God Makes the Rivers To Flow: Sacred Literature of the World

by Eknath Easwaran (Compiler)

Now available as a revised 3rd edition, direct from Amazon. Chosen for their universal spiritual appeal, literary merit, and recognized wisdom, these selections are perfect subjects for meditation and daily inspirational reading. Drawing from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Native American sacred literature, this expanded third edition serves as a useful reference and guide to world mysticism. Included are Easwaran's criteria for choosing personally transformative passages, tips on memorization, and suggestions for further reading.

Genres: Spirituality, Poetry, Religion, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Mysticism, Meditation

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Eknath Easwaran (1910–1999) is the originator of passage meditation and the author of more than 30 books on spiritual living.

Easwaran is a recognized authority on the Indian spiritual classics. His translations of The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and The Dhammapada are the best-selling editions in the USA, and over 1.5 million copies of his books are in print.

Easwaran was a professor of English literature and well known in India as a writer and speaker before coming to the United States in 1959 on the Fulbright exchange program. In 1961, he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, based in Tomales, California, which continues his work today through publications and retreats.

His 1968 class on the theory and practice of meditation at UC Berkeley is believed to be the first accredited course on meditation at any Western university. For those who seek him as a personal spiritual guide, Easwaran assured us that he lives on through his eight-point program of passage meditation.

"I am with you always”, he said. “It does not require my physical presence; it requires your open heart."

Please visit bmcm.org for a fuller biography.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A source you can constantly refer to for meditative passages

[Lon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A yearning to be subsumed, immersed, in the Divine permeates this anthology of devotional passages. I was delighted to find old friends, like Rumi and St. Francis of Assisi included, but even more happy to discover so many new voices. I hadn't really understood how universally the mystical approach arises, with familiar echoes sounding in every spiritual tradition and age.

(How lamentable that such a potent spirituality has tended to be subjugated--or at least illegitimized--by more priestly, ritual-dependent, institutional forms. Of course, they need not be mutually exclusive; I find symbol, ritual, and form quite meaningful in my own spiritual practice--but only as spiritual launching points, not ends in themselves.)

These passages suggest that an unmediated, direct relationship with the Divine is our birthright, a state of union reached only as we are willing to shed the illusory straitjacket of selfhood which constricts and obscures our wider identity.

This "Perennial Philosophy" expresses my own deepest longings, and I find, viewed broadly, it resonates equally well within a naturalistic framework, stripped of the supernatural, in which life itself, the ecology of existence, is defined by our inherent and inseparable connectedness.

These passages have been part of my daily personal devotional study since Christmas, and I plan on going right back to page one and starting over!

[Belove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It always brought me back on the ground. Thank you Mr. Easwaran. This is a perfect collection!

[Mark Robison · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Not so much a book to be read — although I read it straight through — this is a reference book. It's intended to help followers of the author's style of meditation — called passage meditation — find sacred passages to memorize that speak to them, regardless of faith.

His idea is that meditation is for everyone of all faiths and non-faiths, and that the purpose of meditation is to realize we're all one. He focuses on mystics and poets who believed they connected directly with the Divine. So if you're Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, indigenous, etc., pick something to memorize and recite it over and over — not thinking about it, just reciting — for 30 minutes every morning. The passage must be positive, and you should recite it as is, even if you don't agree with every point or word choice. You are what you think and you become what you meditate on.

The book could be a slog if you're just trying to read it — a fair number of passages went over my head or turned me off. But if you're trying to find spiritual people who speak to you, it might be of value. One purpose is to show the vast overlap in the world's religions, and you certainly get that, even if many of the people were outsiders who might've been killed as heretics if some leaders had had their way.

So here are the people/books whose words I highlighted/bookmarked to come back to:

* Isha Upanishad
* Lao Tzu
* Swami Ramdas (not to be confused with Ram Dass)
* The Shvetashvatara Upanishad
* Swami Paramananda
* Saint Anselm
* The Kena Upanishad
* Seng Ts'an (aka the Third Chinese Patriarch in Zen Buddhism)
* Dov Baer of Mezhirech
* Sri Ramakrishna
* Tejobindu Upanishad
* Baba Kuhi of Shiraz
* The Amritabindu Upanishad
* The Dhammapada
* Hazrat Inayat Khan
* The Sutta Nipata (Buddha)
* Matthew
* St. Francis of Assisi
* Thomas A Kempis
* Swami Omkar
* Saint Paul
* Swami Sivananda
* Isaiah
* Narsinha Mehta
* Saint Patrick
* The Ortha Nan Gaidheal (Celtic)
* Saint Teresa of Avila
* Hasan Kaimi Baba
* Kabir
* Chief Yellow Lark
* The Bhagavad Gita
* Mahatma Gandhi
* Saint Augustine
* Yoga Vasishtha

This is just touching the book's surface. These are just the ones I highlighted for my own use.

The book also contains one-page descriptions/biographies of the people and passages with sources cited of where the translations came from. Eknath Easwaran translated many of the Indian-based sources himself.

And I'm appreciative of learning about the female poet Rabi'a who lived from 717 to 808 in what is now southern Iraq. I can't wait to read more of her.

Easwaran, Eknath. God Makes the Rivers to Flow: An Anthology of the World's Sacred Poetry and Prose (Essential Easwaran Library Book 4) (p. 41). (Function). Kindle Edition.

[Shreyas Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing introduction to Vinshu and the spiritual principles behind the 1,000 names. Eknath also does a great job of connecting Hindu principles to the context of other religions. I finished this book and immediately moved on to his translation of the U[anishads, which I also thoroughly enjoy and would recommend.

[Marc Mannheimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice selection of spiritual lit from various traditions. The translations are all nicely done, most of them, by the author, well-worded and easy on the eye.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A study of various sacred scriptures, and Easwaran's take on them.

[J. Robin Whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing collection of scriptures and poetry of religious experience worldwide. This lifts my spirit and is renewing my meditation. I will keep rereading this fone for the years to come.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use several of these in my passage meditation. Great selection

[Tim Gannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains some of the best writings of Christian, Hindu, Sufi, Jewish, Native American (only two unfortunately), Buddhist and Taoist traditions. Can be used for inspiration or deep meditation to become a better person. Apparently he has another book about his type of meditation that these readings are ideally suited for.

These are the kinds of passages that you can read and think about again and again, and still draw deeper meanings and potent inspiration from. Of course, to be meaningful, these insights must then be applied in your daily life. He suggests meditating on the readings 30 minutes daily for greatest efficacy in your spiritual enlightenment.

[Tako · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a one-of-a-kind book with mystical passages from various faith traditions hand picked by a contemporary mystic. It's in incredible resource for meditators who are not wedded to a particular religious tradition, or even meditators who are, but appreciate inspiration from other sources.

I have several copies of this book because I loan it out regularly, yet always want one on hand.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great compilation of spiritual writings from all different religions and spiritual paths. Each one is meant to be used in daily meditation. Some of them resonated with me more than others, but overall I love having these all collected in one book. I will definitely be using this book in my study and meditation.

[Jennifer]

This is a collection of sacred passages suitable for meditation. So far I really appreciate the Passage called "Silence" Which starts;

I weave a silence onto my lips,
I weave a silence into my mind,
I weave a silence within my heart...

I find that simply beautiful

[Briege · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has many beautiful prayers from all around the world, I have memorized some and I love this book, it is a real treasure.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nearly essential companion for anyone following Easwaran's 8 point program.

[Leanne Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that the selections come from all different faiths across the world. Different passages speak to you at different times in your life, so this is a great book to reread from time to time.

[Dveith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for meditation readings!

[Cherone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, poetic, introspective and cerebral selection of scripture and poems to awaken the soul.

[Prasad Psd]

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