Great Book: "The Empty Mirror: Experiences in a Japanese Zen Monastery" by Janwillem van de Wetering, a Detective Fiction Writer of "Outsider in Amsterdam"

https://www.amazon.com/Empty-Mirror-Experiences-Japanese-Monastery/dp/0312207743/

Seen by many as a contemporary classic, Janwillem van de Wetering's small and admirable memoir records the experiences of a young Dutch student―later a widely celebrated mystery writer―who spent a year and a half as a novice monk in a Japanese Zen Buddhist monastery. 

It is the first book in a trilogy that continues with A Glimpse of Nothingness and Afterzen.

https://www.amazon.com/Outsider-Amsterdam-Cops-Janwillem-Wetering/dp/1616953004/

On a quiet street in downtown Amsterdam, a man is found hanging from the ceiling beam of his bedroom, upstairs from the new religious society he founded: a group that calls itself “Hindist” and supposedly mixes elements of various Eastern traditions. Detective-Adjutant Gripstra and Sergeant de Gier of the Amsterdam police are sent to investigate what looks like a simple suicide, but they are immediately suspicious of the circumstances.

This now-classic novel, first published in 1975, introduces Janwillem van de Wetering’s lovable Amsterdam cop duo of portly, wise Gripstra and handsome, contemplative de Gier. With its unvarnished depiction of the legacy of Dutch colonialism and the darker facets of Amsterdam’s free drug culture, this excellent procedural asks the question of whether a murder may ever be justly committed.

Great Books: "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse (History of The Buddha)... and... "The Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield

https://www.amazon.com/Siddhartha-Novel-Hermann-Hesse/dp/0553208845/

It is the story of the quest of Siddhartha, a wealthy Indian Brahmin who casts off a life of privilege and comfort to seek spiritual fulfillment and wisdom. On his journey, Siddhartha encounters wandering ascetics, Buddhist monks, and successful merchants, as well as a courtesan named Kamala and a simple ferryman who has attained enlightenment. Traveling among these people and experiencing life’s vital passages–love, work, friendship, and fatherhood–Siddhartha discovers that true knowledge is guided from within.

https://www.amazon.com/Celestine-Prophecy-Adventure-James-Redfield/dp/0446671002/ 

Pay Attention to Odd Coincidences... it's the Universe Trying to Send you a Message... 

In the rain forests of Peru, an ancient manuscript has been discovered. Within its pages are 9 key insights into life itself -- insights each human being is predicted to grasp sequentially; one insight, then another, as we move toward a completely spiritual culture on Earth. Drawing on ancient wisdom, it tells you how to make connections among the events happening in your life right now and lets you see what is going to happen to you in the years to come. The story it tells is a gripping one of adventure and discovery, but it is also a guidebook that has the power to crystallize your perceptions of why you are where you are in life and to direct your steps with a new energy and optimism as you head into tomorrow.