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Best Books for Burgeoning Buddhists

Hello everyone, I'd like to learn more about Buddhism and how to incorporate it's teachings into my life. I am also interested in how Buddhist teachings apply to current issues. Does anyone have any books or online lectures to recommend to me?

Comments

  • ZenshinZenshin Veteran East Midlands UK Veteran

    Hi I learned to meditate from this series of videos by Ajahn Jayasaro of the Thai Forest Tradition.

    As for books Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

    Being Dharma Ajahn Chah

    Food for the Heart Ajahn Chah

    A Still Forest Pool AJahn Chah

    Don't Take Your Life Personally Ajahn Sumedho

    The Sound of Silence Ajahn Sumedho

    Zen Mind, Beginners Mind Shunryu Suzuki

    Not Always So Shunryu Suzuki

    That should keep you going for a while.

    Buddhadragon
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator

    If you use the search bar at the top, you should find several threads about books. It kind of depends if you are looking for more general overall info or a specific school (Tibetan etc). The first one I ever read was Thich Nhah Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching and found it quite easy to grasp. He tends to do a more modern take on some things, but that book in particular is a good overview of the important major parts that are present in most schools of Buddhism.

  • @WonderingWanderer said:
    I am also interested in how Buddhist teachings apply to current issues.

    Hello. Welcome.
    Do you have access to the Interweb? Any 'current issues' in particular?
    https://engageddharma.com/2016/05/16/buddhism-and-a-secular-path-part-v/

  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator

    If you look at the core of Buddhism it's usually fairly easy to apply it to current events, but it depends on the issue. How you view it is going to vary based on all of your previous experiences. Buddhism isn't much different as it is interpreted by people. So you can look up an issue and find multiple views from a Buddhist perspective, on any of them. From politics to war to religion to environmentalism etc. Thich Nhat Hanh is a big proponent of caring for our earth. Another teacher I went to a retreat with laughed and said it doesn't matter, if we ruin our planet we just get reborn elsewhere. Just depends on the person, lol. Buddhism doesn't have the answers to the world's problems. It's unlikely any single religion does. Complex problems require multi-pronged sources of knowledge, wisdom and experience.

    lobsterWonderingWanderer
  • @WonderingWanderer said:
    Hello everyone, I'd like to learn more about Buddhism and how to incorporate it's teachings into my life.

    Here is a training manual
    http://www.mondozen.org/_literature_142288/Mondo_Training_Manual_2016

    BuddhadragonHozan
  • LucianaLuciana Pacific Northwest New

    Mindfulness in Plain English / Henepola Gunaratana

    Buddhadragon
  • BuddhadragonBuddhadragon Ehipassiko & Carpe Diem Samsara Veteran

    @lobster said:

    @WonderingWanderer said:
    Hello everyone, I'd like to learn more about Buddhism and how to incorporate it's teachings into my life.

    Here is a training manual
    http://www.mondozen.org/_literature_142288/Mondo_Training_Manual_2016

    I downloaded the manual, @lobster, thank you.
    I found it extremely helpful <3

  • HozanHozan Veteran

    Me too @lobster . Thank you.

  • BuddhadragonBuddhadragon Ehipassiko & Carpe Diem Samsara Veteran

    I have so many favourites, a list is impossible.
    But Pema Chödrön and Thich Nhat Hanh have very accesible books for beginners.
    The latter's "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" is very clear.

    I also like Walpola Rahula's "What the Buddha taught."

    I am also very fond of rare books on Buddhism and have some beautiful late 19th century / early 20th century editions, such as:

    ●Nyanatiloka Thero's "The word of the Buddha" (this one is a classic)
    ●Henry Clarke Warren's "Buddhism in Translations"
    ●Alexandra David Neel's "Buddhism: its doctrine and its methods"
    ●T.W. Rhys-Davids "Buddhism"
    ●F.L. Woodward's "Some Sayings of the Buddha"
    ●K. J. Saunders "The Buddha's Way of Virtue" (Dhammapada)
    ●Samuel Beal's "Texts from the Buddhist Canon" (Chinese Dhammapada)
    ●Paul Carus "Gospel of the Buddha"

     

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    I would add a vote for Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, and the collected teachings of Ajahn Chah, which are available as a PDF online.

    http://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-Collected-Teachings-of-Ajahn-Chah-Single-Volume-Ajahn-Chah.pdf

  • WonderingWandererWonderingWanderer California New

    Wow, thanks everyone for all your responses. It looks like I have a lot of reading to do!

  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    Does anyone have any books or online lectures to recommend to me?

    Try "this" for a starter :)

  • BuddhadragonBuddhadragon Ehipassiko & Carpe Diem Samsara Veteran

    @lobster posted about it in one of the IT groups today, so he should know something about it...

  • WheelWheel Scotland New

    Baring in mind that I am very new to this, the first book on buhddism that I am currently reading is "Buddhism in a Nutshell" by Venerable Narada Thera. It can be downloaded for free as a PDF or read online! :)

  • lobsterlobster Veteran

    @DhammaDragon said:
    @lobster posted about it in one of the IT groups today, so should know something about it...

    Not thick enough to sit on. :p
    A good book (you may need two) can be covered with a pillow, towel or blanket for a firm meditation seating.
    Meditation for Dummies is excellent.

  • spencerstonespencerstone Veteran East Coast USA Veteran

    @karasti said:
    If you use the search bar at the top, you should find several threads about books. It kind of depends if you are looking for more general overall info or a specific school (Tibetan etc). The first one I ever read was Thich Nhah Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching and found it quite easy to grasp. He tends to do a more modern take on some things, but that book in particular is a good overview of the important major parts that are present in most schools of Buddhism.

    TNH's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching has been incredibly informative in guiding me through the infancy of my Buddhist journey!

    Jeroen
  • mosquitomosquito Explorer

    This is a little book I like a lot. My practice started with this one. Before, I've been reading and reading, but this little pearl made me practice for real. And although it's very very simple - or maybe just because it is:) - I still come back to it from time to time.

    It's "Hello - with Love & Other Meditations" by Visuddhacara, and you can read it here: http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/hello_with_love.pdf

    I know it's a bit late to post it, but this book fits here so much...!

    BuddhadragonHozan
  • BuddhadragonBuddhadragon Ehipassiko & Carpe Diem Samsara Veteran

    ^^the meditations remind me of Thay's gathas to recite in different moments of the day, @mosquito ??

    Hozanmosquito
  • wojciechwojciech Veteran

    i highly recommend "Nothing Special - Living Zen" by Charlotte Joko Beck

    also, "What Makes You Not A Buddhist" by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse.

  • DakiniDakini Veteran

    @WonderingWanderer said:
    Hello everyone, I'd like to learn more about Buddhism and how to incorporate it's teachings into my life. I am also interested in how Buddhist teachings apply to current issues. Does anyone have any books or online lectures to recommend to me?

    How to incorporate Buddhism into your life? Be kind and thoughtful toward people. Monitor yourself (this is called "mindfulness") to observe when your motive for choosing an action might be ego-based, vs. compassion-based. Let go of the ego as a driving motive.

    You'll be well on your way to being a serious practitioner, if you can do those simple things.

    mosquito
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Closed until OP returns and requests further dialogue.

This discussion has been closed.