A small, growing reading library. Every text comes with its edition, translation, and the scope of the passage available here.
Early Buddhism · Pāli tradition
Short verses on conduct, attention, hatred and liberation. Read the opening chapter as a sequence of paired contrasts, rather than as a collection of isolated slogans.
Complete chapter 1: The Twin-Verses, verses 1–20. This is one chapter, not the whole Dhammapada.
Open reading →Hindu traditions · Upanishads
A Sanskrit teaching text that explores the self, reality and knowledge through conversations and images. Here a father addresses his son Śvetaketu; later Hindu traditions interpret the teaching in different ways.
Selected speech from 6.8.7 only. The surrounding dialogue and the remainder of chapter 6 are not reproduced.
Open reading →Early Buddhism · Saṁyutta Nikāya
A discourse that tests form, feeling, perception, choices and consciousness against the idea of a controllable, lasting self. Its movement is towards non-identification and release.
Two selected passages from SN 22.59; not the complete discourse.
Open reading →Christianity · New Testament
A Christian letter linking love for God, love for one another, confession of Jesus Christ, and confidence before judgment. The often-quoted sentence about fear belongs to this letter, rather than to a Gospel speech of Jesus.
Complete chapter 4, verses 1–21, in the World English Bible. This is one chapter, not the complete letter or Bible.
Open reading →Greek and Roman philosophy · Stoicism
A compact handbook of Stoic teaching associated with Epictetus and transmitted by Arrian. Section V asks readers to examine the judgments through which events become frightening or disturbing.
Complete section V (5) of the Encheiridion. The remainder of the handbook and the selected Discourses are not reproduced.
Open reading →Ancient Judaism · Apocalyptic literature
A collection of visions, judgments and journeys attributed to Enoch. Its world of angels and cosmic justice offers a different setting from the Buddhist, Upanishadic and Stoic passages in this small collection.
Selected opening lines of 1 Enoch 1.8 only. This is not a complete chapter or book.
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Saved readings stay in this browser. The library contains selected readings, rather than the entire research archive.