Ten books you should read before you die

Well of course there are many more than ten books that you will be recommended to read during your life, but the ones listed here (and there are a little over 10) are essential reading - gateways - for anyone endeavouring to understand life and death, find their path through life, particularly their spiritual path, find happiness and peace, and also make the most of their ideas and desires.

Read these books.  The order in which you do doesn't matter terribly - perhaps allow yourself to be drawn towards one - and go out and get it.  It is a surprisingly short journey between birth and death; and remember it speeds up as you get older too - as anyone who has passed the half-way mark will tell you.  The message here is, don't lose any time making a start on these readings.  If you get under way I'll wager one or two of these will start you off on an even bigger journey that you hadn't expected - that may take you far into a metaphysical understanding that ain't provided through normal channels of learning.

The following list is in alphabetical order:

• Carl Rogers On Personal Power.  This is a truly inspiring and important book that will show you how to cultivate inner strength through the power of sharing.  Anyone concerned to get their relationship with their partner, their friends, their family, their society, their world - and most importantly with themselves - into harmonious accord, should read this book as a starting point.  It was Rogers who, with Abraham Maslow (and to be fair one or two others), helped to pioneer the humanistic movement in psychotherapy.  His standpoint stems from a belief in the innate goodness of life, the positive uniqueness and creative power of each person - and the tendency to actualise our true potential when conditions are right.

• Memories, Dreams and Relections.  This is a semi-autobiography by another Carl, the psychologist/philosopher, Carl Jung.  Jung viewed life through spiritual lenses.  Although a close companion of Sigmund Freud, he nevertheless was polarised against his old buddy in his world view.  Consider that whereas Freud saw each psyche ultimately as an iceberg floating on the sea of the unconscious, Jung saw the psyche as being like an island jutting out of that same sea, but with the difference that under the waters each island joined up with other islands - this was his Collective Unconscious.  The implications are enormous - read on, particularly if you are stuck in your spiritual life!

• Ponder on This.  This is one book from a series of writings by the spiritualist, Alice Bailey and the spiritual Tibetan master, Djwal Khul.  As indicated on the cover, it is a collection of 'scattered' writings, compiled by a 'student' and brought together 'as a basis for the instruction of disciples in training for initiation'.  Should you have serious questions about spirituality and ethics then you should dip into this esoteric book.  It has one hundred and eighty six short chapters on topics ranging from the Christ to consciousness to death (sequence of events) to sex to war. Be prepared for controversial views.  You would be well recommended to also read Death: The Great Adventure in this series.

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R Covey.  As it says on the back cover of this book, it 'presents an holistic, integrated, principle-centred approach for solving personal and professional problems...Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty and human dignity - principles that give us the security to adapt to change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates'.  What a gem!

• The Bible - especially the New Testament.  Leave aside if you will, the razzmatazz and regalia of orthodox Christianity, take a look at the life and times of Jesus.  Even with all the adaptations and likely misrepresentations you can still find a light shining through this that will make you think on. Jesus is a tough act for anyone to follow but, I think you will agree, he does point the way for all to be sons and daughters of God.

• The DhammaPada.  This book consists of verses said to be uttered by the Buddha on some 305 occasions for the benefit of human beings.  These sayings were selected and compiled into one book as being worthy of special note on account of their beauty and relevance for moulding the lives of future generations of Buddhists. They are divided into 26 chapters and the stanzas are arranged according to subject matter.  Don't take another step until you have read through this book.

  All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts.  If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

• The I Ching (pronounced ye jing).  This is the very ancient Chinese book of Change, a true life companion that will not only help you to grasp important ethics to living but will provide answers, profound answers to your life questions.  Whether you use yarrow stalks or coins to divine, treat the oracular aspects of this book with great respect.  The R L Wing version is really beautifully written and easy to use.

• The Koran.  The holy book of Islam, recorded by the prophet Muhammad beginning in the year 610 AD.  For Muslims this is the word of Allah.  The Koran may have had rough press in Western eyes as a result of Muslim extremists over a number of years.  Rest assured this is a book for following the path of peace towards God.  If you are coming from a non-Muslim background, you might find the N J Dawood translation of real benefit.

• Think And Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill.  If you want to get rich then you couldn't choose a better place to start finding out how to achieve it.  You might be surprised too just how much this links to your inner life and the power of your imagination.  Another great book to contemplate reading in context here is, The Path of Least Resistance, by Robert Fritz.  Fritz quickly broadens the approach out to using visualisation towards any life goal, not just money.

• Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, by Nyogen Senzakie & Paul Reps.  This is a best-selling collection of enlightenment stories, anecdotes, and koans of Zen literature.  This wonderful book actually includes four books: 101 Zen Stories - anecdotes and enlightenment stories of the great masters; The Gateless Gate - forty-eight Zen koans to awaken the mind to enlightenment; The 10 Bulls - depicting the ten stages of awareness (shades of Catch Bull at 4 by Cat Stevens); Centering - offering a four-thousand-year-old Sanskrit text that may well be one of the roots of Zen thought.  If you want to get the existentialist Zen view of life and death then here is your bible starter.  While you are at it, also take a read of The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, by Alan Watts.  Find it, it will speak volumes.

Also look into Astrology.  It is not easy to recommend one book here.  There are so many dealing with different aspects of the art - get in touch if you need help.  Writers such as Dane Rudhyar, Liz Greene, Howard Sasportas, Tad Mann, Alan Oken come to mind.  Don't be led to believe all the pooh pooh and mumbo jumbo of armchair critics of astrology.  Regardless of who is right as to how it works, if you look at it with openness and honesty you will find it works.  You should not only look into it but go beyond the Sun (or Star) sign level.  Get a life map (alright birthchart) set up to your time and place of birth.  Test it out!  Talk about insight, on your strengths and weaknesses, for the journey!

Compiled by FON