Just in time for the Holidays, Books to Light—US has launched its complete on-line catalogue of English-language texts by German Luminary Bô Yin Râ (Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken, 1876-1843). These are books that have been available in German for over a century, but are now being translated in multiple languages worldwide.

English-language editions were first offered by Kober Press. Now, among other offerings, Books to Light—US is making available the complete 32-volume edition of Bô Yin Râ’s spiritual guidance, entitled Hortus Conclusus (The Enclosed Garden), in a new translation both in separate volumes and, for the first time, as a single bound edition.

Separate editions of individual volumes both in English and German are likewise available, all from Books to Light—US. The availability of the German text will help readers who wish to do so to implement Bô Yin Râ’s strong recommendation that his books be read in his native tongue.

As readers of Three Sages are aware, for almost a year we have been the only US website to publish selections of Bô Yin Râ’s spiritual writings, along with background and commentary. See recent articles on Bó Yin Râ on Three Sages HERE, HERE, and HERE. Also see our Archive for postings of specific books and chapters HERE, using the “Find” function on your browser to locate specific postings by Bô Yin Râ. This is critically important material containing spiritual guidance for our complex times. This material has also been generously cross-posted by Global Research on globalresearch.ca.

We also wish to point out that despite claims by some people that nothing is to be gained merely by reading spiritual books, the writings of Bo Yin Ra themselves convey spiritual substance, particularly if the guidance is taken to heart and put into practice. New worlds of the spirit may then open within, not as discursive thought, but as individual experience.

Titles of the 32 volumes of Hortus Conclusus are as follows:

• The Book Of The Royal Art

• The Book on The Living God

• The Book on the Beyond

• The Book On Man

• The Book On Happiness

• The Path To God

• The Book Of Love

• The Book Of Comfort

• The Book of Dialogues

• The Secret

• The Wisdom Of John

• Showing The Way

• Spectre of Freedom

• Path of my Pupils

• The Mystery of Golgotha

• Cult-Magic and Myth

• The Meaning Of Life

• More Light

• The High Goal

• Resurrection

• Worlds

• Psalms

• Marriage

• On Prayer

• Spirit and form

• Scintillae Mantra Practice

• Words of Life

• Above the Everyday

• Eternal Reality

• Life in the Light

• Letters to one and many

• Hortus conclusus

For an overall description of the teachings, we suggest you start with this page from the website entitled Why This Website.

Each of these books is available as a PDF download in either a standalone English translation or as a German-English side-by-side edition on Payhip HERE. At a later date, this link will be incorporated into the Books to Light—US website.

A special feature of the Books to Light—US website is a series of texts by Dr. Taco van der Plaats, the founder of Luminium Books, who was the initiator of the complete translation of Hortus Conclusus. A description of these texts, along with ordering information may be found, along with other titles, on the new Books to Light—US webshop HERE.

The highlight of the webshop is the book: "Hortus Conclusus <The Enclosed Garden>, Comprising All Thirty-Two Books Of The Complete Spiritual Teaching’by Bô Yin Râ.”

The book is printed on so-called “biblical paper” and indeed resembles a Bible. Thus some call it the “Bible edition’, while in fact – in the chronology of English editions - it is the 2021 edition of the English text.

Note: This 1196-page illustrated edition of “collector quality” is the ONLY single-volume edition of Hortus Conclusus in existence, and at $125, plus shipping, is a bargain compared to purchase of individual volumes. This is an ideal edition for use as a “bedside book” or as a priceless Holiday gift.

1. First Edition: 2013-2014, translation by Posthumus Projects Amsterdam (aka Luminium Books), then obtained by Books to Light Netherlands, then Books to Light—US.

2. 2021 Edition: based on the further edited translation completed by Posthumus Projects (First Edition of 2013-14) copyrighted by Dr. Taco van Der Plaats, with the copyright then obtained by Books to Light—US. Edits are in the area of the accuracy of translation but significant enough to warrant a separate copyright. All 32 books of the Hortus Conclusus have been included in this edition. All are available as ebooks as well as compiled into the single so-called ‘Bible edition’ referenced above, available as a hardcover.

3. Second Edition: (2022-current), based on the First Edition (Second Edition publications completed until year 2024) as well as on the 2021 Edition (Second Edition publications completed from year 2025). Edits to the text have been made by a multinational team associated with Books to Light—US mainly in the area of correctness of translation and technical accuracy of both the English and German text, with emphases added (in bold (until 2024) or italics (from 2025). The English text is now gender neutral with added explanatory footnotes and a complete index of works. This edition is bilingual (German-English) to allow for comparative reading. Currently, eleven books of Hortus Conclusus are available in this edition as ebooks as well as hardcover.

4. Future Editions: books by Bô Yin Râ which are outside the main body of work of Hortus Conclusus are also being translated by Books to Light—US. The first such book is Kodizill zu meinem geistigen Lehrwerk (Codicill) to be published as a hardcover and ebook in early 2026. Also planned is a biography of Bô Yin Râ by German writer Rudolf Schott. Another potential project is an English translation of the Almanac for Magische Blätter, a major German project on the teachings of Bô Yin Râ that also features material posted from the Three Sages articles mentioned above.

The eleven titles of the Second Edition which are now available are as follows:

Scintillae Mantra Practice_Funken Mantra-Praxis

Words of Life_Worte des Lebens

The Book of Comfort_Das Buch des Trostes

Spirit and form_Geist und Form

Cult-Magic and Myth _ Kultmagie und Mythos

Psalms _ Psalmen

The Path To God_Der Weg zu Gott

High Goal_Das Hohe Ziel

Life in the Light_Leben im Licht

Eternal Reality_Ewige Wirklichkeit

Above the Everyday_Ueber dem Alltag

These Second Edition books contain both the German and English texts, with the English texts edited to reflect Bô Yin Râ’s unique formats of punctuation and emphasis not available in earlier editions. The entire body of Second Edition Books to Light—US volumes, both ebook and hardcover are available as referenced above with other titles HERE.

The editors at Books to Light—US are available for any and all communications about the teachings of Bô Yin Râ, activities in the US and other countries, and the books which they produce and market. At the same time, Bô Yin Râ strongly urged against any attempt to utilize his teachings to form any new congregations, movements, or religious sects, so nothing Books to Light—US engages in should be taken as an attempt to promote such activities. Still, readers of Bô Yin Râ’s books may wish to work together in an informal way as circumstances allow or simply to follow the teachings on their own as they see fit. An email address and a form for questions and comments to Books to Light—US may be found HERE.

Questions or comments to Three Sages may be entered below.