After reading "Man's Eternal Quest" by Paramahansa Yogananda, my eyes were opened to forms of Buddism & self actualization in wonderful ways. The book that blew me away was, "Ancient Wisdom, Modern World" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso). He has a great sense of humor and shares his hopes and beliefs for man & the world in all of his books. But The first book I read a long, long time ago was, "Yoga, Youth and Reincarnation" by Jess Stearn -a writer/journalist & sceptic to all things Eastern and mystical. It's fast, yet delightful reading.
Also "The flight of the Eagle" by J. Krishnamurti. It is transcripts & dialog from talks he gave in London, Paris & Amsterdam in the 70s about the Transcendental, Freedom, Meditations and Why We Can't Live in Peace."
ANY books by Alan Watts & esp. Ram Dass are fantastic! Ram lives in Northern CA. and still teaches classes. He's a hoot (funny & deep) and very tuned in to our western minds trying to "comprehend eastern thoughts". He wrote "Be Here Now," a cultural icon in a way....a bit hippy dippy, but totally truthful and written with love and insight.
Enjoy. Just for grins: I'm currently a Lutheran, by association, a reforming WASP, a militant lady artist who meditates, reads too much and does Reiki. What a long strange trip it's been.
