Book picks similar to
The Discontented Dervishes by Saadi


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spiritual
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Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings


Paul Reps - 1957
    Over the years it has inspired leading American Zen teachers, students, and practitioners. Its popularity is as high today as ever.Zen Flesh, Zen Bones is a book that offers a collection of accessible, primary Zen sources so that readers can struggle over the meaning of Zen for themselves. It includes 101 Zen Stories, a collection of tales that recount actual experiences of Chinese and Japanese Zen teachers over a period of more than five centuries; The Gateless Gate, the famous thirteenth-century collection of Zen koans; Ten Bulls, a twelfth century commentary on the stages of awareness leading to enlightenment; and Centering, a 4,000 year-old teaching from India that some consider to be the roots of Zen.

Metamorphoses


Ovid
    Horace Gregory, in this modern translation, turns his poetic gifts toward a deft reconstruction of Ovid's ancient themes, using contemporary idiom to bring today's reader all the ageless drama and psychological truths vividly intact. --From the book jacket

The Temptation of St. Antony


Gustave Flaubert - 1874
    Based on the story of the third-century saint who lived on an isolated mountaintop in the Egyptian desert, it is a fantastical rendering of one night during which Anthony is besieged by carnal temptations and philosophical doubt.

A Short Stay in Hell


Steven L. Peck - 2011
    Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library he can only escape from by finding the book that contains the story of his life.In this haunting existential novella, author, philosopher, and ecologist Steven L. Peck explores a subversive vision of eternity, taking the reader on a journey through the afterlife of a world where everything everyone believed in turns out to be wrong.

Deathconsciousness


Have a Nice Life - 2008
    Whosoever lives, so shall they die; and may they die a drowning death, with all of Life inside their mouths, and naught but stones inside their lungs, like David with the skull, dwelling upon it in every second, the impossible trials of ceasing, stopping, ending..."Have a Nice Life's album Deathconsciousness is accompanied by a 75-page booklet detailing the dark and forgotten history of the Antiochean cult. Blurring the lines between novella, liner notes, and academic text, the zine itself presents an engrossing narrative.- This is Deathconsciousness -and it begs the question - "What is the point?"

Homeric Hymns


Homer
    They recount the key episodes in the lives of the gods, and dramatise the moments when they first appear before mortals. Together they offer the most vivid picture we have of the Greek view of the relationship between the divine and human worlds.

In the Arms of Angels: True Stories of Heavenly Guardians


Joan Wester Anderson - 2004
    The book remained on the New York Times Best-Seller List for over a year.In the Arms of Angels is Anderson’s newest collection of mysterious and heart-stirring stories of heavenly guardians. From the harrowing account of a World Trade Center survivor to a miraculous rescue during the first Gulf War, these powerful stories invite us to take another look at the “coincidences” in our lives—to open our eyes to the angels who walk beside us. “In times of uncertainty, we long to be reminded that, as Joan Wester Anderson writes, ‘We are not alone.’”—Rev. Timothy Jones, author, The Art of Prayer, Workday Prayers, and Celebration of Angels “In the Arms of Angels is a true gem, a book to be treasured.”—Jessie Frees, radio host, WMTR/WWTR New Jersey

The Penguin Book of Classical Myths


Jennifer R. March - 2008
    Whether it's Ikaros flying too close to the sun, Prometheus stealing fire from the gods or the tragedy of Oedipus, their characters have inspired art, literature, plays and films, and constellations named after them fill the night sky. But how much do you really know about them?From the clash of the Titans to the fall of Troy, here are the greatest legends of all time, brilliantly retold by classical scholar Jenny March. All the heroes, monsters, villains, gods and goddesses of classical civilization are included; the epic journeys of Odysseus and Aeneas; the founding of Athens and Rome; the quests of Jason seeking the Golden Fleece and Theseus slaying the minotaur. Giving the origins, development and interpretation of each myth, this is the essential guide to the stories that have shaped our world.

Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Hearts and Rekindle the Spirits of Women


Jack Canfield - 1996
    We are each special and unique, yet we share a common connection.

Songs of Kabir


Kabir
    

Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West


Daniel Ladinsky - 2002
    Once again Ladinsky reveals his talent for creating profound and playful renditions of classic poems for a modern audience. Rumi's joyous, ecstatic love poems; St. Francis's loving observations of nature through the eyes of Catholicism; Kabir's wild, freeing humor that synthesizes Hindu, Muslim, and Christian beliefs; St. Teresa's sensual verse; and the mystical, healing words of Sufi poet Hafiz—these along with inspiring works by Rabia, Meister Eckhart, St. Thomas Aquinas, Mira, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and Tukaram are all “love poems by God,” from writers considered to be "conduits of the divine." A spiritual treasure to cherish always.

Sufi Comics - The Wise Fool of Baghdad


Mohammed Ali Vakil - 2012
    Bahlool who lived in Baghdad, circa the 8th century AD, feigned madness to escape the oppression of the ruling class. Now free of the burden of normalcy he dispensed wisdom in strange and amusing ways.The Wise Fool of Baghdad is a collection of these true stories, richly illustrated in the Turkish-Iranian miniature style. Every story is followed by sacred verses of the Qur'an and traditional sayings, inscribed in Arabic By Muqtar Ahmed, one of India's finest Islamic calligraphers.Get the book. In the crazy times we live in, you'll probably need a fool to make sense of it all.http://www.suficomics.com

Egyptian Mythology: Classic Stories of Egyptian Myths, Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters


Scott Lewis - 2018
    These timeless myths are fountains of insight and, many would argue, beacons of light that can shatter the darkness of ignorance. For those of you that are ready and willing to receive these ancient messages, your time has come. All you need to do is start reading. Then the wisdom of Thoth will begin to stir inside you.Some of the stories that you will find in this book are: The Story of Re The Book of Thoth The Story of Isis and Osiris Anubis and the Underworld The Great Queen Hatshepsut Horus: The Conquer of Set The Shipwrecked Sailor The Girl with Rose-Red Slippers The Adventure of Sinuhe The Taking of Joppa The Land of the Dead The Golden Lotus The Seven Year Famine: Khnemu of the Nile Bastet and the Cats The Peasant and the Workman Sphinx and the Prince The Treasure Thief And more! Every story has been formatted to create a clear and concise retelling for all of those who are not already familiar with the lore of ancient Egyptian culture!

Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes


Philip Freeman - 2017
    Paradoxically characterized as both barbaric and innocent, the Celts appeal to the modern world as a symbol of a bygone era, a world destroyed by theambition of empire and the spread of Christianity throughout Western Europe. Despite the pervasive cultural and literary influence of the Celts, shockingly little is known of their way of life and beliefs, because very few records of their stories exist. In this book, for the first time, PhilipFreeman brings together the best stories of Celtic mythology.Everyone today knows about the gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks, such as Zeus, Hera, and Hercules, but how many people have heard of the Gaulish god Lugus or the magical Welsh queen Rhiannon or the great Irish warrior C� Chulainn? We still thrill to the story of the Trojan War, but the epicbattles of the Irish T�in B� Cuailgne are known only to a few. And yet those who have read the stories of Celtic myth and legend-among them writers like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis-have been deeply moved and influenced by these amazing tales, for there is nothing in the world quite like them.In these stories a mysterious and invisible realm of gods and spirits exists alongside and sometimes crosses over into our own human world; fierce women warriors battle with kings and heroes, and even the rules of time and space can be suspended. Captured in vivid prose these shadowy figures-gods, goddesses, and heroes-come to life for the modern reader.

The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary (3 Volumes)


Robert Alter - 2018
    Capturing its brilliantly compact poetry and finely wrought, purposeful prose, Alter renews the Old Testament as a source of literary power and spiritual inspiration. From the family frictions of Genesis and King David’s flawed humanity to the serene wisdom of Psalms and Job’s incendiary questioning of God’s ways, these magnificent works of world literature resonate with a startling immediacy. Featuring Alter’s generous commentary, which quietly alerts readers to the literary and historical dimensions of the text, this is the definitive edition of the Hebrew Bible.