Zen Without Jargon | Part IV

In a continuation, I figured it's time to take on something that muddies the waters in coming to know and experience Zen, more than anything else. Books. Last night, just for fun, I did a search on Amazon.com for books on Zen Buddhism. I was shocked to see the results where 12,481 related books. That should tell us something right there. Some of those books are bound to be really good and others have to be terrible. A Lot of these book are translations and some translators are simply better than others.

I have a fairly extensive collection of book on Buddhism in my personal library. I can honestly say that some of them are dense as lead and about as useful as wearing a space suit and trying to perform ballet in a busy city street. But then again, there are a few that are like getting a cold bottled water on a hot day. Some books can be very helpful companions that are like a compass. They point towards a direction, but I've had to make the effort.

The list below are some titles that I know them pretty well. They've been good friends. Those mentioned are not meant to be an all inclusive list, but rather this are a few of the books over the years that I've returned to many times, when I needed to reorient my direction.

Be Here Now, By Ram Dass

The Dhammapada with translation, By Eknath Easwaran

What the Buddha Taught, By Walpola Rāhula

The Three Pillars of Zen, By Philip Kapleau

Zen Merging East And West, By Philip Kapleau

Zen Teaching, Zen Practice Philip Hapleau and Kenneth Kraft

Namu Dai Bosa, By Nyogen Senzaki, Soen Nakagawa, Eido Tai Shimano

Golden Wind (Zen Talks), By Eido Tai Shimano Roshi

Eloquent Silence, By Nyogen Senzaki (Editied by Roko Sherry Chayat)

The Cave of Poison Grass - Essays of the Hanny Sutra, By Seikan Hasegawa

Being Upright, By Reb Anderson

A Flower Does Not Talk, By Zenkei Shibayama

The Zen Eye, By Sokei-An

The Compass of Zen, By Zen Master Seung Sahn

Start Where You Are, By Pema Chodron

How to Meditate, By Pema Chodron (Audiobook version)

Bodhisattva Mind, By Pema Chodron (Audiobook version)

The Art of Power, By Thich Nhat Hanh

Being Zen, By Ezra Bayda

The Gateless Barrier, By Robert Aitken

Enlightenment Unfolds, Kazuaki Tanahashi

I hope that some of these titles if you read them, prove useful. I feel compelled to say that these particular titles have not made me intellectually smarter. They have connected with me on a different place. If you practice with You may come to know what I mean. If you have suggestions of your own, please add them in the comments section. You own books which have been useful to you may also help others.

In Gassho - Hands Palm to Palm,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO

Comments

[Adam]

My very favorite: Diane Rizzetto, Waking Up to What You Do (shining book about precepts).

Barry Magid, Ending the Pursuit of Happiness: A Zen Guide. It may be very hard to read for an advanced practitioner, but the more you find it difficult, the more you must keep reading it. And all the time look at the points of discomfort created by the lecture: you'll find very interesting issues in your practice and attitude...

Greetings

[Rheumatologe]

I read in another Dhammapada translation (By Dr. Harischandra Kaviratna), but simply because I know the translator/author, who formerly lived at Batapola, Sri Lanka.

[~C4Chaos]

thanks for the list. i've only read two (The Dhammapada, and Three Pillars of Zen)a long time ago. so i'm adding some of them to my Amazon wishlist ;)

btw, i would like to recommend one book and one audio series. i'm interested to hear your take on them when you get the chance.

"Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha" by Daniel Ingram (see my review http://www.c4chaos.com/2009/01/mastering-the-core-teachings-of-the-buddha-my-kind-of-kick-ass-dharma/" rel="nofollow">here)

"The Science of Enlightenment" by Shinzen Young (see my review http://www.c4chaos.com/2009/02/the-science-of-enlightenment-is-paving-the-way-for-the-enlightenment-of-science/" rel="nofollow">here)

thanks again. kick ass and be still.

~C