Full Books & Manuscripts
A library of primary source texts from the world’s wisdom traditions — complete works converted to markdown for study, annotation, and cross-reference within the vault.
Legend: Full book titles = complete manuscripts. kebab-case = reference/analysis articles.
See also: dialogue-on-the-divine-self — the conversation that maps the connections between these traditions.
Hermeticism
The Greco-Egyptian philosophical theology of hermes-trismegistus. 1st-3rd century CE.
Full Texts
- Corpus Hermeticum - Mead — The seventeen treatises (Mead, 1906)
- The Divine Pymander - Everard 1650 — First English translation (1650)
- Emerald Tablet of Hermes — The Tabula Smaragdina, multiple translations + commentaries
- Virgin of the World - Kingsford — The Kore Kosmou (Kingsford, 1885)
- Thrice-Greatest Hermes Vol I - Mead — Prolegomena
- Thrice-Greatest Hermes Vol II - Mead — Sermons (translations + commentary)
- Thrice-Greatest Hermes Vol III - Mead — Excerpts & Fragments (Stobaeus)
- Collectanea Hermetica - Westcott — Corpus + Chaldean Oracles + Pythagorean Golden Verses
- The Kybalion — Seven Hermetic Principles (1908)
Reference Articles
- corpus-hermeticum — Overview and analysis of the Hermetic treatises
- emerald-tablet — History, translations, and commentary on the Tabula Smaragdina
- divine-pymander — The 1650 Everard translation and its influence
- the-kybalion — The seven principles and the Atkinson question
- thrice-greatest-hermes — Mead’s three-volume scholarly edition
- virgin-of-the-world — The Kore Kosmou and the feminine dimension of Hermeticism
Gnosticism
The diverse “knowledge” traditions of late antiquity. Nag Hammadi and related texts.
Reference Articles
- gospel-of-thomas — 114 sayings of Jesus, the bridge text between traditions
- gospel-of-philip — Valentinian sacramental theology
- gospel-of-truth — Valentinian meditation on the Father’s self-disclosure
- gospel-of-mary — Mary Magdalene’s vision of the soul’s ascent
- secret-book-of-john — Sethian cosmogony, the Demiurge, the fall of Sophia
- song-of-the-pearl — The soul’s descent into matter and return
- thunder-perfect-mind — “I am the first and the last” — divine feminine paradox
- exegesis-on-the-soul — The soul’s fall, prostitution, and redemption
- second-treatise-great-seth — The laughing Christ, docetic crucifixion
- treatise-on-resurrection — Valentinian teaching on spiritual resurrection
Full-text Nag Hammadi manuscripts pending — see /pool/media/books/Gnosticism/ when available.
Christianity (Mystical & Esoteric)
The contemplative and interior tradition — Desert Fathers, Rhineland mystics, apophatic theology, and esoteric readings of scripture.
Full Texts
- Sermons - Eckhart — Meister Eckhart’s mystical sermons (Claud Field, ~1909)
- Cherubinic Pilgrim - Silesius — Angelus Silesius’s mystical epigrams (1657)
- Cloud of Unknowing — Anonymous English mystical manual (~1375)
- Works of Dionysius the Areopagite — Divine Names, Mystical Theology, Celestial Hierarchy (Parker, 1897)
- Theologia Germanica — Anonymous Frankfurt mystic (~1350)
- Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich’s sixteen visions (~1395)
- Imitation of Christ — Thomas à Kempis’s devotional classic (~1418)
Reference Articles
- meister-eckhart-sermons — Gelassenheit, the birth of the Word in the soul
- cherubinic-pilgrim — Silesius’s mystical epigrams and their sources
- cloud-of-unknowing — Apophatic contemplation as practice
- pseudo-dionysius — Apophatic theology and the celestial hierarchy
- theologia-germanica — Self-surrender as the path to union
- revelations-of-divine-love — Julian’s visions: “all shall be well”
Hinduism & Vedanta
The philosophical traditions of India — Upanishads, advaita-vedanta, and the direct path.
Full Texts
- Upanishads Part 1 - Muller — Chandogya, Kena, Aitareya, Kaushitaki, Isa (Max Müller, SBE)
- Bhagavad Gita - Arnold — The Song Celestial (Edwin Arnold, 1885)
- Yoga Sutras - Johnston — Patanjali’s 196 aphorisms on meditation (Charles Johnston, 1912)
- Vedanta Sutras Part 1 - Thibaut — Brahma Sutras with Shankara’s Advaita commentary (George Thibaut, SBE)
Reference Articles
- upanishads — “Tat tvam asi” and the root non-dual teaching
- bhagavad-gita — The three yogas and Krishna’s universal form
- yoga-sutras — Patanjali’s eight-limbed path to samadhi
- vedanta-sutras — Shankara’s systematic Advaita philosophy
Buddhism
The teachings of the Buddha and the Mahayana expansion — emptiness, compassion, and awakening.
Full Texts
- Dhammapada - Muller — 423 verses on the path of dharma (Max Müller, SBE)
- Diamond Sutra - Gemmell — The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion (William Gemmell, 1912)
- Lotus Sutra - Kern — The Sutra of the Lotus of the True Law (H. Kern, SBE)
- A Buddhist Bible - Goddard — Anthology: Diamond, Heart, Lankavatara, Platform Sutra, Surangama (Dwight Goddard, 1932)
Reference Articles
- dhammapada — Mind as forerunner, the path of dharma
- diamond-sutra — Emptiness and the bodhisattva paradox
- lotus-sutra — Buddha-nature, skillful means, and the parables
- buddhist-bible — Goddard’s anthology and the Beat Generation
Neoplatonism
The philosophical tradition of plotinus and his successors — emanation, the One, and the soul’s return.
Full Texts
- The Six Enneads - Plotinus — The complete Enneads (Stephen MacKenna)
- Select Works - Porphyry — On the Cave of the Nymphs, On Abstinence, Auxiliaries (Thomas Taylor, 1823)
- On the Mysteries - Iamblichus — De Mysteriis: theurgy and divine union (Thomas Taylor)
- Timaeus - Plato — Cosmological dialogue: the Demiurge and the World Soul (Jowett)
- Symposium - Plato — Diotima’s ladder: love as ascent to the Beautiful (Jowett)
Reference Articles
- enneads — Plotinus’s three hypostases and the soul’s return
- porphyry-select-works — The Cave of the Nymphs and philosophical vegetarianism
- de-mysteriis — Iamblichus’s defense of theurgy
- timaeus — The Demiurge, World Soul, and cosmic creation
- symposium — Diotima’s Ladder of Love
Alchemy
The art of transmutation — the outer work on metals as mirror of the inner work on the soul.
Full Texts
- The Hermetic Museum - Waite — 22 alchemical tracts (A.E. Waite, 1893)
- Turba Philosophorum - Waite — The Assembly of the Sages (A.E. Waite)
- Hermetic and Alchemical Essays — Anthology: Emerald Tablet, Golden Chain, Aurora, and more
- Collectanea Chemica - Waite — Practical alchemical tracts (A.E. Waite, 1893)
- The Hermetic Arcanum — Jean d’Espagnet on the philosopher’s stone (1623)
- Alchemical Catechism — Q&A guide to alchemical philosophy
- Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery - Atwood — Alchemy as spiritual psychology (1850)
- Treatise on the Great Art - Pernety — The alchemical process step by step (1758)
- Alchemy Rediscovered and Restored - Cockren — Modern practitioner’s account (1940)
- Lives of Alchemystical Philosophers - Waite — Biographies: Geber to Paracelsus (1888)
Reference Articles
- hermetic-museum — Waite’s comprehensive 22-tract anthology
- turba-philosophorum — The oldest alchemical text in the Latin West
- hermetic-alchemical-essays — Essential alchemical texts in one volume
- collectanea-chemica — Practical tracts on the philosopher’s stone
- hermetic-arcanum — D’Espagnet’s clear exposition of the Great Work
- alchemical-catechism — Beginner-friendly Q&A on alchemical principles
- suggestive-inquiry — Alchemy as spiritual psychology (anticipating Jung)
- treatise-on-great-art — Step-by-step alchemical process
- alchemy-rediscovered — Modern practitioner’s account
- alchemystical-philosophers — Biographical sketches of the great alchemists
Zoroastrianism
The cosmic battle between Truth and the Lie — one of the world’s oldest religions. Direct ancestor of Gnostic dualism.
Full Texts
- Zend-Avesta - Darmesteter (SBE) — The complete Avesta: Yasna, Vendidad, Yashts (Darmesteter & Mills, SBE)
- Teachings of Zoroaster - Kapadia — Concise introduction to Zoroastrian philosophy (Wisdom of the East, 1905)
Reference Articles
- zend-avesta — The sacred scriptures: Ahura Mazda, the Gathas, cosmic dualism
- teachings-of-zoroaster — Good thoughts, good words, good deeds
Sumerian & Mesopotamian
The oldest written literature on Earth — the civilizations that invented writing, cities, and organized religion.
Full Texts
- Epic of Gilgamesh - Thompson — The oldest surviving epic (~2100 BCE, R.C. Thompson)
- Babylonian Legends of Creation - Budge — The Enuma Elish: Marduk, Tiamat, and cosmic creation (Budge)
- Sumerian Hymns - Vanderburgh — Hymns from cuneiform tablets (~3000-2000 BCE)
Reference Articles
- epic-of-gilgamesh — Mortality, friendship, and the flood narrative
- enuma-elish — The creation myth that shaped Genesis and the Demiurge concept
- sumerian-hymns — The oldest devotional poetry ever recovered
Egyptian
The wisdom tradition of the Nile — Thoth, Ma’at, and the afterlife journey. The direct ancestor of hermeticism.
Full Texts
- Book of the Dead - Budge — The Book of Coming Forth by Day (~1550 BCE, Budge)
- Egyptian Magic - Budge — Divine names, amulets, and words of power (Budge)
- Legends of the Gods - Budge — Ra, Isis, Osiris: the mythological substrate (Budge)
- Wisdom of the Egyptians - Brown — Book of the Dead, Hermes, Egyptian magic (Brown)
Reference Articles
- book-of-the-dead — The soul’s journey through the Duat and the weighing of the heart
- egyptian-magic — Heka: magic as divine technology
- legends-of-the-gods — The myths beneath Hermeticism
- wisdom-of-egyptians — Bridging Egyptian religion and the Hermetic tradition
Ancient Philosophy
Pre-Socratics, Pythagoreans, and Stoics — the Greek philosophical lineage that fed into neoplatonism and hermeticism.
Full Texts
- Golden Verses of Pythagoras — Moral precepts with Fabre d’Olivet’s commentary (~5th century BCE)
- Meditations - Marcus Aurelius — The Stoic emperor’s private journal (~170-180 CE)
- Discourses - Epictetus — Lectures of the former slave turned philosopher (Matheson, 1916)
- Enchiridion - Epictetus — The pocket handbook of Stoic practice (George Long)
Reference Articles
- golden-verses-of-pythagoras — Self-examination, temperance, and the pursuit of divine knowledge
- meditations — Impermanence, duty, and the inner citadel
- discourses-of-epictetus — The dichotomy of control and interior freedom
Taoism
The Way that cannot be named — wu-wei, the Tao, and the dissolution of all opposites.
Full Texts
- Tao Te Ching - Medhurst — Lao Tzu’s 81 chapters (Medhurst, with comparative religion notes)
- Texts of Taoism Part 1 - Legge — Tao Te Ching + Chuang Tzu Inner Chapters (Legge, SBE)
- Texts of Taoism Part 2 - Legge — Chuang Tzu Outer Chapters (Legge, SBE)
- Musings of a Chinese Mystic - Giles — Curated Chuang Tzu selections (Giles, 1906)
Reference Articles
- tao-te-ching — “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao”
- chuang-tzu — The butterfly dream, the useless tree, and radical non-duality
Jungian Psychology
The depth psychology of carl-jung — the modern inheritor of the alchemical and Gnostic traditions.
Most of Jung’s major works remain under copyright (died 1961). Full texts pending public domain availability.
This library is a living project. Full-text manuscripts are added as they are sourced in the public domain and converted to markdown. Epub/pdf originals are stored in /pool/media/books/ and synced via Syncthing. All full texts are also available in Kavita at http://onyx:5000.