I'm sure this thread exists already but I can't find it... What are your favorite Buddhism books?

shays860

I'm especially looking for an intellectual/philosophical presentation of buddhist ideas right now. Sort of a practitioners textbook of buddhism. Info about Emptiness, non-self, dependent origination, buddha-mind, karma and rebirth, nirvana, jhanas etc. But feel free to throw all your favorite buddhism books at me because I'm sure I'll be looking for books about different aspects of the path for years to come. I prefer physical copies but internet resources are okay too. I will be sincerely grateful for any help you can give me. Sometimes searching for information on the internet feels like looking for a needle in a haystack and that is definitely what this search for a book on buddhist philosophy has felt like... I just can't seem to find one that covers the right material and fits my tastes... Not to be too picky. If I don't find something ideal soon I will just push myself through something less so.

StaticToybox

In my view one of the best books I've read to date is 'Hardcore Zen', written by Brad Warner (though it's not really textbook but rather more biography, it's also not for those offended by 4-letter words). For something less irreverent 'The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings', by Thich Nhat Hanh, is also good.

taiyaki

Not sure about any books but check out lama marut on youtube and apple podcasts. If you're looking for that intellectual boost. Beware though, you'll be challenged!

shays860

Do you not read any books about Buddhism at all @Taiyaki?

taiyaki

I used to but all i do now is practice and live life.

I like steve hagens books on buddhism. Brad warner is good. ajahn brahm has a couple fun books.

At a certain point you'll read all the books and you'll still suffer. So thats why i stopped and now am focusing on practice and engaging with the world. I'm not creating a split but its what i personally needed.

shays860

Ah. I was just curious because your posts always sound insightful and knowledgeable but the only source I have noticed you site is lama murat and it was hard for me to fathom someone gaining so much from one persons series of podcasts.

taiyaki

Lol to be honest with you lama marut is right on the money so you can learn and deconstruct the whole mahayana message from his very straightforward talks. But to sound cliche... Life is the great teacher and there is only the teacher. Especially mosquitos.

Jason

Some of my headier favourites are What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula and What the Buddha Thought by Richard Gombrich (which would be good to read together); Buddhist Philosophy: A Historical Analysis by David Kalupahana (I'm sure his other books are good, too); Wings to Awakening (pdf) and The Shape of Suffering (pdf) by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. As far as more practice oriented books are concerned, I like Frames of Reference (pdf) and Keeping the Breath in Mind (pdf) by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo; The Heart of Buddhist Meditation by Nyanaponika Thera. And then there's the Visuddhimagga (pdf), which is a bit of both (i.e., it's an elaborate commentary written by Buddhaghosa somehwere around the 5th Century CE).

ajnast4r

Mindfulness in plain english and 8 mindful steps to happiness by Bhante Helenpola Gunaratana are both excellent and clearly written... The various writings of Ajahn Chah that are available online are excellent as well.

B5C

This site has a great list of books by other readers:
http://www.shelfari.com/groups/14029/lists/read

YoungBuddhist

Sit down and shut up- brad warner

tjampel

The most comprehensive Mahayana book I know, beyond the Sutras, of course, is Je Tsongkhapa's Lam Rim Chen Mo (Great Exposition of the Stages of the Path), recently translated in its entirety by the LRCM Translation Committee, Joshua Cutler, Editor in Chief.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=lam+rim+chen+mo&index=aps&hvadid=3188542799&ref=pd_sl_80xojsctvg_b

It's in 3 volumes and contains wnearly 1000 pages, but length, obviously, doesn't carry much weight (except when you carry it). What I like about the text is its flow and clear presentation, along with great sourcing, of the most difficult aspects of Madyamika philosophy. Je Tsongkhapa wrote far longer expositions on this topic (such as Ocean of Reasoning, which deals only with Arya Nagarjuna's Root Text on the Middle Way (the seminal Mahayana commentary on the topic of Emptiness within the Nalanda University tradition (Madyamika Prasangika)); but these are far harder to study, especially if reading on your own. They need to be taught.

LRCM is divided into 3 sections. The fist section presents materials on suffering, impermanence, refuge, spiritual guides, qualities of a proper student, the 12 factors of dependent arising, karma, and a few other topics. The middle section addresses bodhicitta, and the final section addresses meditation and wisdom.

The final 270 pages, in particular, are dedicated to achieving insight (vipassana) and include a very comprehensive presentation on two of the topics you mentioned--- emptiness and dependent arising (within the Madyamika Prasangika framework developed by the Indian Pandits of the Nalanda tradition--- Arya Nagarjuna, Buddhapalita, Aryadeva, and Chandrakirti).

BTW, this book does not present any Tantric materials--- this is a purely sutric presentation and commentary on Indian master Lord Atisha's Light on the Path to Enlightenment. Je Tsongkhapa explicitly credits Lord Atisha for the root text. However, this is a far more extensively researched work than Lamp on the Path, especially with regard to the presentation of emptiness.

riverflow

I would not recommend to beginners per se, but these are my favourite Buddhist books:

Dogen: Shobogenzo (Tanahashi's translation)

Hongzhi: Cultivating the Empty Field (translated by Taigen Dan Leighton)

The Essential Lotus (selections from the Lotus Sutra translated by Burton Watson)

shays860

Thanks for the great suggestions guys!

thejoieanna

Hands down Mind Beyond Death Dzogchen Ponlop

It's heavier then an anvil.

shays860

I just googled "Buddhism textbook" and found Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience by Donald W. Mitchell for just a few bucks on Abebooks. That should keep me busy on the intellectual/philosophical/historical fronts for a while while providing leads for further reading. And I ordered Beyond Mindfulness by Gunaratana for the practical side of things.


Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience Donald W. Mitchell

http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ReligionTheology/Buddhism/?view=usa&sf=toc&ci=9780195311037

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English: An Introductory guide to Deeper States of Meditation Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Mindfulness-Plain-English-Introductory/dp/0861715292/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318210688&sr=1-1

(sorry, don't know how to encode links)

Jason

Oh yeah, forgot to mention Buddhist Religions: A Historical Introduction and How Buddhism Began: The Conditioned Genesis of the Early Teachings , too.

shays860

I find it a bit odd that the Visuddhimaga is not more widely available being that it is such a central text to Theravada tradition. I would really like a hardcopy of it but I'd rather not shell out $28 bucks right now... It's probably hopeless but does anyone happen to know of a place to get a copy for any less than that?

prettyhowtown

I read pretty much everything by Thich Nhat Hanh that I can get my hands on.

I like "Buddha's Brain" and "Awakening the Buddha Within" as well. "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Buddhist Wisdom" is exceptional as well, if you're looking for an overview with some lovely visuals.

shays860

Thanks for the What the Buddha Taught suggestion Jason. I saw it sitting on the shelf in Books-A-Million a million times and it never particularly caught my attention but I got a copy and it's pretty awesome. I think I'm going to read the basics from a bunch of different sources until it completely clicks. I'm still hung up on no-self and dependent origination.

federica

...Aren't we all.....:D

federica

(There are a ton of threads discussing D.O and self/NOT-self: here's a recent one:

http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/12932/self-and-emptiness-#Item_14

Tosh

No Self, No Problems by Anam Thubten is very good, and contains some top advice. He's a big advocate of keeping things simple, which I often need to be reminded of.

It's more than suitable for a beginner, but I think would also be suitable for someone whose been around Buddhism for some time too.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Self-Problem-Anam-Thubten/dp/1559393262/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320491998&sr=8-1

SattvaPaul

I find it a bit odd that the Visuddhimaga is not more widely available being that it is such a central text to Theravada tradition. I would really like a hardcopy of it but I'd rather not shell out $28 bucks right now... It's probably hopeless but does anyone happen to know of a place to get a copy for any less than that?

I don't know about the availability of Visuddhimagga itself, but there's a good commentary on it you might want to check out:

http://www.amazon.com/Swallowing-River-Ganges-Practice-Purification/dp/0861711785/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1320492782&sr=8-6

caz

Anything by Geshe Kelsang.

Tosh

Anything by Geshe Kelsang.

I'm still going though his Heart of Wisdom book; it's very good. I do like his books.

caz

Anything by Geshe Kelsang.

I'm still going though his Heart of Wisdom book; it's very good. I do like his books.

Heart of wisdom is a great book very profound yet simple

SattvaPaul

I find it a bit odd that the Visuddhimaga is not more widely available being that it is such a central text to Theravada tradition. I would really like a hardcopy of it but I'd rather not shell out $28 bucks right now... It's probably hopeless but does anyone happen to know of a place to get a copy for any less than that?

I'v found the entire VM online: http://www.bps.lk/olib/bp/bp207h.pdf

If you want a cheap hardcopy, try searching on http://bookfinder.com

Jeffrey

Jack Kornfield, Pema Chodron, Trungpa Rinpoche, Rigdzin Shikpo, Thich Nhat Hanh, Surya Das

shays860

@sattvapaul Thanks for the bookfinder suggestion! There's a copy of the Visuddhimaga (I hate spelling that word...) listed for five bucks. I'll have to do a little more research to see if it's a decent edition. I knew it was available online I just can't stand reading off of a monitor and I havn't gotten around to buying an e-reader yet.

ajnast4r

I find it a bit odd that the Visuddhimaga is not more widely available being that it is such a central text to Theravada tradition. I would really like a hardcopy of it but I'd rather not shell out $28 bucks right now... It's probably hopeless but does anyone happen to know of a place to get a copy for any less than that?

here ya go. you can take this to a local printshop and have it printed and bound for like 10 bucks im sure.

Craig_NZ

Some may consider it an apostasy,but I must recommend "Zen and The Birds of Paradise" by Thomas Merton, the long late Trappist Catholic monk. He compares and contrasts Buddhism and Christianity, and answers the question of if one can practice both. He was a great writer, and offers what I consider to be the clearest and most descriptive explanatory statements of Buddhist concepts that I've read in the last ten years. A Catholic monk....I'm sure it must seem a bit ironic. I found it incredible. The scope of what he covers is not broad ( a thin volume) but concise and deep.
Mertons "The Seven Story Mountain", an autobiography of his early road to monkhood up through the 1940's, is a great story that illuminates much more than his life... the moral tenor of the Western world at that time. The power of his prose is such that I can't imagine anyone who reads just the first few paragraphs of this book not being pulled in to his journey.

Craig_NZ

Man, what a goof. I meant to type "Zen and the Birds of APPETITE"!!

novaw0lf

Zen by Osho