I should start this post with admitting that I am not a practicing Buddhist so my recommendations may appeal more to the uninitiated or the newly initiated souls seeking enlightenment in their lives. I have read these books as a part of my own journey to find a balance in my spiritual life and to [...]
Best books about Buddhism
These are my personal reviews of some of the best books about Buddhism you’ll find.
This book brings tears to my eyes. Not because it’s sentimental, not because it’s Zen, but because reading this book reminds me of my own teacher. That’s quite an accomplishment: writing about a spiritual teacher in a way that brings to life the relationship between student and teacher – which is where the real work [...]
Guided meditation is probably the most accessible type of meditation for beginners out there. After all: all one has to do is listen. The voice of the meditation instructor will help you get back to the meditation when your mind wanders (which it will). However, Thubten Chodron’s guided meditations may not fit your idea of [...]
Sometimes books come just at the right time. When the Chocolate Runs Out by Lama Yeshe was given to me as a ‘refuge‘ gift. Yes, I’m now officially a Buddhist. When the Chocolate Runs Out, by Lama Thubten Yeshe is the kind of book we’ve come to expect from Buddhist spiritual teachers: deep practical psychology, [...]
I honestly did not look forward to reading this book. What do work, sex and money have to do with spirituality? On glancing through the book in ebook form that impression did not improve much. However, when I started reading the physical book, it gripped me. And I really don’t know what I was thinking. [...]
Golly, how do to review such a classic… The book is like a koan itself. It’s a beginner’s guide to meditation as well as a whole new approach TO meditation. Well, it was 40 years ago. Now it is, as I said, a classic. It was the first successful way to turn Western Buddhism into [...]
Happiness, that illusive quality, has become the subject of lots of books lately. I’ve been given several by hopeful publishers lately… hopeful that I’d review them. Well, this one is worth the review for sure. I could start at the beginning, but I think this quote from p. 100, halfway through, is perhaps a more [...]
This was a tough book to review. As I read it, I was constantly puzzled at who the intended audience was, and what the aim was. I conclude it’s an overview of the Buddhist path. As it’s based on lectures Dzogchen Ponlop gave to his students, it is – unlike what one might think at [...]
There is zen and there is Zen. There is Zen Buddhism, and then there is Zen Buddhism. That may sound like a Zen koan, but the point is that Zen comes in many flavors an shapes. There’s the Zen of Zen gardens, the Zen of direct enlightenment without reference to tradition, and there’s the Zen [...]
I got ‘Goddesses of the celestial gallery’ for my birthday (2010). It was quite a chore to take it home: it’s almost as tall as the desk I’m sitting on (see image below)! (aka Poster size) Romio Shrestha portrays the main Tibetan Buddhist Goddesses (and a few Hindu ones) in dazzling colors that are meditative [...]