By Eknath Easwaran

The media drown us in such a low image of the human being that it is essential to remind ourselves constantly of something higher. We can balance our outlook with spiritual reading: something positive, practical, and inspiring, which reminds us that the spark of divinity is in all of us and can be released in our own lives by meditation, prayer, and daily spiritual practice.

For this reason, I recommend half an hour or so each day for reading from the scriptures and the writings of the great mystics of all religions. Just before bedtime, after evening meditation, is a particularly good time for this kind of reading, because the thoughts we fall asleep in will be with us throughout the night.

The spiritual life is so challenging that it can be likened to an ascent up a lofty and noble mountain. We start from the plains – we might even say Death Valley – and slowly, very slowly, work our way up. There are joyous recompenses, of course: knowing that at long last we are moving towards the summit, glancing back and seeing how far we have come, feeling ever stronger and more vibrantly alive. But there are difficulties too, and they do not disappear as we climb higher. Gorges fall away on all sides, massive rocks stand in our pathway and must be surmounted, swirling mists and storms impair our vision. Cold and lonely seems the way at times, and we doubt we will ever reach the top.

At such moments we can draw welcome consolation from the writings of the mystics who have themselves gone up the mountain. Whenever our confidence ebbs – for most of us as frequently as the ebbing of the sea – we can turn to the words of these men and women of God and renew our hearts, draw fresh breath, and bring back into sight our supreme goal. Their trials put our obstacles into perspective, and their triumphs give us courage. We see just what we can be as human beings: our capacity to choose, to change, to endure, to know, to love, to radiate spiritual glory. Personally, I never tire of reading these precious documents. How blessed it is to be in the holy presence of a St. Teresa or a Sri Ramakrishna!

For a full discussion of spiritual reading, read this chapter from Easwaran’s book Passage Meditation.