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Celebrate Teacher’s Day with these Spiritual Reads

On this Teacher’s Day, let’s celebrate the wisdom of gurus who light up our lives. Just as a lighthouse guides ships through stormy waters, these spiritual books illuminate our paths to self-discovery and inner peace. Get ready to embark on a journey of growth and enlightenment with these invaluable teachings.

 

The Perfect Way
The Perfect Way || Osho

In The Perfect Way, Osho answers fundamental questions about what meditation is and how we can begin and sustain it in our lives. He does this with precision, thoroughness, humour and compassion. Here is someone who knows, but who also knows how to convey what he knows. His genius in full flight, he points us as far as one can with words towards the inner world of the self, towards the zone of silence.

 

Kundalini Yoga for All
Kundalini Yoga for All || Kamini Bobde

Kundalini Yoga for All will take you through this journey with explanations of the various stations you will encounter. Starting with cleansing and tuning your body to the step-by-step guide of your daily Kundalini yoga practice, this book will empower you to experience your highest potential in brain, body and awareness to meet all challenges of life with equanimity and experience bliss which is every human’s birthright.

Small Wins Everyday
Small Wins Everyday || Luke Coutinho

In Small Wins Every Day, Luke Coutinho presents a simple premise with powerful results, teaching you to rewire your brain for success. The hack? Break down your goals into small wins that you can achieve every day. Stacked over time, these contribute to significant lifestyle changes, good health and happiness.

 

Secrets of Divine Love Journal
Secrets of Divine Love Journal || A.Helwa

The Secrets of Divine Love Journal is based on the award-winning book Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam. Through heart-centered reflections, insightful prompts, and thought-provoking questions, Secrets of Divine Love Journal can help you foster a deeper relationship with Allah by connecting you with the heart of your faith in a more intimate and inspiring way.

 

Dhruva
Dhruva || Gauranga Darshan Das
Ask the Monk
Ask the Monk || Nityanand Charan Das

In Ask the Monk, celebrated monk Nityanand Charan Das lucidly answers over seventy frequently asked questions-by young and the old alike-on topics such as karma, religion versus spirituality, mind, God, destiny, purpose of life, suffering, rituals, religion, wars and so on. These answers that are extremely crucial to help you, the reader, embark on the journey of self-discovery and self-realization.

 

The wisdom bridge
The Wisdom Bridge || Kamlesh D. Patel

Daaji in The Wisdom Bridge offers nine principles to guide you, the reader, to live a life that inspires your children and your loved ones. These principles are important references for parents, parents-to-be, grandparents and caregivers to create fulfilling and happy lives. They will not only help you enrich the lives of your children and raise responsible teenagers, but pave the way for an inspired life and resilient bonds in your family.

 

The Rebellious Spirit
The Rebellious Spirit || Osho

In The Rebellious Spirit, Osho speaks to the spirit that lies hidden beneath our social conditioning, fanning a flame strong enough to burn through layers of rubbish, so that we can see with the crystal-clear gaze of an enlightened being. This is a book that will entice you, tickle your being with laughter, and give you the courage to be yourself in today’s world.

 

Sing, Dance and Pray
Sing, Dance and Pray || Hindol Sengupta

This is the inspirational story of Srila Prabhupada. As the founder of ISKCON, he ’emerged as a major figure of Western counterculture, initiating thousands of young Americans’.
He has been described as a charismatic leader who was successful in acquiring followers in many countries, including the United States, Europe and India. Srila Prabhupada’s story is bound to put you on a path of self-realization.

 

The Power of Thoughts
The Power of Thoughts || Swami Mukundananda

In The Power of Thoughts, Swami Mukundananda, a world-renowned spiritual teacher from India and an internationally acclaimed mind-management authority, will teach you about watching your thoughts, directing them, dismantling harmful thought structures, creative thinking, meditation and much more. When you focus on revolutionizing your thoughts-the most fundamental aspect of inner personality-you will discover yourself evolving to divine heights to fulfil the purpose of your life.

 

karma
karma || Sadhguru

Through this book Karma, not only does Sadhguru explain what Karma is and how we can use its concepts to enhance our lives, he also tells us about the Sutras, a step-by-step self help & self improvement guide to navigating our way in this challenging world. In the process, we get a deeper, richer understanding of life and the power to craft our destinies.

 

The Art and Science of Happiness
The Art and Science of Happiness || Swami Mukundananda

In The Art and Science of Happiness, internationally acclaimed authority on mind management, renowned saint and bestselling author Swami Mukundananda draws on the ancient wisdom of the scriptures and current scientific research to address these questions. He also explains strategies for happiness in relationships, at work and in the face of adversity. By applying these concepts in your daily life, you can be happy everywhere and at all times.

 

The Art of Focus
The Art of Focus || Gauranga Das

he Art of Focus, the second book in this three-part series, presents forty-five simple stories filled with revelations to enthral readers with learnings from the experiences of the protagonists and the dynamics of the situations that manifested in their lives.
The first book in the series, The Art of Resilience, presented ingredients to the readers to help them develop resilience in challenging situations that manifested at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Art of Focus builds on the first book and inspires the resilient heart to develop a focused mind. This collective presentation will better equip the readers to take charge of their lives and adapt to the new normal effectively.

 

Reading Sri Aurobindo
Reading Sri Aurobindo || Gautam Chikermane, Devdip Ganguli

The relevance of Sri Aurobindo’s message has never been more urgent and compelling, yet, his Complete Works, thirty-six volumes in all, can be a daunting prospect even for those acquainted with his philosophy and practice. Reading Sri Aurobindo introduces each of these volumes through the perspectives of twenty-one contributors. The result is a book packed with insights inviting us to explore Sri Aurobindo’s deep wisdom and vision for resolving the fundamental issues facing individuals, societies, and nations today.

A Teachers’ Day list of books we can never forget

Teachers’ Day is a beloved event for the entire nation. While it creates the space for children to connect with their teachers beyond the formality of a classroom setup and express their gratitude in different ways, it is also a gentle reminder for us to ponder upon the immensity of the degree to which we owe our educators. As we grapple with online learning systems and disproportionately increased screen times in this unfamiliar, pandemic-ridden territory, teachers who have had to adapt their entire modus operandi deserve more than simply our appreciation and understanding. They work tirelessly and thanklessly while shaping our minds and futures. This Teachers’ Day, join us as we celebrate books that have marked our learning indelibly, and that we find ourselves returning to time and again. Here are some memorable books to pick up, especially for those of us who will read to or with our young and budding readers:

*

In Custody ­
Anita Desai
In Custody || Anita Desai

 

Anita Desai’s novel is a documentation not only of the erosion of a language and its cultural coordinates but also of the formation of small intimacies and unexpected relationships in the midst of loss.  This poignant tale takes you along Deven’s journey, a Hindi teacher, as he forms a bond where he learns more about his own language than he ever has in a classroom.

 

 

Code Name God
Mani Bhaumik
Code Name God || Mani Bhaumik

 

Mani Bhaumik’s meditations dismantle the synthetic binary of science and faith, proposing a spiritual completeness that is achieved only when one learns to navigate both belief systems with equal respect. Code Name God is an eye-opening read, following his fame as a pioneer of LASIK surgery and his yearning for a spiritual self-realisation. It comes with the very important lesson that if we succumb to dichotomies, we can never live a fulfilled and conscious life.

 

 

 

Siyasi Muslims: A Story of Political Islam in India
Hilal Ahmed
Siyasi Muslims || Hilal Ahmed

 

In Siyasi Muslims, Hilal Ahmed navigates difficult questions around the Muslim identity through the portraiture of the quotidian realities of Muslims in India. This is a thought-provoking rendering of important issues, and leaves readers with much to learn and think about. In other words, it is a perfect teachers’ day read.

 

 

The Vedas
Roshen Dalal
The Vedas || Roshen Dalal

 

Historian Roshen Dalal brings us an accessible yet exhaustive introduction to the texts at the cornerstone of Hinduism – The Vedas. Founded on diligent research, this is a work that appreciates not only the philosophical and cultural core of the texts but also the poetic tinge that colours its lines.

 

 

In Service of The Republic : The Art and Science of Economic Policy
Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah
In Service of the Republic || Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah

 

Writing from the nexus of political economics and administrative policy, economists and former civil servants Kelkar and Shah shed a unique light on the economic structures and machinations of our country. This work is an immense resource for anyone hoping to understand policy and economics with more clarity. Teachers’ Day marks a wonderful occasion to learn from In Service of the Republic.

 

 

 

The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300 ­
Romila Thapar
The Penguin History of Early India || Romila Thapar

 

Romila Thapar brings us an exhaustive, researched and immensely detailed rewriting of her extremely popular work History of India – Volume One, thirty-four years after it was published for the first time. Once again, Professor Thapar gives us a work that is richer than any classroom, and brings us her brilliant work as a redoubtable educator.

 

 

 

Poor Economics
Esther Duflo and Abhijit V. Banerjee
Poor Economics || Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo

 

Nobel Laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit V. Banerjee bring us a work based on models of economic impact from the very grassroots. Through the Poverty Action Lab, the duo’s use of randomized control trials has changed the landscape of developmental economics. Undoing the binary between theory and praxis, Poor Economics follows not only the money but also its differential impact, and Teachers’ Day is the ideal occasion to read a work which is an endless resource of learning.

 

Makers of Modern India
Ramachandra Guha
Makers of Modern India || Ramachandra Guha

 

Ramachandra Guha, “Indian democracy’s pre-eminent chronicler” according to Time magazine, complies selections from the writings and speeches of nineteen Indians whose ideas range across nationalism, gender, caste, democracy and economics. Spanning the development of Indian modernism, Guha gives us unique insights into unique thinkers, from Rabindranath Tagore to Hamid Dalwai, and takes our learning curve on a steady increase.

 

 

Ignited Minds 
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Ignited Minds || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

 

This teachers’ day, share the spark of endless possibilities with your children. This book will not chart out the path to success or provide readymade formulas; there is no list of hacks or a blueprint for that. Instead, Dr. Kalam dives into various aspects with detailed research and a deep understanding of everything that plagues us as a nation. Narrated with his hallmark humility and profundity, Ignited Minds is a book to return to again and again.

 

 

Shiksha: My Experiments as an Education Minister
Manish Sisodia
Shiksha || Manish Sisodia

 

Shiksha is Manish Sisodia’s detailed articulation of the massive changes he brought to the public education sector in Delhi. As an unyielding believer in the power of education, Sisodia altered the fabric of the education system through his focus on bettering institutions and their capacity to impact lives in myriad positive ways. This Teachers’ Day, discover the immensity of what a sound educational structure can achieve, and share the importance of this discovery with your children as they navigate this structure on a daily basis.

 

 

India Since Independence
Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee
India Since Independence || Bipan Chandra

 

Beginning with the framing of the constitution, formulations of foreign policy and anti-caste politics, this tome covers a panorama of the pedestals on which India was founded after independence and the anti-colonial struggle. A brilliant outline of the formation and growth of the nation, India Since Independence is a literary masterclass in post-independence history.

 

 

India’s Struggle for Independence
Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee
Sucheta Mahajan, K.N. Panikkar
India’s Struggle for Independence || Bipan Chandra

 

Right from the mutiny of 1857, India’s nascent struggle of anti-British revolt, Bipan Chandra charts the long anti-colonial fight through personal interviews and an astonishing breadth of research. History comes alive through his writing in an incredible learning experience.

 

 

 

The Penguin Gandhi Reader
Rudrangshu Mukherjee
The Penguin Gandhi Reader || Rudrangshu Mukherjee

 

The freedom fighter we revere is explored here through careful selections of his own writings. Mukherjee compiles this reader centring it on the core philosophies of Gandhi’s theories and praxes, and Bapu comes alive for us in his own words mediated through the editorial lens of Mukherjee.

 

 

 

Super 30
Anand Kumar
Super 30 || Anand Kumar

 

Anand Kumar set up an innovative school in 2002 that uses creative and unconventional learning methods, changing the lives of underprivileged children by preparing them for the IIT JEE. Stirring and inspiring, Super 30 is a story that turns Kumar’s own tribulations and sacrifices into the furnace where the futures of these children are forged, enabling them to rise above the chains of their circumstances.

 

 

What Can I Give?
Srijan Pal Singh
What Can I Give? || Srijan Pal Singh

 

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s student, Srijan Pal Singh, asks the question that we should think about, irrespective of whether or not it is Teachers’ Day – what can we give back to the teachers who change our lives? Documenting moments from Dr. Kalam’s life and the time Singh spent with him, this is a loving memoir dedicated to one of the brightest minds and most visionary thinkers of the country.

 

 

My Experiments with Truth
M.K. Gandhi
My Experiments with Truth || M.K. Gandhi

 

This autobiography chronicles Gandhi’s odyssey, from his childhood in Porbandar and Rajkot, his school days and marriage, to his journeys to England and South Africa, mapping the movement of a shy young boy to a man who would one day become one of the pioneers of the anti-colonial struggle, and a source of great fear for the British Empire.

 

 

 

IIMA – Day to Day Economics
Satish Y. Deodhar
Day to Day Economics || Satish Y. Deodhar

 

Satish Y. Deodhar, a professor of Economics at IIM Ahmedabad brings us this book to make economics and its intricacies accessible and easily understandable. A great contribution to making academic concepts fun and interesting, Day to day Economics goes a long way in laying out the details of a field that impacts us all at every level.

 

 

Master on Masters
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
Master of Masters || Amjad Ali Khan

 

In this affectionate and warm book, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan unpacks for us the greatest figures in Indian Classical Music. Anecdotal and personal, Khan manages to present artists of mystical stature in a way that is endearing, awe-inspiring and relatable all at once.

 

 

 

 

~ Don’t forget to invite some young readers along for these ones, or to simply (re)connect with your own younger selves! 

 

Coming Round the Mountain
Ruskin Bond
Coming Round the Mountain || Ruskin Bond

 

Like every other work by Ruskin Bond, this one is difficult to put down. Walking his readership through the years of a young Bond eating jalebis, reading, goal-keeping, and growing up, what makes this book subtly complex is its setting – the year 1947, and the impending partition. A joy for both children and adults, this book is even more rewarding when shared with the young readers in your life.

 

 

 

My India ­
A.P.J Abdul Kalam
My India || A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

 

Dr. Kalam’s last book for children is a wave of inspiration and energy, a lesson on resilience and determination that we all could learn from. Drawing excerpts from his speeches, this book collates his ideations on science, compassion and nation-building to name a few, and delivers a figment of his genius to us, expressed with his trademark humility and earnestness. This is a work that both you and your children will enjoy, especially if you read it with them!

 

 

 

Gautama Buddha (Junior Lives)
Sonia Mehta
Gautama Buddha || Sonia Mehta

 

This is the fourth in a series of beautifully illustrated books, aimed at making great people and their stories accessible to our young readers. The gorgeous visuals take us through the unique life of Prince Siddhartha as he becomes the enlightened Buddha. Share this wonderful confluence of art and storytelling with the young readers you love!

5 Priceless Things We Learn from Ruskin Bond’s Books

Ruskin Bond’s stories have never failed to thrill us and leave us feeling warm inside every time we read one. Our growing up years would not have remained the same had it not been for Bond’s beautiful characters and anecdotes that immediately take us back to the best years of our lives.
But through his enchanting stories of childhood, friendship, family, love and nature, we unknowingly learn a few precious things which, perhaps, none of our school books could have ever taught us.
Here are 5 times Ruskin Bond quietly told us something invaluable about life and the world that will stay with us forever.
When he told us why we should aim for excellence and not settle for being a mediocre “anybody”.
Ruskin Bond Blog 04 (1)
When he told us that nature is our best home.
Ruskin Bond Blog 01 (1)
When he showed us that the will to do something is greater than any obstacle.
Ruskin Bond Blog 03 (1)
When he pointed out the perils of disturbing nature.
Ruskin Bond Blog 02 (1)
When he showed us that the beauty of life lies in its changes, like the changing seasons.
Ruskin Bond Blog 05 (1)
Share with us what you have learned from Ruskin Bond’s delightful stories on the occasion of Teachers’ Day!

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