suggested reading

Introducing Buddhism Course

Tutor - Mike Horne

Suggested Reading

When I became interested in Buddhism in the 1970s there were not many books available about Buddhism and Zen. Most of those were by Christmas Humphreys and S T Suzuki and I must admit that I found them a bit scholarly. There were also translations of scriptures by Edward Conze and the language was again a little old fashioned. But then the original scriptures can be very repetitative so literal translations appear strange to the modern westerner.

Any list of suggeted reading is going to be subjective; just because I like a book it does not necessarilly mean you will too! Because I am a bit dyslexic, I prefer books that are in a modern informal style, with short chapters and practical advice. You might prefer something more scholarly or complicated.

These days there are a much wider selection of books about Buddhism or of teachings by Buddhists (and there is a difference between the two in my mind).

Here are some books that I think are good for beginners:

Teach Yourself Buddhism. Erricker C, 1995. 188pp. Hodder & Stoughton.

An excellent overview of Buddhism, including the basic concepts, different schools of Buddhism, and modern day practice in the U.K.

Buddha - a beginner's guide. Stokes G, 2000. 90pp. Hodder and Stoughton isbn 0-340-78042-8

A concise life story of the historical Buddha and his teachings mainly from the older Pali Cannon. It covers the central basic concepts common to all forms of Buddhism but not later developments. Nicely laid out with boxes for Keywords.

101 Key ideas - Buddhism. Thompson M, 2000. Hodder and Stoughton. 101 pp. Isbn 0-340-78028-2

A really handy guide to the key concepts of Buddhism. I really like some of the explanations and wish I could have written them! Does get a little confusing because it tries to cover all schools of Buddhism, which sometimes disagree on the meaning of certain terms.

Tibetan Buddhism, Hodge S, 1999. Piatkus Books. Isbn 0749918675.

I must admit that I find it hard to get my head around Tibetan Buddhism - but this book helped me! It is readable and explains things to the non-follower. Tibetan Buddhism contains secret teachings and initiations which are complicated and considered dangerous in the wrong hands. There has always been a debate on whether these should be published. This book explains the situation nicely.

Priciples of Zen by Martine Batchelor, 1999.Thorsens. isbn 0722536720

A nice introduction to Zen, unusually with an emphasis on Son, the Korean form of Zen. It explains the origins of Zen, meditation, Koans, differnt forms of Zen, retreats, etc. There is enough information for those who are curious, without expecting the reader to give it a try for themselves. Also contains the Ten Oxhearding Pictures and a good list of contact addresses.

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. Suzuki S, 1970. Weatherhill, New York. 142pp. Also available on cassette.

A very popular book, very readable. Simple clear advice on Zen practice, in short chapters, which suits my attention span! Often quoted. But there is a slight these days because some people think that the catchy quotes are sometimes used out of context. I think it is the only book he wrote, but now there are some transcripts of his being published

Anything written by the present Dalai Lama.

His Holiness's writings are often very clear, practical and non-sectarian. Some of the books are about Tibetan Buddhism.

Anything written by Thich Nhat Han.

I like his writings - they are simple, practical and do not push Buddhism on you. I came across some of his work in Peace News before he became popular, and thought he was a Theravada monk for years then I discovered he is from the Vietnamese Zen tradition. Not to everyone's taste though - some people think that it is a bit too simple or syrupy.