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