So far I've read pic related, Mindfulness in Plain English, and Eknath Easwaran's translation of the Dhammapada. They're a very good intro to Buddhism taken as a whole, and I'd like to know where to go next (specifically with meditation and philosophy).
What do you recommend, Veeky Forums?
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buddhism is such a novelty belief system. i've never came across anything worthwhile and shit like accesstoinsight.org is just confusing
just practice meditation and memorize a nice sutra or something. the deeper you go into buddhist/vedic/far eastern philosophy the worse it gets.
There seems to be a lot of nonsense typical with religions lasting a long time, but the Buddha's core insights are very useful, and the vast majority of it has an element of explicit wisdom through experience. For example, his methods for handling anxiety or worry are very effective.
Is there a useful book for different styles of meditation out there? How about one for the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia?
i don't doubt he value, it's just the usual modern way it's presented makes me cringe. to move past this is very difficult in comparison to christianity and islam which have much lower barrier to entry on a scholarly level.
If so, I strongly recommend giving the book in the OP a try. It specifically avoids all the ornamentation and pseudo-science, and focuses specifically on the Buddha's life and teachings without going out of its way to promote him.
...
For good overviews, see the following:
Peter Harvey: Introduction to Buddhism
Rupert Gethin: Foundations of Buddhism
Paul Williams: Buddhist Thought
For meditation, try:
Conze: Buddhist Meditation
I can't think of another overview of the various meditation traditions right now.
The Diamond Sutras my boy. Good stuff.
Some good ones are "Seeing that Frees" for mediatations on empitness and dependent origination and combine it with "Compassion and Emptiness in early buddhist meditation"
having the right view of reality makes you more compassionate to other beings of that reality.
Another one that just came out, I haven't received yet, but it looks very helpful. "A practical guide to emptiness"
And, of course, "The Mind Illuminated",a practical guide to the stages of meditation, the book which got me to start taking practising seriously.
I hope these books serve you well. With metta
Finding a good meditation instructor is basically essential if you want to practice the religion.
there is no point in meditation if you do not clean up your life from distraction
meditation can be used to clean up distraction.
OP, let me give you my list of personal favorites. There is one particular book that is not featured on this board: that is in a class of his own. It is the best book ever written about how to organize and maintain a practice of meditation.
This is the book:
1)
>The Mind Illuminated, by Culadasa.
amazon.com
When it comes down to understand what to do with your body and mind when you are meditating; how do you evolve from one stage to another in the path to liberation; what are the difficulties and obstacles of every stage; what meditation does to your brain in the short term and long term, and many other things, this is your book. It is very resourceful, almost encyclopedic.
2)
A second book to learn about meditation, one that is written in a more concise away and can be read faster (maybe even as an introduction to the first book I suggested) is the great classic:
>Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratana
3)
To go even further than just meditation, it will be good to have a broader knowledge of what the Buddha thought. The most faithful book you can find with the closer one can come to the Buddha’s own original speeches is this selection of texts from the Pali Canon:
>In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon, by Bhikkhu Bodhi
amazon.com
4)
A book that deals in a more concise way with the teachings of the Buddha is also by the great author of Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante Gunaratana. Here you will going to see commentaries about the four noble truths and, above all, about the Noble Eightfold Path:
> Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha's Path, by Bhante Gunaratana.
5)
If you want to learn about the historical Buddha, the most faithful and meticulously researched book you can find is this the two volumes written by the Japanese scholar Hajime Nakamura. He collects the information found in the oldest texts, compares them one with another, and also uses archeological information, all of that with the intention of taking out the myth and seeing into the real Buddha, the historical human being (not the demi-god that latter accumulation of dogma and legend constructed.
>Gotama Buddha: A Biography Based on the Most Reliable Texts, Volumes. 1 and 2., by Hajime Nakamura.
Here, some info about this book:
“In Gotama Buddha, Professor Hajime Nakamura embarks on a search for the details of the historical Buddha's life. He conducts an exhaustive analysis of both the oldest, most reliable texts and later biographies of the Buddha that contain mythological material.
Carefully sifting these texts to separate facts from embellishments, he constructs a biography that begins with the Indian historical context at the time of Buddha's Birth and takes the reader through all the stages of his life. Professor Nakamura also compares the oldest Buddhist texts with the earliest Jain and Hindu writings and finds surprising similarities that elucidate the significance of the historical Buddha. Archeological discoveries and factual elements from Buddhist art support Professor Nakamura's fascinating story.”
and
6)
Since the biography written by Hajime Nakamura is somewhat arid and hard to read, you would probably do well to read also the great biography written by Thich Nhat Hanh:
> Old Path White Clouds, by Thich Nhat Hanh
7)
This might sound controversial, but I would recommend you read the great manga written by Osamu Tezuka. It is a very personal view of the Buddha’s story, and yet you can’t ignore how humane, warm and wise this work of art is. This is the vision of a extremely gifted artist about Siddhartha Gautama, and I sincerely recommend you read it.
>Buddha, by Osamu Tezuka
8)
Many concepts that were inherited by the Buddha from Hinduism and other religious-philosophical schools of his day are not proven by scientific analysis, and many respected mentors and teachers still cling to them as if they were 100% sure. I am talking of thinks like Karma and Rebirth. I would advise you to approach Buddhism with some healthy skepticism, and there are some books I can recommend you about that. First this one:
> Buddhism Without Beliefs, by Stephen Batchelor
9)
The second book is from the same author.
> Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, by Stephen Batchelor
Here are some information about this volume:
“Does Buddhism require faith? Can an atheist or agnostic follow the Buddha’s teachings without believing in reincarnation or organized religion?
This is one man’s confession.
In his classic Buddhism Without Beliefs, Stephen Batchelor offered a profound, secular approach to the teachings of the Buddha that struck an emotional chord with Western readers. Now, with the same brilliance and boldness of thought, he paints a groundbreaking portrait of the historical Buddha—told from the author’s unique perspective as a former Buddhist monk and modern seeker. Drawing from the original Pali Canon, the seminal collection of Buddhist discourses compiled after the Buddha’s death by his followers, Batchelor shows us the Buddha as a flesh-and-blood man who looked at life in a radically new way. Batchelor also reveals the everyday challenges and doubts of his own devotional journey—from meeting the Dalai Lama in India, to training as a Zen monk in Korea, to finding his path as a lay teacher of Buddhism living in France. Both controversial and deeply personal, Stephen Batchelor’s refreshingly doctrine-free, life-informed account is essential reading for anyone interested in Buddhism.”
10)
Zen is a particularly famous branch of Buddhism, yet much of the literature about it is somewhat confuse and the concepts are hardly explained in a practical way. I suggest the above-mentioned books to learn meditation rather than most Zen manuals. Zen, however, is an interesting tradition, so I will name you a book, a manga and a documentary. All of them are interesting ways to know more about Zen.
The book first. It is an anthology of poems by Zen practitioners and Zen inspired artists. There are several great poets in this anthology. One of my favorites is Han Shan (original Chinese for “Cold Mountain”), a hermit that lived in a cavern in Chinese mountains, near a monastery, writing his poems on trees and stones and mocking the priests who lived nearby.
Here is the book:
>Zen Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets)
amazon.com
11)
This is the manga. It is a biography of the eccentric and iconoclastic Japanese Zen Buddhist monk and poet Ikkyū. You can read the manga here:
mangahere.co
12)
Finally, the documentary:
>Amongst White Clouds
Here is the description:
American director Edward A. Burger takes us on his unforgettable journey into the hidden lives of China's forgotten Zen Buddhist hermit tradition.
Amongst White Clouds is a look at the lives of zealot students, gaunt ascetics and wise masters living in isolated hermitages dotting the peaks and valleys of China's Zhongnan Mountain range. The Zhongnan Mountains have been home to recluses since the time of the Yellow Emperor, some five thousand years ago.
Many of China's most realized Buddhist masters attained enlightenment in this very range! And now? It is widely thought that this tradition was all but wiped out by the twists and turns of history. Amongst White Clouds shows us this is not the case.
One of only a few foreigners to have lived and studied with these hidden sages, Burger reveals to us their tradition, their wisdom, and the hardship and joy of their everyday lives.
With both humor and compassion, these inspiring and warm-hearted characters challenge us to join them in an exploration of our own suffering and enlightenment in this modern world. (Excerpt from amongstclouds.com)
Here the YouTube video:
Eknath Easwaran's a hack who has never attained higher states of consciousness. Avoid!
>right view of reality
this that bullshit i'm talking about
This was an enjoyable read.
Thanks for all the recommendations, I look forward to reading them.
Especially these, I appreciate the descriptions.
How does one tell a good zen teacher from a bad one?
Please explain. Is there any kind of misinformation in the book?
Buddhism IMO works best when you learn it jointly with Hindu philosophy. They're very much the same pool of wisdom.