By Arthur Avalon, also known as Sir John George Woodroffe (1865–1936):

500 Pages | First published by Luzac & Co in 1918, this fascimile edition has been carefully scanned and reprinted in the traditional manner | Softcover | The Lost Library, Glastonbury | ISBN: 9781906621230.

The Serpent Power comprises translations and commentary on two ancient Sanskrit texts:

1. De ṣaṭ-cakra nirūpaṇa (Description of and Investigation into the Six Bodily Centres).
2. De pādukā-pañcaka (Fivefold Footstool of the Guru).

In addition to practical yoga instruction, Avalon gives a detailed explanation of the chakra system and writes with such clarity and elegance on the often misunderstood topics of meditation and mantra.

From Chapter 1: ‘The Six Centres and the Serpent Power’ (p. 2):

” This (kuṇḍalinī) Yoga is effected by a process technically known as ṣaṭ-cakra-bheda, or piercing of the Six Centres (cakra) or Lotuses (padma) of the body (which the work describes) by the agency of kuṇḍalinī-śakti, which, in order to give it an English name, I have here called the Serpent Power. Kuṇḍala means coiled. The Power is the Goddess (devī) Kuṇḍalinī, or that which is coiled; for Her form is that of a coiled and sleeping serpent in the lowest bodily centre, at the base of the spinal column, until by the means described She is aroused in that Yoga, which is named after Her. Kuṇḍalinī is the Divine Cosmic Energy in bodies. “

By Sir Edwin Lester Arnold (1832 – 1904), introduction by Alan Jacobs.

188 Pages | First published in 1885 as The Celestial Song, this is the 2006 edition | Hardcover | Watkins Publishing, London |  ISBN: 9781842931240.

” There lives a Master in the hearts of Men, maketh their deeds, by subtle pulling-strings, dance to what tune He will. With all thy Soul Trust Him, and take Him for thy succour, Prince! “

The Bhagavad Gita, or Song Celestial, is the sacred testament central to Hinduism, the most ancient of the great world religions. Brahman is the Absolute Supreme Reality underlying all forms. Human beings accumulate Karma as a result of their actions in innumerable incarnations, until they obtain liberation through the practices of devotion and knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita, as the essential gospel of Hinduism, explains mankind’s predicament and points the way to freedom.

This poetic gospel is attributed to the Divine Messenger, Lord Krishna, who on the battlefield gives the warrior-prince, Arjuna, detailed and profound spiritual guidance. Arjuna is perplexed by his involvement in a war and Lord Krishna unveils inspiring philosophical wisdom leading to the solution of Arjuna’s problem and his self-realization.

Text in Devanāgarī and translation by Mohini Mohun Chatterji (1858 – 1936).

228 Pages | First edition 1932, 2nd to 5th reprints 1947 – 1983, 6th reprint 1995, 7th reprint 1999 | Hardcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar |  ISBN: 8170592526.

The English translation appeared for the first time in Vols. VII (1885 – 18886 and IX (1887 – 1888) of The Theosophist.

Vivekachudamani literally means ‘crest jewel of wisdom’. It is an important work of Śrī Samkarācārya, one of the greatest sages of Ancient India. Endowed with lofty and sharp intellect, he wrote many incisive commentaries on great standard works of Hindu philosophy. But they are beyond the reach of those, who have not attained a high proficiency in Sanskrit and other collateral philosophical disciplines. Here in Vivekachudamani he distils the quintessence of what he taught, that is, the non-dual or Vedanta or Advaita Vedanta in easy Sanskrit verses, whose sublimity of content is matched only by their lyrical beauty. Each verse is presented here with a free-running English translation.

By Stephen Mitchell.

223 Pages | Originally published by Harmony Books a divison of Random House Inc. in 2000, first paperback edition | Softcover | Three Rivers Press – The Crown Publishing Group, New York | ISBN: 0609810340.

Stephen Mitchell is widely known for his ability to make ancient Masterpieces thrillingly new, to step in where many have tried before and create versions that are definitive for our time. His celebrated translations of the Tao Te Ching, Rilke, and The B0ok of Job have won the hearts of readers and critics alike. The Bhagavad Gītā is universally acknowledged as one of the world’s literary and spiritual masterpieces. It is the core text of the Hindu tradition and has been treasured by American writers from Emerson to T.S. Eliot.

There have been more than two hundred English translations of the Gītā, but none of them, until now, is a superlative literary text in its own right. This translation sings with the clarity, the vigor, and the intensity of the original Sanskrit.

From Chapter 4 – ‘The Yoga of Wisdom’, (p. 72 & 73) [4.3 – 6 / 4.7 – 11]:

The Blessed Lord said:

” Many times I have been born, and many times you (Arjuna) have also. All these lives I remember; you recall only this one. Although I am unborn, deathless, the infinite Lord of all beings, through my own wondrous power I come into finite form. Whenever righteousness falters and chaos threatens to prevail, I take on a human body and manifest myself on earth.  In order to protect the good, to destroy the doers of evil, to ensure the triumph of righteousness, in every age I am born. Whoever knows, profoundly, my divine presence on earth is not reborn when he leaves the body, but comes to me. Released from greed, fear, anger, absorbed in me and made pure by the practice of wisdom, many have attained my own state of being. However men try to reach me, I return their love with my love; whatever path they may travel, it leads to me in the end. “

Translated by Laurie L. Patton.

234 Pages | First published by Penguin Classics in 2008 | Soft cover | Penguin Books, London | ISBN:  9780140447903.

” Know this: that with which all this world is woven is not to be destroyed. No one is able to effect the destruction of the imperishable . . . “

The Bhagavad Gītā is an early epic poem that recounts the conversation between Arjuna the warrior and his charioteer Krishna, a manifestation of God. In the moments before a great battle, Krishna sets out the important lessons Arjuna must learn to understand his own role in the war he is about to fight. Krishna reveals to Arjuna his true cosmic form and counsels the warrior to act according to his sacred obligations. Ranging from instructions on yoga to dense moral discussion, the Gita is one of the most important Hindu texts, and has served for centuries as an everyday, practical guide to living well,

From the Ninth discourse 17 – 20:

The Blessed One said:

” I am the father of the world – its mother, its arranger and its grandfather; I am what is to be known; the purifier; the sound ‘OM’; the Rig, the Sama and the Yajur Veda.

I am the way, the bearer, the great lord, the one who sees. I am home, and shelter, the heart’s companion. I am birth, death and sustenance; I am the house of treasure, and the eternal seed.

I give off heat, and I am the rain. I hold back and I send out. I am sweet immortality, as well as death; being and non-being, Arjuna.

Those who know the Vedas and drink Soma, cleansed of their evils seek heaven, and offer to me with sacrifices. They reach the pure world of Indra, and enjoy the divine pleasures of the gods in heaven. “

By Carl E. Woodham.

98 Pages | First printing 2000 | Hardcover | Torchlight Publishing, Badger | ISBN: 1887089268.

Based on the Bhagavad Gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977).

The Bhagavad Gītā, India’s greatest spiritual treatise, contains far too much drama to remain the exclusive property of philosophers and religionists. Woodham presents the timeless wisdom of the Gita in contemporary English poetry, bringing to life its ancient yet perennially applicable message. It recounts in metered stanzas the historic conversation between Krishna, the Supreme Mystic and the mighty warrior Arjuna as they survey the battlefield preparations for the greatest world war of all time.

Krishna’s illuminating conversation with Arjuna forms the core of the Mahābhārata’s teachings, that has proven so inspiring to millions. Yet, it’s easy to overlook Krishna in the thicket of Bhagavad Gītā translations. Most dismiss Krishna as a myth or a mouthpiece for some greater formless Being. To do so is to miss the central point of the Bhagavad Gītā: bhakti, or joyous loving devotion to Krishna. The greatest luminaries of India’s rich spiritual heritage, such as Ramanuja, Madhva and Caitanya, have all drawn this devotional conclusion from Bhagavad Gītā .

Door Lao Tzu (601 BC – unknown), commentaar door Kristofer Schipper.

317 Bladzijden | Eerste druk 1988, 9de druk 2009 | Softcover | J.M. Meulenhoff Uitgeverij | ISBN:

In TAO beschrijft Kristofer Schipper in heldere taal de geschiedenis van de Chinese Leer. Hij verdiept zich in de rituelen, die erbij horen en de elementen, waaruit de leer is opgebouwd, zoals de grote aandacht voor het mensenlijk lichaam en de kosmologie. Tao is zowel een uitstekende inleiding voor buitenstaanders als waardevol studiemateriaal voor wie al meer vertrouwd is met de leer. Tao is veel meer dan een godsdienst, het is een manier van kijken en een manier van in het leven staan. Een religie zonder gelovigen en zonder canonieke leerstellingen.

Het boek biedt meerwaarde voor iedereen, die meer over China te weten wilt komen. In alles wat in de afgelopen eeuw in dit machtige rijk is voorgevallen, zowel onder het maoïsme als tijdens de gigantische industrialisatie, heeft de Tao bewust of onbewust doorgewerkt.

Kristofer Schipper was hoogleraar aan de Leidse Universiteit en aan de École Pratique des Hautes Études in Parijs en is opgeleid tot taoïstisch meester.

By Ravi Ravindra.

302 Pages | First edition 2017 | Paperback | Shambhala Publications, Inc, Boulder, U.S.A. | ISBN:

‘ All there is, is KRISHNA. ‘

Upon hearing this famous and enigmatic line from the Gita’s seventh chapter when he was a boy, Ravi Ravindra embarked on a journey to understand its deep meaning. The search led him far beyond the tradition from which the text originally arose to an exploration of World Mystical Wisdom, including Zen, Christianity, Yoga, and particularly the teachings of J. Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986) and G.I. Gurdjieff (1866 – 1949).

Dr. Ravindra’s fresh prose translation with wide-ranging commentary is the fruit of that life-long process. It stands out from the many other versions with its assertion, that the Bhagavad Gita is at heart a universal Guide to navigating the battle of life required of each and every one of us. It is through that navigation, he shows, that we can discover and connect with the KRISHNA deep within ourselves: the Eternal Witness, who is above the battle, and who is, ultimately and joyfully, All there is . . .

By Bhāskararāya (1690–1785), general editor K. Kunjunni Raya. hon. director. Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry.

402 Pages | 6th Reprint 1988, 1st edition 1899 (T.P.H. ed.); Adyar Library General Series, Volume 11 | Hardcover | The Adyar Library & Research Center | ISBN: 8185141037.

The Lalitā Sahasranāma is a sacred text to Hindu worshippers of the Goddess Lalitā Devi, also called Tripurāsundarī or the Divine Mother. It contains the 1000 names of Lalitā organized in hymns (stotras) and represents the only sahasranāma not repeating a single Name. Lalitā translates etymologically as She Who Plays. Sahasranāma is a Sanskrit term, which means A 1000 Names. Bhāskararāya extensively highlights Name 1 – 1000 in this magnificent work. At the end, a Sanskrit compendium of the Lalitā Sahasranāma is enclosed.

Bhāskararāya is widely considered an authority on all questions pertaining to the worship of the Mother Goddess in Hinduism. The worship of Shakti involves many hidden meanings of mantras and coded passages. It is said that these meanings were revealed to Bhāskararāya by the Goddess Herself.

Door Iqbal Kishen Taimni (1898–1978).

272 Pagina’s | 1976, Eerste druk 2013 | Gebonden | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland | ISBN: 9789061750949.

English Original: The Ultimate Reality and Realization – Śiva-Sūtra with Text in Sanskrit, Transliteration in Roman, Translation in English & Commentary | 2004 | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170594444.

De Śiva Sūtra behoort tot de school van het Kaśmir Śaivisme. De filosofie achter de Śiva-Sūtra is gebaseerd op het bestaan van een Allerhoogste Werkelijkheid die zich manifesteert als het gehele universum. Elke Monade vormt daarin een afzonderlijk centrum van bewustzijn en kracht en bezit in zichzelf in potentiele vorm in die Realiteit Universeel Bewustzijn en Kracht (Śiva en Śakti). De drie afdelingen in dit boek behandelen de ontvouwing van Bewustzijn, gezien vanuit Goddelijk Bewustzijn (Śiva), Goddelijke Kracht (Śakti) en de Monade (Aņu).

Afkomstig uit de inleiding:

” Steeds meer spiritueel ingestelde mensen over de gehele wereld keren zich af van de orthodoxe ideeën over religie en filosofie. Hun aandacht richt zich op de realisatie van een Allerhoogste Werkelijkheid, verborgen in het Hart van ieder mens, het uiteindelijk doel van iedere geestelijke inspanning en zelfdiscipline. Wat is de aard van deze Werkelijkheid, hoe kun je die realiseren, en wat is de aard van het werk dat die Grote Wezens verrichten, die hierin geslaagd zijn en die blijvend in die Werkelijkheid gevestigd zijn? Dit zijn enkele van de vragen, die van groot belang moeten zijn voor alle ernstige bestudeerders van de occulte wetenschap en die voor hen, die op weg zijn op het pad van praktisch occultisme. “

By Lao Tse (601 BC – unknown), translated by Henry Wei.

234 Pages | First published 1982, 3rd printing 1988 | Paperback | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN:

Twenty-six centuries ago, a man called Lao Tzu offered a daringly new way of life to his countrymen. His work is called the TAO Teh Ching, a philosophy of pure beauty, rare charm, and great spiritual depth and represents a magnificent treatise on human rights. For centuries, it has been a source of inspiration for Chinese art, poetry and painting. In many of its moral viewpoints it is similar to Christianity. Indirectly, it also inspired the development of acupuncture, alchemy, astrology, and the martial arts (kung fu). Its quintessential teaching, however concerns yoga and meditation.

About the ‘Eternal Tao’ (p.22):

” There is something formless and perfect,

Existing before the birth of Heaven and Earth

How still it is! How quiet!

Abiding alone and unchanging,

It pervades everywhere without fail.

Well may it be called Mother of the World.

I do not know its name,

but label it TAO . . . “

Translated by Srisa Chandra Vasu (1861–1918).

132 Pages | First edition 1895, 2nd edition 1933, 3rd edition 1976 | Softcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 722950683.

From the Foreword:

Gheraṇd̯a Samhitā is a Tāntrika work, treating of Haṭha-Yoga. It consists of a dialogue between the sage Gheraṇd̯a and an enquirer called Caṇd̯akāpāli. The book is divided into seven Lessons or Chapters and comprises, in all, some three hundred and fifty verses. It closely follows in the foot-steps of the famous treatise on the Haṭha-Yoga, known as Haṭha-Yoga Pradīpikā. In fact, a large number of verses of Gheraṇd̯a Samhitā correspond verbatim with those of the Pradīpikā. It may, therefore be presumed that one has borrowed from the other, or both have drawn from a common source.

The book teaches Yoga under seven heads or Sādhanas. The first gives directions for the purification of the Body (inside and out). The second relates to Postures, third to Mudrās, the fourth to Pratyāhāra, the fifth to Prāṇāyāma, the sixth to Dhyāna, and the seventh to Samādhi. These are taught successively – a chapter being devoted to each.

Translated by Srisa Chandra Vasu (1861–1918).

132 Pages | First edition 1895, 2nd edition 1933, 3rd edition 1976 | Hardcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 722950667.

From the Foreword:

Gheraṇd̯a Samhitā is a Tāntrika work, treating of Haṭha-Yoga. It consists of a dialogue between the sage Gheraṇd̯a and an enquirer called Caṇd̯akāpāli. The book is divided into seven Lessons or Chapters and comprises, in all, some three hundred and fifty verses. It closely follows in the foot-steps of the famous treatise on the Haṭha-Yoga, known as Haṭha-Yoga Pradīpikā. In fact, a large number of verses of Gheraṇd̯a Samhitā correspond verbatim with those of the Pradīpikā. It may, therefore be presumed that one has borrowed from the other, or both have drawn from a common source.

The book teaches Yoga under seven heads or Sādhanas. The first gives directions for the purification of the Body (inside and out). The second relates to Postures, third to Mudrās, the fourth to Pratyāhāra, the fifth to Prāṇāyāma, the sixth to Dhyāna, and the seventh to Samādhi. These are taught successively – a chapter being devoted to each.

By Harry Upadhyay, Ph.D.

32 Pages | 27 July 1985| Softcover | The Theosophical Society in England, London | No ISBN.

The Blavatsky Lecture delivered at the Annual Convention of The Theosophical Society in England at the University of Nottingham, 27 July 1985.

‘ADRISHTAM, AVYAVAHARYAM, AGRĀHYAM, ALAKSHNAM, ACHINTYAM, AVYAPADESHYAM’

‘Unperceivable, beyond empirical dealings, beyond grasp of the organs of action, uninferable, unthinkable, indescribable . . . ‘  – Māndukya Upanishad.

These words of the Māndukya Upanishad are not the only significant references to the Absolute, the Ultimate Reality; Parabrahman. Such words about Brahman and Ātman abound in most of the Upanishads. I quote here just a few. Maitri Upanishad says – ‘The Spirit Supreme is immeasurable, inapprehensible, beyond conception, never-born, beyond reasoning, beyond thought.’ Mundaka Upanishad says – ‘He cannot be reached by the senses, or by an austerity or sacred action . . . ‘

By Iqbal Kishen Taimni (1898–1978).

516 Pagina’s| Eerste druk 1975, achtste druk 2018 | Hardcover | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland | ISBN: 9789061750758.

English original: The Science of Yoga – A Commentary on the Yoga-Sūtra’s of Patañjali in the Light of Modern Thought | First published in 1961, 2010 edition | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170592112.

De Yoga-Sūtra’s van Patañjali vormen de basistekst van de klassieke yoga, een van de zes filosofische scholen uit het hindoeïsme. In nog geen tweehonderd uiterst beknopte en veelal raadselachtige aforismen zet Patañjali de wetenschap van yoga uiteen. Hij behandelt achtereenvolgens:

• samādhi – de toestand van de meditatieve extase
• sādhanā – de voorbereidende oefeningen
• vibhūti – de hogere psychische vermogen
• kaivalya – de toestand van de spirituele bevrijding.

Te midden van de vele Oosterse en Westerse commentaren op deze Yoga-Sūtra’s neemt dat van de Indiase chemicus en theosoof dr. I.K. Taimni een zeer bijzondere plaats in. De meeste commentatoren maken zich met enkele gemeenplaatsen af van het kernthema van de Yoga-Sūtra’s, de toestand van samādhi of extase, alsof het hier gaat om een toestand van bewustzijn, die niet te beschrijven valt. Taimni verklaart deze toestand van hoger bewustzijn – geheel in de geest van Patañjali – echter tot in de details. Hij heeft dit kunnen doen, doordat hij is uitgegaan van de theosofische visie op het menselijk bewustzijn. Als geen ander is Taimni er daardoor in geslaagd de Yoga-Sūtra’s toegankelijker te maken voor de Westerse lezer.

By Rohit Mehta.

98 Pages | First edition 1955, second edition 1957, first reprint 1990 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170591465.

Dutch translation: Zoek naar de Weg – Studies in ‘Licht op het Pad‘, translation by E.J.H. Bonjer-van Eeghen | Published in 1977 and part of The Lotusreeks |Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland | ISBN: 9789061750413.

Light on the Path (Dutch: Licht op het Pad) is one of the most precious gems in the literature of modern Theosophy. It may rightly be described as the most outstanding book on the Mysticism of Theosophy. Ever since its publication seventy years ago, this book has been a source of inspiration to large numbers of people throughout the world. The origins of this book are ‘lost in the mists of pre-historic antiquity’, and in the course of thousands of years its form has been enlarged by the inclusion of different commentaries. In its original form it is believed to have contained thirty aphorisms written as a palm-leaf manuscript. These thirty aphorisms have been retained in the modern editions of the book, but together with them commentaries and notes have also been added so that in the present form the book is much larger than it was in the olden times. These thirty aphorisms contain spiritual instructions of profound significance. A book like Light on the Path transcends all limitations of age and race and, therefore, has universal application. The instructions contained in this book are of great value to men and women of our age as they were to the spiritual aspirants of previous generations.

From Chapter IX – ‘The Middle Way’ (p. 98):

” To live in the present – this indeed is the secret of treading the Path. It is here that the spiritual pilgrim realizes that the discovery of the Path and the treading of the Path are a joint phenomenon – not separated by an interval of time. When the discovery and the treading of the Path become a joint phenomenon then the problem of discipline no longer exists. In fact man becomes the meeting place of the great spiritual paradox: Freedom in Discipline. “

Door Lao Tse (601 BC – unknown), vertaald door Dr. Isabella Meers.

105 Pages | First edition 1922, 3rd reprint 1983 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 0722903006.

The name ‘Lao Tsu’ means ‘old young’, so that on the very threshold of our study we find a paradox, and we may call the wonderful teacher ’the old philosopher’, ’the old child’ or ’the young old man’. His family surname was Li. He wrote this book Tao Teh King, a book around which cluster much speculation and much literature in Chinese and other languages. The word ‘King’ we may leave out of count as it simply means classic, and was not given by Lao Tzu himself, but was added much later as a mark of respect.

From chapter XLVII (p. 67):

” Without going out of my door

I know the Universe

Without opening my window

I perceive Heavenly Tao

The more I go abroad, the less I understand

That is why the self-controlled man 

arrives without going

names things without seeing them,

perfects without activity. “

By Mencius (372–289 BC or 385–303 or 302 BC), translation and introduction by D.C. Lau.

280 Pages | First published 1970 | Paperback | Penguin Books, London | ISBN: 0140442286.

With an introduction by D.C. Lau.

” The Mencius is the most beautifully written and perhaps the most authorative of the Four Books that make up the essential Confucian corpus. “

As centralized government replaced feudalism in China, the ideas of Confucius (551 – 479 B.C.) faced the challenge of increasing cynicism. It was Mencius, in the years just after 320 B.C., who adapted them to the new age and thus helped to formulate a Confucian orthodoxy that has remained deeply influential ever since. Whether he is expounding his doctrine of the basic goodness of human nature – the ‘original heart’, which can be lost or overwhelmed by our selfish impulses – developing his method of argument by analogy or offering strikingly modern views on the duties of the subjects and their rulers and the evils of war, Mencius is always fascinating and often profound. This superb translation, complete with a masterly Introduction and Appendices on the historical and philosophical background, presents him directly to the English reader.

By Prof. C. Kunhan Raja.

123 Pages | First edition 1956, second reprint 1984 | Paperback | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 0835675718.

In translating the Dhammapada, there is one great difficulty in so far as there are many words on which scholars differ widely about their meaning and there is also considerable difference of view regarding the general purport of the passages in many cases. I have given my own rendering, after a careful study of the text with other texts of a related nature.

[…]

This book is accepted as a Buddhistic Text. But it is not at all anti-Hindu. It is really an Indian text. There is nothing in this text to which any orthodox Hindu can take any objection. Most of the ideas contained here are found also in Hindu Texts like the Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā and the Mahābhārata.

From page 113:

” divā tapati ādicco rattim ābhāti candimā

sannaddho khattiyo tapati jhāyī tapati brāhmaṇo 

atha sabbam ahorattaṁ buddho tapati tejasā

The Sun shines by the day, the Moon illumines the night;

a Kshatriya (Warrior, from Sanskrit kṣatra) with armour shines, a Brahmin shines in meditation.

Then all the days and the nights, Buddha illumines with his lustre. “

Translated and explained by Richard Wilhelm (1873 – 1930), with a commentary by Carl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961)

149 Pages | First published in 1931; new, revised & augmented edition, 1962 | Softcover | Harcourt Brace & Company, USA | ISBN 9780156799805

The Secret of the Golden Flower, the Treatise that forms the central part of this book, was discovered by Professor Wilhelm, who recognized it as essentially a practical guide to the integration of the personality. His German translation, published in the autumn of 1929 shortly before his death, was immediately hailed by Jung as a link between the insights of the East and his own psychological research, a relationship explored by the great analytical psychologist in a brilliant and significant commentary.

This edition also contains part of another Chinese meditation text, the Hui Ming Ching or The Book of Consciousness and Life, and is illustrated with numerous plates and drawings.

A quotation about ‘detachment’ (p. 122):

A halo of light surrounds the world of the law.
We forget one another, quiet and pure, altogether powerful and empty.
The emptiness is irradiated by the light of the heart of heaven.
The water of the sea is smooth and mirrors the moon its surface.
The clouds disappear in blue space; the mountains shine clear.
Consciousness reverts to contemplation; the moondisk rests alone.

From the Hui Ming Ching

Door Lao Tse (601 BC – unknown), bewerkt en ingeleid door Prof. H. van Praag, vertaald door J.A. Blok.

159 Pagina’s | Eerste druk 1910, 13de herziene druk 2013 (Klassiekers) | Softcover | Ankh-Hermes BV., Utrecht | ISBN: 9789020209952.

Het boek Tao Te Tjing is een van de belangrijkste geschriften van het Taoïsme. Centraal staan ‘het volgen van het Tao’ en ‘woe-wei’, het niet ingrijpen, het loslaten dat wil zeggen, je niet verzetten tegen de loop der dingen, maar daar spontaan in meegaan. De Tao Te Tjing is een Wijsheidsboek, dat door zijn diepgang en oorspronkelijkheid wordt gerekend tot de hoogtepunten van de wereldliteratuur. Het werk wordt toegeschreven aan Lao Tse,  een oudere tijdgenoot van Confucius (551 – 479 v. Chr.).

Uit Hoofdstuk 8 zoals vermeld in de Inleiding (p. 33):

” Het hoogste goed is als water.

Water doet alle wezens goed en strijdt niet.

Het woont op plaatsen door alle mensen veracht.

Daarin komt het goede Tao nabij.

Hij leeft gaarne op lage plaatsen.

Zijn hart houdt van de diepte.

In weldoen houdt hij van de liefde,

in spreken van de waarheid,

in bestuur van de orde,

in werken van bekwaamheid,

in handelen van de geschikte tijd.

Hij strijdt niet, daardoor treft hem geen blaam. “

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) and  Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

474 Pages | First edition, 10th reprint 2010 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar

This book is the third volume of a trilogy, being commentaries on three classics – At the Feet of the Master, The Voice of Silence and Light on the Path – considered the mystical gems of theosophical literature. They throw light on the deep significance and far-reaching implications of the perennial teachings embodied in these three classics, whose subject matter is the path of inner transformation and spiritual realization.

” Once having passed through the storm and attained the peace, it is then always possible to learn, even though the disciple waver, hesitate, and turn aside. The Voice of Silence, remains within him, and though he leave the Path utterly, yet one day it will resound, and rend him asunder and separate his passions from his divine possibilities. Then, with pain and desperate cries from the deserted lower self, he will return… “ – From Chapter ‘Rule 21’, page 285.

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) and  Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

474 Pages | Eleventh reprint 2004 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170591600.

This book is the first volume of a trilogy, being commentaries on three Classics – At the Feet of the Master, The Voice of Silence and Light on the Path – considered the mystical gems of Theosophical literature. They throw light on the deep significance and far-reaching implications of the perennial teachings embodied in these three Classics, whose subject matter is the path of inner transformation and spiritual realization.

From Chapter – ‘True and False Aims’ (p. 55):

” You enter the Path, because you have learnt that on it alone can be found those things, which are worth gaining. Men, who do not know, work to gain wealth and power, but these are at most for one life only, and therefore unreal. There are greater things than these – things which are real and lasting; when you have once seen these, you desire those others no more.. ” –

By Sir Edwin Lester Arnold (1832 – 1904).

154 Pages | First edition 1970 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 0835672301.

The incomparable religious classic of India . . .

In exquisite poetic allegory, Sir Edwin Lester Arnold translates the revered and sacred story of Arjuna and Krishna, representing the eternal struggle between the personality and the Immortal Self.

” Take my last word. My utmost meaning have! Precious thou art to Me; right well-be-loved! Listen! I tell thee for thy comfort this. Give Me thy heart! Adore Me! Serve Me! Cling in faith and love and reverence to Me! So shalt thou come to Me! I promise true, For thou art sweet to Me! “

With the Vivarana Commentary by Śri Upanishadbrahmayogin. Edited by the Pandits of the Adyar Library under the supervision of Prof. C. Kunhan Raja. Critically edited with his Tippani by Dr. S. Sankaranarayanan, Hon. Professor, Adyar Library.

603 Pages | First edition 1936, revised edition 1996, The Adyar Library Series, Volume 15 |  Hardcover, with Sanskrit texts | The Adyar Library and Research Centre | No ISBN.