Fundamentally I'd have to say the Bible, Analects of Confucius, and the Dao De Jing (and Zhuangzi).
My parents are deeply Christian so the Bible was a huge part of my childhood even though I'm no longer religious. However, my parents were also born China so how they see the world is greatly colored by the culture they grew up in, much like how white evangelicalism is as much white as evangelical. I didn't realize how strong Confucius was in their subconscious until I read the Analects a few years ago. The Daoist side is less direct but between my reaction against my upbringing (as all kids do) and my study of Tai Chi in my early 30's I naturally vibe with Daoism. That said, I am very much both-and when it comes to Confucianism and Daoism (in their more philosophical forms, not either of their ritual evolutions).
Beyond that I've always hung on to Calvino's Invisible Cities and Borges' Labyrinths as long time favorites from college onward.
Recent new-to-me bangers include the Bhagavad Gita (similar yet distinct advice from the Analects and Daoist texts), Conference of the Birds (dabbling in mysticism), and The Journey to the West (my favorite read of the past few years, a hilarious satire of bureaucracy both governmental and religious while still being a fun superhero romp).
Aspirationally, I'd like to read: Homer and Mahabharata (the older the better), Masnavi (more mysticism!), Don Quixote, Romance of the 3 Kingdoms, and Shakespeare (these guys are acclaimed for a reason right?), and Walden (I've listened to it on tape, but need to savor it with a slow read and see if I'm actually in agreement with Thoreau or if it's merely a vibe thing).
What are some classics that are important to you and why?
Fundamentally I'd have to say the Bible, Analects of Confucius, and the Dao De Jing (and Zhuangzi).
My parents are deeply Christian so the Bible was a huge part of my childhood even though I'm no longer religious. However, my parents were also born China so how they see the world is greatly colored by the culture they grew up in, much like how white evangelicalism is as much white as evangelical. I didn't realize how strong Confucius was in their subconscious until I read the Analects a few years ago. The Daoist side is less direct but between my reaction against my upbringing (as all kids do) and my study of Tai Chi in my early 30's I naturally vibe with Daoism. That said, I am very much both-and when it comes to Confucianism and Daoism (in their more philosophical forms, not either of their ritual evolutions).
Beyond that I've always hung on to Calvino's Invisible Cities and Borges' Labyrinths as long time favorites from college onward.
Recent new-to-me bangers include the Bhagavad Gita (similar yet distinct advice from the Analects and Daoist texts), Conference of the Birds (dabbling in mysticism), and The Journey to the West (my favorite read of the past few years, a hilarious satire of bureaucracy both governmental and religious while still being a fun superhero romp).
Aspirationally, I'd like to read: Homer and Mahabharata (the older the better), Masnavi (more mysticism!), Don Quixote, Romance of the 3 Kingdoms, and Shakespeare (these guys are acclaimed for a reason right?), and Walden (I've listened to it on tape, but need to savor it with a slow read and see if I'm actually in agreement with Thoreau or if it's merely a vibe thing).