So this is our 100th post here on Go Beyond Words: The Wisdom Publications Buddhist Blog and to celebrate we wanted to create a place for everyone to share what their favorite Wisdom books are and why. Here is one from Wisdom’s Marketing Director Joe Evans.
“My favorite Wisdom book is The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. It starts with a brilliant explaination of the different Buddhist vehicles and views by the amazing master H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, and finishes with an treasure trove of inspiring life stories of realized practitioners of the Nyingma lineage. For me, this is more than just a book, it is an object of devotion and a constant resource.”
I’d have to say one of the more recent Wisdom books has already become a real favorite of mine: “Saltwater Buddha.” Jaimal Yogis’ clear-eyed account of his spiritual journey on and off the surfboard is insightful and inspiring without being heavy-handed. The parallels drawn between Zen and surfing never seem awkward or stretched. It’s one of the most distinctive, entertaining and helpful examples of the spiritual memoir I’ve ever read. A very attractive and memorable read.
Thanks Eb, Saltwater Buddha is such a fun book. I have a feeling it will be a favorite for quite a few people.
Just one? Not possible. Here’s my must-have’s (in no particular order). None of these will disappoint.
For inspiration, I would say:
– Introduction to Tantra
– Being Nobody, Going Nowhere
– Transforming Problems into Happiness
– Food for the Heart
As literature
– Awesome Nightfall
– Daughters of Emptiness
– When I Find You Again, It Will Be in Mountains
– Available Truth
Great stories
– Novice to Master
– Divine Stories
– Dreaming Me
– Rude Awakenings
– Sons of the Buddha
For getting into a meditative mind
– Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond
– Hermit of Go Cliffs
– Uniting Wisdom and Compassion
– The Attention Revolution
– Never Turn Away
For illuminating the path
– In the Buddha’s Words
– Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand
– Mind in Comfort and Ease
For the scholarly minded
– The Svatantrika-Prasangika Distinction
– The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems
I’m a fan of The Blue Poppy and the Mustard Seed; the writing is beautiful and honest, the subject is moving, and Kathleen Willis Morton’s faith is inspiring.
Hands down, Mindfulness in Plain English. That book changed my life. It’s an incredible read, easy to follow, and it set me on the path. I feel grateful to that book as if it were a teacher in itself.
I also love (not like, but LOVE):
One City
Warrior-King of Shambhala
Pure and Simple
Real Meditation in Minutes a Day
Novice to Master
Money, Sex, War, Karma
How to Be Happy
Dreaming Me
Saltwater Buddha
and Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind
I don’t know if I have one favorite above all others, but the first one that came to mind was Ken Jones’ “The New Social Face of Buddhism: A Call to Action.” I have lots of favorites. Here are some of the others that came to mind:
“The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus” by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
“Engaged Buddhism in the West,” ed. Christopher Queen
“The Best of Inquiring Mind: 25 Years of Dharma, Drama, and Uncommon Insight,” ed. Wes Nisker and Barbara Gates
“Medicine and Compassion: A Tibetan Lama’s Guidance for Caregivers” by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and David R. Shlim
“Everything Yearned For: Manhae’s Poetry of Love and Longing,” tran. Francisca Cho
“Blue Jean Buddha: Voices of Young Buddhists,” ed. Sumi Loundon
“Going on Being: Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and Psychotherapy” by Mark Epstein
“Buddhist Peacework: Creating Cultures of Peace,” ed. David W. Chappell
“Faces of Compassion: Classic Bodhisattva Archetypes & Their Modern Expression” by Taigen Dan Leighton
“Conflict, Culture, Change: Engaged Buddhism in a Globalizing World” by Sulak Sivaraksa
“Meditation for Life” by Martine and Stephen Batchelor
“Buddhism and Psychotherapy Across Cultures: Essays on Theories and Practices,” ed. Mark Unno
“Where the World Does Not Follow: Buddhist China in Picture and Poem” by Mike O’Connor and Steven Johnson
Imagine All the People
A Conversation with the Dalai Lama on Money, Politics, and Life as it Could Be
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Author
Fabien Ouaki, Author
http://wisdompubs.org/Pages/display.lasso?-KeyValue=10&-Token.Action=Search&image=1
Wow! My favorite Wisdom book.
I’d have to agree with Rod.
Mindfulness in Plain English is an amazing book. I use it all the time. I pick it up and just open it to any chapter and I get so much out of it. Whether I read it once or 100 times, it will always be my favorite. I have also recommended it to many friends and have watched how it has transformed their lives.
My second favorite is The Four Noble Truths. Clear, precise, accessible, easy to understand, especially for the novice.
My third right now is 12 Steps on the Buddha’s Path. There is one section in this book that really opened my eyes to some of inner workings of my mind. It gave me a great deal of clarity on the process of thoughts and actions. The connection between the 12 Step programs and Buddhism rings very accurate and true for me.
My favorite book that too few people have read but -everyone- will love:
* Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity
A truly fabulous book of poetry, my favorite ever, with the truly best Dharma-infused love poetry -ever-:
* Everything Yearned For
Other favorites with universal appeal:
* Hardcore Zen (laugh-out-loud funny)
* Saltwater Buddha (brisk, engaging, and wise)
Some of the best-written, most moving books you will ever read:
* Bad Dog!: A Memoir of Love, Beauty, and Redemption in Dark Places
* Pavement: Reflections on Mercy, Activism, and “Doing Nothing” for Peace
* Under One Roof: Making a Home of the Buddha’s Household
Favorite books of deceptively simple but incredibly helpful and memorable and useful Dharma darts:
* Saying Yes to Life (Even the Hard Parts)
* How to Be Happy
(Watch out: These books will kick your butt!)
Dharma to Change the World:
* The Great Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory
Books I frequently Recommend to Dharma students:
* Opening the Hand of Thought
* Mindfulness Yoga
* Focused and Fearless
* Zen Meditation in Plain English
* Buddhism of the Heart
and how did i forget Bhante Gunaratana’s autobiography, Journey to Mindfulness?
The Wisdom book that came immediately to mind for me is a relatively old one – Douglas Penick’s ‘marvellous ‘Warrior Song of King Gesar’.
Not sure it ever got the attention it deserved. I recommended it to a friend a while back, and then discovered it was out of print.
Hopefully there will be a new edition at some point?
David
I feel the same in finding it difficult to choose just one Wisdom Publications book!
Hardcore Zen
How to Be Happy
One City
Nixon Under the Bodhi Tree
You Are Not Here and Other Works of Buddhist Fiction
Transforming Problems into Happiness
(I’m sure I’ll keep coming back to this comments section to add more!)
Thank you everyone for all of your responses.
Your feedback is much appreciated!