Best of
Mysticism

1975

The Mustard Seed: The Gnostic Teachings of Jesus The Mystic


Osho - 1975
    Examining the ancient Gospel of Thomas--a Gnostic text supressed by the early church--Osho paints a portrait of Jesus that is radical and revolutionary, a Jesus who makes demands that run counter to the safe and gentle person of traditonal Christian teaching.

Discourses


Meher Baba - 1975
    Inspiring and practical, the Discourses provide an ever-fresh framework of spiritual perspective on the challenges of everyday life. As Meher Baba stated, "Words that proceed from the Source of Truth have real meaning." The Discourses bear eloquent testimony to that fact and will remain an incomparable companion for those seeking spiritual direction.

Mystical Dimensions of Islam


Annemarie Schimmel - 1975
    Through her sensitivity and deep understanding of the subject, Annemarie Schimmel, an eminent scholar of Eastern religions, draws the reader into the mood, the vision, the way of the Sufi in a manner that adds an essential ingredient to her analysis of the history of Sufism. After exploring the origins of the mystical movement in the meditations of orthodox Muslims on the Koran and the prophetic tradition, the author then discusses the development of its different stages, including classical voluntarism and postclassical theosophical mystical trends. Particular emphasis is placed on spiritual education, the different ways of leading the mystic toward the existential realization of the profound mystery of the profession of faith that “there is no deity but God.” Sufi psychology and Sufi orders and fraternities are comprehensively explored. Through an examination of mystical anthropology, which culminates in the veneration of the prophet and the saints, the questions of free will and predestination, of good and evil, are implied. The main burden of the text, however, is Sufism as reflected in Islamic poetry, and Professor Schimmel examines the various aspects of mystical poetry in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Sindhi, Panjabi, and Pashto. The author skillfully demonstrates how Sufi ideals permeated the whole fabric of Muslim life, providing the average Muslim—villager or intellectual—with the virtues of perfect trust in God and the loving surrender to God’s will. Professor Schimmel’s long acquaintance with Turkey, Iran, and the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent provides a unique emphasis to the study, and the author’s personal knowledge of Sufi practice in these regions lends a contemporary relevance to her work.

Realms of the Human Unconscious: Observations from LSD Research


Stanislav Grof - 1975
    Famous for his lifelong research into psychedelic drugs, Dr. Grof constructs a comprehensive and helpful framework out of the bewildering welter of experiences triggered by LSD in patients and research subjects. Current research into the brain and ways of expanding consciousness give this seminal book, first published in 1979, new importance for the light it throws on many fundamental, but hitherto mysterious, human potentialities. Grof's theory of the human psyche transcends the personal and opens ways to a greater understanding of our inner selves.

My Way: The Way of the White Clouds


Osho - 1975
    Inspiring.My Way: The Way of the White CloudsSubjectResponses To QuestionsTranslated fromNotesPreviously published as "The Way of the White Cloud".Chapters 1-3 later published as "The Mystery Beyond Mind".Chapters 4-6 later published as "The Centre of the Cyclone".Chapters 7-9 later published as "Be Oceanic".Chapters 10-12 later published as "Meditation: The Ultimate Adventure".Chapters 13-15 later published as "Love & Meditation".Time Period of Osho's original Discourses/Talks/Lettersfrom May 10, 1974 to May 24, 1974Number of Discourses/Chapters15

And The Flowers Showered Discourses On Zen


Osho - 1975
    From the true meaning of happiness to an understanding of the process of death, it's all here. To begin reading this book is to commence a journey into the world of wonder.Buddha’s disciple Subhuti is showered with blossoms upon experiencing sublime emptiness. But isn’t emptiness usually an absence of something? Through his commentary on this seemingly strange tale, Osho illuminates the vast difference between a negative and a sublime emptiness.

Mysticism of the Cloud of Unknowing


William Johnston - 1975
    Johnston's theological treatment of this and other works by the same writer makes a conscious comparison with Oriental ways of contemplation.

Who Am I?


Norman P. Grubb - 1975
    Standing on the Scriptures as his final authority, Mr. Grubb explores in a clear and practical way who we are, why we are, how we can be ourselves, and what our destiny is, which is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Key chapters include "Spirit is the Only Reality," "The Origin of Evil," "The Self Can't Be Improved," "Separation is Illusion," "Faith Becomes Fact," and "The Word of Faith." In a simple yet compelling style, Mr. Grubb encourages the born-again believer to take by faith his union with Christ epitomized by Galatians 2:20 and discover the freedom of spontaneous living. Finally, he exhorts the reader to recognize by faith that "as He is, so are we in this world," and to move into his predestined place as an intercessor. Who Am I? is one of Norman Grubb's "textbooks" for what he came to call Total Truth, "...a full satisfaction, a rational meaning to all life, a foolproof workable key to daily living, a road map which I could unfold to a fellow-traveler and say 'This is the way.'"

Magic: The Western Tradition


Francis X. King - 1975
    Traces the history of magic, looks at astrology, magical texts, demons, and spells, and discusses the Order of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley.