Book Thread

[Goldxaura]

I want to know what are some really great books that can potentially help with a spiritual journey.
What are some books that can help me in every aspect of my life? I want to be brilliant like Johnson_akemi, or philosophical like our HP.
I know wisdom comes through experience, but at the same time. Conventional knowledge is astoundingly great too!

 

[DarkAmaranthine]

Nietzsche - the books I have from him are Twilight of the Idols, With the Antichrist and Ecce Homo

I have a book by David Hume but I haven't read it yet so I can't express an opinion on him.

Publius Ovidius Naso - great artist. Known for his Metamorphoses. Note: NOT to be confused with Kafka's bullshit.

Aristotle - all of his works are great, but a good start would be The Republic.

Mein Kampf, obviously.

I would also recommend good biographies on great figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander Macedon and Vlad the Impaler. The list can, of course, continue. I find it inspiring to read about them.

In my personal experience, I read almost any book I can find - especially when it comes to literature. I have enough experience when it comes to reading to discern the good from the bad in most books. Unfortunately, I am not very well-versed in philosophy, reason why I can't offer you more suggestions.

 

[Ol argedco luciftias]

There are many good books in here.

https://mega.nz/folder/TMMzxYIT#2RHnCQWzXdpqVtjNvSow0w

 

[existentialcrisis]

I want to know what are some really great books that can potentially help with a spiritual journey.
What are some books that can help me in every aspect of my life? I want to be brilliant like Johnson_akemi, or philosophical like our HP.
I know wisdom comes through experience, but at the same time. Conventional knowledge is astoundingly great too!

Bhagavad Gita. Easy to read, short, not fluffed up and filled with pointless out of touch academic writing like so much other "philosophy". Just the real. It is grounding despite being a spiritual work. I come back to it sometimes.

I don't know what edition is best. I like the one by easwaran, though I skip over the pointless commentary. The audiobook is very nice as well.


Tried to read the Mahabharata once, which the Gita is a small part of. It is marginally less of a bizarre slog as the bible. It even has pages and pages of geneaological histories in common with it.
Makes for excellent bedtime reading.

Maybe a different translator or an abridged edition would have been better. Some interesting parts like the war in the heavens but they're not common as far as I've gotten.

It's also hard to follow with each god having so many different names and avatars in hinduism. The human names interspersed between are just as bad especially when you have no relation to that language or culture. I wish there were a western pagan equivalent.


Most philosophy is not worth reading, although it can expand awareness up to a point, I wouldn't bother with looking for real knowledge in this genre. It's not a reliable source, in any case. After the initial period of adding to your perspectives I would consider it entertainment or vanity at most.

You're better off reading biographies about people that you respect and people that have lived experience on what you're interested in. Then find out who they were influenced by and follow the bibliography.

 

[Academic Scholar]

I want to know what are some really great books that can potentially help with a spiritual journey.
What are some books that can help me in every aspect of my life? I want to be brilliant like Johnson_akemi, or philosophical like our HP.
I know wisdom comes through experience, but at the same time. Conventional knowledge is astoundingly great too!

SS Book List:
https://ancient-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19507

 

[Xon]

Aristotle - all of his works are great, but a good start would be The Republic.

The Republic is a great book but it's by Plato, not Aristotle, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[DarkAmaranthine]

Aristotle - all of his works are great, but a good start would be The Republic.

The Republic is a great book but it's by Plato, not Aristotle, if I'm not mistaken.

Oh yeah, sorry. I always get these two mixed up somehow.

 

[NinRick]

I want to know what are some really great books that can potentially help with a spiritual journey.
What are some books that can help me in every aspect of my life? I want to be brilliant like Johnson_akemi, or philosophical like our HP.
I know wisdom comes through experience, but at the same time. Conventional knowledge is astoundingly great too!

Bhagavad Gita. Easy to read, short, not fluffed up and filled with pointless out of touch academic writing like so much other "philosophy". Just the real. It is grounding despite being a spiritual work. I come back to it sometimes.

I don't know what edition is best. I like the one by easwaran, though I skip over the pointless commentary. The audiobook is very nice as well.


Tried to read the Mahabharata once, which the Gita is a small part of. It is marginally less of a bizarre slog as the bible. It even has pages and pages of geneaological histories in common with it.
Makes for excellent bedtime reading.

Maybe a different translator or an abridged edition would have been better. Some interesting parts like the war in the heavens but they're not common as far as I've gotten.

It's also hard to follow with each god having so many different names and avatars in hinduism. The human names interspersed between are just as bad especially when you have no relation to that language or culture. I wish there were a western pagan equivalent.


Most philosophy is not worth reading, although it can expand awareness up to a point, I wouldn't bother with looking for real knowledge in this genre. It's not a reliable source, in any case. After the initial period of adding to your perspectives I would consider it entertainment or vanity at most.

You're better off reading biographies about people that you respect and people that have lived experience on what you're interested in. Then find out who they were influenced by and follow the bibliography.

I have read the Bhagvad Gita when I was 16 and searched for Spiritual Guidance and valid information on the Chakras and Soul and more.

This book mentions not to advance for the sake of advancement, just for seeing Krsna in his 4 armed form inside of your heart if I am not mistaken.

All in all this book gave me depressions, I searched for spirituality and it has driven me completely away from spirituality altogether.

There are many wrong information provided in this book, which misguides people and even drives people away from spirituality.

I know quite some people who have read this book, and nobody gained anything from it.

Just re-read the Joy of Satan, and each time you will really understand and learn something new.

 

[Xon]

Aristotle - all of his works are great, but a good start would be The Republic.

The Republic is a great book but it's by Plato, not Aristotle, if I'm not mistaken.

Oh yeah, sorry. I always get these two mixed up somehow.

An author from your country who was recommended is Eminescu.

Personally, I would be curious to read an advanced Satanist's alchemical interpretation of the German Folk Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

 

[DarkAmaranthine]

The Republic is a great book but it's by Plato, not Aristotle, if I'm not mistaken.

Oh yeah, sorry. I always get these two mixed up somehow.

An author from your country who was recommended is Eminescu.

Personally, I would be curious to read an advanced Satanist's alchemical interpretation of the German Folk Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Ah yes, Mihai Eminescu is indeed quite the lecture. I remember making a book thread a while ago, on another account. You should read him - it doesn't have the same feeling as reading his poems in Romanian, but it's an amazing experience. The Evening Star is considered to be his greatest creation. Besides that, he also has some fairy-tales, historical and love poems that are definitely worth your time.

About the Grimm Brothers - I haven't read their fairy-tales in a very long time so I can't give a clear opinion on them. I wrote a very detailed article once on fairy-tales and the way they manifest around the world, but I'd have to dig that up since it was in 8th grade.

What I can say about old fairy-tales is that they are much darker than their current interpretation for children. It wasn't unusual for fairy-tales to serve as warnings for children - and to scare them off from dangerous situations. For example, going into the woods alone. Same applies with folklore tales.

Again, I haven't studied this matter for a very long time so I can't give a lot of insight for this. But I do find it interesting how much variety fairy-tales can have. Mihai Eminescu - and Romanian folklore - don't have this dark, grim setting for them. Most of the time, the setting is cheerful and colorful. Their main objective is to show a process of evolution and growth. It's based on the idea of a bildungsroman. They also focus heavily on life lessons.

If you're interested in fairy-tales, you should check out Eminescu. He has a very charming writing style.

 

[Xon]

Oh yeah, sorry. I always get these two mixed up somehow.

An author from your country who was recommended is Eminescu.

Personally, I would be curious to read an advanced Satanist's alchemical interpretation of the German Folk Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Ah yes, Mihai Eminescu is indeed quite the lecture. I remember making a book thread a while ago, on another account. You should read him - it doesn't have the same feeling as reading his poems in Romanian, but it's an amazing experience. The Evening Star is considered to be his greatest creation. Besides that, he also has some fairy-tales, historical and love poems that are definitely worth your time.

About the Grimm Brothers - I haven't read their fairy-tales in a very long time so I can't give a clear opinion on them. I wrote a very detailed article once on fairy-tales and the way they manifest around the world, but I'd have to dig that up since it was in 8th grade.

What I can say about old fairy-tales is that they are much darker than their current interpretation for children. It wasn't unusual for fairy-tales to serve as warnings for children - and to scare them off from dangerous situations. For example, going into the woods alone. Same applies with folklore tales.

Again, I haven't studied this matter for a very long time so I can't give a lot of insight for this. But I do find it interesting how much variety fairy-tales can have. Mihai Eminescu - and Romanian folklore - don't have this dark, grim setting for them. Most of the time, the setting is cheerful and colorful. Their main objective is to show a process of evolution and growth. It's based on the idea of a bildungsroman. They also focus heavily on life lessons.

If you're interested in fairy-tales, you should check out Eminescu. He has a very charming writing style.

Eminescu had also been recommended to me by a Romanian schoolmate of mine. A few years ago I found in the library a collection of his works, it contained both the original text and the Italian translation, so I could also read the metrics and the sound of the original words. Unfortunately though, in the end I didn't have time to read it and I returned it, I think I'll go get it again.

You're right, some Grimm's fairy tales are quite gory. For example, from what I remember, in the real Cinderella the stepsisters cut off their feet in order to get them into the crystal slipper. A few months ago I re-read the one about the frog prince and I thought it might have some alchemical meaning. But it is true that the main meanings are very pragmatic life lessons.

I would gladly read the article on fairy tales you wrote, if you have the will and time to look for it.

 

[DarkAmaranthine]

...

...

Eminescu had also been recommended to me by a Romanian schoolmate of mine. A few years ago I found in the library a collection of his works, it contained both the original text and the Italian translation, so I could also read the metrics and the sound of the original words. Unfortunately though, in the end I didn't have time to read it and I returned it, I think I'll go get it again.

You're right, some Grimm's fairy tales are quite gory. For example, from what I remember, in the real Cinderella the stepsisters cut off their feet in order to get them into the crystal slipper. A few months ago I re-read the one about the frog prince and I thought it might have some alchemical meaning. But it is true that the main meanings are very pragmatic life lessons.

I would gladly read the article on fairy tales you wrote, if you have the will and time to look for it.

Sleeping Beauty is also quite... yeah. No. Definitely not something you'd want your children to read.

And about the article - I will see if I can find it. My former literature professor should still have it somewhere. If you're interested, I can go over it and translate it into English.

 

[Xon]

If you're interested, I can go over it and translate it into English.

Yes, as long as it is not a burdensome commitment for you or a danger to your privacy.

 

[DarkAmaranthine]

If you're interested, I can go over it and translate it into English.

Yes, as long as it is not a burdensome commitment for you or a danger to your privacy.

No, I don't think so. It's a pretty old article - and the original is in Romanian.

 

[Someone.something_]

a good introduction book into taoism is Opening the energy gates of your body by B.K Frantzis.

he teaches basic philosophy and understanding of energy. I used to like Mantak Chia but found his practices misleading and weird, I've even heard they can be dangerous. he's also a Christian so i don't doubt he's doing it purposely