Posted on | April 24, 2018 | No Comments
Download a pdf of this free spiritual ebook FreeSpiritualEbooks.com is sponsored by Endless Satsang Foundation, Inc., a recognized tax-exempt 501C-3 organization.
When I am looking for new additions to Holybooks.com, I often come across books in another niche I am very keen on. Books about adventurers, explorers, and logbooks from the travels in the ages of discovery. https://www.greatestadventurers.com is the new home for those works.
So far only a handful books have been uploaded, but rest assured, more will come. The concept is the same as her on Holybooks.com, free PDF e-books which all have reached the Public Domain (or have been donated to the site by the rightsholders), meaning they can be read and distributed freely. Please take a look at https://www.greatestadventurers.com and let me know what you think. Suggestions for new books are welcome.
Posted on | April 18, 2018 | No Comments
The Craft of the Heart by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo gives the full range of his teachings on the practice of the Buddha’s craft, from the observance of the five precepts to the attainment of total liberation. Even though the chapters are designed for different readers at different stages the reader is advised to read, not judgmentally, but judiciously—taking whatever is useful for his or her own practice, and leaving the rest for others. The structure of the book, with its two overlapping parts, is explained by the fact that the two parts were originally written and published separately, Part II appearing in 1936 as The Training of the Heart, and Part I the following year as Precepts for Laypeople. In 1939 Ajaan Lee revised and expanded both parts, putting them together as self-sufficient but complementary halves of a single volume. Later, in the early 1950’s, he revised the book once more.
Download the full lenght PDF e-book The Craft of the Heart here (136 pages/1.5MB):
The Craft of the Heart
Posted on | April 13, 2018 | 1 Comment
Karma Q&A – a study guide is a newer book (2018) about the concept of Karma as it is understood and used in the Theravada branch of Buddhism. It discusses the origin of Karma and how it might have older roots than Buddhism and what the implications of this for a modern audience in the West might be. The author, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, argues that Karma is not Indonesian cultural luggage adopted by Buddha, but a universal concept, valuable for all cultures.
Download the free PDF e-book on Karma here (99 pages/ 1.5MB):
Karma Q&A
Posted on | April 9, 2018 | No Comments
Abiding in the Retreat by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. One of the Chenrezig practices in Tibetan Buddhism is the Chenrezig practices is the nyung nä. It is a powerful and intensive practice that takes place during a two days retreat. This book Abiding in the Retreat is a commentary to a nyung nä sadhana composed by Kelzang Gyatso, the Seventh Dalai Lama, according to the nyung nä lineage originating from Bhikshuni Lakshmi (Gelongma Pälmo), an Indian princess who cured herself of leprosy and achieved enlightenment through nyung nä practice.
Download Abiding in the Retreat here (329 pages/3.6MB):
Abiding in the Retreat
Posted on | April 6, 2018 | No Comments
Majjhima Nikaya. This comprehensive work offers a complete translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections in the Sutta Pitaka or “Basket of Discourses” belonging to the Pali Canon. This vast body of scriptures, recorded in the ancient Indian language now known as Pali, is regarded by the Theravada school of Buddhism as the definitive recension of the Buddha-word, and among scholars too it is generally considered our most reliable source for the original teachings of the historical Buddha Gotama.
This translation is an extensively revised version of an original draft translation made by the distinguished English scholar-monk, Bhikkhu Nanamoli (1905-1960). During his eleven years’ life in the Buddhist Order, passed entirely at the Island Hermitage in south Sri Lanka, Ven. Nanamoli had rendered into English some of the most difficult and intricate texts of Pali Buddhism, among them the encyclopedic Visuddhimagga. Following his premature death at the age of 55, three thick hand-bound notebooks containing a handwritten translation of the entire Majjhima Nikaya were found among his effects.
I have edited this scan for a better quality/file size ratio and removed empty pages. It is still a huge file (about 1.406 pages/33 MB) Enjoy.
Posted on | January 8, 2018 | 4 Comments
The Mysteries of Mind by Yuvacaria Mahaprajna is an in-depth guide to meditation based on the ancient Jain-tradition. This Preksha meditation consist of practices for purifying emotions and conscious and realizing the own self. It helps in leading a peaceful life and is a system of meditation for attitudinal change, behavioral modification and integrated development of personality. The book describes a strict system of practices and rules for what to eat, how to communicate, behave etc. From the intro:
We are a ware of the power of thoughts, but we are unacquainted with the power of perception. Thinking tires knowledge-tissues whereas perception energises and activates them. Perceptive consciousness is natural. In whatever part of the body it enters, consciousness releases the current of vital energy in it. The flow of the current of vital energy in sufficient quantity arouses the dormant centres of consciousness in the body. The process of the arousing of the consciousness-centres has been briefly touched upon in this book.
Download The Mysteries of Mind here (278 pages/500 Kb):
Posted on | December 12, 2017 | 4 Comments
Dear friends, today just a piece of music very dear to me by G. I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann called Bayatu. This is the piano and cello arrangement.
Posted on | November 30, 2017 | 16 Comments
Necronomicon is the book that never existed, or at least that is what I believe, even though more than a dozen books claim to be the original translation. You can find lots of sites discussing the Necronomicon especially in the satanistic and urban shamanistic corners of the Internet. The myth, that was brought forward by H. P. Lovecraft in his book History of the Necronomicon, which is generally considered pseudo-history, is about a book originally named Al Azif – azif. It was written circa 730 A. D. in Damascus in Syria by Abdul Alhazred – The Mad Arab. It was translated to Greek 950 A. D. as Necronomicon by Theodorus Philetas and burnt by Patriarch Michael 1050 but a Latin version emerged in 1228. Al Azif – azif was suppressed By Pope Gregory IX but it was translated and printed in German, Italian, and Spanish in the 16’th century. There are consistent rumors that copies are kept in behind locks today in libraries because the content is so dangerous for the reader. In several stories written both by Lovecraft and other authors, just reading or possessing the Necronomicon leads to insanity …or even worse. The legend of the Necronomicon has been fuelled by H. R. Giger, who published a dark art book under the same name, and numerous literary references from other books. For the straightforward story of the Necronomicon, I would suggest that you read the Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necronomicon
For the more speculative you should read The Necronomicon Anti-FAQ: http://www.digital-brilliance.com/necron/necron.htm
Or this: http://www.reocities.com/clorebeast/necpage.htm
Here you will find both the complete works of H. P. Lovecraft and a number of works about or claiming to be the Necronomicon.
Listen to the Necronomicon (full audiobook) here:
Tags:H. R. Giger >insanity >Lovecraft >Necronomicon >Pope Gregory IX
Posted on | November 10, 2017 | No Comments
Buddhist Legends VOL I-III consists of a direct translations from the original Dhammapada Commentary Pali texts. The translations where made by various scholars at Yale University in during 1917 and 1918 and the work was published in the USA in 1921. The collection features hundreds of stories about great saints, human stupidity, parables similar to those of the Bible, animal stories which may remind you of Æsops fables and cryptic stories reminiscent of Sufi stories. Not the least, because you can easily read these books just for the pleasure of reading folktales, the books contains the words of the Buddha and his followers in the form of discussions and similes.
Download the free complete PDF e-books here:
Buddhist Legends 1
Buddhist Legends 2
Buddhist Legends 3
Posted on | September 26, 2017 | 2 Comments
Motivation and Personality by Abraham H. Maslow is one of his major works. It was first published in 1954 and it has become a classic, most known for Maslow’s outline of the hierarchical pyramid of human needs, which became a mainstay in the understanding of human nature. At the time it was published it created a revolution in the way the western world understood child care and the later consequences of failing to provide a safe, nurturing environment for children.
Download the free PDF e-book here (394 pages/5.28 MB):
Posted on | August 30, 2017 | 11 Comments
The Book of Jasher is also known as the Book of the Just Man or the Book of the Upright and it is one of the non-canonical books referenced in the Bible. It is mentioned in the Bible the following places in Joshua 10:13:
“And the Sun stood still, and the Moon stayed,until the people had avenged themselves on their enemies.Is this not written in the Book of the Upright.”
The Book of Jasher is also mentioned in Samuel 1:18 and also referenced in Timothy 3:8, therefore, it must have been an important work. We can not be sure if this book is the real Book of Jasher. If it is, it gives us many details that are not recorded in the Bible. However, the publisher claims that this is the real deal and he attempts to document how entire parts of the Bible might have been copied directly from the Book of Jasher. The publisher explains the complexity of the question of the origin of the work:
“I have in my possession a copy of Sefer Hayasher – The Book Of The Righteous, edited and translated by Seymour J. Cohen. Its introduction cites several other “Books of Jasher”, some of which are no longer known to be in existence, such as that by Zerahiah Ha-Yevani of the 13th century. There is also known to have been one written by Rabbi Jacob ben Mier of the 12th century, and one by Rabbi Jonah ben Abraham of Gerona of the 14th century. We are told of a work by that title from the Amoraim period (3rd to 6th centuries) that is characterized as containing “for the most part sayings of the sages of the first and second centuries”. So, this title has been a popular one for rabbinical writings, but most are clearly not intended to have been passed off as the book mentioned in the Bible and to this comes the frauds. One version has been republished by the Rosicrucian Order. It claims to have been discovered by Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus, Abbot of Canterbury in the 8th century, while on a pilgrimage…”
Read more about the controversies, history, and vindication of this version of the Book of Jasher in the foreword.
Download the free PDF version of Book of Jasher here (405 pages/2.78 MB):
Listen to the entire Book of Jasher read in English by CJ Plog:
Posted on | August 24, 2017 | No Comments
Consciousness Studies – a Wikibook. It is often said that consciousness cannot be defined. This is not true; philosophers have defined it in its own terms for centuries. Consciousness can be described in terms of two principal components: firstly phenomenal consciousness which consists of our experience with things laid out in space and time, sensations, emotions, thoughts, etc., and secondly access consciousness which is the processes that act on the things in experience. Phenomenal consciousness is much like the “perceptual space” of psychological and physiological research. It is the many simultaneous events that become the space of experience in general and it is now a legitimate target of scientific research.
This is a “Wikibook” and it describes how leading schools have dealt with the problems of consciousness up through history in philosophy and religions. It also gives an insight into the most recent research in consciousness and how it is used in the work with artificial intelligence and neural networks.
Download the free PDF e-book here (336 pages/15 MB):
Posted on | August 22, 2017 | No Comments
History of Greek Philosophy is an immense work in two volumes about ancient Greek philosophy. It (Philosophie der Griechen) was written in German by Dr. E. Zeller a professor at the University of Berlin, this is the English translation published in England in 1881. The work is one of the most successful and ambitious attempts at dealing with the entire Greek philosophical tradition as a whole. The authors general idea is that Greek philosophy gains immeasurably by being studied in the order of its development. The first chapters discusses the sources of Greek philosophy and the connections to the Orient. Before the chronological examination of the single periods of time and the major Greek philosophers we are also given lectures on the ethics of the early Greek societies and the basic cosmological understanding in ancient Greece. I am sorry that the scannings are of such low quality.
You might also be interested in our complete works of Aristotle and Plato
Download the History of Greek Philosophy as free PDF’s here (1.200 pages in total/2o MB each):
History of Greek Philosophy II
Posted on | August 2, 2017 | 1 Comment
The Notion of Growth describes a path to discover a world within us that becomes the more fascinating the deeper we venture into it. It is a path described in the ancient sutras path to the center of our consciousness which has never been described in this clarity and practicability in our time. It is independent of any philosophical orientation or faith. It is a path to experience the majesty, the grandeur, the infinite breadth of our existence, which everyone does sense within himself.
The objective of this path is not the annihilation of our individual existence in a faceless enlightenment, nirvana, satori or brahman. It isn’t even the insight into the fundamental mechanisms of this world. The real objective of this path is an ever growing comprehensive, loving understanding, – a love-filled expansion of our being that unfolds more with every single step, yet never violates or annihilates our individuality.
Sutras and their interpretation through commentaries originated in times when knowledge was learnt by heart and handed down orally from generation to generation. Sutras therefore were kept as brief as possible. They were governed by precise rules which for example defined the weight of a word by its position alone. To keep knowledge pure, even the commentators followed exact rules. This method worked with such precision that highly complex information conceived thousands of years ago reached our present times with hardly any distortion. To make this knowledge accessible to a wide audience, a modern commentary accompanies the ancient text.
Download the free PDF e-book here (196 pages/4.5 MB):
Posted on | July 31, 2017 | No Comments
Ganadharavada is an important philosophical book, which gives an insight into a number of problems of Indian philosophy from different points of view. It features profound discussions between different schools. For instance we find references to controversies and divergent views in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Jaina Agamas and the Buddhist Pitakas from an ancient time when there was an open and intelligent and thoughtful atmosphere among leading scholars frem various directions. This book has been written so that people may read it and understand the meaning of the tattvas relating to the soul, the karmas, the five elements, rebirth, bondage, deliverance etc. and so they may understand the phenomenon of the Universe and attain the liberations from samsara.
Download the free PDF-version of Ganadharavada here (400 pages/16 MB):
Posted on | July 17, 2017 | No Comments
The problem of suffering and diversity of human nature is a great riddle which has been discussed widely in the eastern spiritual traditions for thousands of years. This book, the Theory of Karman in Indian Thought, outlines how the different schools have worked with the problem of Karma from the Upanishads, the Tantric sects to the ancient Jain scholars. The Jainas for instance call for the extinction of karma as essential to the attainment of salvation. The Buddhists interpreted karma strictly in terms of ethical cause and effect. Chapter I deals with Vedas and Dharmasastras to find out the mystery of karman. Chapter II describes Karman in Agama and Tantra. Chapter III gives the concept of karman in the Epics. Chapter IV mentions karman in the Puranas. Chapter V gives the description of karma as found in various systems of Indian philosophy. Chapters VI and VII tell us respectively about karman in Buddhism and Jainism.
Download the free PDF e-book here:
Posted on | July 3, 2017 | No Comments
The Zen of Love with the subtitle Discover your own awakened heart, is a spiritual guidebook explaining the inexplicable: how the unified vision of
self-realization interfaces with the world of separation and duality, or how the One of Unity and the many of separation merge through the power and presence of Love. In down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is language, examples, and exercises, the author makes simple this seemingly impossible and complex task of using the language of duality to reveal the transcendent unifying power of Love. The beauty of this book is that its content is understandable, meaningful, and inspiring to any reader, whether advanced or beginning on the spiritual path, or journey Home. The Zen of Love is published here with the permission of the author.
Download the free PDF e-book here:
Posted on | June 30, 2017 | 10 Comments
The One Step Path is a remarkable little book with the single aim, to open your mind to a different perspective. It should be read with the intent of it being the last book you ever read. It is written to the one who, with deep sincerity, seeks conclusion of all illusion, vexation and suffering. For that person the Path to Reality and Liberation is revealed in one single step.
This different perspective is: What if everything you think you are – every way in which you describe yourself – is not your True Self, but an illusion, an apparition, a fictional character manufactured by the mind and having no existence apart from the mind? What if everything you think, and therefore your entire subjective experience of Life, is itself, just a certain perspective? What if a slight shift in this perspective could bring about a profound change of experience?
Download the free PDF e-book here (96 pages/750 KB):
Listen to the Author, Roy Dopson, in this interview about The One Step Path:
Posted on | May 17, 2017 | No Comments
Buddhism Of Tibet Or Lamaism is a classic work on Tibetan Buddhism as practiced by its monks and hermits. For many years this was the most adequate source of reliable information about Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism in the western world. The author, Major L. A. Waddell, learned the Tibetan language in order to fulfill his project and he joined the British Tibet expedition in 1903. The book is richly illustrated and the author seems to be especially interested in how the pre-buddhism occult traditions of Tibet has been incorporated in the numerous Buddhist sects in modern Tibet. This documentation has influenced a number of western esoteric thinkers and authors such as Israel Regardie, Cornelius Agrippa, Pietro d’Abano, and Eliphas Levi, etc.
Download Buddhism Of Tibet Or Lamaism here (686 pages/46 MB):
Posted on | May 8, 2017 | 4 Comments
A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya is Swami Satyananda Saraswati’s impressive and adequate work on yoga and tantra. The techniques unfolded here are handed down over the centuries from guru to disciple and have their foundation in the ancient Vedic traditions. The book presents a synthesis of the various paths of yoga in a scientific and systematic manner to ensure the harmonious development and unfoldment of every aspect of the individual. The different branches – hatha yoga, raja yoga, mantra yoga, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga and kriya yoga – are progressively introduced with special emphasis on practice and application in day to day life. Through the practice of integral yoga this PDF e-book aims to develop in the aspirant a state of perfect body health, peace of mind and mental stability, perfect intellectual clarity and higher spiritual knowledge and awareness, a state where one is both useful to himself and to mankind. It contains the essence of Swami Satyananda’s teachings and in this respect is an ideal single source of information for both teachers and students alike.
Download A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya here (970 pages/10.6 MB):
Posted on | April 30, 2017 | No Comments
Tantra yoga, Nada yoga and Kriya yoga is hallmark of Sri Swami Sivanandas teachings. The introduction to the yogas are highly practical and also serves as an inspiration for the reader to establish a regular practice of doing he sadhanas. Sri Swami Sivananda wrote 296 books on various topics centering about Hinduism, Vedanta, spirituality, yoga and psychology. He established the organisation The Divine Life Society, now an international foundation with several ashrams and devotes around the world. You can find lots of other books by Sivananda here on the site, do a search.
Download Tantra yoga, Nada yoga and Kriya yoga here (121 pages/1.5 MB):
Posted on | April 15, 2017 | 3 Comments
Polygamy in Islam – The Rationale and Laws Behind. This is one of just a couple books in English on the both widespread and controversial culture of polygamy in Islam. As the subtitle suggests it aims at describing the historical background, arguing for instance that early Christians were polygamous, and legal practices as used throughout the Muslim world. The authors states that they are not promoting polygamy be the lifestyle for every Muslim, and that the practice of polygamy relationship is surely not only a bed of roses:
This material was not put together in defense of polygamy, for Allah has already confirmed the right to do so as clearly stated in the Quraan: “Marry of the women that please you; two, three or four, but if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly, then only one. Polygamy is a complicated aspect of marriage in Islam in which the welfare of the community supersedes the desires of the individual (woman). Nowadays, polygamy is usually viewed as a right that man has but should not take, or as a law that is outmoded and in need of being abolished. Muslims often attempt to hide it or apologize for its existence. There is no need to hide or apologize but there is a need for those who have decided to adopt it as a lifestyle to try and handle it in the best possible way.
This book contains basic guidelines for anyone interested in understanding the rights and obligations of males and females in Islamic plural marriages. The guidelines have been drawn from the Quraan, Hadeeth, the sayings and actions of the Prophet and the opinions of Islamic scholars.
I did a couple of simple fact checks on the book. For example it states that women outnumber men at birth, and uses this fact to further support Islamic polygamy. However, this is not true: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_sex_ratio.
Download Polygamy in Islam – The Rationale and Laws Behind here (111 pages/4.3 MB):
Posted on | April 14, 2017 | No Comments
The Cosmic Man – A Jain representation of the universe in the shape of a man.
Amrtacandrasuris Laghutattvasphota is tenth-century poem in the stotra genre, consisting of 625 verses divided into 25 chapters each describing unique exposition of reality also called nayas which corresponds to a step on the path. According to the Jain tradition, reality has an infinite number of aspects. The world only appears to be consistent and unified within our individual viewpoints, but we are incapable of grasping the entirety of reality. But of course there is a hack..
This is not an easy read. In the form of poems Amrtacandrasuri guides the reader through concepts such as “empty-nonempty”, “eternalt-noneternal”, “being-nonbeing” etc. I highly recommend this excellent Wikipedia article about the Jain concept of reality: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism_and_non-creationism
Download the Laghutattvasphota here (308 pages/12.7 MB):
Posted on | April 13, 2017 | No Comments
Finally Holybooks.com is on Twitter, please also join us there: https://twitter.com/wwwholybookscom
Twitter will be used like the Facebook page to announce new books, feature updates about the site and discuss suggestions etc.
Posted on | April 8, 2017 | No Comments
The Free Soul is another free e-book from Wayne Wirs, published here on his request. The free spiritual e-book is a shorter version, 82 pages, of his other work Mystical Oneness and the Nine Aspects of Being. The book deals with enlightenment and its requirements, with the hard work and the carefree attitude needed. It also has chapters about the nature of the soul and discussions about death, reincarnation, consciousness etc. including cases and some interesting descriptions of Waynes past four lives. One of his main points is that the seeker must learn and accept that nothing is permanent, from the book:
The lesson of impermanence—the lesson of the soul—is that you will forget all of this. You will forget being bullied as a child. You will forget your first kiss. You will forget the argument that drove your spouse away. You will forget your wedding. You will forget this moment. You will forget this moment. Knowing that practically everything is impermanent—leads to the silver lining: Every moment, every interaction, is a gift—a gift you will soon forget.
Download the free e-book here (82 pages/0,5 MB):
In this video, Wayne Wirs talks about his enlightenment
Tags:enlightened >Wirs
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