The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times


Pema Chödrön - 2001
    Here Pema provides the tools to deal with the problems and difficulties that life throws our way. This wisdom is always available to us, she teaches, but we usually block it with habitual patterns rooted in fear. Beyond that fear lies a state of openheartedness and tenderness. This book teaches us how to awaken our basic goodness and connect with others, to accept ourselves and others complete with faults and imperfections, and to stay in the present moment by seeing through the strategies of ego that cause us to resist life as it is.

It Came from Beyond Zen!: More Practical Advice from Dogen, Japan's Greatest Zen Master -- Vol. 2 of a Radical But Reverent Paraphrasing of Dogen's Treasury of the True Dharma Eye


Brad Warner - 2017
    That man was the Zen monk Eihei Dogen. For centuries his main work, the Shōbōgenzō, languished in obscurity, locked away in remote monasteries until scholars rediscovered it in the twentieth century. What took so long? In Brad Warner's view, Dogen was too ahead of his time to find an appreciative audience. As Warner writes, "He understood aspects of human nature that we take for granted today but that there weren't even words for in his time." In order to bring Dogen's work to a bigger audience in the West, Warner began paraphrasing the Shōbōgenzō, recasting it in simple, everyday language. The first part of this project resulted in Don't Be a Jerk, and now Warner presents this follow-up volume, It Came from Beyond Zen. Once again, Warner uses humor and pop-culture references to bridge the gap between past and present, making Dogen's words clearer and more relevant than ever before.

Untangling Self: A Buddhist Investigation of Who We Really Are


Andrew Olendzki - 2016
    His writing is sophisticated and engaged, filled with memorable imagery and insight drawn from decades of study, reflection, and meditation on Buddhist teachings. Seasoned Buddhist readers and anyone interested in the intellectual heart of Buddhism will find this collection of fascinating essays rewarding.

What Is Love? A Simple Guide to Romantic Happiness


Taro Gold - 2003
    Presents practical, Buddhist-based guidelines to achieving happiness in romantic relationships through a series of inspirational quotes complemented by thematic watercolors and divided into three sections that explore the concepts of illusion, reality, and life.

The Way of Effortless Mindfulness: A Revolutionary Guide for Living an Awakened Life


Loch Kelly - 2019
    . . that can liberate our lives with meaning, connection, and clarity. What a beautiful book!” —Daniel J. Siegel, MD, author of Aware   What if you could open into a natural flow of wisdom, compassion, and joy in any moment? According to renowned meditation teacher Loch Kelly, this possibility is closer than you think. Whether you’re an experienced meditator or are new to mindfulness practice, The Way of Effortless Mindfulness offers a new and effective approach to awakening and healing.   Loch teaches “effortless mindfulness,” an advanced yet simple form of mindfulness that can liberate the deepest levels of suffering. Effortless mindfulness immediately introduces you to your awake, loving nature. By making a small initial effort of “unhooking” awareness from chattering thoughts, you can begin the journey home.   Here you will learn: How to shift out of thought and into your awake, loving nature The different approaches of effortless mindfulness and deliberate mindfulness Unique methods to liberate difficult mental and emotional states Mindful glimpses (micro-meditations) that can be done at any time with eyes open A contemporary version of ancient methods to navigate your consciousness Effective practices drawn from ancient wisdom, contemporary neuroscience, and psychotherapy How to make the "you-turn" from small self to no-self to true Self The Five Foundations of Effortless Mindfulness How to learn to return and train to remain in an awake, compassionate flow How to avoid the pitfalls to embodying awakening   This reader-friendly guide is filled with innovative practices designed to give you small glimpses of your awake, loving nature. The Way of Effortless Mindfulness shows that awakening is not only possible, but is also available in the midst of your daily life.

Satipatthana Meditation: A Practice Guide


Bhikkhu Anālayo - 2018
    With mindfulness being so widely taught, there is a need for a clear-sighted and experience-based guide. Analayo provides it.

Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body


Daniel Goleman - 2017
    Unveiling here the kind of cutting-edge research that has made them giants in their fields, Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson show us the truth about what meditation can really do for us, as well as exactly how to get the most out of it.Sweeping away common misconceptions and neuromythology to open readers' eyes to the ways data has been distorted to sell mind-training methods, the authors demonstrate that beyond the pleasant states mental exercises can produce, the real payoffs are the lasting personality traits that can result. But short daily doses will not get us to the highest level of lasting positive change--even if we continue for years--without specific additions. More than sheer hours, we need smart practice, including crucial ingredients such as targeted feedback from a master teacher and a more spacious, less attached view of the self, all of which are missing in widespread versions of mind training. The authors also reveal the latest data from Davidson's own lab that point to a new methodology for developing a broader array of mind-training methods with larger implications for how we can derive the greatest benefits from the practice.Exciting, compelling, and grounded in new research, this is one of those rare books that has the power to change us at the deepest level.

Practical Insight Meditation


Mahasi Sayadaw - 1971
    

Freedom from the Known


Jiddu Krishnamurti - 1969
    Krishnamurti shows how people can free themselves radically and immediately from the tyranny of the expected, no matter what their age--opening the door to transforming society and their relationships.

Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening


Joseph Goldstein - 2013
    With Mindfulness, Joseph Goldstein shares the wisdom of his four decades of teaching and practice in a book that will serve as a lifelong companion 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 that became the basis for the many types of Vipassana (or insight meditation) found today. Exquisite in detail yet wholly accessible and relevant for the modern student, Mindfulness takes us through a profound study of: Ardency, clear knowing, mindfulness, and concentration--how to develop these four qualities of mind essential for walking the path wiselyThe Satipatthana refrain--how deeply contemplating the four foundations of mindfulness opens us to bare knowing and continuity of mindfulnessMindfulness of the body, including the breath, postures, activities, and physical characteristicsMindfulness of feelings--how the experience of our sense perceptions influences our inner and outer worldsMindfulness of mind--learning to recognize skillful and unskillful states of mind and thoughtMindfulness of dhammas (or categories of experience), including the Five Hindrances, the Six Sense Spheres, the Seven Factors of Awakening, and much more"There is a wealth of meaning and nuance in the experience of mindfulness that can enrich our lives in unimagined ways," writes Goldstein. In Mindfulness you have the tools to mine these riches for yourself.

Sit. Stay. Heal.: How Meditation Changed My Mind, Grew My Heart, and Saved My Ass


Spike Gillespie - 2015
    It traces my journey from a brutal Depression in 2012 to some amazing healing over the course of 2013 through a dedicated daily meditation practice. It also includes Twelve Lessons for those of you who wish to get a meditation practice started without tracking down a guru, without converting to a particular religion, and without investing in $500 yoga pants. All you need is your ass, your lungs, and a desire to try.

Meaningful to Behold: The Bodhisattva's Way of Life


Kelsang Gyatso - 1980
    Many people have the compassionate wish to benefit others, but few understand how to make this wish effective in daily life. In this explanation of the Buddhist classic Guide to Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Gelshe Kelsang shows how we can develop and maintain the supremely compassionate motivation of a Bodhisattva, and how we can then engage in the actual practices that provide the greatest benefits to others and lead to the attainment of full enlightenment.

The Pocket Chogyam Trungpa


Chögyam Trungpa - 2008
    Here is a treasury of 108 short teachings by Chogyam Trungpa, one of the most influential Buddhist teachers of our time. Pithy and immediate, these teachings address a range of topics, including fear and fearlessness, accepting our imperfections, developing confidence, helping others, appreciating our basic goodness, and everyday life as a spiritual path. This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series. The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Meditators


Guy Armstrong - 2017
    In fact, emptiness points to something quite different than “nothingness” or “vacancy.” And by developing a richer understanding of this complex topic, we can experience freedom as we live consciously in the world. Guy Armstrong has been a leading figure and beloved teacher of insight meditation for decades. In this book, he makes difficult Buddhist topics easy to understand, weaving together Theravada and Mahayana teachings on emptiness to show how we can liberate our minds and manifest compassion in our lives.

The Lotus Still Blooms: Sacred Buddhist Teachings for the Western Mind


Joan Gattuso - 2008
    Eastern wisdom traditions are often baffling for Western minds – where to begin in uncovering the often complicated steps, precepts, concepts and ideas? Aimed at people who are curious about Buddhism and want a basic book that will help them to understand – and apply – Buddhist principles in their life, The Lotus Still Blooms is a practical book that goes through all of the major Buddhist principles, step-by-step, and then shows how to apply them to our busy, hectic lives. Filled with Joan Gattuso’s trademark delightful stories and warmth, as well as exercises to help readers begin using the principles right away, this is a book that will be a welcomed new introduction to this exciting spiritual tradition.