This is an excellent resource for beginners interested in Zen. I read it later in my studies, but still found the book to be informative. Aitken includes quite a bit of autobiographical information about his own training--sesshins, how he began the Diamond Sangha, experiences with his teacher. I find this an easier and more palatable read to Kapleau's
The Three Pillars of Zen.
Fascinating! In this book, Batchelor reconciles Buddhism with European Existentialism, namely the work of Martin Heidegger and theologian Paul Tillich. It's a short but dense read. Don't let your skepticism get in the way; this is not just another East-meets-West book. It's scholarly and insightful. This is a must read for Batchelor fans. The prose is a bit dry, but well worth it.
I saw this title on the bookshelf at Borders at least a dozen times before I bought it, because it sounded hokey. But boy was I wrong! Batchelor is a Buddhist heavyweight; in fact, his work has probably influenced me more than anyone else's. Batchelor is a controversial figure in Buddhism, in that he doesn't subscribe to the teachings of karma or rebirth. This books demonstrates how that's possible for a Buddhist. No library is complete without this! You MUST read this.
This book traces Batchelor's journey as a Buddhist--from life as a Tibetan and then Korean Zen monk, and then to a Vipassana teacher/writer. Since I listened to many of Batchelor's lectures before I read this, I was familiar with much of the content. I found the second half of the book slow, as Batchelor traces his journey through India in an attempt to piece together the Buddha's life. The biographical picture he paints of Siddhartha Gotoma is fascinating, but a bit mish-moshed in the midst of Batchelor's own story. A good read if you are already interested in Batchelor's work.
This is the first book of Beck's that I read; it was excellent, perhaps the best I have read about Zen. Beck is one tough old lady with a no nonsense approach to Zen practice. I highly recommend this book to anyone--veteran or beginner. What I especially like about Beck's approach is how she demystifies Zen. Zen isn't about some lofty bliss state; it's about being right here right now. Her practice forces us to confront and then accept the hardest koans of all--life koans from our everyday experiences. Anger, frustration, grief, these are materials of Beck's Ordinary Mind Zen. I loved it!
Garfield does an extraordinary job translating and explicating the
Mulamadhyamakakarika, Nargajuna's seminal work. Garfield is an expert in the Buddhist field, yet his prose is clear and lucid, not too scholarly or stuffy. He leads the reader verse by verse through this masterpiece, providing invaluable analysis and explanation. Absolutely stellar work; I highly recommend it!
I'll keep this short.
Mindfulness in Plain English is indispensable. If you haven't read it already, you need to. It's
that good!
Beyond Mindfulness just didn't work for me, probably due to my high expectations after reading
Mindfulness in Plain English. I just found the subject of the four jhanas to be abstract and tiresome. This isn't a shortcoming of the book, as much as it is my own disinterest. Gunatara's first book energized me; this one just left me staring. Not a vital read, if you ask.
Disappointing. After reading
Buddhism Plain and Simple, I picked up this title. It didn't deliver. The book is a series of articles/essays that Hagen previously published, which makes the book feel disjointed. I hate it when writers do that--it's like if I published my blog as a book! Besides the dual meaning in the title, this book doesn't have much to offer. Check out Stephen Batchelor's
Buddhism Without Beliefs instead.
Excellent book. As the title suggests, this is a straightforward explanation of Buddhism. In addition to its easy accessibility and relaxed prose, I really appreciate that Hagen doesn't separate Zen from Buddhism. Too often I find Zen teachers divorcing Zen from Buddhism in general. This book is great primer for people interested in Buddhism; it was one of the first I read.
This is a classic work of the Vietnamese Zen Master. Originally written for his fellow Vietnamese Buddhists, the book teaches us the value of mindfulness. It's a very good book, but I feel if falls a bit short in providing genuine strategies for applying mindfulness in our lives. As an Ordinary Mind student, I prefer Joko Beck's work in that it acknowledges the psychological dimension of practice; Hanh's book, I feel, tends to overlook this area of practice. Where Beck is practical, Hanh is idealistic. Overall, a very useful read though.
I know that
Three Pillars is a Zen classic, but I didn't enjoy it at all. Very early on, Kapleau criticizes Alan Watts, and I guess that put a bad taste in my mouth. I felt the author's tone was condescending and arrogant. The format of the book also didn't work for me: from page 95 on, the book dragged. After that, it's all Yasutani's interviews with ten Western students, Dharma talks, and the Enlightenment experiences of eight students. Read it if you feel the need to, but I think it's completely overrated.
An excellent, down-to-earth approach to Zen practice. Magid blends Buddhist wisdom with modern intelligence and psychoanalytic insights to reveal the heart of the Dharma. As the title suggests, Magid reminds us that Buddha nature isn't a potential/capacity for Awakening, or some mystical third eye experience, but rather who and what we are. The hard part isn't actualizing this, but accepting it. Embracing the moment with all of its imperfections. Magid honors Charlotte Joko Beck, his teacher, and the entire Ordinary Mind school with this book. I highly recommend it!
Magid does an excellent job comparing psychoanalysis and Zen practice. Obviously they're not perfect fits, but he does a very good job of revealing their common ground. He draws upon 30 years of experience in both practices. The book is a bit dense at times with some of the psychological terms, but nothing too difficult. I found his analytical models for the two schools of Zen to be fascinating and revealing: bottom-up (Soto Zen) and top-down (Rinzai). For that alone, the book is worth the price and the read.
Ending the Pursuit of Happiness is definitely the more Zen-oriented, but I recommend both.
I first encountered Okumura in
The Art of Just Sitting, edited by John Daido Loori. I immediately resonated with his writing, and especially his approach to Buddhist practice.
Realizing Genjokoan is a great read for anyone interested in learning about Dogen and the Soto Zen school's perspective on Awakening/practice. Okumura's writing is fresh, lucid, and refreshing. I highly recommend this book. He does a marvelous job unpackig and explicating the first chapter of Dogen's
Shobogenzo, a landmark Zen text that often leaves readers puzzled. After reading this book, I definitely feel more confident to tackle
Shobogenzo in its entirety.
Soeng provides an insightful translation and commentary of this classic Buddhist text. The book does an excellent job of contextualizing the sutra in the Buddhist canon, as well as tracing the development of Mahayana Buddhism. There are two copies of the translation included: one with commentary, and another in its original entirety.
Opening the Hand of Thoughts is a great book about Soto Zen practice. It's short and east to read. The best thing about it is the amount of heart Ochiyama pours into it. You can tell that he truly loves Zen; it comes across on every page. Ochiyama writes with the spirit of a Buddha. The book is repetitive, though, which is the only reason I didn't give it five Buddhas. Well worth the read.
This is a must read for anyone interested in Zen. Watts was not only an authority on Zen, but an excellent writer. Nowadays, anyone with some experience in Zen can write a book, regardless of their writing credentials. Watts, however, is the real deal. He got me into Zen, and for that I am forever grateful. Read this book!
Buddha images borrowed with permission from flicr user: joven12th.
