Suggested Readings, Movies and More
The following books have proven themselves over time to be invaluable, contemporary resources for those travelling the path of Self-Realization. All of these books are readily available for purchase through Amazon.com:
A Course In Miracles (ACIM) Published by Foundation for Inner Peace (Latest edition May 21, 2008)
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Literally, millions of people have been helped by the power of this book, and it still remains as popular today as when it was released in the mid-1970's. The 365-daily mind training lessons of A Course In Miracles are a transformational curriculum in Self-realization. Through God-realization the student is taught Love and forgiveness. This was the book that personally ushered me onto the path of Self-Realization in the early 90's, preparing me for what was to come.
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda Published by Self-Realization Fellowship
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Autobiography of a Yogi is one of the world's most acclaimed spiritual classics.
As the life story of Paramahansa Yogananda — who is often referred to as the Father of Yoga in the West — the book has touched the hearts and minds of millions around the globe. Translated into many languages, it has served as an ambassador for India's ancient science of Yoga, introducing countless readers to the methods for attaining God-realization (Self-realization) that are India's unique and lasting contribution to world civilization.
In 1999, a Harper Collins panel of distinguished authors and scholars selected Autobiography of a Yogi as one of the "100 Best Spiritual Books of the Century."
Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi edited by David Godman
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Ramana Maharshi was one of the most significant spiritual teachers to emerge from India during the first half of the century, and remains widely admired. This recent collection of conversations between him and the many seekers who came to his ashram for guidance contains the essence of his teaching. His concern throughout his long life of imparting his experience to others was to convince his listeners that self-realisation - or enlightenment - is not an alien or mysterious state, but the natural condition of man. This state can be easily discovered by undertaking the self-investigation clearly described in these talks. The lucid instructions to each section provide further illumination of this greater seer's message.
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
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​With his bestselling spiritual guide The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of readers to discover the freedom and joy of a life lived "in the now." In A New Earth, Tolle expands on these powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence.
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyomd Yourself by Michael A. Singer
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What would it be like to free yourself from limitations and soar beyond your boundaries? What can you do each day to discover inner peace and serenity? The Untethered Soul—now a #1 New York Timesbestseller—offers simple yet profound answers to these questions.
Whether this is your first exploration of inner space, or you’ve devoted your life to the inward journey, this book will transform your relationship with yourself and the world around you. You’ll discover what you can do to put an end to the habitual thoughts and emotions that limit your consciousness. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, author and spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization.
Copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) The Untethered Soul begins by walking you through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, helping you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy. It then delves into what you can do to free yourself from the habitual thoughts, emotions, and energy patterns that limit your consciousness. Finally, with perfect clarity, this book opens the door to a life lived in the freedom of your innermost being.
The Yugas: Keys to Understanding Our Hidden Past, Emerging Energy Age and Enlightened Future by David Steinmetz and Joseph Selbie
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The concept of the yugas is critically important for a clear understanding of humankind's ancient past, our potential future, and the way the larger cosmic environment influences humanity's changing consciousness. The conventional mainstream view of an overall linear progression in human history is no longer tenable; it is now clear that the ancients of 10,000 to 15,000 years ago were not primitives and we have much to learn from them. Based on the teachings of Sri Yukteswar, The Yugas by Joseph Selbie and David Steinmetz provides a perceptive analysis of history from the height of the last Satya Yuga (Spiritual Age) of circa 11,500 B.C. to our present age. Just as importantly, the authors discuss trends and developments that we may anticipate over the next 10,000 years as the cycle of the yugas comes full circle. The Yugas integrates and synthesizes disparate facts and apparent anomalies that are often ignored. This is a profound book on a profound subject. Intelligently written and fascinating, it provides new revelations on the unfolding of human potential over the course of millennia. (Robert M. Schoch, Ph.D., July 2010)
The following movies are some of our favorites in regard to Self-Realization related content:
AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda (2014) is an unconventional biography about the Hindu Swami who brought yoga and meditation to the West in the 1920s. Paramahansa Yogananda authored the spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, which has sold millions of copies worldwide and is a go-to book for seekers, philosophers and yoga enthusiasts today (apparently, it was the only book that Steve Jobs had on his iPad). By personalizing his own quest for enlightenment and sharing his struggles along the path, Yogananda made ancient Vedic teachings accessible to a modern audience, attracting many followers and inspiring the millions who practice yoga today.
Filmed over three years with the participation of 30 countries around the world, the documentary examines the world of yoga, modern and ancient, east and west and explores why millions today have turned their attention inwards, bucking the limitations of the material world in pursuit of Self-realization.
Little Buddha (1993)
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Keanu Reeves, Bridget Fonda and recording artist Chris Isaak star in this motion picture spectacular from Academy Award-winning director Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor,1987).
In Seattle, Jesse Conrad and his parents (Fonda and Isaak) discover a story about a prince named Siddhartha (Reeves) in a land of miracles. But the miracle becomes real when Tibetan monks appear, searching for their reincarnated leader—who they believe has been reborn as Jesse. As their two different worlds meet, an extraordinary adventure unfolds.
The following streaming channels are some of our favorites in regard to Self-realization related content:
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