Introduction
We come to meditation practice through paths as varied as our own unique life histories; a chance encounter with a book or a talk by an inspiring teacher has opened the door for many. Others, just taking their first steps on the Dharma path, are eager to learn more about the 2600-year multi-continental sweep of the project we call “Buddhism.”
This grand game of telephone begins with Siddhartha Gautama, the historic Buddha, and is first recorded in the vast corpus of the Tripitaka which developed from the sermons ascribed to him by ancient tradition. Centuries of later commentary and philosophic disputation, moments of awakening transmuted into poetry, letters of advice to monastics and lay practitioners, collections of Dharma talks and koans, and modern interpretations of the Dharma adapted for a secular setting make the Buddhist literary heritage amongst largest such collections within the Great Library of the world’s spiritual traditions.
Explore
If you would like to explore this tradition, and are wondering where to begin, our teachers have some suggestions. These sources explore a wide range of topics that may be of interest to aspiring Buddhist practitioners. Much of this material was of fundamental importance to our teachers’ growth as meditators and Dharma practitioners. Select, but comprehensive, our Teachers’ Library draws from a broad range of materials and traditions embodied throughout the entire history of Buddhist practice.
The goal is simple: to assist the Sangha in making skillful use of the great treasures of the Buddhist literary tradition to support, enrich, and illuminate our Dharma practice. We believe that the broad diversity of our ongoing Teachers’ Library project will help sustain belief in the truly boundless opportunities to stretch our wings en route to an authentic, consistent, and full-fledged practice that benefits the larger community just as it accords with each Sangha member’s own unique path to awakening.
Jokai Blackwell Roshi
Moved to bring the heart of realization into the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Long Beach Meditation's Guiding Teacher, Jokai Roshi emphasizes the direct experience of awakening using contemporary language and time-honored methods.
Realizing Genjokoan
Book by Shohaku Okumura
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A marvelously insightful and comprehensive translation and commentary on Dogen Zenji's Genjōkoan (Actualizing the Fundamental Point), a masterpiece of Zen Buddhist writing. I highly recommend this book for students of Zen, and anyone with a keen interest in better understanding the nature of life's mystery.
Appreciate Your Life: The Essence of Zen Practice
Book by Maezumi Roshi, founder of the Yokoji Zen Mountain Center
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A collection of dharma discourses that convey Maezumi Roshi's unique and profound teachings. Founding Abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles and Yokoji Zen Mountain Center, Maezumi Roshi remains a pioneering and seminal influence on Zen Buddhism in the United States and worldwide.
Tao Te Ching
Book by Lao Tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell
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This is a fantastic translation. Stephen Mitchell's illuminating work is a rare gift to dharma practitioners. His background in Zen practice and impressive pedigree as a master translator help inform a wonderfully nuanced and poetic approach to this classic and timeless text.
Zen’s Chinese Heritage
Book by Andy Ferguson
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This book by Andy Ferguson traces twenty-five generations of enlightened Buddhist teachers, supplementing their core teachings with history, biography, and poetry. The result is an intimate and profound human portrait of the enlightened Zen ancients, and an unprecedented look into the depths of the rich cultural heritage.
Tim Colohan JDPSN
Tim is a Senior Dharma Teacher of the Kwan Um School of Zen. He started training in Los Angeles in 1985 and has traveled to Korea for many silent retreats. Tim is Long Beach Meditation's longest serving teacher, sharing the dharma since 2005. He currently teaches at various locations around California.
Dharma Zen Center
“My home temple, the Dharma Zen Center is a wonderful meditation community located in Los Angeles, California.”
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Tim’s home temple, the Dharma Zen Center is a sangha (meditation community) in Los Angeles, CA where they practice formal Zen that came to Korea via China, via India, back to Buddha. Their teachers have done years of formal training, and the students are relaxed but dedicated while looking to make sense of it all.
Kwan Um School of Zen
“My school lineage, The Kwan Um School of Zen offers lots of teachers, resources, essays and more.”
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The Kwam Um practice is, moment by moment, to return to our original nature as it is before thinking arises. The founding teacher, Zen Master Seung Sahn, very simply called it “Don’t Know.” This means, in each moment to open unconditionally to all that presents itself to us, perceive clearly and act with our natural compassion and wisdom to benefit all beings.
The Zen centers of the Kwan Um School of Zen around the world offer training in Zen meditation through meditation instruction, daily morning and evening meditation practice, public talks, teaching interviews, retreats, workshops, and community living.
Dropping Ashes on the Buddha
Book by Zen Master Seung Sahn
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“Somebody comes into the Zen center with a lighted cigarette, walks up to the Buddha statue, blows smoke in its face, and drops ashes on its lap. You are standing there. What can you do?” This is a problem that Zen Master Seung Sahn is fond of posing to his American students. This book is a delightful, irreverent and often hilarious presentation of the Zen teaching method of instant dialogue between Master and student which, through the use of astonishment and paradox, leads to an understanding of ultimate reality.
Only Don’t Know
Book by Zen Master Seung Sahn
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Here is the inimitable Zen Master Seung Sahn up close and personal—in selections from the correspondence that was one of his primary modes of teaching. Sahn received hundreds of letters per month, answering each personality, some of the best of which are included here. In a frank, funny and intimate style he answers questions on Zen teaching and practice, and applies an enlightened approach to problems with work, relationships, suffering, and the teacher-student relationship.
Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits
Book by Martine Batchelor “Helpful exercises and guided meditations designed to build understanding of our negative habits, as well as the confidence and skill needed to change.”...
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When we break free from the habits that limit us, a new world of possibilities opens up. In Let Go, Martine Batchelor leads the way there. Negative patterns of mind may manifest as fear, avoidance, depression, addiction, judgment of self or other, and any of a host of other physical, mental, or psychological forms. Let Go aims at understanding what really lies at the root of these behaviors so we can reclaim control. Each chapter concludes with an exercise or guided meditation as a tool for the reader to work with negative habits in new and creative ways. You don't have to be a Buddhist for them to work. You just need to want to move on.
Buddhism Is Not What You Think: Finding Freedom Beyond Beliefs
Book by Zen Master Steve Hagen
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Buddhism is Not What You Think is a clear, direct, and engaging guide to the most essential elements of spiritual inquiry: attention, intention, honesty with oneself, compassion, and the desire to awaken. A renowned Zen teacher, Steve Hagen offers a valuable hands-on guidebook in which examples from everyday life are presented alongside stories from Buddhist teachers past and present to banish misconceptions and inspire the newcomer and the knowledgeable practitioner alike.
The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving Kindness
Book by Pema Chodron
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It's true, as they say, that we can only love others when we first love ourselves and we can only experience real joy when we stop running from pain. The key to understanding these truisms lies in remaining open to life in all circumstances, and here Pema Chödrön shows us how. Because when we embrace the happiness and suffering, intelligence and confusion that are a natural part of life, we can begin to discover a wellspring of courageous love within our hearts.
The Other Shore
Book by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh “By helping to demystify the term “emptiness,” the Heart Sutra is made more accessible and understandable.”
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A profound and beautiful English translation of the well known Prajñaparamita Heart Sutra. Hahn believed that the patriarch who originally compiled the Heart Sutra was not sufficiently skillful with the Buddha’s use of language to capture the intention of these teachings.
The Way of Tenderness: Awakening Through Race, Sexuality, and Gender
Book by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel “What does liberation mean when I have incarnated in a particular body, with a particular shape, color, and sex?”
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In The Way of Tenderness, Zen priest Zenju Earthlyn Manuel brings Buddhist philosophies of emptiness and appearance to bear on race, sexuality, and gender, using wisdom forged through personal experience and practice to rethink problems of identity and privilege.
America’s Racial Karma: An Invitation to Heal
Book by Dr. Larry Ward PhD
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Immediate, illuminating, and hopeful: In these short reflective essays Zen Buddhist teacher Larry Ward, PhD, offers his insights on the effects of racial constructs, on breaking America's cycle of racial trauma and answers the question: How do we free ourselves from our repeated cycles of anger, denial, bitterness, pain, fear, violence? As an 11-year-old child, Zen Buddhist teacher Larry Ward was shot at by the police for playing baseball in the wrong spot. As an adult his home was firebombed by racists. At Plum Village Monastery in France—the home of peace activist and Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh—Dr. Ward found a way to heal.
Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger
Book by Lama Rod Owens
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Love and Rage weaves the inimitable wisdom and lived experience of Lama Rod Owens with Buddhist philosophy, practical meditation exercises, mindfulness, tantra, pranayama, ancestor practices, energy work, and classical yoga. The result is a book that serves as both a balm and a blueprint for those seeking justice who can feel overwhelmed with anger- and yet who refuse to relent.
Love and Justice are Not Two
Talk by Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams
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Of the Zen tradition, Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams creates space for collective healing by exploring the interconnectedness of love and justice. “Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.” Author, activist, and founder of the Center for Transformative Change, Rev. Angel applies wisdom teachings and embodied practices to environmental and social justice issues.
Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace
Book by Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams
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Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams, Zen priest, social activist, and entrepreneur who grew up facing the challenges that confront African-Americans every day combines the universal wisdom of Buddhism with an inspirational call for self-acceptance and community empowerment in this elegant and practical book. Being Black teaches us how a "warrior spirit" of truth and responsibility can be developed into the foundation for real happiness and personal transformation, offering simple guidelines that invite readers of all faiths to step into the freedom of a life lived with fearlessness and grace.
Wake Up: On the Road with a Zen Master
Documentary featuring Zen Master Seung Sahn “Sueng Sahn was my first teacher and known for his charismatic style and direct presentation of Zen.”
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Seung Sahn was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early Korean Zen masters to settle in the United States, he opened many temples and practice groups across the globe.
Jason Quinn
Talks by Jason Quinn “A favorite young teacher in the Kwan Um School of Zen offering writings, teachings and more.”
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Jason Quinn creates teaching content that is simple, clear, and accessible for anyone interested in Zen practice.
Rupert Spira
Talks by Rupert Spira “A very clear teacher in a Non-Dual tradition, he discuss all aspects. I highly recommend his teachings.”
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Rupert Spira examines all aspects of non-dual understanding from the initial investigation into our essential nature of pure Awareness, to the deeper exploration of consciousness and the separate 'me-feeling' in the body, to the realignment of the mind, body and world with this new understanding.
Richard Miller
Talk by Richard Miller “His Yoga Nidra videos are great. Yoga Nidra is a yogic practice and technique for deep relaxation and stress mitigation.”
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Richard Miller, clinical psychologist, author, researcher and yogic scholar, is the founding president of the Integrative Restoration (iRest) Institute. In this video he discusses the spiritual meaning of the word "home" and what "being home" really means. The word "home" is not as simple as it may seem. While many of us identify with a place or person as being "home" to us, there is a deeper meaning we can each find within.
Dean Sluyter
“A clear and relaxed local teacher. All of Dean Sluyter’s teachings and writings are great.”
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Dean Sluyter has taught natural meditation since 1970 and is known for his relaxed, accessible, down-to-earth style and his message that anyone can meditate. A grateful student of sages in several traditions, Dean has completed numerous pilgrimages and retreats in Asia and the West. He gives talks, workshops, and retreats throughout the United States and beyond, from Ivy League colleges to maximum-security prisons.
Franz Manfredi
Amazed and inspired by the incredible depth and diversity in every tradition of Buddhism, Franz endeavors to share the harmony he sees between them all. Rooted in his ongoing studies of the Suttas, Mahayana, and Dzogchen, Franz’s passion to share the teachings of the Buddha springs from the revolution they have created in his own life.
Buddhism: A Concise Introduction
Book by Huston Smith and Phillip Novak “This book provides a reliable historical, geographical, and religious map of the 2600 year multi continent sweep of Buddhism.”
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A concise and up-to-date guide to the history, teachings, and practice of Buddhism by two luminaries in the field of world religions.
Seeing That Frees: Meditations on Emptiness and Dependent Arising
Book by Rob Burbea “This impacted my practice and understanding of Emptiness more deeply than any other. It’s like falling through the looking glass and finding your way home.” ...
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In this ground-breaking and seminal work, esteemed Buddhist teacher Rob Burbea lays out an original and comprehensive approach to deepening insight. Starting from simple and easily accessible understandings of emptiness, Burbea presents a unique conception of the path along which he escorts the practitioner gradually into ever more mystical levels of insight. Through its precise instructions, illuminating exercises and discussions that address the subtleties of practice and understanding, Seeing That Frees opens up for the committed meditator all the profundity of the Buddha's radical teachings on emptiness.
After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
Book by Stephen Batchelor “A controversial and brilliant Buddhist thinker. His writings heart and sincerity challenges us to examine our assumptions about Buddhism.”
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After Buddhism, the culmination of four decades of study and practice in the Tibetan, Zen, and Theravada traditions, is Bachelor’s attempt to set the record straight about who the Buddha was and what he was trying to teach.
Audio Dharma
“A massive searchable audio database of Dharma talks. You can search by subject by teacher, or even by retreat site, year, and retreat title. It’s wonderful!”
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Audio Dharma is an archive of Dharma talks given by Gil Fronsdal and various guest speakers at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA.
About Loving Kindness
Talk by Rob Burbea “An amazing and brilliant teacher who was taken by cancer. His insights have refined and fueled my journey.”
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The opening talk of a Lovingkindness (Metta) retreat led by Rob that lays out the radical transformative possibilities available to us through the practice of loving kindness.
The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah
Talks by Ajahn Chah “This is a series of the recorded talks of Venerable Ajahn Chah, the famous Thai forest monk and fully awakened being that I love quoting.”
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These are the recordings of the complete collection of all the talks by Ajahn Chah that have been translated into English and are published in ‘The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah’, and read by Ajahn Amaro.
Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization
Book by Bhikkhu Analayo
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This book offers a detailed textual study of the Satipatthana Sutta, the foundational Buddhist discourse on meditation. It will encourage both to scholars of Early Buddhism and to serious meditators alike the same wholesome synthesis of scholarship and practice that underlies the author's own treatment of his subject.
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Film directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinhert “This dizzying delight is probably the most Buddhist movie I’ve ever seen.”
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“This dizzying delight is probably the most Buddhist movie I’ve ever seen. My experience walking away from this movie was that it was secretly produced by the Buddhas as a covert training film to make more Bodhisattvas.
Includes a steady drumbeat of praise for Lovingkindness that ends up saving the day and a defeat of Nihilism as an unhealthy response to an empty boundless universe. Elevates choosing presence in our wondrous precious lives instead of fruitless escapism.” - Franz Manfredi
Barbie
Film directed by Greta Gerwig
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“Centers worldviews, self concepts, and emotional wounds and their healing as primary movers of societal structures, ills, and healing.
Discusses our empowerment and dis-empowerment at the hands of our created symbols. Including the self we create and recreate over and over. Invites us to meet our own precious lives with agency and the freedom to drop any identity that we previously may have thought encapsulated our entire being.” -Franz Manfredi
Cognitive Illusion and Immediate Experience: Perspectives from Buddhist Philosophy
Talk by Dr Jay Garfield
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In this outstanding video, the eminent philosopher and professor of Buddhist studies, Dr. Jay Garfield compares and contrasts various ways of conceiving the self, world, and reality from various philosophical traditions, and how the Buddha’s insights into selflessness skillfully avoid the twin pitfalls of narcissism and nihilism that so characterize our age.
Losing Yourself: How to be a Person without a Self
Talk by Dr. Jay Garfield “Understanding how to be a moral agent in the world, and meeting our responsibilities without falling into self delusion.”
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Jay Garfield investigates one of the most pervasive and pernicious of illusions: the sense that we are selves. How do we come to see ourselves as selfless without falling into a nihilistic view that we don't exist at all, that we have no agency, or no responsibility? The answer is to come to see ourselves as persons. Over four evenings, Jay explored what it is to be a person, but to lack a self, and the understanding of human life and morality that this enables. Part 1 of 3
The Heart Sutra Opens the Door
Talk by James Low Part 1 of 2 “My primary teacher James Low taught this brilliant weekend retreat on the Heart Sutra.”
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Emptiness, space and display: how the Heart Sutra reveals the space of dzogchen. All dharma points to the same inexpressible truth. “A perfect encapsulation of our human condition and how the Buddha and later teachers propose solving it.” - Franz Manfredi
Simply Being
Book by James Low “It presents both a wonderful point of entry for people new to Dzogchen and a ticket to its vast vistas.”
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Simply Being is a collection of texts in the Dzogchen tradition and four excerpts from lectures by James Low.
Rosamaría Segura
Rosamaría is passionate about sharing mindfulness practices in communities with limited exposure to meditation and wellness modalities. She teaches in both Spanish and English in non-profit organizations, public schools, and for people dedicated to socio-economic and environmental justice in the Los Angeles area and Mexico.
We Were Made for These Times
Book by Kaira Jewel Lingo
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In We Were Made for These Times, the extraordinary mindfulness teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo imparts accessible advice on navigating difficult times of transition, drawing on Buddhist teachings on impermanence to help you establish equanimity and resilience.
Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation
Book by Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams, Lama Rod Owens, and Jasmine Syedullah
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Igniting a long-overdue dialogue about how the legacy of racial injustice and white supremacy plays out in society at large and Buddhist communities in particular, this urgent call to action outlines a new dharma that takes into account the ways that racism and privilege prevent our collective awakening. The authors spark a conversation that brings together the Black prophetic tradition and the wisdom of the Dharma. They urge a compassionate response to the systemic, state-sanctioned violence and oppression that has persisted against Black people since the slave era.
World as Lover, World as Self
Book by Joanna Macy “This book highlights the Buddha's teachings on the interconnectedness of all things, with inspiring reflections to mobilize our energies and compassion.”
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This overview of Joanna Macy's innovative work combines deep ecology, general systems theory, and the Buddha's teachings on interdependent co-arising. A blueprint for social change, World as Lover, World as Self shows how we can reverse the destructive attitudes that threaten our world.
The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World
Book by Donald Rothberg “This accessible guidebook offers reflections connecting Buddhist spiritual practice and social action as a path of inner and outer transformation.”
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Skillfully weaving together basic spiritual teachings, real-life examples, social context, and exercises, Rothberg provides a clear, thorough, and compelling guide for those interested in connecting inner and outer transformation. At the core of the book are ten spiritual principles and associated practices that will enable readers to engage all the parts of their lives—whether personal, interpersonal, or political—into a seamless whole.
How Can I Help?
Book by Ram Dass and Paul Gorman “This book speaks of the joy and difficulties associated with different ways of being of service.”
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These stories speak of the joy and difficulties associated with different ways of being of service. It offers Buddhist and spiritual reflections on assisting others, as this can show up in many different ways when helping friends, family, or professionally engaged in the field of being of service.
Kinship With The More Than the Human World
An eight-part podcast and radio series: “When you think about your neighbors, your friends and family, do you consider the nonhuman relationships in your life?”
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When you think about your neighbors, your friends and family, do you consider the nonhuman relationships in your life? This idea of "kinship" with our plant and animal neighbors and the broader ecosystem around us is the focus of this series. Leading scientists, philosophers and writers illuminate ways kinship practices can deepen our care and respect for the more-than-human world.
In various cultures around the world, human identity cannot be separated from our nonhuman kin the landscapes we call home- grasslands, forests, mountains, rivers and oceans. Age-old myths and modern science reinforce these kinship relationships.
Brad Gibson
Brad has been studying Vipassana meditation since 1980, and studied many years in the Tibetan Mahamudra tradition. He is a retired school teacher and spends his time pursuing Buddhist studies, community gardening, and dedicated service to his family and neighbors.
Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation
Book by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield
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In Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, the authors present the central teachings and practices of insight meditation in a clear and personal language. The path of insight meditation is a journey of understanding our bodies, our minds, and our lives, of seeing clearly the true nature of experience.
Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening
Book by Joseph Goldstein
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The mind contains the seeds of its own awakening―seeds that we can cultivate to bring forth the fruits of a life lived consciously. With Mindfulness, Joseph Goldstein shares the wisdom of his four decades of teaching and practice in a book for anyone committed to mindful living and the realization of inner freedom. Goldstein’s source teaching is the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha’s legendary discourse on the four foundations of mindfulness. Exquisite in detail yet wholly accessible and relevant for the modern student, Mindfulness takes us through a profound study.
Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization
Book by Bhikkhu Analayo
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This book offers a detailed textual study of the Satipatthana Sutta, the foundational Buddhist discourse on meditation. It will encourage both to scholars of Early Buddhism and to serious meditators alike the same wholesome synthesis of scholarship and practice that underlies the author's own treatment of his subject.
In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses From the Pali Canon
Book by Bhikkhu Bodhi
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Divided into ten thematic chapters, In the Buddha's Words reveals the full scope of the Buddha's discourses, from family life and marriage to renunciation and the path of insight. A concise, informative introduction precedes each chapter, guiding the reader toward a deeper understanding of the texts that follow.
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Book by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
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Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind has become one of the great modern Zen classics, much beloved, much re-read, and much recommended as the best first book to read on Zen. Suzuki Roshi presents the basics—from the details of posture and breathing in zazen to the perception of nonduality—in a way that is not only remarkably clear, but that also resonates with the joy of insight from the first to the last page. It's a book to come back to time and time again as an inspiration to practice.
The Wings to Awakening
Book by Thanissaro Bhikku
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The Wings to Awakening constitute the Buddha's own list of his most important teachings.
Jampa Kalsang
Jampa has been studying and practicing Dharma since 1994. Taking refuge in 2005 he began formal training in the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Following the advice and example of his teachers, he balances his style of teaching with the focus on view, meditation, and conduct. He maintains this balance in his everyday life with his wife, family, and work.
Working with the Emotions
Book by Lama Jigme Rinpoche “A simple and straightforward manual on how to relate to the emotions by first dealing with emotive causes.”
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Emotions are an inherent component of human beings. They have an undeniable impact in our lives and sometimes make us act in a regrettable manner. Buddhism shows us the methods to “ take back” control from our emotions, and be free of their hold on us. It is a gradual inner change in our mind that will allow us to understand the causes of emotions and how they influence our thoughts, speech, and action, giving us appreciation for the importance of knowing our own true nature.
What Makes You Not a Buddhist
Book by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse “This is a must-have. It deals with the Four Seals of impermanence in a straightforward and humorous manner.”
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With wit and irony, Khyentse urges readers to move beyond the superficial trappings of Buddhism—beyond the romance with beads, incense, or exotic robes—straight to the heart of what the Buddha taught. Khyentse’s provocative, non-traditional approach to Buddhism will resonate with students of all stripes and anyone eager to bring this ancient religious tradition into their twenty-first-century lives.
Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen
Book by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi “One of the first Buddhist books I read was Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Suzuki Roshi. This is a wonderful collection of advice from one of the greats.”...
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Not Always So is based on Shunryu Suzuki's lectures and is framed in his own inimitable, allusive, paradoxical style, rich with unexpected and off–centre insights. Suzuki knew he was dying at the time of the lectures, which gives his thoughts an urgency and focus even sharper than in the earlier book.
The Wisdom
Podcast from Wisdom Publications “A great resource of interviews with contemporary Dharma teachers of all traditions. I highly recommend.”
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The Wisdom Podcast is a Buddhist podcast that features interviews with leading thinkers from the Buddhist world. Each episode takes you on a fascinating exploration of Buddhism and meditation as our guests share stories and discuss life-changing practices, timeless philosophies, and new ways to think and live. Episodes have featured guests like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness the Karmapa, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Robert Thurman, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, and Sharon Salzberg.
EveryBodhi
Podcast with Jampal Norbu “This is one of my favorite podcasts. It focuses on the Lojong, (Mind Training), teachings brought to Tibet by the Indian master, Atisha.”
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How do we navigate our lives in the midst of uncertainty? How do we bring our deepest intentions together with our actions? What is the purpose of spirituality? EveryBodhi is a podcast focused on classic Mahayana Buddhism for the modern meditator. Change is the only consistent thing in our lives. While we don’t always want what comes of change, we can learn to rise and meet the challenge by coming to know ourselves and our minds better. Through conversation with friends, interviews with generous teachers and his own contemplation, our host, Jampal Norbu, shares contemporary insights on ancient wisdom lineages.
The Zen of Everything
Podcast with Jundo Cohen and Kirk McElhearn “A very lighthearted and humorous look at Zen practice and how to implement it into our lives.”
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The Zen of Everything presents a zen take on life, love, laughter, and everything else. With Jundo Cohen, a real zen master, and Kirk McElhearn, a guy who knows a bit about zen.
View, Meditation, Action
Talk by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche “I’ve attended and received many teachings by this wonderful teacher from the Tibetan tradition. Practical, wise, and humorous.”
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View, meditation and action are the 3 components of the buddhist path. The Diamond Sutra states that all conditioned phenomena should be viewed as a dream, as the dew, but this does not mean that life is a dream and does not exist. The buddhist view rests on two truths: relative truth and ultimate truth. What we see is there, but at the same time it is not there. Buddhist action has various characteristics but fundamentally our actions should work against our habitual dualistic patterns and bring us closer to the view.
Peyote vs Shamatha vs Vipassana vs Habanero vs Mariachi vs Mojito
Talk by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche “I’ve attended and received many teachings with Rinpoche, a wonderful and incomparable teacher from the Tibetan tradition.”
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“In this teaching, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche speaks about the buddhist view, practice, attitude and result, as the foundation for the buddhist method – or strategy – to create a shift in our minds. A shift in the way we see things, in our habitual patterns and our values.” - Jampa Kalsang
A Joyful Mind
Documentary by Open Mind Media “This film celebrates the art of meditation and highlights the teachings of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.”
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A Joyful Mind pulls back the curtain on what it means to meditate, on what modern science reveals about its benefits, and on how meditation and mindfulness can be used in workplaces and schools. This groundbreaking film serves to clear up the confusion around meditation perpetuated by the media. It features the experiences of both novice and master meditators, highlighting Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, whose teachings have touched people around the world with their clarity, wit and personal insight into how meditation can have a positive impact on our daily lives.
Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness
Book by Chögyam Trungpa
“The back of this book comes with a warning, "Using this book could be hazardous to your ego!" I've been studying and practicing with this book for many years.”...
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A collection of 59 slogans, with commentary by Chöguam Trungpa, used by Tibetan Buddhist for centuries to help students remember the principles of mind training.
Robert Lurye
Robert loves teaching the ancient wisdom and modern science of mindfulness with playful and compassionate curiosity. He is an artist, educator, and a dedicated meditation and yoga practitioner.
The Noble Eightfold Path
Book by Bhikkhu Bhodi
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The Buddha's teachings center around two basic principles. One is the Four Noble Truths, the problem of suffering, and other is the Noble Eightfold Path, the practical discipline he prescribes to uproot and eliminate the deep underlying causes of suffering. This book offers, a concise yet thorough explanation of the Eightfold Path. The author examines each factor of the path to determine exactly what it implies in the way of practical training. In the concluding chapter, he shows how all eight factors of the path function in unison to bring about the realization of the Buddhist goal: enlightenment and liberation.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and the Horse
Book by Charlie Mackesy “A journey for kids and adults that explores life’s universal lessons, featuring 100 color and black and white drawings.”
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What do you want to be when you grow up?” asked the mole. “Kind,” said the boy. Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book, following the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love. The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages.
The Craving Mind
Book by Judson Brewer
From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love - Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits
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We are all vulnerable to addiction. Whether it's a compulsion to constantly check social media, binge eating, smoking, excessive drinking, or any other behaviors, we may find ourselves uncontrollably repeating. Why are bad habits so hard to overcome? Is there a key to conquering the cravings we know are unhealthy for us?
This book provides groundbreaking answers to the most important questions about addiction. Dr. Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who has studied the science of addictions for 20 years, reveals how we can tap into the very processes that encourage addictive behaviors in order to step out of them. He explains how the practice of mindfulness can interrupt these habits.
Real Happiness: A 28 Day Program to Realize the Power of Meditation
Book by Sharon Salzberg
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This is a complete guide to starting and maintaining a meditation practice. Beginning with the simplest breathing and sitting techniques, and based on three key skills—concentration, mindfulness, and lovingkindness—it’s a practice anyone can do and that can transform our lives by bringing us greater resiliency, creativity, peace, clarity, and balance. Sharon Salzberg is a pioneer in the field of meditation and world-renowned teacher acclaimed for her down-to-earth style.
Deep Diversity: A Compassionate, Scientific Approach to Achieving Racial Justice
Book by Shakil Choudhury
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With clear language and engaging stories, Choudhury explains how and why well-intentioned people can perpetuate systems of oppression, often unconsciously. Using a trauma-informed approach that removes shame or blame, he offers us the tools to recognize, take authentic responsibility, and enact deep change. Choudhury interweaves research into the brain and studies on human behavior with lessons from his career of helping organizations create more inclusive environments. He shares examples of his own bias so readers are encouraged into their own racial justice journey without judgment.
The Mind Like Fire Unbound
Book by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
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Early Buddhism borrowed two of its central terms from the workings of fire. Upadana, or clinging, originally referred to the fuel that kept fire burning; nibbana, the name of the goal, to a fire's going out. This is the first book to examine these terms from the perspective of how the early Buddhists themselves viewed fire--what they saw happening as a fire burned, and what happened to the fire when it went out--to show what light this perspective throws on Buddhist doctrine in general, and the practice of meditation in particular.
Challenge Check-In
Five Part Meditation and Talk Series by Gil Fronsdal “This is a favorite of mine.”
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Gil Fronsdal illustrates how to use the Four Satipatthanas (Body, Feelings, Mental States and Mental Processes) as laboratories and as tools for investing the challenges that arise within our lives. Gil is an authorized teacher in two traditions: the Insight Meditation lineage of Theravada Buddhism of Southeast Asia, and Japanese Soto Zen. He holds a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Stanford.
Fires of the Mind
Talk by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
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A short Dhamma Talk about the Buddha’s teachings on the metaphor Fires of the Mind. These being greed, hatred and delusion as the three fires that must be extinguished.
Hinderances and Assistances
Talk by Gil Fronsdal “I love this five part series of meditations and talks by one of my favorite teachers.”
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In this five part series, Gil examines the traditional five hindrances – five ways that our habitual tendencies block our practice and progress in Meditation, and five ways to work with them. Gil Fronsdal is the senior guiding co-teacher at the Insight Meditation Center (IMC) in Redwood City, California and the Insight Retreat Center in Santa Cruz, California. He started Buddhist practice in 1975, and has been teaching for IMC since 1990. Gil is an authorized teacher in two traditions: the Insight Meditation lineage of Theravada Buddhism of Southeast Asia, and Japanese Soto Zen. He holds a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Stanford.
The Four Noble Truths
Talk by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
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A beautiful and poetic talk by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh given during the Art of Suffering Retreat outlining the 4 noble truths and the nature of inter-being of these Truths.
Unlearning the Ways of the System
Talk by Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams
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“I attended this talk in person at All Saints in Pasadena, It’s a call to "unlearn" the systems within us passed down by the systems of History and American History which she explains. In her words "Unlearning the ways of the system means routing out the domination, aggression and violence we have internalized into our own lives, which are dulling our minds and stopping our ears.” -Robert Luyre
Learning to Respond Not React: A Women’s Guide to Understanding
Talk by Tara Brach
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When stressed, we often react with looping fear-thoughts, feelings and behaviors that cause harm to ourselves and/or others. This talk offers three interrelated strategies that can serve us when we’re triggered by stress, and help us find our way back to our natural wisdom, empathy and wholeness of being. By de-conditioning habitual reactivity, we are increasingly able to respond to our life circumstances in ways that serve healing and awakening.