This is an annotated list of Buddhist books that I hope will be useful and entertaining
We will first look at some basic books that will help one get a feel of the issues as presented by the three basic traditions of Buddhism in the West–Theravada, Mahayana, and Zen. Secondly, we shall look at a wide variety of popular and scholarly works. They will be presented in no particular order. This is by no means an exhaustive list.
Bad books will be scrupulously avoided.
INTRODUCTORY BOOKS
1] AITKEN, Robert. TAKING THE PATH OF ZEN. North Point Press.
This is a superb, practical book. It is really a practice manual, and is very direct and non-technical, putting the practice in the context of one’s whole life. Its emphasis is Zen, but it is dealing with the heart of the Buddha’s path. Aitken is a recognized Zen teacher. Highly recommended.
2] CONZE, Edward. BUDDHISM: ITS ESSENCE AND DEVELOPMENT. Harper.
This is a standard work, and is one of the best introductory surveys of the various schools of Buddhism. Conze is fun to read, One caveat: ignore his discussion of Tantric Buddhism. It is silly and wrong, but the rest of the book is sound.
3] RAHULA, Walpola. WHAT THE BUDDHA TAUGHT. Grove Press.
This is a standard academic presentation of basic Buddhism.
Here we find the Four Noble Truths and other basic doctrines clearly outlined and explained. The Ven. Rahula is a Theravada monk. Theravada Buddhism is the school of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. It preserves and keeps alive the oldest tradition of the Buddha-Dharma, the truth and teaching of the Buddha. These teachings are the basic structures upon which all the other schools are built.
4] GOLDSTEIN, Joseph. THE EXPERIENCE OF INSIGHT. Shambhala.
Joseph spent a number of years in India working with three highly experienced and learned meditation teachers.
This book is a series of talks–instructions–given during a thirty-day meditation retreat, and what we have here is a presentation of basic Buddhist doctrine in terms of meditation practice. Nine-tenths of Buddhist practice is the cultivation of mindfulness–being in the moment as it unfolds. It is in the moment–as it is–that truth unfolds. It is mindfulness that is the theme of this book. It is a highly useful book no matter what school one may wish to follow. Highly recommended.
5] NYANAPONIKA. THE HEART OF BUDDHIST MEDITATION. Weiser.
This is an academic, though popular level, discussion of mindfulness practice as it relates to the earliest Buddhist texts. Mindfulness is “…the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception.” It is this perception that gives us insight into the truths the Buddha taught.
6] HANH, Thich Nhat. THE MIRACLE OF MINDFULNESS.
This is manual by a Vietnamese Zen master. The subject again is mindfulness.
7] LEVINE, Steven. A GRADUAL AWAKENING. Anchor.
As with 4 & 5 this is a discussion of the mindfulness practice from a basically Theravadin approach. It is a very good book that deals well with the psychological terrain of beginning practice.
8] BUKSBAZEN, John Daishen. TO FORGET THE SELF. ZCLA.
The author is a Dharma-heir to Maezumi Roshi. This is a nice, simple introduction to the practice of Zen meditation.
Though not expressly stated as in 4, 5, 6, & 7, the basis of practice of this book is mindfulness. The differences in the actual practices of these schools is more apparent than real. A good introduction.
9] SUZUKI, Shunryu. ZEN MIND, BEGINNERS MIND. Weatherhill.
Probably the most eloquent Dharma talks given in this country. The late Suzuki Roshi was the founder of the Zen Center in San Fransisco. These are deceptively simple talks that unfold, revealing deeper and more subtle meaning as one’s own practice matures. I would recommend reading Aitken’s book first.
10] CONZE, E. ed. BUDDHIST TEXTS THROUGH THE AGES. Harper & Row.
This excellent anthology of Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese texts is unfortunately out of print, but it often can be found in used book shops. It contains a very good translation of the third Chan (Zen) patriarch’s text, the HSIN HSIN MING. Also recommended is Conze’s BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES, Penguin.
11] SADDHATISSA, H. THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA. Harper & Row.
A very nice, brief account of the Buddha’s life and teachings.
12] TRUNGPA, Chogyam. CUTTING THROUGH SPIRITUAL MATERIALISM.
Shambhala.
Whatever one may think of Trungpa, this is a remarkable work that is well worth reading. It is a popular level Tibetan interpretation of the path of practice. Materialism is the deriving self-importance from our material possessions; spiritual materialism is the enhancement of the ego by possessing spiritual teaching as a way of making ourselves important: “Aren’t I a good yogi, so humble, so spiritual, having such attainments, and don’t I have the best teacher and teachings.” It can be a very subtle trap.
13] CARRITHERS, Micheal. THE BUDDHA. Oxford.
“The relative simplicity and the cool magisterial tone of the Buddha’s teaching disguise the intensity of his struggle to find his own voice among so many other.” Recommended.
14] CONZE, E. A SHORT HISTORY OF BUDDHISM. Unwin Paperbacks.
According to Buddhist tradition every five hundred years there is a change, the Dharma redefining itself in response to decay, and Conze follows this in his presentation. It is an interesting work that is full of a lot of information. Conze does have a Mahayana bias, but with this kept in mind the work can be profitably read.
GENERAL WORKS AND SURVEYS
15] CONZE, E. BUDDHIST THOUGHT IN INDIA. Ann Arbor.
An excellent scholarly work that is a discussion of various schools that came to be in India. The discussion centers around doctrinal developments and formulations. The late Dr. Conze was a Buddhist, and he points to the spiritual intent behind the doctrines. As with 14 there is a Mahayanist bias.
Nonetheless, it is an excellent work.
16] WARDER, A. K. INDIAN BUDDHISM. Motilal Banarsidass.
This is a weighty book with over 500 pages of text. It is not perfect in all regards, but it is good. It is a survey of the history, doctrine, and literature of Buddhism in India. It falls short with some of the late philosophical trends, but given how well it covers its subject matter overall it is probably the best English language survey of Indian Buddhism. Its style is interesting and at times entertaining.
17] PREBISH, Charles. ed. BUDDHISM: A MODERN PERSPECTIVE. Penn
State.
This is a survey covering the beginnings, the doctrinal developments, and historical movements up to the present. All this is in 45 brief essays written by 8 scholars. It is an uneven effort at times. Somes of the essays just get going and then stop. Despite this the book contains much information that is useful. It can be recommended as a sourcebook.
18] JACOBSON, Nolan Pliny. BUDDHISM & THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD: CHANGE AND SELF-CORRECTION. Southern Illinois University Press.
This is a discussion of Buddhism in terms of Whiteheadian philosophy. It is really a personal expression of Jacobson’s long commitment to the study of Buddhism. Though at times it is a bit repetitive and eccentric, it is forceful, challenging and well worth reading. He sees Buddhism as a creative force to counteract the life-denying features of modern culture. It is a relief from some other mushy works.
19] LING, Trevor. A DICTIONARY OF BUDDHISM. Scribners.
This is a good, reliable sourcebook to help one wade through the ocean of Pali and Sanskrit terms and concepts that are so a part of Buddhist texts.
20] ROBINSON, Richard. THE BUDDHIST RELIGION 3rd edition. Wadsworth.
A good general and doctrinal survey. It has an interesting discussion by Steven Young that is survey of all the types of Buddhist meditation.
21] BECHERT, Heinz, ed. THE WORLD OF BUDDHISM. Thames and Hudson.
A coffee table book that is richly illustrated, but more than that its text is a series of articles by highly regarded scholars covering the whole range of the Buddhist world. A good overall survey, representing some of the latest scholarship. Unfortunately, quite expensive.
22] BLOFELD, John. THE WHEEL OF LIFE. Shambhala.
This is a wonderful autobiography by an Englishman who went to live in China. It is a spiritual journey of a Western Buddhist told with warmth and humor. It is a bit romanticized. Any of Blofeld’s other books on Buddhism or Taoism can be recommended for enjoyable and informative reading.
23] BATCHELOR, Stephen. ALONE WITH OTHERS. Grove Press. The subtitle is, “An Existential Approach to Buddhism.”
Mostly well written and provocative. It is nice to be able read a discussion of Buddhism in relation to Heidegger’s ideas without the obscurationism that has been refined to a high art by Herbert Guenther. Batchelor sees in existentialist thought ‘a means of translating and revitalizing religious ideas,’ bringing them forth as a ‘solution to the problems present within contemporary existence.’ To be perfectly unselfish is the goal; any self-concern is ‘inauthentic.’ This is debatable and deserves much discussion. This book has a strong Mahayana bias, and its statements about the Theravada are wrong.
24] FIELDS, Rick. HOW THE SWANS CAME TO THE LAKE: A NARRATIVE OF BUDDHISM IN AMERICAN. Shambhala.
This book is a delight, giving a rather chatty history of the Buddhist movement in this country. All the major centers and teachers are chronicled. It is unfortunately out of print.
25] BURTT, E. A. THE TEACHING OF THE COMPASSIONATE BUDDHA. Mentor.
A good popular anthology of Buddhist texts. Not as complete as 10, but is worth having.
THERAVADA BUDDHISM
This is the school of Buddhism found in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. It is the oldest tradition extant, perservering its texts in Pali, a Sanskrit relative. Its basic doctrines, which are profound and direct, represent the basis upon which the later schools are built. Theravada Buddhism has a strong scholastic tradition and can be so approached. In that way it is not unlike the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also eminently practical with a strong meditation tradition that is second to no other school and can be so approached. In that way it is like Zen.
Theravada is often referred to as hinayana, the lesser vehicle, which is a term of derision coined by the Mahayana, the greater vehicle, to refer to those schools with which it disagreed, though often now hinayana is used to refer to non-Mahayana schools without derision intended.
The problem arises when taking the Mahayana polemics as being an accurate reflection of Theravada, characterizing it as self-centered and of lesser scope. Zen teacher Aitken Roshi (1) states, “These invidious terms [‘Hinayana’ and ‘Mahayana’] were invented by Mahayana people, who illustrate thereby the meanness of bragging about your own generosity.” No school is above criticism, but it should be done on the basis of understanding not labels. Books 3, 4, 5, & 7 are Theravadin.
26] MATTHEWS, Bruce. CRAVING AND SALVATION. SR Supplements. (dist. by Humanities Press.)
“The Buddhist plan of salvation gives craving a prominent place in the Four Noble Truths, one of the most precise articulations of the human condition envisioned by any religion.” This is an excellent and useful study that gives a good sense of the issues of practice. Recommended.
27] KATZ, Nathan. BUDDHIST IMAGES OF HUMAN PERFECTION: THE ARAHANT OF THE SUTTA PITAKA COMPARED WITH THE BODHISATTVA AND THE MAHASIDDHA. Motilal Banarsidass. (dist. by Asian Humanities Press)
The bulk of this book is an excellent exposition of the arahant ideal as found in the Theravada texts. The final chapter deals the comparison of the Mahayana Bodhisattva ideal and the Tantric Mahasiddha. It is interesting to note that Katz subtly imposes a Tibetan structure upon the discussion of meditation, which is evidenced by the strong emphasis on the the jhanas, the high levels of concentrated absorption, and by interpreting vipassana, insight, as an analytical type of contemplation. When discussing language, he moves into lengthy exposition of Nagarjuna, stating that it is essentially the same as what is found in the Pali texts. All three of these issues are problematic, but they are not fatal flaws. One final criticism is that the final chapter is too brief. Outside of these issues Katz’s book is an excellent start in promoting understanding among the various Buddhist schools, and the moving away from the old polemics. It is well worth reading.
28] ARONSON, Harvey B. LOVE AND SYMPATHY IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM. Motilal B.
This is a scholarly discussion of the important place love and compassion have in Theravada, which something some writers overlook. “Motivated by an interest in others’ well-being, he [the Buddha] achieved enlightenment and went on to be involved with society through his teaching. He was capable of a wide range of attitudes and feelings: a man with kindness, concern, and joy. Gotama [the Buddha] actively shared his insights, touched others’ hearts, and moved them to follow him. To the present this model has animated and inspired Theravada Buddhism.”
29] KORNFIELD, Jack. LIVING BUDDHIST MASTERS. Unity Press.
Jack has spent a number of years in Thailand and Burma as Buddhist monk. There are twelve Thai and Burmese teachers represented in this book, speaking in their own words or represented in words of their students. To each of these teachers, Jack gives an introduction with a bit of biography and a bit about the teaching. What we have in this book are genuine expressions of the Dharma in various styles. It is worth noting that some of these teachers styles of practice are quite different from some of the others. What underlies all their teaching is the practice of mindfulness. The techniques of how mindfulness is cultivated are less important than the mindfulness itself. The techniques are skillfull means.
30] WOODWARD, F. L. SOME SAYINGS OF THE BUDDHA. Oxford.
An good selection of texts from the Pali Canon, though they are a somewhat dated translation. A note about translations of Pali texts: The Pali Canon was originally an oral transmission, and from that one the main features of the canon is its repetitive nature. This can make for slow and tedious reading. Added to this is that the early translators had the unfortunate tendency to use a quasi-biblical idiom which made for rather deadly reading. Recent translations have much improved.
31] LING, T. THE BUDDHA’S PHILOSOPHY OF MAN. Dent.
A very good set of texts from the Digha Nikaya of the Pali Canon. Contains the discourse chronicling the events leading to the last days and death of the Buddha.
32] UPADHAYAYA, K. N. EARLY BUDDHISM AND THE BHAGAVADGITA. Motilal Banarsidass.
What some people won’t do for a Ph.D. thesis. Such a comparison does seem to be an odd thing to do, for the Gita is a work of circa 700 verses, and the early Buddhist texts (the Pali discourses) run into volumes. It is, nonetheless, an excellent and even handed treatment of these two traditions. The book can be selectively read just for its discussion of Buddhism or for its discussion of the Gita. Upadhayaya was a student of the fine scholar, K.N. Jayatilleke, whose ideas are strongly reflected in this work, especially in the section on epistemology, Jayatilleke’s area of expertise. After a survey of the historical issues of the Gita and early Buddhism, the discussion centers around ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. It is one of the best overall expositions of Pali Buddhism.
33] DHIRAVAMSA. THE NEW APPROACH TO BUDDHISM. The Dawn Horse Press.
“Everything is within you, and all that must be done is to look at it…” A series of talks by a Thai meditation teacher. The concern is mindfulness practice.
34] SWEARER, Donald K. THE SECRETS OF THE LOTUS. MacMillan.
This book is in two parts. The second fits under Zen. The first part contains some useful talks by the Thai meditation teacher Venerable Dhammasudhi, of whom Suzuki Roshi said, “When he speaks it is as if Dogen himself were speaking.” Not a small compliment. The Rev. Nishimura’s discussion of Zen is disappointing, but the other Zen material is very good.
Unfortunately much good material about Theravada Buddhism is not readily available in this country. The Buddhist Publication Society, P.O. Box 61, Kandy, Sri Lanka prints and distributes inexpensively some very good popular level and scholarly books. I shall suggest several good BPS titles (35 through 42):
35] NANAMOLI. THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA.
This is a ‘biography’ told in four voices–the voice of the Vinaya, of the Suttapitaka, of the commentaries, and a modern voice for historical perspective. The translations from the Pali are very good, and the book gives a wide selection of texts with chapter devoted to doctrine. Recommended.
36] NANANANDA. CONCEPT AND REALITY.
37] NANANANDA. THE MAGIC OF THE MIND.
38] NANANANDA. ANTHOLOGY OF THE SAMYUTTA NIKAYA II.
39] NANANANDA. IDEAL SOLITUDE.
These four titles are an impressive body of work, but not for their length. The first is a discussion of the concept of _papanca_, conceptual proliferation, and concerns itself with how we layer on to experience meaning that is not in fact there. The second book is an extension of the first. Though less scholarly, it is no less worth reading. The third is a very good selection of texts from the Samyutta Nikaya, giving an excellent idea of just how rich the Pali texts are. The fourth is a discussion of a discourse from the Majjhima Nikaya. All of these are strongly recommended. One may also notice in these works a slight European existentialist flavor.
40] JAYATILLEKE, K.N. FACETS OF BUDDHIST THOUGHT.
This a series of transcribed talks that cover the range of topics from the Buddhist notion of mind to the “Buddhist Attitude to God.” Jayatilleke was a top rate philosopher who had studied with Whitehead in London. Any of Jayatilleke’s works can be recommended.
41] NYANATILOKA. THE WORD OF THE BUDDHA.
This is a nice anthology of texts centered around the Four Noble Truths with some commentary by Nyanatiloka. Nyanatiloka was one of the remarkable Western pioneers of Buddhism.
42] ANTHOLOGY OF THE ANGUTTARA NIKAYA. Trans by Nyanaponika.
A good selection from this body of texts. Nyanaponika is the last of the pioneering group of Western monks that gathered around Nyanatiloka. He is also the co-founder of the BPS.
43] KING, Winston. THERAVADA MEDITATION. Penn State.
This is a scholarly, though accessible discussion. He is not always correct, but for a general discussion it is good. Much of it centers around the contrast between the _jhana_ meditation in contrast to the vipassana, insight, meditation that is characterized by books 2 & 3. King sees that insight, mindfulness, meditation is uniquely Buddhist.
44] RAHULA, Walpola. ZEN AND THE TAMING OF THE BULL.
This is a series of papers by this highly regarded scholar, ranging from popular works like title piece to rather obscure issues of the classification of the jhanas in different schools. The title work is a good place to start a dialogue between the two schools. A Zen practitioner may not agree with some of his comment about the patriarch system, but he or she would be hard put disagree that there are striking areas where Theravada and Zen meet.
45] JOHANSON, Rune. THE DYNAMIC PSYCHOLOGY OF EARLY BUDDHISM. Scandinavian Institute of Asian Studies.
“I have found that the dynamic aspect of the Buddha’s psychology must have been much more extreme and all-pervading than is usually believed today. The principal factor in his psychology seems to have been perception, and his interpretation is truly and uncompromisingly dynamic.” One caveat: His translation of _kama_ as love is unfortunate and misleading. It is best understood as sensual desire.
46] DE SILVA, M.W. Padmasiri. TANGLES AND WEBS. Lake House.
Subtitled: COMPARATIVE STUDIES IN EXISTENTIALISM, PSYCHOANALYSIS, AND BUDDHISM. This is a well done exploration of commonalities of these three areas of thought.
47] COLLINS, Steven. SELFLESS PERSONS. Cambridge University Press.
Subtitled: IMAGERY AND THOUGHT IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM. “I shall not be concerned to come to any final evaluation of the _anatta_ [not-self] doctrine…I shall wish to elucidate how it appears in the texts, what it asserts, what it denies, and what it fails to assert or deny; and, perhaps most importantly, I shall wish to study what role or roles it plays in the variety of Buddhist thought and practice….”
MAHAYANA BUDDHISM
This is the Buddhism of China, Tibet, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. It was found at one time in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Before Buddhism’s disappearance in India it was the major creative force of the subcontinent. It is inclusive of a startling variety of schools, expressing itself with the utmost profoundness philosophically and spiritually.
48] PYE, Micheal. SKILFUL MEANS: A CONCEPT IN MAHAYANA BUDDHISM. Duckworth.
This book deals with “one of the leading ideas of Mahayana Buddhism.”
49] GOMPOPA. THE JEWEL ORNAMENT OF LIBERATION. Shambhala. trans. by Herbert Guenther.
50] SHANTIDEVA. A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVAS WAY OF LIFE. Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, trans. S. Batchelor.
51] GYATSO, Geshe Kelsang. MEANINGFUL TO BEHOLD. Wisdom Pub.
52] ASVAGHOSHA. THE AWAKENING OF FAITH. Columbia University Press. trans. Hakeda.
Numbers 49, 50, & 52 are traditional expositions of Mahayana Buddhism. Fifty-one is a contemporary commentary to 50. Though Gompopa was the Dharma heir to Milarepa, the great Tibetan poet, tantric-master and saint, this is not a tantric work, and it is an excellent presentation of Mahayana doctrine. Shantideva was a great poet saint in India. His book is a great poetical expression of the depth of spirituality of the Mahayana, and it is not lacking in philosophical acumen. Unfortunately the translation lacks the poetry of the original. THE AWAKENING, possibly of Chinese origin, has a strong Yogacarin flavor and is putting forth a form of the tathagatagarbha doctrine, and for the Zen practitioner who wishes to explore the spiritual roots of Zen in China this is a must.
53] CONZE, E. BUDDHIST WISDOM BOOKS. Harper.
54] CONZE, E. SELECTED SAYINGS FROM THE PERFECTION OF WISDOM. Great Eastern.
The first is a translation of the Diamond Sutra and of the Heart Sutra, which belong to the Perfection of Wisdom Literature. Both are accompanied by Conze’s lucid commentary. The second book is at it says, making this huge, difficult body of literature accessible. The subject of all of this is ’emptiness.’ “Emptiness is not a theory, but a ladder that reaches out into the infinite. A ladder is not there to be discussed, but to be climbed.” Both are highly recommended.
55] STRENG, Frederick J. EMPTINESS: A STUDY IN RELIGIOUS MEANING. Abingdon Press.
56] RUEGG, David S. THE LITERATURE OF THE MADHYAMAKA SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY IN INDIA. Otto Harrassowitz, pub.
From the Perfection of Wisdom literature, the next step is the school of Nagarjuna, Madhyamaka. Fifty-five is a good introduction that avoids the mistakes of T.R.V. Murti and Jaidev Singh of trying to interpret the Madhyamaka school as proto-Advaita Vedanta, which has in effect been refuted by Tibetan authors. Ruegg’s work is excellent, giving in the first 57 pages a clear survey of Nagarjuna’s writings and thought using Tibetan and
Chinese sources.
57] THURMAN, R.A.F. THE HOLY TEACHING OF VIMALAKIRTI. Pennsylvania State University Press.
58] LAMOTTE, E. and Sara Boin. THE TEACHING OF VIMALAKIRTI. Pali Text Society.
This is a rich, dramatic exposition that covers the whole range of the Mahayana doctrine and is not without humor. It contains all the basic threads of Mahayana thought. It has been highly regarded by Zen masters. Fifty-eight is probably the better translation, using a Tibetan text and giving variant readings from the Chinese. Thurman’s translation is simpler, but still is quite good.
59] CHANG, Garma C.C. THE TEACHING OF TOTALITY. Penn State U.
60] COOK, Francis. HUA-YEN BUDDHISM. Penn State U.
61] CLEARY, Thomas. ENTRY INTO THE INCONCEIVABLE. University of Hawaii Press.
Hua-yen Buddhism probably represents the pinnacle of Buddhist thought in China. Cleary: “The Hua-yen doctrine shows the entire cosmos as one single nexus of conditions in which everything simultaneously depends on, and is depended on by, everything else.” Chang’s book contains much good material, and is worth reading if one is going to explore Hua-yen, but should not be taken as the last word. Cook’s book is solid and recommended. Cleary’s book also is good, stressing that Hua-yen is not just a philosophy, but a system of practical practice for transforming one’s vision. The bulk of the book is made up of four Chinese texts, but is difficult in that a solid Mahayana background is needed. Hua-yen thought is important to Zen.
ZEN BUDDHISM
Of all the schools of Buddhism, this is the best known and has the oldest history of the Buddhist schools in this country. (See HOW THE SWANS CAME TO THE LAKE.) One thing about Zen is that it is a Buddhist school, and taken out of a Buddhist context it ceases to make sense. Zen’s emphasis is on a direct, practical form of practice, brushing aside hifalutin scholasticism. Though it has not brushed aside the basic doctrines, it has often cast them into a new language.
The English language literature on Zen is truly massive. What is offered here are a few significant books that will help in understanding and practicing of Zen. Books 1, 6, 8 & 9 are Zen. Though the works of the pioneering scholar D.T. Suzuki are not listed, they can read with great profit.
62] KAPLEAU, Philip. THE THREE PILLARS OF Zen. Doubleday & Co.
This book is significant, for it is the first popular level book to put Zen in the context of actual practice. Most, if not all, books before were about Zen. Here we have Zen as it is taught and practiced.
63] KASULIS, T.P. ZEN ACTION/ZEN PERSON. Hawaii.
Of the books _about_ Zen this is probably the overall best. It is clear, giving a good sense of Zen in the context of practice in the individual’s life. Both Rinzai and Soto Zen are discussed with two chapters on Dogen. Kasulis sees that the underlying of Zen is the ‘prereflective experience.’ Recommended.
64] YAMPOLSKY, Philip. THE PLATFORM SUTRA OF THE SIXTH PATRIARCH.
65] ——. THE ZEN MASTER HAKUIN. both Columbia University Press.
Hakuin and the 6th Patriarch are two towering figures in Zen. The Sixth Patriarch is the great granddaddy of the present Zen lineages. His life story is fascinating and an inspiration. Hakuin was a dynamic renaissance Zen man of 18th century Japan, an example of the dynamism of Zen practice.
66] TAKAHASHI, Masanobu. THE ESSENCE OF DOGEN. Kegan Paul International.
67] KIM, Hee-jin. DOGEN KIGEN–MYSTICAL REALIST. University of Arizona Press.
68] COOK, Francis. HOW TO RAISE AN OX. ZCLA.
Dogen is not only a towering figure in Zen, but can rightly be considered so in Buddhism as a whole. For Dogen zazen, meditation, is itself an expression of enlightenment. Sixty-six and 67 are scholarly efforts, with 66 being the more detailed. Cook’s book is the most accessible. The first 90 pages are a series of essays outlining Dogen’s practice, and the remaining are a series of Dogen’s writings that are practice oriented.
69] AITKEN, Robert. THE MIND OF CLOVER. North Point Press.
Subtitled: ESSAYS IN ZEN BUDDHIST ETHICS. As with Aitken’s other book, 1, this is highly recommended. “Experiencing emptiness is also experiencing peace, and the potential of peace is its unfolding as harmony among all people, animals, plants and things. The precepts formulate this harmony, showing how the absence of killing and stealing is the very condition of mercy and charity.”
70] CLEARY, Thomas. SAYINGS AND DOINGS OF PAI-CHANG. ZCLA.
A lively expression of Zen in its early Chinese guise. Fun to read. Any of the books of Thomas and his brother J.C. Cleary are worth reading.
71] LEGGETT, Trevor. A FIRST ZEN READER. Tuttle.
72] ——-. THE TIGER’S CAVE. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
These are two very good and wide ranging anthologies, covering Chinese and Japanese Zen. Recommended.
Witch's Well 