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In your opinion, Who is your favourite Buddhist teacher or author? And do you have a fav Book?

buddhacoebuddhacoe
edited June 2011 in Buddhism Basics
I think at the moment my favourite is ''Thich Nhat Hanh''
Ive read:
Present moment wonderful moment and currently reading Heart of Buddhas teachings.
His work is fantastic. X
Have you got any favourites?

Comments

  • cazcaz Veteran United Kingdom Veteran
    Everyone says its their own teacher and Im no different :)
    Geshe kelsangs works are highly acclaimed have always been very helpful for me Im also a big fan of his teachers works and Such texts as Liberation in the palm of your hand and texts by pandits such as Panchen Sonam Dragpa, Je Tsongkhapa some works of the previous Dalai and Panchen Lamas, There are honestly so many high quality works available it truly does make you recognise how fortunate we are to live in such a time. :)
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited June 2011
    It's hard for me to pick a favourite teacher. I'm partial to many in the Thai Forest tradition, especially Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Amaro, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Two of my favourite authors are Thanissaro Bhikkhu and Richard Gombrich. And as far as books are concerned, I'm quite partial to Ajahn Chah's Food for the Heart, as well anything written by the two authors mentioned above.
  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    I vote with caz -- my teacher is/was my favorite teacher. Kyudo Nakagawa Roshi never wrote a book and if he had, I'm not sure it would be my favorite.

    At the moment, I am trying to unload the 'spiritual' books accumulated through the years. No takers yet. I just don't read them much any more and they collect a lot of dust. When I did read them, my favorites seemed to be the ones that inspired me to action at the time -- usually by kicking my butt. Towards the end, I guess I favored "Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui." He was short, direct, addressed layman and monk without distinction, and never lowered the standard.
  • MamaLotusMamaLotus
    I read a few books from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso that I liked very much, because they helped me understand a lot of things better.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    Aside from my teacher Shenpen Hookham, whose book on death and dying is very great, I like Trungpa Rinpoche and Pema Chodron.
  • DhammaDhatuDhammaDhatu Veteran
    edited June 2011
    in terms of explaining Buddhist principles, the most pure/accurate is Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    My favorite teacher is Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. My favorite book? Or Author? I couldn't say really... I guess the same, I prefer reading him actually because his English accent is too much a mix of Tibetan and Italian, English is his 3rd language, maybe even 4th or 5th. It's really weird hearing him talk in English, hard to follow for me. When I read his writing though or the transcripts of his talks... I get it! I really like it too...

    Kind of like the Dalai Lama... can't really hear his talks, but I can read his translated from Tibetan into English works. Freakin' genius!

    Oh, I like Garchen Rinpoche too... he's AMAZING!! I mean as a person, a teacher. I have never read his teachings.
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    Favourite Teacher: Buddha
    Favourite Book: my heart

    :)
  • DhammaDhatuDhammaDhatu Veteran
    edited June 2011
    Favourite Teacher: Buddha
    Even when we misinterpret, misunderstand & misrepresent their words?

    :scratch:
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited June 2011
    Could you be specific provided it is relevant to this thread Dhamma Dhatu?
  • DhammaDhatuDhammaDhatu Veteran
    edited June 2011
    Ajahn Brahmavaso =/= Buddha :)
  • Mr_SerenityMr_Serenity Veteran
    Thats a nice quote Dhamma Dhatu whether you were serious or not lol.
    Ajahn Brahm is my favorite teacher. I always prefer his word over any other Buddhist teacher. He never came across as too dogmatic for me. I think he teaches Buddhism the way it was meant to be taught, compassionate, but also in a rebellious type tone where you should test the material and seek your own truth.
  • santhisouksanthisouk Veteran
    "I can speak, anyone can speak, but it's necessary to have the skillful means to know what is appropriate. Then saying even one word can be of benefit. Otherwise, you can cause trouble with your words."

    Ajahn Chah
  • NirvanaNirvana aka BUBBA   `     `   South Carolina, USA Veteran
    "I can speak, anyone can speak, but it's necessary to have the skillful means to know what is appropriate. Then saying even one word can be of benefit. Otherwise, you can cause trouble with your words."

    Ajahn Chah
    Nice Thought. Definitely kept me from lampooning the silly title of this thread...

    My favorite Buddhist work is the Zenrin Kushu and my favorite Buddhist writer is Thich Nhat Hanh. But that is not a matter of opinion, but one of taste.

  • buddhacoebuddhacoe


    Definitely kept me from lampooning the silly title of this thread...

    whats your problem?

  • Fran45Fran45
    I cannot remember who said it, but the best Buddhist teacher is our enemy. Not that we always like learning!

    I like teachers from within the Thai forest tradition. Currently digesting The Buddha's Ancient Path by Piyadassi Thera and The Buddha and His Teachings by Narada.
  • PadumPadum
    edited June 2011
    I will shine away from naming favorite teachers or authors. But I will name couple books that I can recall right now enjoying reading. 'Mind beyond death', by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche; 'From the heart of Tibet',by Elmar Gruber; 'Who ordered this truckload of dung?', by Ajahn Brahm.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    I want to read Ajahn Brahm now. I will have to check him out! I am surprised he hasn't caught on with Barnes and Noble section.
  • buddhacoebuddhacoe
    Good shouts everyone. thanks.
  • santhisouksanthisouk Veteran
    @Jeffrey Barnes and Noble does carry this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Who-Ordered-This-Truckload-Dung/dp/0861712781
  • jlljll Veteran
    Ajahn Brahm is great.
    So is Ayya Khema.

  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    Ajahn Chah and ''the book of enlightening'' by the dalai lama
  • BlackmothBlackmoth
    Ajahn Brahm is my favorite eventho he's not realy my personal teacher. he's the nearest thing i have to a teacher. And my favorite book is The Art of Happiness by Howard C. Culture .
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited June 2011
    Hi DD,
    Favourite Teacher: Buddha
    Even when we misinterpret, misunderstand & misrepresent their words?

    :scratch:
    Yeah, you're right. This is something we should be careful about.
    Ajahn Brahmavaso =/= Buddha :)
    Instead of "grinding the axe" why not "bury the hatchet" and "cover it over with grass"?

    Metta,

    Guy
  • DhammaDhatuDhammaDhatu Veteran
    edited June 2011
    Yeah, you're right.
    Glad to be of service. :)

    A Honed and Heavy Axe: Samatha and Vipassanâ in Harmony
    Let's take another look at the ax used for cutting wood. For the ax to bite into the wood, it must have two qualities: sharpness and weight. It can't be light, but must have sufficient weight. Sharpness alone, as with a razor blade, can't do the work. Nor would a heavy but dull ax work; a hammer is useless for chopping wood. For an ax, or any cutting tool, to perform properly it must have both weight and sharpness.

    Samadhi is the weight that provides the power to chop and panna is the sharpness that cuts into the wood. Both qualities are needed. This example of an ax and its function is merely physical, yet both concentration and wisdom are required.

  • Lazy_eyeLazy_eye Veteran
    edited June 2011
    I second buddhacoe's vote for "Heart of the Buddha's Teaching." I also like Thich Nhat Hanh's commentaries on the Diamond and Heart sutras ("The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion", "The Heart of Understanding") and he has done an excellent overview of the Lotus Sutra ("Opening the Heart of the Cosmos") from an Engaged Buddhism perspective.

    Another great one, especially for anyone with an interest in Pure Land and/or Japanese Buddhism: Taitetso Unno's "River of Fire, River of Water".
  • chariramacharirama Veteran
    I enjoy listening to Gil Fronsdal from IMC.

    His talks are available as podcasts and I like his low key approach to the teachings.

    http://www.zencast.org/
  • VajraheartVajraheart Veteran
    Yea, I like my boy Tichy too... he good!! He's one of the first Buddhist authors I got into 20 years ago. I really like Old Path White Cloud, as well as his commentary on the various major Mahayana texts.
  • BuckyGBuckyG
    Keeping the Breath in Mind by Ajaan Lee.
  • BuckyGBuckyG
    edited June 2011
    Hi all,
    Dead: Ajaan Lee (book: Keeping the Breath in Mind). Ajaan Fuang. Ajahn Chah.
    Living: Ajahn Metta, Ajaan Geoff (Thanissaro Bhikkhu), Ajahn Sundara, Gil Fronsdal, Ajahn Sucitto,
    Online: Retrofuturist, Daverupa.
    May all beings find the causes of true happiness within.
    bucky
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