Getting a grip on classic traditions.

[Old Man Contradiction]

I want to get a good a grip on the ways of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Yoga.

What is, in your opinion, the best translation and the most original and well preserved classic Buddhist text?

 

Same thing with Hindu, I have the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, but 99% of it is commentary. Other than that, any other texts?

The only yogic book I know of are the Sutras of Patanjali, can you recommend more?

Taoism.... Tao Te Ching, Hua Hu Ching, any others?

 

I understand Confucianism is not a spiritual practice, but I read somewhere that GM Wang Xiangzhai was fond of it, I would like to hear if anyone has a suggestion for understanding that philosophy as well.

and.... the most unedited version of the Bible.

 

The reason I want to read these is because I'd rather not be clueless about these traditions any more.

[dwai]

I want to get a good a grip on the ways of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Yoga.

What is, in your opinion, the best translation and the most original and well preserved classic Buddhist text?

 

Same thing with Hindu, I have the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, but 99% of it is commentary. Other than that, any other texts?

The only yogic book I know of are the Sutras of Patanjali, can you recommend more?

Taoism.... Tao Te Ching, Hua Hu Ching, any others?

 

I understand Confucianism is not a spiritual practice, but I read somewhere that GM Wang Xiangzhai was fond of it, I would like to hear if anyone has a suggestion for understanding that philosophy as well.

and.... the most unedited version of the Bible.

 

The reason I want to read these is because I'd rather not be clueless about these traditions any more.

Books by Dr Rama Puligandla

 

The above has a good blend of Academic/scholarly knowledge and experiential knowledge.

 

This is from one of the most enigmatic figures of Vedanta in the past 200 odd years --

Swami Vivekananda

 

 

Taoism:

Master Waysun Liao

 

Buddhism:

Edward Conze

 

Translations by Edward Conze and I B Horner

Edited August 12, 2009 by dwai

[Li TaoRen]

Buddhism, Dhammapada is great. Tao- Chuang Tzu, Wen Tzu... there are so many others but poor translations, we may as well watch sesame street.lol

I want to get a good a grip on the ways of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Yoga.

What is, in your opinion, the best translation and the most original and well preserved classic Buddhist text?

 

Same thing with Hindu, I have the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, but 99% of it is commentary. Other than that, any other texts?

The only yogic book I know of are the Sutras of Patanjali, can you recommend more?

Taoism.... Tao Te Ching, Hua Hu Ching, any others?

 

I understand Confucianism is not a spiritual practice, but I read somewhere that GM Wang Xiangzhai was fond of it, I would like to hear if anyone has a suggestion for understanding that philosophy as well.

and.... the most unedited version of the Bible.

 

The reason I want to read these is because I'd rather not be clueless about these traditions any more.

[Vajrahridaya]

Treasury of Knowledge Book One: Myriad Worlds

 

This is very good and gives a basic understanding of the Cosmology in all the different turnings of the wheel of Buddha Dharma.

[Old Man Contradiction]

thank you all for your suggestions, I've taken suggestions from each of you and added them to by Amazon.com Cart, now I need to get the money for all of them.

 

By the way, I just remembered that I own Vivekananda's translation of the Sutras Of Patanjali, never got to reading it so i'm reading it now, the intro so far is good energy.

 

Take it easy

[Old Man Contradiction]

Through some research i'm also going to check out Sri Aurobindo's The Upanishads

[lifeforce]

I have the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, but 99% of it is commentary.

 

I also have that book by Prabhupada but it is heavily biased towards the hare krishna movement.

I too am looking for a translation, but without any sectarian bias.

 

Best wishes

[Vajrahridaya]

I also have that book by Prabhupada but it is heavily biased towards the hare krishna movement.

I too am looking for a translation, but without any sectarian bias.

 

Best wishes

 

That's probably the worst translation on the planet. I've read many translations of the Bhagavad Gita and that's bar-none the most convoluted and biased, mis-representation of the scripture I've ever seen. Swami Prabhavananda's is good. The best version though is probably the Jnaneshwari or Jnaneshwar's Gita link to Amazon As it's an expansion of the verses in a way that's not really a commentary but a literal expansion by as it seems Krishna himself through the enlightenment of Jnaneshwar a boy genius. It's a highly acclaimed version and really worth the buy, it's exquisite and in line with real Vedanta. I'll give some background...

 

He was from the late 1200's. He started composing this version of the Bhagavad Gita in Marathi at the age of 13 and finished it at the age of 16. It's one of the most highly praised works in Marathi, the boy was a literal genius. Writing this book he actually took the power away from the Brahmin's who wouldn't allow the common folk to read the text because they wouldn't teach the common folk Sanskrit. Sounds a bit like old Catholic way's eh? Anyway... the Brahmin's were mad but he held them back through yogic powers and there's lots of stories about this and he composed the book and it spread like wild fire. He took live mahasamadhi at the age of 21 being lowered into his Samadhi temple in a live meditation posture, he took full lotus on the slab and they lowered him down into his hole after the temple was built. He wrote some of the most praise worthy poetry in the Marathi language and in the tradition of Vedanta known to Indian history.

 

By looking in a mirror, one perceives his own identity;

But that identity was already there.

 

In the same way, relative knowledge gives the understanding

Of the identity of the world and the Self -

But it is like using a knife

To cut another knife.

 

Fire, in the process of annihilating camphor,

Annihilates itself as well;

This is exactly what happens to knowledge

In the process of destroying ignorance.

 

The cresting of a wave is but its fall;

The flash of a bolt of lightning

Is but its fading.

 

Likewise, knowledge,

Drinking up the water of ignorance,

Grows so large

That it completely annihilates itself.

 

This absolute Knowledge is like

The intrinsic fullness of the moon,

Which is unaffected

By its apparent waxing and waning.

 

 

Saint Jnaneshwar

 

.......................

 

To have written like this in 13th century India at the age of 13 is just amazing!

Edited August 12, 2009 by Vajrahridaya

[Zhuo Ming-Dao]

You absolutely will not find a better, more scholarly translation of the Gita than this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bhagavadgita-Mahabha.../ref=pd_sim_b_3

 

If you are interested in the Gita and have a lot of reading time, you should work your way through the whole (or as much as has been translated) of the Mahabharata. The Bhagavadgita is just one tiny chapter in this massive work.

 

Also for Hinduism, as someone else mentioned, you will need a copy of the Upanishads. R Krishnamurti is the translation that I use, just because it has all of them in one nice book. As with anything quite that esoteric, the translator will always have some unavoidable bias.

 

For the Bible, this is the most actuate translation you will find today:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Apocrypha-...1827&sr=8-1

[Mal]

[Erdrickgr]

Shambala guide to Taoism Discussion

 

That was an interesting discussion, thanks for posting a link to it!

[Sunya]

I've found this book to be the best beginners book on Buddhism

 

http://www.amazon.com/What-Makes-You-Not-B...0501&sr=8-1

 

this is also excellent, more scholarly, but focuses on the pali suttas which are the original teachings of the Buddha. these are the foundation of all Buddhist schools

 

http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-E...0531&sr=8-1

 

also, anything written by the Dalai Lama and Trungpa Rinpoche such as

 

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddha-Dharma-...0686&sr=8-4

 

I would really recommend Trungpa Rinpoche, he writes in such a clear style that is very practical and really hits home as he truly understood the Western mindset

 

I would also suggest, to save money as I do, to buy all your books used off amazon.

Edited August 13, 2009 by mikaelz

[dwai]

Through some research i'm also going to check out Sri Aurobindo's The Upanishads

 

I'd also recommend reading Eknath Easwaran's book "The Upanishads". It's really quite good. It's a good foundation.