download [...]

The White Brother by Michael Juste

The White Brother with the subtitle An Occult Autobiography was written in 1927 by Michael Houghton under the pseudonym Michael Juste. Houghton was an associate of Aleister Crowley and editor of the journal the Occult Observer. The White Brother refers to his theosophical studies that he shared with Paul Brunton, and the book specifically mentions Blavatsky’s Secret [...]

Unravelling the Mysteries of Mind and Body Through Abhidhamma

Unravelling the Mysteries of Mind and Body Through Abhidhamma by Sayalay Susil. Abhidhamma is a Pali word , the language in which the Theravadin records of the teachings of the Buddha have been recorded. The word is composed of the two parts, ‘abhi’ meaning ‘higher’ or ‘greater’ and ‘dhamma’ which means ‘reality’ or ‘truth’ (it [...]

Patanjali – Yoga Sutras in Lingo – The Liberation of Spirit in Modern Metaphors by Tai Sheridan

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras teach restraint, wise action, and morality as a path. They were written between 100 BCE and 500 BE. In this ancient Hindu text, Patanjali espouses the eight limbs of yoga as a path of practice and realization of the divine. Sanskrit translations tend to be literal and perplexing. Most versions are augmented [...]

SELVES & NOT-SELF – THE BUDDHIST TEACHING ON ANATTA

Not all books here are 2.500 years old. This little gem, written by Thanissaro Bhikkhu was published in august 2011. The subtitle reveals the subject: Anatta – the sanskrit word often translated to not-self. This book is written on the notes Thanissaro Bhikkhu wrote for at retreat in France with focus on Anatta. The book draws on [...]

The Shape of Suffering – A Study of Dependent Co-arising

The Shape of Suffering – A Study of Dependent Co-arising by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Dependent co-arising—paticca samuppada—is the Buddha’s most complete analysis of the conditions leading to suffering, together with the conditions leading to suffering’s end. A passage in the Canon states that this was the topic he contemplated on emerging from his first week of [...]

Skill in Question – How the Buddha Tauhgt by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Skill in Question – How the Buddha Tauhgt by Thanissaro Bhikkhu is a book about discernment in action, centered on the Buddha’s strategic use of discernment in framing and responding to questions. From the intro: “The idea for this book was born more than a decade ago from reading three of the Buddha’s discourses. The first was [...]

The Life and Work of Buddhaghosa

The Life and Work of Buddhaghosa is the biography of Buddhaghosa a 5th-century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar. Buddhaghosa’s best-known work is the Visuddhimagga, or Path of Purification, a comprehensive summary and analysis of the Theravada understanding of the Buddha’s path to liberation. The interpretations provided by Buddhaghosa have constituted the orthodox understanding of Theravada scriptures since [...]

Daily Purification – A Short Vajrasattva Practice

Daily Purification – A Short Vajrasattva Practice  is an instruction fra Lama Zopa Rinpoche on a short Vajrasatta meditation called Purification with the Four Opponent Powers. The practice is based upon the merits of Buddhist teacher Atiśa Dipankara Shrijnana born in 980 in Bangladesh – a major figure in the establishment of the Sarma lineages [...]

Advaita-Saadhanaa – Kanchi Maha-Swamigal’s Discourses

Advaita-Saadhanaa – Kanchi Maha-Swamigal’s Discourses. Kanchi Maha-Swamigal also known as Periyavaa repeatedly preached about the importance of following the Dharmic path and Advaita – non-duality. His various discourses are available in a pack of six volumes called ‘Deivathin Kural’ (Voice of the Divine) which have been compiled by R. Ganapathi, a devotee of Periyava. These [...]