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Recommendation?

RavenRaven
edited December 2011 in Buddhism Basics
Hi all,

I'm *thisclose* to finishing Thubten Chodron's "Buddhism for Beginners" and I'm looking for what to read next. I'm open to suggestions, as long as they aren't too costly.

Thanks!

Comments

  • taiyakitaiyaki Veteran
    What tradition are you studying/practicing in?
  • RavenRaven
    I haven't settled on a tradition yet, to be honest. I'm still gathering information. So I guess what I'm looking for is general/beginner info, and/or intro info on the different traditions.
  • Floating_AbuFloating_Abu Veteran
    What the Buddha taught, by Rev Walpola Rahula is a general introduction text to Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths etc.

    Best wishes,
    Abu
  • RavenRaven
    Thank you, Abu!
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki is one of my favorites. Its a very hands on type of read. :)
  • lamaramadingdonglamaramadingdong Veteran
    edited December 2011
    The Dhammapada was one of my early reads when I first started looking into Buddhism. (The Shambhala Pocket edition is $6.95 available at most book stores). I like the translation done by Thomas Byrom. I would suggest saving Zen Mind Beginner's Mind until you are somewhat familiar with basic Buddhist concepts. ZMBM really distills the philosophy into few words and may make more sense once you are aware of what's being distilled. Teachings of the Buddha by Desmond Biddulph and Darcy Flynn is a nice introduction that covers basic Buddhist thought along with some very nice black and white photographs.
  • HubrisHubris
    @Raven, A good source of inexpensive books is Half.com or even Amazon.com for used books. Also Buddhanet.net has a wealth of online info as does Access to Insight...for free. I do not know where you live, however I am also a huge fan of thrift stores, and always browse their book shelves in the hopes of finding a gem.

    I have no recommendations for you in the moment, personally speaking I read anything and everything related to Buddhism since it is all relevant, if you are choosing a particular path to follow that may narrow your reading list.
  • lamaramadingdonglamaramadingdong Veteran
    Two more recommendations- a good primer on meditation techniques is Quiet Mind, by Susan Piver. It comes with a CD for guided meditation and covers several different schools. My other tip is to use your local library. If they don't have the book you are looking for they can usually order it for you through the system.
  • taiyakitaiyaki Veteran
    The compass of zen by seung sahn.
    The heart of the buddha's teaching by thich nhat hanh
  • RavenRaven
    You are all so lovely to help me out; thank you very much for your recommendations. I've written everything down, so now I have a good list to start with. I'm sure I'll be able to find something great. Thanks so much. :)
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    Tough call. I remember really liking this book when I was just getting interested in Buddhism.
  • RavenRaven
    Thanks, Jason; I've added it to the list. Looks like a good one!
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