Books Archives

“Yoga: Science of the Absolute” Now in Print (Read Sample Here)

We have finished publication of Abbot George’s new book, Yoga: Science of the Absolute–A Commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and it is now available in paperback and ebook format at Amazon and other online outlets. For a limited time the ebook is on … Continue reading

Add the “Dharma for Awakening” Series to Your Spiritual Library

Part 2 of 5 Ways to Grow Your Spiritual Library

Last week we discussed the five ways you can expand your spiritual library: Web content, PDFs, podcasts, eBooks, and printed books. Today we will highlight one of the most important sections on our website, the Dharma for Awakening series. We are working on making all of this content available in all five options.

Bhagavad Gita for Awakening—The endless spiritual treasures of this essential scripture have been mined by saints, scholars, and devotees throughout the ages. Through a unique combination of exhaustive study and scholarship, and insight and wisdom gleaned from personal experience, Abbot George Burke’s commentary offers new gems that will enrich all true seekers.

You can read this online here, or download a PDF from our e-Library. You can get an ebook from Amazon here, as well as a paperback here.

As mentioned last week, you can also find Abbot George’s ebooks on various online sites, including Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, Kobo Books, and Smashwords

Upanishads for Awakening—Sanatana Dharma in its primal form is to be found in the Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitaryeya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, and Svetashvatara Upanishads. These eleven texts (upanishad means “teaching”–literally “that which was heard when sitting near”) are attached to the Vedas, the ancient hymns of the Indian sages, and also knows as Vedanta, the End of the Vedas. The following texts provide useful commentaries on these important scriptures. By Abbot George Burke

You can read this online here, or download a PDF from our e-Library. We plan to have this available as an ebook and in print in the near future.

5 Ways to Grow Your Spiritual Library – Part 1

5 Ways to Grow Our Spiritual Library
Growing a spiritual library is important for the aspiring yogi. The study of the books and sacred texts which deal with the nature of the true Self (spirit) and its realization is one aspect of swadhyaya, one of the “Ten Commandments” of yoga (yama and niyama) outlined by the sage Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. Food for the mind in the form of spiritual reading is a tremendous help to the yogi.

OCOY.org is itself a spiritual library, with over 1300 web pages, blog posts, PDF downloads, books and other resources, and in this series of articles we will show you some of what we have available for your spiritual library.

We endeavor to make the writings of Abbot George Burke and others on OCOY.org available in a variety of formats to suit the habits of those who read here. There are five ways to grow your spiritual library, whether digital or in print.

1.Read Online. For those who wish to explore our site and get a taste of its content, this is ideal. Be sure to bookmark OCOY.org or any pages you are reading so you can easily come back at any time. Of course you can print out the articles for reading later. Because of the length of the books available on our site, they are broken down into chapters, each with its own web page. If you want to access the full, undivided books, you can…

2.Download a Free PDF. Our E-Library has PDF’s of much of the books and content on our site, as well as other books which we share from other sources. These can be downloaded for free and read on your computer at any time, or printed out for convenient offline reading.

3.Listen to Podcasts and Audiobooks. Abbot George has made over 30 podcasts and radio interviews available in our Podcast section. In topics ranging from the yoga life, vegetarianism, monastic life, saints and spiritual figures he has known, and much more, you will find much to interest you and profit from.

Do you have iTunes? You can access our podcasts in the iTunes Podcast directory. You can also subscribe to our podcast feed, so the most recent podcast from Abbot George will be downloaded to your iTunes directory. You can also listen to our podcasts at Stitcher.

We are investigating the costs of having Abbot George’s books made into professionally recorded audio books, and hope to have them available in the future.

New Books for Your Spiritual Library

Light of the Spirit Press announces two new publications for your spiritual library. The first is Foundations of Yoga: Ten Important Principles Every Meditator Should Know, an introduction to the important principles of Patanjali’s Yoga: Yama & Niyama. (Those who have read Soham Yoga: The … Continue reading

5 Reasons for the Smile of Krishna

The Smile of Krishna
As the fighting is about to commence on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the tale of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna begins to advise Arjuna. (This article is taken from The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening.)

Arjuna, overcome with anguish at the prospect of killing in battle those he loved and was obligated to respect, presented to Krishna his reasons for refusing to fight. Hearing the “case” presented by Arjuna:

“To him, the dejected Arjuna, Krishna, smiling, O Dhritarashtra, in the middle between the two armies, spoke these words” (Bhagavad Gita 2:10).

Why a smile?

The smile of Krishna is extremely significant, and we must be grateful to the sage Vyasa for including this detail that carries a momentous message.

Why did Krishna smile, considering how grief-filled Arjuna was, and how impassioned he had been in his insistence that to fight would be the greatest of evils–in contradiction to the urging and advice of Krishna? Arjuna was both sad and rebellious. Yet Krishna smiled.

The word in the Gita is prahasann, which means to smile before laughing. (Sargeant renders it: “beginning to laugh.”) So it is not some weak smile, nor a condescending or sarcastic grimace, but a very positive sign of impending mirth. How is this? Krishna smiled for several reasons.

“The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening” Is Now Available as Paperback and Ebook

After years of writing and preparation, we are happy to announce the publication of Abbot George’s latest book, The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening: A Practical Commentary for Leading a Successful Spiritual Life. Although it has been available for reading online at OCOY.org, it is now also available as a paperback and ebook at various online outlets (see below).

With penetrating insight, Abbot George Burke illumines the Bhagavad Gita’s practical value for spiritual seekers. With a unique perspective from a lifetime of study and practice of both Eastern and Western spirituality, Abbot George presents the treasures of the Gita in an easily intelligible fashion.

Here is what early reviewers say:

“I found reading Abbot George Burke’s The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening a genuine pleasure. While I was expecting another Gita commentary, I was delighted to discover so much more than just a commentary. Utilizing his wonderful gift of expression, and employing poetry, parable, personal experiences, and a generous dose of his own deep spiritual insight and wisdom, Abbot George has produced a work that is extremely readable and immensely practical.”
–Russ Thomas

“I’ve read many, many different translations and commentaries on the Gita; Abbot George’s is hands down one of the most approachable. It is clear, helpful, and has a vast depth that easily brings both the meaning and value of the Bhagavad Gita to life. I would highly recommend The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening to anyone that wants to bring it’s lessons into their daily life.”
–Michael Sabani

“I had read through the original text of the Gita a few years ago and as you could imagine, the majority of its lessons were lost on me. The version Abbot Burke has written opened up the lessons the Gita holds in a way that is relatable to a westerner, and far easier to grasp. Being raised in the Catholic faith, I see parallels to the teachings of the Christ and that message is enhanced greatly. I would recommend this version to anyone regardless of religious upbringing, as it’s lessons are relevant to everyone. I truly love reading this book.”
–Caraine Wells

“Be swept away by the ancient wisdom of the East in this timeless classic that offers practical solutions to the modern problems of today. Struggling with the constant tug-of-war between good and evil, our hearts and minds will relish the opportunity to reconnect with God’s eternal love for us so eloquently illuminated in this book. A must read for anyone on a spiritual quest for the truth!”
–Sailaja Kuruvadi

“The Bhagavad Gita is truly one of the world’s foremost scriptural gems, and this new translation and extensive commentary by Abbot George provides great insight into its richness. Abbot George’s ability to examine difficult and often confusing texts (particularly for those not immersed in Indian religious thought and symbolism) and explain them clearly and in a gentle tone is apparent throughout.”
–Br. Julian-Ozana Arconti, CG

The paperback is 533 pages of spiritual insights. The ebook is available at 75% OFF for only 99¢ for a limited time. You can get the ebook at these online sites: Amazon U.S., Amazon India, Barnes & Noble, Kobo.com, iBooks (Apple Books), 24 Symbols, and Playster, and the paperback at Amazon.com.