Inspirations from Ancient Wisdom: At the Feet of the Master, Light on the Path, the Voice of the Silence

When he was a boy, Krishnamurti, writing as Alcyone, set down the simple precepts for right living published as At the Feet of the Master. This lucid guide to the spiritual life has inspired millions around the world. Mabel Collins, a nineteenth-century British writer, collected forty-two aphorisms for right living which are as current for today's seekers as they were when they were first published as Light on the Path. H. P. Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, set down her own guide to the spiritual life in the mystic and poetic masterpiece The Voice of the Silence. Collected for the first time in a single volume, these three contemporary spiritual classics can set anyone on the path to spiritual wisdom.

Elliott O'Donnell was an Irish author known primarily for his books about ghosts. He claimed decent from Irish chieftains of ancient times, including Niall of the Nine Hostages (the King Arthur of Irish folklore) and Red Hugh, who fought the English in the sixteenth century. O'Donnell was educated at Clifton College, England, and Queen's Service Academy, Dublin, Ireland. As he became known as an authority on the supernatural, he was called upon as a ghost hunter. He also lectured and broadcast, via radio and television, on the paranormal in Britain and the United States. In addition to his more than 50 books, he wrote scores of articles and stories for national newspapers and magazines. O'Donnell claimed, "I have investigated, sometimes alone, and sometimes with other people and the press, many cases of reputed hauntings. I believe in ghosts but am not a spiritualist."

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was born on August 12, 1831, at Dnepropetrovsk (Ekaterinoslav), Ukraine, daughter of Colonel Peter Alexeyevich von Hahn and novelist Helena Andreyevna (née de Fadeyev). In 1849 she married N. V. Blavatsky, and shortly thereafter began more than 20 years of extensive travel, which brought her into contact with mystic traditions the world over. She was the principal founder of the Theosophical Society in New York City in 1875, and devoted her extraordinary literary talents to its humanitarian and educational purposes until her death in London, England, on May 8, 1891. Along with writing her several books, H. P. Blavatsky kept up a voluminous correspondence and also contributed a steady stream of essays and articles to periodicals in English, French, and Russian.