6 books that shook your world (or at least gently nudged it)

[barrys]

Here are six of mine (excluding Sifu's books):

The Tao is Silent - Raymond Smullyan

Tex and Molly in the Afterlife - Richard Grant

On Metapsychology - Sigmund Freud

Chi Po and the Sorceror - Oscar Mandel

Man's search for meaning - Victor Frankel

Uncle (the elephant) - J.P. Martin

[Joan]

Dear Barry,

Very nice thread.

For me Sifu's were certainly the most 'nudging'

The next six in no particular order:

You can Heal your Life--- Louise L Hay

Autobiography of a Yogi - Paramhansa Yogananda

The Celestine Prophesy - James Redfield

Conversations with God - Neale Donald Walsch

Leadership wisdom - Robin S. Sharma

Around the Boree Log - John O Brien

It would be really nice to hear from everybody.

Best wishes,
Joan

[Simon]

Dear Mr. S,

a good thread but is it too creepy just to list six of Sifu's?
I come from a generation who may find it easier to name films but here goes:

I have to start with 'The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu' because without it I would not be where I'm now, it was my first introduction to Sifu.

Sabate Guerilla Extraordinary by Antonio Tellez. It's about the lovely Franco.
In my teenage years I was very influenced by various sociology and political texts but this true story put philiophy into a real life context. Great!

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. What can I say?
It's grim. Not really inspiring but still it has a certain Je ne sais pas ce qui.

I can think of many, many more good books but ones that can change your life? Maybe it would be easier to think of ones that haven't?

Simon

[Maxime]

Dear all,

here are a few of my favourites available in English:

The Heart Sutra (commentary on...) by Thich Nhat Hanh
The count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The art of war by Sun Tsu

Currently I am only reading Chinese Medicine texts and martial arts books.

I think we can learn something (I did'nt said 'agree with') from every book. Let me take an extreme example: reading Mein Kampf might give understanding of the 'thought' process of the author (Hitler). Anyway some books are difficult to follow, 'spiritually' I mean. Depending on the level of understanding of each reader, I think some books should not fall into every hands...

Best regards,

Maxime

[Maxime]

Oh I forgot to answer the question

Two books that really changed my life:

The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu by Sifu
The Heart Sutra (commentary on...) by Thich Nhat Hanh

On a more general note, may the change in someone's life be more in relation with an addition of sentences and/or concepts or stories taken here and there in several books, rather than in just one?

Maxime

[Chiahua]

Well, I must admit that sifu's Q and A series has been more influential for me than the books, mainly because that was my first exposure to his broad learning and knowledge.

How We Know What Isn't So by Thomas Gilovich is an invaluable book about the frailty of human reason.

Zhuangzi, I like the AC Graham translation

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. This book really got me thinking about workflow issues, especially the importance of mise-en-place in my own kitchen and at my workplace.

Philosophy in the Flesh by Dr. George Lakoff. It discusses how we reason about abstract ideas by thinking in terms of the physical, especially our bodies (embodied cognition). Thus, the way we think is delimited by our physical self.

[chud]

Man's search for meaning - Victor Frankel

I agree that "Man's Search For Meaning" is an excellent book, it really makes you think.

[Mark Blohm]

-The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan by Sifu

-The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu by Sifu

-Life Ahead by Jiddu Krishnamurti

I can't think of other books that had the same level of effect on me.

Mark

[drunken boxer]

My 6 would start with:

The Art of War - Sun Tzu
The Power of Internal Martial Arts - Bruce Kumar Frantzis
The Elephant and the Twig - Geoff Thomson
The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna - Paul Mckenna
El Diego - Diego Maradona

The next one deserves a special mention, in a class of its own because it really really did change my life, dramatically, for the better.
It is, of course "The Art Of Shaolin Kung Fu" by Sifu - simply the best book I have ever read.

[shaolin_mike]

Musungu Jim and the Great Chief Tuluko - Patrick Neate
I think this lovely book is where it all started

Complete Book of Zen - Sifu Wong Kiew Kit
The first book I bought by him completely by accident. If not for this book I would not be where I am now! Also he was nice enough to sign it for me last year

Papillon - Henri Charriere
Classic book and opens your eyes to some realities of this world.

Thats all I can think of. Nice thread!

[Ray]

Hi friends,

For me I can only think of:

The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dali Lama
The Taoist I Ching and the Buddhist I Ching translated by Thomas Cleary
The Dhammapada by people who took notes during Buddha's lectures (I prefer versions that include the original sanskirit/ pali)
The Yoga Sutras (also prefer sanskirit included)
Sifu Wong's Q & A (already profound without sanskirit)

Namaste!

Ray Chang

[grammatoncleric]

Hi everyone, thanks for the book recommendations,

Mine are;

The fountainhead By Ayn Rand

1984 by George Orwell

Beyond the mysterious Gate By Alex Kozma (just finished, awesome, inspiring)

Objectivism the Philosophy of Ayn Rand by Leonard Peikoff

Love and Sexuality by Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

Life at the bottom By Theodore Dalrymple

[HugoDarien]

6 books that shook your world (or at least gently nudged it)

Here are my favorites books !

1.The Art of Chi Kung: Making the Most of Your Vital Energy by Wong Kiew Kit

2.The Complete Book of Shaolin: Comprehensive Program for Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Development by Wong Kiew Kit

3.The Sutra of Hui-Neng: Grand Master of Zen by Thomas Cleary( this book I'm going to borrow and read son from the library and I belive it going to be a favorite too)

This 3 books above are the favorite of the favorites they going for ever be in my shelf!

these others book are books that I hope I read in the future but I'm already satisfied whit the first 3 and I dont feel to have more books in the shelft anyway to practise and practise Chi Kung, Zen and Shaolin is what is necesary and this 3 books above is enought for me.

Many of this books are still in chinese and I don't know why it takes so long time to translate them when they are so good!


5. 72 Consummate Arts Secrets of the Shaolin Temple by Wu Jianming(I have not read it yet but next week I would and I belive is going to be a favorite too!)

6.the Taoism canon by Wang liping Master of the dragon gate

7. History of Chinese Martial Arts by Xi Yun Tai

8.History of Chinese Qigong by Li Zhi Yong

9. Ancient Chinese Thinking on Qi by Cheng Yi Shan

10. Discourse on Wudang Chi Kung by Pei Xi Yong

11. The four great chi kung classics of china by Xu Jing

[HugoDarien]

6 books that shook your world (or at least gently nudged it)

Hello I'm back whit more books that maybe some one will like to read or have any comments! All are in Chinese so I hope some day this Chinese books be translated! Any way chi kung is practice not collecting very much knowledge of Chi kung! But of course it can be fun for the people that likes to read! The books are:

1 Chinese Shen Gong volume 1 to 21( Zhong Guo Shen Gong by Gong Jian Lao Ren ( Which means Humbly Studious Old Man - His real identity is unknown all we know about him is that since his family is rich hi was able to purchase or collect many documents which he compiled and published.
Have any one read this book or know anything about this Humbly Studious Old Man?

2 The principles in meditation in the attainment of Sainthood by Liu Hua edited by Lian Yang the recluse.

3 The Superior Combined Path of the Taoist and the Buddist in Attainig Immortality by Wu Chong Yu edited by Lian Yang the recluse.

4 The Classic of Elixir by Wei Bo

5 Secrets in the Cloud: Yun Ji Chi Qian

6 Experience of Zen by Venerable Sheng Yan

7 The Secret of Training The Internal Elixir in The Taiji Art by Zhang San Feng preserved by FaijiShanren.

Have a Nice Day!

[shaolin_mike]

Just wanted to let you all know about a book that is currently rocking my world

http://www.maithri.com/addme.asp?bid=159

Its the story of an American Buddhist monk who had an interesting life. I think it reads well as either a travelogue or as a book about Buddhism. Anyway he was born in California and got into the whole hippy thing and traveled to Vietnam and got up to all kinds of mischief. He journeyed with friends through Europe and all the way to India where he came upon Buddhism and liked enough to make it his day job. Havent finished it yet but its a good read.