Recommend me a book about buddhism?

Woah93

Hey people, I am looking to increase my knowledge about this religion but I'm not sure where to start or what is "reliable" information. Can anyone give me some suggestions?

fivebells

Hi, Woah. What aspects of it would you like to learn about?

cvalue

If you are interested in Tibetan Buddhism, check this web site:

http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/index.html

federica

Hey @Woah93 I need a book on a car, what would you recommend...?

see the problem, here?

Try this thread....

anando

Hello,
i would like to recommend to you the Pali-Kanon. It consists of three part. The middle collection, the longer collection and the songs of nuns and monks.
Try to find the most qualified translator. There are a lot of twisted translations.

anando

federica

GIven that the OP is just starting to develop an interest, I would respectfully suggest that the pali Canon is the LAST thing he should consider, for the present....

BhikkhuJayasara

"Being Dharma" by Ajan Chah
http://www.amazon.com/Being-Dharma-Essence-Buddhas-Teachings/dp/1570628084/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392668096&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords="being+dhamma"+by+ajahn+chah


This book is the opposite of what most consider a "buddhist" book, no sutta/sutra expounding, no metaphysical extrapolations, no text book outline(these are the 4nt, these are the N8FP etc)... pure, straight real world every day dhamma in simple words for all people. It's one of my favorite books. I even like the little Blurb they have for it

"Chah offers a thorough exploration of Theravadan Buddhism in a gentle, sometimes humorous, style that makes the reader feel as though he or she is being entertained by a story. He emphasizes the path to freedom from emotional and psychological suffering and provides insight into the fact that taking ourselves seriously causes unnecessary hardship."

there is also no ajahn chah for free on the "official" chah website - http://www.ajahnchah.org/pdf/no_ajahn_chah.pdf

karasti

The Pali Canon is pretty dense and difficult to understand for someone not used to reading suttas/sutras.
Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of Buddha's Teachings is very good.
I'm also reading Chogyam Trungpa's Ocean of Dharma series (the 3 volume series, the first one is The Individual Path of Liberation) and find that to be quite good. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche is good as well. It does very much depend on which lineage/branch you are interested in.

Bunks

"Being Nobody Going Nowhere" by Ayya Khema is a good starter I think.

Has a short section on why and how to meditate along with an overview of the Buddha's teachings.

Chaz

Woah93 said:

Hey people, I am looking to increase my knowledge about this religion but I'm not sure where to start or what is "reliable" information. Can anyone give me some suggestions?

That The Buddha Taught by Walpola Rāhula

Probably the most recommended beginner's book in print and for good reason.

Skip the Tibetan stuff for the time bing stick to the foundation - 4NT, 8FP, Nidannas, etc.

I would also stay clear of the Pali with the exception of the Dhammapada. Read commentaries, instead.

anataman

federica said:

Hey @Woah93 I need a book on a car, what would you recommend...?

see the problem, here?

Try this thread....

I agree with @federica - look at that discussion thread she posted, everything I would recommend is in the first 8 posts as an introduction is there.

lobster

What The Buddha Taught by Walpola Rāhula

I was once in an extensive monastery library asking for the 'worst book on Buddhism'. They were unaware of such a thing. Eventually I found it.
A treatise by a Buddhist monk on how the Popes intent for Interfaith dialogue was in fact really only the precursor to convert 'the wayward' to the truth of Cheezus. It was a nasty little book. I am sure there are worse political and ignorant books, cult booklets and 'my little lama' self publications but most of us have the discernment to avoid them, even if available.
The point is that most books, even 'pop dharma' and 'new age Buddhism' will be of value. You are safe to read most anything available.

My personal method is to use Google and on line resources as reminders. Most of my dharma books have been given away. So my recommendation would be beginners guides and anything that takes your fancy . . .

http://www.buddhadhammasangha.com/secondlevelsite/ThirdLevelSite/eBookLibrary/GeneralBuddhism.htm

Jeffrey

When Things Fall Apart if you have ever had a real rough time.

Jason

Food for the Heart was one of my early favourites. In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon and An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices might also be good places to start. I'd also recommend What the Buddha Taught and What the Buddha Thought (although I prefer the latter). And if you're looking for free stuff, Access to Insight has a huge selection of suttas, as well as book, essays, and study guides by various authors.

Invincible_summer

I like "A Still Forest Pool" and "Living Dhamma" by Ajahn Chah, myself.

bookworm

I recommend the teachings of Ajahn Chah, all his books are compiled into one on buddha.net on Theravada Buddhism

Citta

. ' Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism ' by Chogyam Trungpa is in my view the most important book in English ever written about Buddhism.
But don't start there...I would recommend an earlier work by the same author
' Meditation In Action '.

footiam

Woah93 said:

Hey people, I am looking to increase my knowledge about this religion but I'm not sure where to start or what is "reliable" information. Can anyone give me some suggestions?

Once, I like this book. http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/whatbelieve.pdf

taiyaki

Anything by Steve Hagen.

bookworm

Another great and inspiring book that im currently reading is the biography of Venerable Acariya Mun Bhuridatta Thera.

Bunks

taiyaki said:

Anything by Steve Hagen.

Agreed. Just re-reading Buddhism Plain and Simple and can highly recommend it. Cuts through a lot of the bulls**t.

FoibleFull

"Mindfulness in Plain English" by Bhante Gunaratana.
I know that you can buy it on amazon.com

The first few chapters give the clearest explanation of what Buddhism is and isn't, what it involves and what it does not involve.
And the rest is instruction on how to do Vipassana/Mindfulness meditation (the Theravadan approach to Buddhist meditation) and how to overcome the roadblocks that we encounter.

Because Buddhism is not a belief system and involves no God(s). It is an inner exploration .. something that you DO. You either do it or your don't. Reading will not help you understand Buddhism, because it is experiential in nature .. experiencing yourself.
The Buddhist “learns to watch changes occurring in all physical experiences, in feelings and in perceptions. He learns to study his own mental activities and the fluctuations in the character of consciousness itself. All of these changes are occurring perpetually and are present in every moment of our experiences. Meditation is a living activity, an inherently experiential activity. It cannot be taught as a purely scholastic subject.” (“Mindfulness in Plain English” by Venerable H. Gunaratana Mahayhera, a Theravadan Buddhist teacher)

hermitwin

I believe the early edition book is available for free.

http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.php

but if you can afford to buy it, it is worth buying.

FoibleFull said:

"Mindfulness in Plain English" by Bhante Gunaratana.
I know that you can buy it on amazon.com

The first few chapters give the clearest explanation of what Buddhism is and isn't, what it involves and what it does not involve.
And the rest is instruction on how to do Vipassana/Mindfulness meditation (the Theravadan approach to Buddhist meditation) and how to overcome the roadblocks that we encounter.

Because Buddhism is not a belief system and involves no God(s). It is an inner exploration .. something that you DO. You either do it or your don't. Reading will not help you understand Buddhism, because it is experiential in nature .. experiencing yourself.
The Buddhist “learns to watch changes occurring in all physical experiences, in feelings and in perceptions. He learns to study his own mental activities and the fluctuations in the character of consciousness itself. All of these changes are occurring perpetually and are present in every moment of our experiences. Meditation is a living activity, an inherently experiential activity. It cannot be taught as a purely scholastic subject.” (“Mindfulness in Plain English” by Venerable H. Gunaratana Mahayhera, a Theravadan Buddhist teacher)