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Can't decide on a book.
Morningstar
Louisiana, USA Explorer
I've been reading " What the Buddha Taught" and "The Four Noble Truths" by Ajahn Sumedho. The later seems to be better for studying and outlining. I Guess I'm trying to tackle this and break it down into a study guide of sorts so i can remember the teachings. I'll read a bout "the 5 aggregates" or "the 3 aspects" and I always want to break them down into notes.
Are there any books that can be recommended that have the sort of format for this? I do however really like Tara Brach and intend on getting her book regardless. Her audio talks and podcast have helped me tremendously.
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In the Buddha's words an Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi is an excellent introduction to learning about the Dhamma, it is a nice size and easy to get into. I own a copy and I find myself keep coming back to it.
http://www.amazon.com/Buddhas-Words-Anthology-Discourses-Teachings/dp/0861714911/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423679580&sr=1-1&keywords=in+the+buddha's+words
thanks! @bookworm
An old classic which served as inspiration for Bhikkhu Bodhi's "In the Buddha's Words," is Nyanatiloka Thero's "The Word of the Buddha."
Also easy to tackle is Bhikkhu Bodhi's "The Noble Eightfold Path."
Those 2 books are plenty to be getting on with. You might be better off exploring approaches to practice. Have you had any instruction on meditation, mindfulness, that kind of thing?
Hi
Tara Brach is excellent. There are basically two approaches to books:
The content is irrelevant, don't aim too high and don't join the crazies who use the suspension meditation method . . .
Here to help . . . hopefully . . .
@SpinyNorman I haven't had any formal instruction but I have visited a temple for their sitting meditation and I enjoyed it but my schedule isn't the most flexible so i haven't gone back. I started to meditate through guided meditations on podcast from The interdependence Project , Audio Dharma, and now Dharma Seed. I started off trying to make a routine out of it around my shower time and on the weekends when i'm alone. It was really helpful to me in understanding what meditation really was instead of the preconceived notions. That soon tapered off so now I wake up an hour earlier each day just to mediate and be able to listen to podcast as I get dressed. (I have some emotional issues so the sooner i'm calm the better) I have a n hour and a half commute to work so I try to listen to as much as possible in the mornings and afternoons. I've also started using the Head Space app and although the meditation times are shorter than what i started out with, it's been perfect for just helping me build a routine.
As far as the books go.... I started reading before I ever could even grasp the concept of meditation, It;'s how I first really found the path. Lately I've been wanting to process more than I consume, which for me means writing down the felt experiences of meditation and the thoughts i'm having and reading real books that i can carry an pull out whenever (the two books mentioned above are on my Ipad).
For mindfulness: I've been trying to literally be aware as much as possible. I'f I'm driving and listening to a podcast, I try to realize that it is actually possible to drive and still feel my body and pay attention to my thoughts and be aware of the world around me. If i catch myself driving and notice that I zoned out of the podcast 10 minutes ago, i rewind it and start over. I've been trying to remember the guided meditations throughout the day to silently relax my body and quiet my mind as much as possible.
@lobster lol thank you for the laugh and yes it was very helpful
I'm getting there. I have a tendency to want to be active ALL...THE.. TIME... so the idea that meditation alone will be enough i think is hard for me to grasp even though I feel the subtle results already (realizing this as i type lol)
OK, fair enough. These days I would usually recommend Ajahn Brahm, who I think has a very effective approach to meditation, very user-friendly. There are lots of his talks on Youtube if you're interested.
I will be sure check him out
thanks @SpinyNorman
This talk about "What the Buddha Taught" reminded me of a lovely, fun read called "What the Buddha Never Taught" by Ward. Not the most educationally profound book, but a wonderful read in reality.
Dhammapada, of course. Heart of the Buddha's teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh, that got me interested into Buddhism. If you're going to Tibetan Buddhism, the LamRim Vol 1