Favorite Buddhist Books (not Suttas) And Reference Websites

[camerata]

“Money, Sex, War, Karma: Notes For A Buddhist Revolution” By David R Loy

"David Loy's Money, Sex, War, Karma: Notes for a Buddhist Revolution might have a flashy title, but it is a serious and substantial book that poses real challenges to the reader. The book builds on a theme that Loy has working on for several of his last books—namely, that the three poisons are so intricately built into our society (greed in the market economy, anger in the military industrial complex, and delusion in the fame-chasing omnipresent commercial media) that awakening needs to happen in the social as well as the personal realm. This places the book firmly in the realm of Engaged Buddhism. However, its overarching theme concerns how to ensure that the Buddhadharma survives and flourishes in the West. Loy argues with conviction that in order to have relevance in the West, the dharma must find the middle way between its many traditional Asian forms and the contemporary Western feel-good consumerism that characterize much of today's spiritualism."—Buddhadharma

http://www.wisdompub...Sex,+War,+Karma

[sabaijai]

“Money, Sex, War, Karma: Notes For A Buddhist Revolution” By David R Loy

"David Loy's Money, Sex, War, Karma: Notes for a Buddhist Revolution might have a flashy title, but it is a serious and substantial book that poses real challenges to the reader. The book builds on a theme that Loy has working on for several of his last books—namely, that the three poisons are so intricately built into our society (greed in the market economy, anger in the military industrial complex, and delusion in the fame-chasing omnipresent commercial media) that awakening needs to happen in the social as well as the personal realm. This places the book firmly in the realm of Engaged Buddhism. However, its overarching theme concerns how to ensure that the Buddhadharma survives and flourishes in the West. Loy argues with conviction that in order to have relevance in the West, the dharma must find the middle way between its many traditional Asian forms and the contemporary Western feel-good consumerism that characterize much of today's spiritualism."—Buddhadharma

http://www.wisdompub...Sex,+War,+Karma

Have you had a chance to read it yet? Sounds inspiring. One review:

http://www.westernbu...-war-karma.html

I just downloaded the book from Amazon.

[camerata]

Not yet. I hadn't heard of it before I heard that the author would do a talk on the subject in Bangkok.

[lungmi]

I look for the Dhammapada in Thai. I have 11 translations in English, German and French.

But no one in Thailand knows about. I want to give English teaching in a Branch of Suan Mokh Wat in our Province for young monks using the Dhammapada.

Do you have a e-book download for me?

[sabaijai]

A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit

Publication Date: March 27, 2012

In one of the most optimistic books to come out of Washington during these trying times, Congressman Tim Ryan presents us with an inspiring and hopeful view of our country’s future—and a roadmap for how to get there. Across America, people are feeling squeezed, exhausted, and running faster and faster while falling farther behind. The economy continues to struggle, wars rage on, and every week brings news of another environmental disaster. Everything seems broken and people feel helpless to make a difference. Despite this bleak outlook, there are strands of quiet hope and confidence. People are beginning to take action in a new way: they are slowing down, paying attention, and gaining an awareness of the inner resources at their disposal.

This new way is based on the timeless and universal practice of mindfulness, the natural capabilities of our brains and minds, and the core American values of self-reliance, stick-to-it-iveness, and getting the job done. And it’s manifesting in every sector of our society—it’s helping sick people work with their pain, school children improve their learning, veterans heal from trauma, and CEOs become more inclusive and effective leaders. All these benefits—and more—are supported by scientific research on mindfulness that is regularly reported by the mainstream media, such as ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.

In

A Mindful Nation

, Congressman Tim Ryan—an all-American guy from the heartland who is also a thoughtful, committed leader—takes this story about the benefits of mindfulness to the next level. He connects the dots between what’s happening with mindfulness in the classrooms, hospitals, boardrooms, research labs, and army bases across the country by sharing his interactions with experts in education, defense, health care, criminal justice, and the environment.

A Mindful Nation

paints a picture of emerging solutions that both benefit the reader

and

address the societal difficulties we are facing. Ryan’s folksy, warm, and encouraging voice uplifts us and shows that there

is

something we can do right here and right now to help ourselves and our country.

Both inspiring and pragmatic,

A Mindful Nation

shows how the benefits of mindfulness apply to the current challenges that affect each of us in our own lives and in our communities, and thus have implications for our society as a whole. With a hard-nosed understanding of politics, government budgets, and what it takes to get something done, Ryan connects a practical approach—lead with the science, show the savings

and

show how this can help us educate our children to be competitive in the world arena—with a hopeful vision for how mindfulness can reinvigorate our core American values and transform and revitalize our communities.

http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Nation-Practice-Performance-Recapture/dp/1401939295

[lungmi]

http://www.cambridge.org/aus/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9781107003880

The book about Buddhist Funeral Rituals in Asia.

My son was involved.

[BuddhistVirus]

What Makes you Not a Buddhist - Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse

[camerata]

You can find a review of The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk on New Mandala, an even longer one in pdf format here, and the book itself on Google Books.

[sabaijai]

You can find a review of The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk on New Mandala, an even longer one in pdf format here, and the book itself on Google Books.

Very interesting and thorough review. White is very critical of McDaniel's basic thesis. Perhaps he should write his own book

I've downloaded the book to my Kindle and look forward to reading it.

[camerata]

The Island - An Anthology of the Buddha's Teachings on Nibbana, by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro.

[fabianfred]

http://www.forestdhamma.org/books/english/#mae_chee_kaew

[camerata]

Wow. Available in mobi (Kindle) format too.

[Para]

Wow. Available in mobi (Kindle) format too.

Camerata you know I am always happy to convert pdf's to mobi's for you just as long as you don't mind the splattering of random Chinese characters!

Good find Fabianfred thank you.

[hookedondhamma]

There's a book by Luang Ta Maha Bua where he talks about this, though he speaks from the p.o.v of a forest monk, so it may sound blunt to some.

I believe this is in the excellent biography of Ajahn Man, although it could be in Patipada. The relics of Ajahn Man can be seen in a building that looks like a Christian church at Wat Pa Sutthawat in Sakhon Nakhon.

I can't remember which one - lol, sanya ... both books are wonderful - especially Patipada. Anyone interested in the ways of the Dhutanga monks spanning from Luang Sao and Mun onwards would more than likely enjoy it. It was given to me by a monk who stays at the temple of the translator of the book mentioned above. It gave a a restored sense of well-being and encouragement during my first pansaa. Anywhere I went, there it was, in my bowl.

[fabianfred]

Patipatta and other books by the author of this one..plus others about Maha Boowa are on the site linked to above in the first post.

[camerata]

The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah (three volumes in one) and other books are available free in epub and mobi format at forestsangha.com.

[uptheos]

The Miracle of Mindfulness - Thich Nhat Hanh

Siddhartha = Herman Hesse

[Hugo6]

not Thai related but practical western books on zen buddhism :

joko beck, "everyday zen", and "nothing special".

[tfc]

Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond by Achaan Brahm.

Wings to awakening by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

[lungmi]

http://www.watnyanaves.net/newweb/en/book_detail/578

Download it and you have a good instruction to stop wasting your time on the sidewalks.

[atlbravosfan]

Understanding Our Mind by Thich Nhat Hanh... easily one of the most powerful books I have ever picked up.

[Xangsamhua]

not Thai related but practical western books on zen buddhism :

joko beck, "everyday zen", and "nothing special".

Charlotte Joko Beck (1917 - 2011) was a fine, very down to earth, teacher. These two books are well worth reading.

[Hugo6]

not Thai related but practical western books on zen buddhism :

joko beck, "everyday zen", and "nothing special".

Charlotte Joko Beck (1917 - 2011) was a fine, very down to earth, teacher. These two books are well worth reading.

agree. she was influenced from buddhism in japan if i recall correctly.

interestingly enough, one of the more well-known monks in thailand (sorry, don't have his reference at hand and can never remember the thai monks names) is teaching a more "back to the basics" buddhim and refers several times to buddhism as it exists in japan/china which is (apparently) less ceremony & tradition and more direct experience and teaching about enlightenment. joke beck definitely strives for the latter.

[sabaijai]

Waking Up to What You Do

A Zen Practice for Meeting Every Situation with Intelligence and Compassion

By Diane Eshin Rizzetto

http://www.wakingupt...o.com/index.htm

[sabaijai]

One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

by Joseph Goldstein

Amazon.com Review

Insight Meditation cofounder Joseph Goldstein ponders the possibility that all Buddhist teachings could be distilled into One Dharma. As Buddhism continues to grow in the West, Goldstein shows us the value of uniting this movement rather than allowing it to become fractured by its subtle differences. He does not advocate a watering down or mixing up of the various traditions. Rather, "We can practice each of them in its own integrity and come to a genuine depth of understanding." Readers who are wary of a scholarly analysis of Buddhist nuances need not worry. Goldstein (The Experience of Insight) relies on personal anecdotes and accessible language to explore the common themes in all Buddhist teachings. Though purists will no doubt quibble, Goldstein believes that following one Dharma is the way the West will be won, weaving together the methods of mindfulness, the motivation of compassion, and the liberating wisdom of nonclinging. "These three pillars--mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom--are not Indian or Burmese, Japanese or Tibetan; they are qualities in our own minds." --Gail Hudson

From Library Journal

Separated by time and space, the several traditions of Buddhism and their many internal variations grew from the Buddha's original teachings into disparate systems of practice on the path to liberation. Having himself confronted these discrepancies, Goldstein, a highly respected teacher of meditation, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, and widely read coauthor (with Jack Kornfield) of Seeking the Heart of Wisdom and The Path of Insight Meditation, seeks here to define the One Dharma "the essential point common to all the teachings." To this end, he reviews the development of Buddhist traditions and explores various meanings of nirvana, liberation, lovingkindness, and other concepts as viewed primarily from Theravada, Tibetan, and Zen perspectives. Novices to Buddhist literature will find these teachings made accessible by a clear, simple eloquence and enlivened by anecdotes from Goldstein's personal spiritual journey. More experienced seekers will discover an excellent overview and a useful lead-in to David Brazier's The New Buddhism. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries. James R. Kuhlman, Univ. of North Carolina Lib., Asheville
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Brimming with wisdom and compassion, One Dharma offers a brilliant map of the spiritual path.”

About the Author

Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where he is one of the resident guiding teachers. He is the author of The Experience of Insight and Insight Meditation and has coauthored books with both Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. He has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet. He lectures and leads retreats around the world.

http://www.amazon.com/One-Dharma-Emerging-Western-Buddhism/product-reviews/0062517015/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

[fabianfred]

A great personal story of a guy who did the hippy scene and drugs but describes his progress through dhamma and meditation ....

http://archive.org/stream/OneNightsShelter/OneNightsShelter-Ven.Rahula_djvu.txt

[sabaijai]

'Warner stage dives into the Sam Harris, Karen Armstrong, Christopher Hitchens mosh pit of the God or no God debate--and body surfs up with a typically provocative perspective. The fact that the book's title is Warner's mis-remembrance of a Zen monk's quote is emblematic of his profoundly engaging and idiosyncratic take on the ineffable power of the "ground of all being."'

Available June 11, 2013

http://www.amazon.com/There-Is-God-Always-You/dp/1608681831

[hyls]

I'm looking for the following book, but don't know where to get (or bucha) a printed copy:

The Biography of the Venerable Phra Acharn Mun Bhuridatta Thera
A Spiritual Biography by Acariya Maha Boowa Ñjanasampanno

Who can help me with this?

[hyls]

No-one?

[camerata]

You can download it in PDF form from Ajahn Boowa's website: http://www.luangta.com/english/site/books.php

I doubt you'll find a pre-printed copy these days but you could try emailing the temple.