(Part 2) Best sacred hindu writings according to redditors

Hinduism was never meant to be a religion. It is a way of life. It is basically the opposite of Abrahamic faiths, which require you to accept a prophet and hence "convert". It is a knowledge based system of living, in which you are allowed to accept or reject or criticize any concept you want, there is no concept of "heresy". Due to this, in order to become a "hindu" you have to understand 4 yogas - Bhakti, Karma, Sankhya and Raja. These 4 yogas, the 3 modes of the mind and every other aspect of human psychic are succinctly explained by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in a dialogue which is referred to as the Gita.
The Gita is basically a summary of all the hindu and vedic concepts. Hence, it is always good to start with that. You can get Paramhansa Yogananda's commentary on it, or John Algeo (my favorite).
Links: https://www.amazon.com/Bhagavad-Gita-According-Paramhansa-Yogananda-ebook/dp/B001RTU4V8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1537370239&sr=8-2&keywords=yogananda+gita

https://www.theosophical.org/files/resources/selfstudy/Gita.pdf

After you have properly understood the Gita, you can further your knowledge by reading Srimad Bhagavatam and other vedic scriptures like Brahma Samhita, Rig Veda etc. One great website for all this is http://www.vedabase.com/

Welcome to the never ending knowledge of the vedas!!!!

Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics https://www.amazon.com/dp/090779162X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_QJ4EDbB3R1DCY

Secret Drugs of Buddhism https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692652817/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_wK4EDb733CREK

Entheogens, Myth, and Human Consciousness https://www.amazon.com/dp/1579511414/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_CM4EDb7WCZCJJ

The Effluents of Deity: Alchemy and Psychoactive Sacraments in Medieval and Renaissance Art https://www.amazon.com/dp/161163041X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_PN4EDbMCDQ1CQ

Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy https://www.amazon.com/dp/0892819979/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_gO4EDb3KYSGN5

The Apples of Apollo: Pagan and Christian Mysteries of the Eucharist https://www.amazon.com/dp/089089924X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_FO4EDbH0C12RD

Krishna in the Sky with Diamonds: The Bhagavad Gita as Psychedelic Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00770DJRW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_2Q4EDb7AEKZ2F

Bhagavad Gita most accurate without commentary :

Most accessible without commentary

With Sri Shankaracharya's commentary

Also with Sri Shankaracharya's commentary

With independent commentary


Mahabharata

Don't know which translation of the Ramayana is good.

The Vedas are not supposed to be translated and there are no good translations available.


Upanishads with Sri Shankaracarya's commentary : Vol I and Vol II

Vanamali’s Shiva: Stories and Teachings from the Shiva Mahapurana

That’s my favorite translation.

Other books about Lord Shiva I enjoyed are:

Lord Śiva’s Song: The Ishvara Gita

Dancing With Śiva

You can actually download this one and several other works from the Himalayan Academy . They are an organization based out of Hawaii. They follow a Śaiva sampradaya and actually have a lot of information for beginners.

Much of the modern interpretation of the caste system comes from the British translation of Manusmriti as a 'legal manual' for the governance of India. Basically, they took a book written some 2000 years ago with references to the caste system and made it a modern thing. The reason it's now used as a talking point against Hindus is because many of us don't actually know this basic fact and thus have no way to actually provide this clear counter-argument.

Edit: The book is called 'The laws of Manu' by Brian Smith and Wendy Doniger. The translation is excellent and highly recommended.

If you wanna tell them nothing else then tell them the above. It is found in a modern translation of the Manusmriti which I have the Kindle version of and I will edit the details in when I get back on the post. But, it's in there as a fact.

Next time someone tries to tell you this, just copy the above part and paste it. If you wish to reference me, that's nice but it's free information anyway. Don't believe a word from people who know jackshit about history but have the chutzpah to use it against you because they think you know less.

Try this:

https://www.amazon.com/Bhagavad-gita-Photographic-visual-greatest-spiritual/dp/1503367126

Its a photographic version of the Bhagavad Gita so that it's easier to read, and it's summarised so you don't have to worry about reading the Sanskrit verses. It flows very well and the pictures make the knowledge easier to connect with. I really liked and would recommend.

https://www.amazon.com/Jedi-Lotus-Star-Hindu-Tradition-ebook/dp/B007V59DS2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518483093&sr=8-1&keywords=the+jedi+in+the+lotus
Regarding the context of Star Wars and its relation to Hinduism,
I found this very interesting, and am reading it. :) I've always known about Campbell and his influence on Lucas, and how Cambell was influenced by Eastern beliefs. Fun stuff.

I had a good version a few years ago but can't find it. Just look for a version that is translated by accredited academics (usually more than one 'author'). Avoid versions like the one that is distributed by the Hare Krishnas (as much as I like their food) because it has a lot of additional commentary and contextual translation errors that affect the message.

EDIT: Avoid this one LINK and get something like this LINK. Some of the core philosophy is strikingly similar to the teachings of Jesus.

Yes, "holy shit, that's a lot"...

http://www.amazon.com/Mejda-Paramahansa-Yogananda-Self-Realization-Fellowship/dp/0876122659

http://reluctant-messenger.com/ - warning: the site is absolutely freaking huge. It's based on PY and you will find most of the texts referenced including Autobiography of a Yogi. This one I cannot recommend enough because it talks about everything I've always believed since I was young enough to have memories.

Also:

http://www.awaketheyoganandamovie.com/screenings/#organize

Since it's in the same line: http://www.amazon.com/Babaji-Siddha-Kriya-Yoga-Tradition/dp/1895383005

The Holy Science: http://www.amazon.com/The-Holy-Science-Swami-Yukteswar/dp/161427455X

If you really want to dive in: http://www.amazon.com/Babajis-Kriya-Hatha-Yoga-Rejuvenation/dp/189538303X This is written by a guy in Canada who had problems publishing a book because SRF is not what it used to be and raised a "political" stink and prevented it (which is not what PY was teaching).

Check this out: http://www.yogananda.com.au/pyr/pyr_eye1.html

Worth thinking about: http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Babaji-Trilogy-Kriya-Yoga/dp/1895383234

I'd start with the book that played a large role in the revival of the modern occult: H.P. Blavatsky's The Hidden Doctrine, which is a synthesis of occult philosophies from all over the world.

Then, I'd go over the text on which all hermetic knowledge derives from; The Corpus Hermeticum by Hermes Trismegistus

I'd also reccomend looking into The Pistis Sophia, which explains the philosophies of early Gnosticism.

Another important text would be The Vision and the Voice by Aleister Crowley, which is an account of 30 visions that document how one may attain enlightenment, had by Crowley while he was performing a series of Enochian rituals out in the desert.

The Cosmic Doctrine by Dion Fortune is a book that was channeled by Dion Fortune, which she believes explains the hidden secrets and doctrine of the universe.

The Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune is a great book that explains the Qabalah, the system of philosophy which is the backbone of the occult.

This list would be incomplete without also including Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy, which was written by a Renaissance occultist named Henry Agrippa and is a foundational text to all branches of occult philosophy and knowledge.

The Dhammapada, The Questions of King Milinda, THE TÂO TEH KING, The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and The I-Ching are all also important philosophical texts to the occult. While they are not necessarily "occult" themselves, they all had a huge influence on the modern occult today, as well as many famous occultists such as Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, H.P. Blavatsky, etc.

So who would be killing this ego? What is "ego" anyway, and who told you it was yours? Do you want one?

Theravada Buddhism is particularly adept in the art of self-analysis. There is another school called Kashmir Shaivism which you might call theistic Buddhism. I study the latter school. Check the works of Swami Laksmanjoo on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Manual-Self-Realization-Meditations-Lakshmanjoo/dp/0981622828

This book contains 112 independent techniques from 9th century India translated and interpreted by Sw. Laksmanjoo (1907-1991).

My point is that rather than "killing" and fighting against your own mind - know yourself as the Greeks and Socrates suggest:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_thyself

The idea of "fighting my ego" is the ego's preferred game and the mind's game. We need to focus on transforming your mind, thinking well of yourself and others, learning to attend to the breath will soothe your mind. It's a long road but tomorrow will be better than today.

Simple Gita sounds exactly what you are looking for.

Plenty of translations of his commentaries. Here is one from a Google search https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LQ1NO6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

This book was very clear and interesting to me by the creator of the Advaita Vedanta school, Adi Shankara.

You might consider that much of the subtle depth and meaning of the Bhagavad Gita is lost in translation. Even the simple step of fixing your gaze on the end of the nose is subject to debate (for example).

If you really have the interest and drive to understand the Gita then you might try comparing and contrasting several translations or, if you're super ambitious, you could learn Sanskrit. I've read and listened to several translations and found this book to be one of the most insightful. There's also this translation and commentary by Paramahansa Yogananda whom I personally find to be incredibly insightful.

Edit: Formatting

I like Swami Prabhupada version because each verse is:

• Text in Sanskrit
  
• Literal translation of each word in English
  
• English translation of the verse
  
• Explanation
  
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Bhagavad-Gita-Swami-Bhaktivedanta-Prabhupada/dp/1602930007/ref=pd_aw_sbs_14_2/145-1434239-9930102?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1602930007&pd_rd_r=d4246ea5-3f60-4a0c-8161-7449d9ee74fc&pd_rd_w=Nh2e8&pd_rd_wg=K18Yf&pf_rd_p=af6838ce-fb64-489e-8573-27e11ad9cf20&pf_rd_r=X2ZJB4KSP402WHQ1FWM0&psc=1&refRID=X2ZJB4KSP402WHQ1FWM0&utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Anyone who is interested in thorough analysis of BG should checkout the following book.

Who Wrote the Bhagavadgita: A Secular Enquiry into a Sacred Text

From the book, it seems there were 3 instances in Mahabharat of Vishwaroop. I have linked the relevant pages here.

https://imgur.com/a/E3km42v