Here is what I’m currently reading.
In My Own Way, Alan Watts. The hunger to have lived someone else’s life rises so strongly in me in this one. I am on the second read-through, a book I loved so much I needed to start it again immediately once complete. I love his humor, his insights, his way of seeing life. I am sort of unable to express how deeply this book affected me. It did set me on a path through all his works. So just know that for the next bit of time, when I am walking around, I’ll have Alan Watts’ voice in my ear.
Out of Your Mind: Essential Listening from the Alan Watts Audio Archives, Alan Watts. See above.
Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe. This is on the family book group reading list, and is now my lunchtime reading. It’s long, so it’ll be a while, reading about 3-4 pages every day while I eat my meal. I’ve really been drawn into this one. So fascinating to think of the ways we would survive alone, and to watch his progressive relationship with God.
Here are some things I love and recommend.
Silence of the Heart. Dialogues with Robert Adams
This book speaks to me so much I kept having the thought that this may be the last book I ever read. I don’t know what else to say beyond that. (The link above is to the most recent version. If you can spend a little more for a first edition used copy, that’s the way to go.)
“The only freedom we’ve got is not to react to anything, but to turn within and know the truth.”
I Am the Word, Paul Selig. So. I read about Paul and I thought, hm, channeling. I never heard anyone channel before, let me just check this out. I’ll listen until it feels like a gimmick, or untrue, or riles up my skepticism. Well, 8 books in, participation in all of his online workshops for the last couple of years later. If you get a book, start here. Listen to the audio book, so you hear Paul read it. I feel like this is either very much for you, or very much not. I do consider these teachings one of the most transformative aspects of my life. So there’s that.
When Fear Falls Away, The Story of a Sudden Awakening, Jan Frazier. See my blog post of 11/7/2019 for more.
The Three Pillars of Zen, Roshi Philip Kaplan. The book that began my interest in meditation. First-hand accounts of Zen practice.
Interviews with Francis Bacon, David Sylvester. My favorite book on the creative process. “In my case all painting… is an accident. I foresee it and yet I hardly ever carry it out as I foresee it. It transforms itself by the actual paint. I don’t in fact know very often what the paint will do, and it does many things which are very much better than I could make it do.”
Memories, Dreams, Reflections, C.G. Jung. In my top 5. Talk about a journey into the heart of creativity, spirituality and the human condition.
In My Own Way, Alan Watts. The hunger to have lived someone else’s life rises so strongly in me in this one. I am on the second read-through, a book I loved so much I needed to start it again immediately once complete. I love his humor, his insights, his way of seeing life. I am sort of unable to express how deeply this book affected me. It did set me on a path through all his works. So just know that for the next bit of time, when I am walking around, I’ll have Alan Watts’ voice in my ear.
The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet’s Lost Paradise, Ian Baker. This is a beautiful adventure story with a spectacular overall metaphor of travel and the spiritual path as an exploration of a living being. Gorgeous.
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart, James R. Doty, M.D. I love this book so much. I think I read it in a day. I recommend this to anyone wondering how people seem to effortlessly manifest good things in their life, and also about the power of being neutral to the outcome. I could never recommend this highly enough.
Life in Double Time: Confessions of an American Drummer, Mike Lankford. A fun read, and a great explanation of what happens to your playing when you’re on the road every day for three years.
The Power of Now. Eckhart Tolle. I’m late getting to this one, I know. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed hearing the author read it and the question and answer segments. I know he is recycling old knowledge, but I believe he speaks accurately when he says that there is really one way to awaken, and it is to let go of attachment to the ego/false self/thoughts and emotions. I am enjoying hearing his language about these things. It’s always helpful to hear someone say similar things with different words, and thus hear it in a new way.
The Human Encounter with Death. Stanislav Grof and Joan Halifax. Fascinating accounts of clinical psychedelic experiences with terminal patients. Also, a wonderful book to tote around in restaurants in order to make sure no one speaks with you.
The Shaman Within: A Physicist’s Guide to the Deeper Dimensions of Your Live, The Universe, and Everything. Claude Poncelet. What a wonderful read. One of my favorite things is reading about how science and spirituality meet.
On Being Podcast: http://www.onbeing.org/ My close friends right now are saying, “We know, we know, you love this podcast. Shut up already.” It’s true. I love it so much because it so validates my belief that the future looks bright, and here are much smarter people than me saying so.