Recommended Reading

This is an incomplete list of books for people of any skill level. I have found these handy in expanding my horizons both philosophically and in meditation practice.

Beginner

  • Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

  • The Book by Alan Watts

  • Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

  • Way of Zen by Alan Watts

  • Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana

  • Direct Pointing To Reality by Anne Bancroft

  • Buddhism Plain & Simple by Steve Hagen

  • Zen For Americans by D.T. Suzuki

  • Zen Bridge by Keido Fukushima

  • Effortless Living by Jason Gregory

  • Advice Not Given by Mark Epstein

  • The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

  • The Noble Eightfold Path by Bhikku Bodhi

  • Living Buddha Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh

  • Dhammapada

  • Huston Smith’s: The World’s Religions

  • You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh

  • Being Nobody, Going Nowhere by Ayya Khema

  • 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson

  • Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris

  • Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

  • Diamond Mind and the Psychology of Meditation by Rob Nairn

  • Seeds by Thomas Merton

  • What is Zen? by Norman Fischer

  • True Love by Thich Nhat Hanh

  • Grist for the Mill by Ram Dass

  • Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

  • Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff

  • Psychotherapy East and West by Alan Watts

  • Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts

  • A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield

  • Practical Insight Meditation by Mahasi Sayadaw

  • Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa

  • Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom by Joseph Goldstein

  • The Path Is the Goal: A Basic Handbook of Buddhist Meditation by Chogyam Trungpa

  • The Path of Serenity and Insight by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

  • Teachings of Ramana Maharshi

Adept

  • The Essential Dogen: Writings of the Great Zen Master

  • Being-Time: A Guide to Shobogenzo by Shinshu Roberts

  • The Middle Way by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

  • What is Sangha? by Sangharakshita

  • Stilling the Mind by Alan Wallace

  • Fathoming the Mind by Alan Wallace

  • The Life of Milarepa

  • The Science of Self Realization by A. C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

  • Upanishads

  • Bhagavadgita

  • Narrow Road to the Interior by Matsuo Bashō

  • The Tantra Tradition by Agehananda Bharati

  • The Ramayana

  • The Gospel According to Zen

  • Hoofprints of the Ox by Sheng Yen

  • Buddhist Wisdom Books: Containing the Diamond and the Heart Sutra

  • Garden Chrysanthemums and First Mountain Snow by Ian Haight

  • The Tibetan Yoga of Dreams and Sleep by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

  • A Flower Does Not Talk by Zenkei Shibayam

  • Mudra by Chogam Trungpa

  • The Art of Living Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka by William Hart

  • The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh

  • Tibetan Book of the Dead translated by Robert A.F. Thurman

  • Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche

  • Ponder On This by Alice Bailey

  • The Mind Illuminated by John Yates

  • Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book by Daniel Ingram

  • After the Ecstasy, the Laundry by Jack Kornfield

  • In This Very Life by Sayadaw U. Pandita

  • Indestructible Truth by Reginald A. Ray

  • Secret of the Vajra World by Reginald A. Ray

  • Living Dharma edited by Jack Kornfield

  • The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha translated by Bikkhu Nanamoli and Bikkhu Bodhi

  • Path to Deliverance by Nyanatiloka

  • The Path of Serenity and Insight by Henepola Gunaratana

  • Insight Meditation: Practical Steps to Ultimate Truth by Achan Sobin S. Namto

  • A Still Forest Pool: The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chah compiled and edited by Jack Kornfield and Paul Breiter

  • The Progress of Insight by Mahasi Sayadaw

  • Psychology and Alchemy: the Collected Works of C.G. Jung

  • Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition by Frances A. Yates

  • Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment by Pabongka Rinpoche

  • Clarifying the Natural State: A Principal Guidance Manual for Mahamudra by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal

  • Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness (Shambhala Library) by Chogyam Trungpa

  • Natural Liberation: Padmasambhava’s Teachings on the Six Bardos by Padmasambhava

  • Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhanas by Leigh Brasington

  • Avadhuta Gita

Advanced

  • The Land Of Bliss/Sukhavativyuha Sutra

  • The Platform Sutra

  • Shobogenzo by Dogen

  • Mumonkan

  • The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way/Mulamadhyamakakarika by Nagarjuna

  • The Vajra Essence by Dudjom Lingpa

  • The Lotus Sutra by Gene Reeves

  • Naked Awareness by Gyatrul Rinpoche

  • Practical Ethics and Profound Emptiness by Khensur Jampa Tegchok and Thubten Chodron

  • Bodhicaryavatara Shantideva

  • In the Light of Self: Adi Shankara and the Yoga of Non-Dualism

  • The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali translated by Chip Hartranft

  • Zen Comments on Mumonkan by Zenkei Shibayama

  • Zen and the Brain by James H. Austin

  • Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhana and Vipassana by Shaila Catherine

  • The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga) translated by Bhikkhu Ñanamoli

  • The Path of Freedom (Vimuttimagga) translated by Rev. N.R.M. Ehara, Soma Thera and Kheminda Thera

  • Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice by Paravahera Vajirana Mahathera

  • Moon In a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen

  • Light of Wisdom, Vol. 1 by Padmasambhava

  • Light of Wisdom, Volume II: A Collection of Padmasambhava’s Advice to the Dakini Yeshe Togyal and Other Close Disciples

  • Light of Wisdom, Volume III: Teachings on the Secret Empowerment by Padmasambhava

  • Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind: Trilogy of Rest, Volume 1-3 by Longchenpa

  • Buddhahood without Meditation (Dudjom Lingpa’s Visions of the Great Perfection) by Dudjom Lingpa

  • Heart of the Great Perfection: Dudjom Lingpa’s Visions of the Great Perfection

  • A Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga by Karma Chagme