Books about the Spiritual Path (Journey)

New Releases on the Spiritual Path

One click way to call up the New Releases on the Spiritual Path from Barnes and Noble.

A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life - Jack Kornfield 1993

Amazon Synopsis: Beloved Western Buddhist master Kornfield makes known his personal, practical wisdom, garnered from 25 years of practicing and teaching the path of awakening, as he guides self-searchers to a simplicity of perception that brings alive spiritual practice, peace, and truth in their daily lives.

 

Art Is a Spiritual Path - Pat B. Allen 2005

Amazon Synopsis: Art is a spiritual path—not a religion, but a practice that helps us knit together the ideals and convictions that guide our lives. Creating art can be prayer, ritual, and remembrance of the Divine. And the sharing of this creativity with others in small groups can serve as sanctuary, asylum, ashram, therapy group, think tank, and village square. Pat Allen has developed a reliable guide for walking the path of art through a series of simple practices that combine drawing, painting, and sculpture with journal writing. Designed for readers at any level of artistic experience, the book shows how to:

   •  awaken the creative force and connect with the divine source of creativity
   •  access inner wisdom and intuition about life issues, including both personal and community concerns
   •  find a path to meaning that includes honoring, celebrating, and giving thanks
   •  explore the images and symbols of traditions such as Catholicism, Judaism, shamanism, and Goddess worship
   •  join in spiritual community with others who are following the path of art
   •  discover that artmaking can help us live our ideals and be of service in the world

Detailed examples from the author's own practice of art, plus the stories and images of several other people, are presented to illustrate how art becomes a spiritual path in action. At the author's virtual studio, www.patballen.com, readers can post their images and writings, communicate with the author, and subscribe to an electronic newsletter. The site also contains an archive of the images in this book in full color.

 

Celebration Of Discipline Revised - Rich Foster 1988

Amazon Synopsis: In the twenty years since its publication, Celebration of Discipline has helped over a million seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God. For this special twentieth anniversary edition, Richard J. Foster has added an introduction, in which he shares the story of how this beloved and enduring spiritual guidebook came to be.

Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline explores the "classic Disciplines," or central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith. Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be found.

Dividing the Disciplines into three movements of the Spirit, Foster shows how each of these areas contribute to a balanced spiritual life. The inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service, help prepare us to make the world a better place.The corporate Disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration, bring us nearer to one another and to God.

Foster provides a wealth of examples demonstrating how these Disciplines can become part of our daily activities-and how they can help us shed our superficial habits and "bring the abundance of God into our lives." He offers crucial new insights on simplicity, demonstrating how the biblical view of simplicity, properly understood and applied, brings joy and balance to our inward and outward lives and "sets us free to enjoy the provision of God as a gift that can be shared with others." The discussion of celebration, often the most neglected of the Disciplines, shows its critical importance, for it stands at the heart of the way to Christ. Celebration of Discipline will help motivate Christians everywhere to embark on a journey of prayer and spiritual growth.

 

Dancing in the Light – Shirley MacLaine 1986

Amazon Synopsis: Now, at a turning point in her life, comes her  most revealing and exciting book yet. Outspoken,  controversial, talented, and perceptive Shirley  MacLaine now takes us on an intimate and fascinating  personal odyssey. In 1984 she won an Oscar, starred  on Broadway, wrote the best-selling Out on  a Limb -- and turned fifty years old. At  this special time, in this special year, she was  now ready to resume the spiritual journey she had  begun in her early forties. In Dancing in  the Light, Shirley MacLaine bares her  innermost self and explores the lives, both past and  present, which touched and affected her own.

She  sheds new light on her loves, her losses, her  childhood, her passions, and her inner drives and  ambitions. She asks poignant questions and finds  surprising answers. She asks poignant questions and  finds surprising answers. She challenges her beliefs  and confronts her conflicts. Ultimately, she takes  us with her through a life-altering experience  that provides a stunning new vision of herself, her  future... and the fate of our world.

 

Dialogues With the Master – Paul Twitchell 1970

Book Jacket: The contents of this book contains the first real study of the works of ECKANKAR which I did a number of years ago. It is the record of the spoken works of Rebazar Tarzs, the great Tibetan ECK Master, who was training me for the future position of the next Mahanta, the living ECK Master in this world. 

The spiritual experiences which he made possible for me and the teachings were a painful growth but nevertheless, it all was necessary. Without such growth it would have never been possible to accept the responsibility of the spiritual leadership of the ECK works in this modern world.

Rebazar Tarzs dominates the entire text of this book. Therefore, it is well to study his words for each significance which he is trying to tell me as well as the world. He speaks and acts directly at all times without any wasted motion and effort. It will be found that whatever he has said in the spoken word is of the highest spiritual endeavor.

 

Discernment: A Path to Spiritual Awakening - Rose Mary Dougherty 2009

 

Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar - Alan Morinis 2008

Amazon Synopsis: Mussar is an illuminating, approachable, and highly practical set of teachings for cultivating personal growth and spiritual realization in the midst of day-to-day life. Here is an accessible and inspiring introduction to this Jewish spiritual path, which until lately has been best known in the world of Orthodox Judaism. The core teaching of Mussar is that our deepest essence is inherently pure and holy, but this inner radiance is obscured by extremes of emotion, desire, and bad habits. Our work in life is to uncover the brilliant light of the soul. The Mussar masters developed transformative teachings and practices—some of which are contemplative, some of which focus on how we relate to others in daily life—to help us to heal and refine ourselves.

•  What is spirituality anyway? 
• Feeding the hungry heart in contemporary Western culture "Spiritually transmitted diseases"--the common traps of modern spirituality, and how to avoid them. 
• The universal theme of the Healing Crisis--and how discernment provides a "life raft" for such times. Fully integrated spirituality--balancing body, psyche, and spirit for potent transformation.  

We evolve spiritually by cultivating discernment that is powerful enough to pierce through confusion on every level of our experience, explains Mariana Caplan. To help us along the way, this fellow traveler now offers Eyes Wide Open.

 

The Fiery Muse: Creativity and the Spiritual Quest - Teri Degler 1996

Amazon Synopsis: A young mother takes up meditation and discovers a hidden flair for art; a middle-aged homemaker opens to the voice of her inner spirit and develops into an internationally recognized poet; a down-and-out young actor incorporates his Native spiritual traditions into his work and eventually wins acclaim for both his acting and playwriting abilities.

Many people today find themselves on a spiritual path yearning for understanding of the mysteries of life and striving for a closer connection with the Divine. As part of the spiritual process, some individuals encounter powerful compulsions to express themselves creatively. And others experience an enigmatic, wonderful, and quite inexplicable increase in their creative abilities.

Teri Degler's personal and passionate exploration of the creative spiritual quest through the stories of present-day seekers is well supported by teaching from respected traditions such as Yoga, and balanced by the stories of historical creative geniuses, mystics and visionaries such as Rumi, St. Hildegard of Bingen, Walt Whitman and Johannes Brahms.

Also included are exercises in creative writing and visualization that offer helpful ways to find our own expressive abilities. By increasing inspiration and stilling the critical inner voice of resistance, we open ourselves to a more joy-filled existence.

 

Finding the On-Ramp to Your Spiritual Path: A Roadmap to Joy and Rejuvenation - Jan Phillips 2013

Amazon Synopsis: True to the title, this guidebook directs beginners on the spiritual journey. Author Jan Phillips, reared Catholic, has traveled through Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim cultures merging dualities of East and West. A popular workshop leader for decades, she is a dynamic, upbeat, straight-talking, wise old woman in her own right, and her prose reflects her character. In warm, engaging language, she presents basic spiritual concepts and practices for the multitudes of Americans who have left traditional religion and are searching for a full-bodied, mind-expanding, convincing spirituality. 

The book consists of short essays and personal anecdotes. Each story incorporates the wisdom of various traditions, all suggesting the immanence of the Divine in our lives. Each chapter reframes the meaning of a typical road sign-such as YIELD for surrender, STOP for taking time for balance, LANE ENDS for giving up old notions. All in all, this lively book maps an adventurous trek from illusion to reality, fear to fulfillment, isolation to community. It invites us to go deeper and further, finding, at the end, that the journey is everything.

 

Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa: A West African Spiritual Tradition - Tobe Melora Correal 2003

Amazon Synopsis: Orisa is the indigenous earth-centered religion of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. The author's study of Orisa has led to the central tenet of her book: the purpose of life is to live intimately with the sacred by working toward an awareness of the divine in all things, by serving others, and by honoring one's most authentic self. Weaving together the teachings of Orisa, the author presents a way to face concerns with a higher consciousness.

 

If the Buddha Got Stuck: A Handbook for Change on a Spiritual Path - Charlotte Kasl 2005

Amazon Synopsis: Perennial favorites, Charlotte Kasl’s If the Buddha Dated and If the Buddha Married have inspired readers with their empowering blend of spiritual and psychological insights. Her latest, If the Buddha Got Stuck, is a wise yet lighthearted book that will speak to anyone who's ever experienced being stuck in life and wanted to break free. With her signature clarity, wisdom, and warm heart,

Kasl presents readers with seven steps that tap into life’s bigger picture: Notice Where You’re Stuck; Show Up; Pay Attention; Live in Reality; Connect with Others; Move From Thought to Action; and Let Go.  Full of insight from Buddhist and other teachings that emphasize the joy that comes with letting go of attachments to events and things, If the Buddha Got Stuck is an inspirational and practical roadmap to a more joyful, peaceful, and fulfilling life. 

Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path - Rudolf Steiner 2008

Amazon Synopsis: Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path is Rudolf Steiner's most important work. In it he explains the two aspects of free will: freedom of thought and freedom of action. This landmark book explores free will from a completely fresh and unique perspective. "If an idea is to become action, man must first want it, before it can happen. Such an act of will therefore has its grounds only in man himself. Man is then the ultimate determinant of his action. He is free." -Rudolf Steiner

 

It’s All in the Playing – Shirley MacLaine 1988

Amazon Synopsis: The fifth volume in one of the most extraordinary  personal odysseys of the twentieth century.  Don't Fall Off the Mountain,  You Can Get There From Here, Out on a Limb, Dancing in the Light and now the most intimate and compelling  book of all, It's All in the Playing. Oscar-winning actress, social activist, singular  entertainer, best-selling author Shirley MacLaine  has the courage to be both candid and  controversial. In this book, she casts herself in her most  challenging role yet--as seeker of personal and  metaphysical truth.

It began in Peru ten years ago and  ended in Peru ten years later. But the steps along  the way were the real story. In filming the  miniseries Out on a Limb,  Shirley MacLaine was forced to recreate herself ten  years earlier. to journey back from Malibu to London,  from Sweden to the mysterious landscape of Peru...  to the places, the perceptions and profound  emotions she experienced then. And to journey beyond,  exploring new personal and cosmic dimensions, the  choices of her lifetimes, who she was and who she  would become. As the heart of Shirley MacLaine's  testament is a compelling challenge: we choose our  own destinies, create our own illusions. We have the  power to design the world in which we live, and  the strength to remake ourselves in the image of our  dreams.

Knowings: In the Arts of Metaphysics, Cosmology, and the Spiritual Path - Charles Upton 2008

Amazon Synopsis: As the poet T.S. Eliot said, 'Where is the wisdom lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge lost in information?' Our postmodern 'information culture' forces us to be over-cerebral, but it doesn't teach us to think; consequently it becomes nearly impossible for us to imagine a knowledge that is beyond information, much less a Wisdom that is beyond knowledge.  

We all know what it is to uselessly 'spin our wheels' in barren thought and fantasy; certain valid contemplative disciplines even have as their main goal the pacification of the 'monkey mind', the over-heated brain that prevents us from genuinely living our lives, from being fully present to the world, to each other, and to ourselves. But such pacification can also have a nihilistic side to it. It can subtly fool us into believing that the pursuit of meaning, the attainment of intellectual stability and certainty, is neither possible or desirable - a belief that is of great use to the political and economic Powers That Be in the emerging global society, who are always delighted to hear people express the opinion that there is no such thing as objective Truth, that we can't really know what is real, or if anything is real, beyond our own subjective experience.  

To the degree that the people start to believe that nothing can be known (our hidden masters reason), they will stop asking embarrassing and inconvenient questions. The notion of objective truth - not to mention Absolute truth - immediately suggests oppression, tyranny and fanaticism to the postmodern mind. Why? Because we have been systematically taught to see things this way by those Social Engineers who construct and impose the terms by which Reality is to be viewed.  

In order to break free from this socially-imposed subjectivism, we need to remember that Reality is not something determined by belief, but rather that belief is only true when it conforms itself to Reality. If we see nothing beyond this material/social world, we will be forced to take our own subjectivity as the only way to awaken from the social trance, and so fall even more deeply into that very trance, which is precisely a collective subjectivity. But if we know Objective Truth as metaphysical, beyond material nature and human society, then we have begun to catch a glimpse of the One Way Out.  

 

Knowledge of the Higher Worlds And Its Attainment - Rudolf Steiner

Author: There slumber in every human being faculties by means of which he can acquire for himself a knowledge of higher worlds. Mystics, Gnostics, Theosophists - all speak of a world of soul and spirit which for them is just as real as the world we see with our physical eyes and touch with our physical hands. At every moment the listener may say to himself: that, of which they speak, I too can learn, if I develop within myself certain powers which today still slumber within me. -- Rudolf Steiner   PDF

The Labyrinth: A True Life Adventure Seeking Wisdom, Healing and Love - Lori Lovens 2011

Synopsis: For two years, Lori Lovens studied with The Secret’s James Ray, traveling from the lava caves of Kona to the “pit of hell” beneath the Great Pyramid of Giza, discovering a loving and supportive community of spiritual seekers and a path to healing. Lori had built her life around a successful career—an MBA, sixteen years of consulting and marketing the world’s biggest brands, a job she loved—until devastating depression forced her to abandon it all. The loss of that identity had left her feeling powerless but determined to live a life of deeper meaning. Initially entranced by her charismatic teacher, Lori learns to see that the wisdom and love she was seeking were always within her Self. In this intimate and brilliant memoir, Lori Lovens shares how she discovered her truth, her talents and her purpose, compassionately inspiring others to find the courage to embrace their own inner wisdom.

The Masters and the Path - C.W. Leadbeater 2007

Amazon Synopsis: C.W. Leadbeater offers an enlightened study of the Path of Discipleship under the Guidance of the Ascended Masters. While existing in our troubled world, we can see in this work the place of initiation and its role in both our spiritual and physical selves. Beautifully written in a manner to both guide and instruct, this classic book is of timeless value to all students of Initiation and Guided Wisdom.

 

On the Spiritual Path - Rama Swami 2003 

 

Out on a Limb – Shirley MacLaine 1986

Amazon Synopsis: Her most controversial book is one you will never forget.  An outspoken thinker, a celebrated actress, a truly independent woman, Shirley MacLaine goes beyond her previous two bestsellers to take us on an intimate yet powerful journey into her personal life and inner self.  An intense, clandestine love affair with a prominent politician sparks Shirley MacLaine's quest of self-discovery.  From Stockholm to Hawaii to the mountain vastness of Peru, from disbelief to radiant affirmation, she at last discovers the roots of her very existence. . . and the infinite possibilities of life. Shirley MacLaine opens her heart to explore the meaning of a great and enduring passion with her lover Gerry; the mystery of her soul's connection with her best friend David; the tantalizing secrets behind a great actor's inspiration with the late Peter Sellers. And through it all, Shirley MacLaine's courage and candor new doors, new insights, new revelations-and a luminous new world she invites us all to share.

 

The Sacred Paths – Theodore M. Ludwig 2000

Amazon Synopsis: This unique book allows readers to examine each of the world's major religions as a unique system of meaning, and at the same time, it lets them explore the inner nature of sacred experience by comparing basic themes and issues common to all religions and pertinent to their own personal lives. It begins with a discussion of the basic human questions and concerns relating to religion—e.g., origin and identity, ultimate reality, human nature, and the good life—and then uses these essential concepts to help describe the beliefs, practices, and historical development of each religion. Chapter topics include religions arising from India, and the religions of China and Japan. Also covered are basic gender issues; and the role of women in major world religions. For individuals interested in religious studies, theology, and philosophy, and anyone looking to draw more personal meaning from the inner experiences found in different religions.

Sex and the Spiritual Path – Herbert B. Puryear, PhD 1999

Amazon Synopsis: "Does physical desire affect my spiritual development?"

"What is 'normal' sex?"

"Is sex outside of marriage a sin?"

In this enlightening book, clinical psychologist Herbert Puryear explores the subject of sexuality and spirituality based on the work of renowned American psychic Edgar Cayce. This guide provides excerpts from the Cayce readings to reveal how sex "can be one of the most beautiful modes of expression of love that approaches the Divine," and much more, including:

• The relationship between sexuality and creativity
• The body-beautiful as a temple
• The difference between creative sexuality and selfish sexuality
• The role of sexuality in your spiritual path
• Birth control
• Separation and divorce 

This thought-provoking book sheds new light on the relationship between the body and the soul, and shows how we can develop a healthier and more spiritually based understanding of sex through the work of renowned seer Edgar Cayce.

Spirit Communication: The Soul’s Path – Kevin Ryerson and Stephanie Harolde 1989

Publishers Weekly: Ryerson, a California medium, or trance channeler, claims to be the outlet through which the following spirit-entities speak: John, an apostle of Jesus; Aton-Re, adviser to Egyptian pharaoh Akhnaton; a Haitian herbalist named Obadiah; Tom MacPherson, an Irish pickpocket from Shakespearean England; oriental teacher Japu; et al. Their voices, as recorded in this hodgepodge, sound remarkably alike as they expound on love, the soul, soul mates, the law of karma, achieving an androgynous personality, past lives and so forth. With an assist form freelancer Harolde, Ryerson, who figures prominently in Shirley MacLaine's books, describes the mechanics of mediumship and outlines a theory of mind that accentuates the superconscious. His informally presented philosophy is a smorgasbord that draws freely from such sources as Buddhism, Edgar Cayce, Jung, the legend of Atlantis and Judeo-Christian tradition.

 

Spiritual Path - Raynor C. Johnson 1974 

The Spiritual Path - Elaine Speakman 2011

Amazon Synopsis: A simple guidebook for those who are waking up to their spiritual self. It explains some of the strange and possibly disturbing things that might be happening to you in clear and down to earth language. It aims to provide clarity and guidance from an experienced spiritual teacher and healer. 

 

Staying on the Path - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Amazon Synopsis: The wit and wisdom of Dr. Wayne Dyer, the author of the international bestsellers Everyday Wisdom and 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace, is reflected in this extraordinary collection of inspirational quotes and observations. He says, "We are all on the same path. We're just on different places along the path."

Sample quotes:

“The children whom you admire so much for their ability to enjoy life are not foreign creatures to you. You have one of those children inside you.”

“I cannot always control what goes on outside, but I can always control what goes on inside.” 

“Detachment is one of lifes great lessons for those on the path of enlightenment.”

 

Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi - William C. Chittick and Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi 1984 

 

The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge - Carlos Castaneda 1968

Amazon Synopsis: A YAQUI WAY OF KNOWLEDGE

The teachings of Don Juan is the story of a remarkable journey: the first awesome steps on the road to becoming a "man of knowledge" -- the road that continues with A Separate Reality and Journey to Ixtlan.

"For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking, breathlessly." -- Don Juan

 

The Thirst For Wholeness: Attachment, Addiction, and the Spiritual Path - Christina Grof 1994

Amazon Synopsis: A world-renowned leader in the transpersonal psychology movement shows how the roots of addiction are buried in a profound spiritual yearning that we must understand to become whole. 

Tipping Sacred Cows: The Uplifting Story of Spilt Milk and Finding Your Own Spiritual Path in a Hectic World - Betsy Chasse 2014

Amazon Synopsis: Tip over your sacred cows of belief, dump your personal prejudices and biases, and begin to rebuild a spiritual lifestyle that really works.  What does it mean to live a spiritual and purposeful life? And how can we achieve it while picking up the kids from the school, cleaning dog vomit off the living room carpet, or sitting at our desk at work? For forty-two years, Betsy Chasse—movie producer, blogger, radio show host, and pioneer behind the cult-sleeper hit What the Bleep Do We Know?!—told herself a story about who she was, what she believed, and how the world worked. She thought she had it all figured out—except she didn’t. In this candid and wry look at the singular, often ridiculous, search for “what it all means,” Tipping Sacred Cows brings spirituality out of the intellect and into real life. Reverently irreverent and funny, with practical tools to use as you wander through your crazy, daily life, this is not a book of answers but an everyday guide as experienced by one woman on the same journey as the rest of us. So throw everything you think you know about spirituality out of your spiritual junk drawer and start over.

To Live Within – Lizelle Reymond 2007

Amazon Synopsis: Originally published in France in 1969 and in America in 1972 and again in 1995, To Live Within is a thoughtful, beautifully written record of Lizelle Reymond's five years spent in a hermitage in Northern India. Reymond studied with guide and mentor Shri Anirvan, a master of the ancient Samkhya tradition.As presented to Reymond, Samkhya is a source teaching previously unknown in the West and universally relevant regardless of one's tradition or cultural background.This new edition contains two additional chapters drawn from Reymond's lifelong correspondence with Shri Anirvan after the retreat.

 

Toward a Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation - John Welwood 2002

Amazon Synopsis: How can we connect the spiritual realizations of Buddhism with the psychological insights of the West? In Toward a Psychology of Awakening John Welwood addresses this question with comprehensiveness and depth. Along the way he shows how meditative awareness can help us develop more dynamic and vital relationships and how psychotherapy can help us embody spiritual realization more fully in everyday life. Welwood's psychology of awakening brings together the three major dimensions of human experience: personal, interpersonal, and suprapersonal, in one overall framework of understanding and practice.

 

Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice - Lauren Artress 2006

Amazon Synopsis: 'Walking the Labyrinth' has reemerged today as a metaphor for the spiritual journey and a powerful tool for transformation. This walking meditation is an archetype, a mystical ritual found in all religious traditions. It quiets the mind and opens the soul. Walking a Sacred Path explores the historical origins of this divine imprint and shares the discoveries of modern day seekers. It shows us the potential of the Labyrinth to inspire change and renewal, and serves as a guide to help us develop the higher level of human awareness we need to survive in the twenty-first century.

 

Return to Book Subject List

Return to Homepage

Do you like our website?

Please tell your friends about us.