Recommended Reading

BOOKS

 Sangha assigned book reading list; these are books suggested by Frank and Terry.

Training in Compassion                                                      Norman Fischer

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind                                                 Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

The Heart of Understanding                                               Thich Nhat Hahn

It’s Up To You, The Practice of Self Reflection                Dzigar Kongtrul
on the Buddhist Path

Rebel Buddha                                                                        Dzogchen Ponlop

A Path with Heart                                                                  Jack Kornfield

Dancing with Life                                                                   Phillip Moffit

Breath by Breath                                                                     Larry Rosenberg

Seeking the Heart of Wisdom                                              Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein

Touching Enlightenment                                                      Reginald Ray

Falling into Grace                                                                     Adashanti

The Way of Liberation                                                             Adyashanti

Don’t Look Down on The Defilements                                 Ashin Tejaniya

 

Other recommended books

On Psychology
Toward a Psychology of Awakening, John Welwood
Buddhism, psychotherapy, and the path of personal and spiritual transformations.

On Insight (Vipassana) Meditation Instruction
Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein
Mindfulness in Plain English, Venerable Henepola Gunaratana
Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom, Joseph Goldstein

On Brahma Vihara Practice
Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, Sharon Salzberg – Theravadan Perspective
Wake up to your Life, Ken McLeod (Read Chapter #7 for a Vajrayana perspective)

General Buddhism
When Things Fall Apart: Pema Chodren (Tibetan Teacher)
Everyday Zen: Love and Work, Charlotte Joko Beck (Zen Teacher)
Buddhism without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening, Stephen Batchelor (non-denominational Buddhist)

Psychology
Thoughts without a Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective, Mark Epstein.
A good book bridging the worlds of western psychology and Buddhist thought.
Soul without Shame, Byron Brown. A good little book on working with the “superego” using methods outside but complimentary to meditation practice. Since the internal structure of the critic is often a strong hindrance to meditation practice and development of the inner life it is worth exploring alternate methods for skillfully working with it.

Articles

Doing the Buddha’s Practice, Jack Kornfield.
Mindfulness/awareness was the meditation the Buddha himself practiced,
and taught. It was his basic prescription for human suffering. Looking at life
with an open and nonjudgmental attention, we see our confusion and develop
insight. This is the basis of all Buddhist practice and the key to liberation.

The Healing Power of Mindfulness, A Shambhala Sun Forum with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Daniel Siegel, and Susan Bauer-Wu.
The transcript of a panel discussion among leaders in mindfulness and integrative medicine.

 

Additional Book Group Reads

The Five Invitations, Discovering what Death can Teach us about Living Fully … Frank Ostaseski

World As Lover, World As Self, Courage for Social Justice and Ecological Renewal, a Guide to Living Fully in Turbulent Times … Joanna Macy

The Diamond in Your Pocket, Discovering Your True Radiance … Gangaji

Ten Poems for Difficult Times … Roger Housden

Welcoming the Unwelcome, Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World … Pema Chodron

Awakening the Kind Heart, How to Meditate on Compassion … Kathleen McDonald (Venerable Sangye Khadro)

How to See Yourself as You Really Are … His Holiness the Dalai Lama

This is Water, Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life

(Kenyon College commencement address) … David Foster Wallace

The Heart of Understanding, Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra … Thich Nhat Hanh

The Work of  This Moment … Toni Packer

Emotional Chaos to Clarity … Phillip Moffitt

no death, no fear – Thich Nhat Hanh

The Feeling Buddha –  David Brazier