Wellness Directory

As an ardent student of consciousness and spiritual growth for more than 30 years, books have played a major role in my development. The following books were significant in my growth:

· Be Here Now by Ram Dass

Ram Dass (Dr. Richard Alpert) was an associate of Timothy Leary’s at Harvard University in the 1960s and conducted LSD research. Alpert became aware of the spiritual dimensions of human consciousness and ultimately went to India, where he immersed himself in Hinduism and yoga. Alpert’s guru gave him the name “Ram Dass,” meaning “servant of God.”

Be Here Now is a great exposition of the nondual philosophy of Hinduism. Nondualism means “not of two,” a literal translation of the Sanskrit term advaita — that people and things remain distinct while not being spiritually separate. The book is lavishly illustrated and contains a bibliography of classic mystical literature that one can spend years investigating.

· Think on These Things by J. Krishnamurti

Krishnamurti was chosen at an early age by the Theosophical Society to become a world guru. He rebelled at this idea and set out to help people think for themselves. His method was to ask questions and then investigate the concepts that came out of the questions. Hence, Think on These Things. He stressed that questioning and investigating our own minds and beliefs would lead us to our own way in the world. His writings came my way as I was starting to question my beliefs and were an aid in the process of remaking myself from the inside out.

If you’re inclined to check out some of the ancient literature on consciousness and spirituality, I would suggest The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, The Bhagavad Gita and the Buddha’s Dhammapada. These works are classics of Taoism, Hinduism and Buddhism and formed a foundation for mysticism through the ages.

This article appears in Jul 11-17, 2007.