Gnosis on the Silk Road: Gnostic Texts from Central Asia

Klimkeit presents an astonishing collection of parables, hymns, narratives, and prayers that unravel a major Christian movement primarily found in the prophet Mani, who merged Gnostic Christianity with the radical religious dualism of Persian religion and Zoroaster. As the movement spread along the Silk Road from Turkey to Asia, it adopted prominent features from Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Asian faiths. The result was a Christian philosophy and practice that was closer to the mystical, meditative religions of the East.

This book is very nice. Although I have not finished reading it, the information that it reveals about the doctrine of an ancient 'religion of mind' that combined Christianity, Judeaism, Islam, Buddhism, Zoarster [or however it is spelled](etc.) is elevating. The book is a collection of Hyms that reveal some answers to the teachings of 'the Living Jesus' as expressed in the Gospel of Thomas and other 'Gnostic' gospels. All in all: if you are interested in knowledge of light or comparative religious studies, then the introduction alone is worth your purchase. Because much of the book is songs, the content is not all information, don't think it is to be read straight through...