Be A Light Unto Yourself

An accessible self-help guide to learning to trust yourself, inspired by the spiritual teachings of the Buddha. Gautama Buddha was the founder of what we know as Buddhism, a spiritual tradition that is recognized throughout the world as one of compassion, peace, and understanding. Like his final words, Gautama Buddha's teachings were often simple phrases that carried profound thoughts and implications. When the words of the Buddha were gathered together, a special collection was made - The Dhammapada or The Way of Truth. Be a Light Unto Yourself relates the story of Gautama Buddha and the spiritual revolution he began. It is a collection of teachings that relate strongest to the power and depth of the statement “Be a light unto yourself.” This book teaches you to know yourself and to always look within yourself for guidance and to trust your own senses. Among the teachings you'll find: “Your life is determined by the nature of mind . . . A silent mind creates a peaceful life. Happiness will follow this mind like an ever-present shadow.” “Not in the sky, not in the deepness of the sea, not in the rocky clefts of the mountains is there a spot in the world where you can hide from yourself.” “If you can govern your anger like a charioteer his chariot, you are a real driver; otherwise you simply hold the reins.”

I was acquainted with the name of Meher Baba when as a kid I heard my grandfather Dr. Hira Lall Chopra often mention his name as a spiritual awakener of the twentieth century who lived in Ahmednagar. It was recently that, in the course of my study on the spiritual world and on spiritualism, I came across the name of Meher Baba. His name not only evoked my childhood memories but also spurred me on to undertake deeper study to gain insight into the life and achievements of Meher Baba. In the course of this pursuit I also went to Avatar Meher Baba Centre, New Delhi. The Centre was very helpful in providing information and reading material on the life and teachings of Meher Baba. I must admit that, on studying the available material on the life and achievements of Meher Baba, I was wonderstruck as to how an ordinary person, leading an ordinary life, by a twist of fate, not only realized spirituality but also turned into an ardent spiritual awakener for the rest of mankind in this predominantly materialistic world. Man is essentially a spiritual being and, in my opinion, requires material gains only for peaceful existence in order to achieve his objective of spirituality, and come closer to his Creator – God. But in pursuit of material gains, men, at large, tend to distance themselves from spirituality and thus from God. For those who earnestly seek spirituality, I feel the teachings of Meher Baba can help them to achieve their objective. It is for this reason that I have penned down my findings and thoughts in the form of this book on the life and teachings of Avatar Meher Baba which may help all those who seek spirituality and God - consciousness. (Dr). ANU DHAWAN NEW DELHI July 2014

In these talks, given in Europe and India, Krishnamurti goes into the importance of going into problems openly, without conclusions. "..because we approach our problems partially, through all these various forms of conditioning, it seems to me that we are thereby not understanding them. I feel that the approach to any problem is of much more significance than the problem itself, and that if we could approach our many difficulties without any particular form of conditioning or prejudice, then perhaps we would come to a fundamental understanding of them." An extensive compendium of Krishnamurti's talks and discussions in the USA, Europe, India, New Zealand, and South Africa from 1933 to 1967—the Collected Works have been carefully authenticated against existing transcripts and tapes. Each volume includes a frontispiece photograph of Krishnamurti , with question and subject indexes at the end. The content of each volume is not limited to the subject of the title, but rather offers a unique view of Krishnamurti's extraordinary teachings in selected years. The Collected Works offers the reader the opportunity to explore the early writings and dialogues in their most complete and authentic form.

A leading spiritual teacher of the twentieth century presents meditation as a tool for better understanding not just ourselves but the world around us These selections present the core of Krishnamurti's teaching on meditation, taken from discussions with small groups, as well as from public talks to large audiences. His main theme is the essential need to look inward, to know ourselves, in order really to understand our own—and the world's—conflicts. We are the world, says Krishnamurti, and it is our individual chaos that creates social disorder. He offers timeless insights into the source of true freedom and wisdom.

Gautama Buddha was the founder of what we know as Buddhism, a spiritual tradition that is recognized throughout the world as one of compassion, peace, and understanding. Like his final words, Gautama Buddha's teachings were often simple phrases that carried profound thoughts and implications. When the words of the Buddha were gathered together, a special collection was made— The Dhammapada or The Way of Truth. Be a Light Unto Yourself relates the story of Gautama Buddha and the spiritual revolution he began. It is a collection of teachings that relate strongest to the power and depth of the statement "Be a light unto yourself." This book teaches you to know yourself and to always look within yourself for guidance and to trust your own senses. Among the teachings you'll find: "Your life is determined by the nature of mind... A silent mind creates a peaceful life. Happiness will follow this mind like an ever-present shadow." "Not in the sky, not in the deepness of the sea, not in the rocky clefts of the mountains is there a spot in the world where you can hide from yourself." "If you can govern your anger like a charioteer his chariot, you are a real driver; otherwise you simply hold the reins."

Poems based on the author's book 'A Light Unto Your Self' designed to offer pointers to awakening by investigating the nature of reality.