A Buddhist Reading List

John Crook

Compiled 2000, minor updating 2004

This reading list is for the guidance of those wishing to acquire a relatively comprehensive understanding of Buddhism, its past and its future in a global world. Naturally any choices from the vast literature available merely reflect a given individual's preferences. These are books that I have personally found useful. If you begin with these then you will soon go on to make your own reading personally creative.

The introductory list is intended for those attending retreats for the first time. The other lists are for those who want to study an issue in greater depth. All works are readably accessible for anyone with a O/A level education although naturally some texts are more demanding than others.

* A few of the more demanding, academic items are asterisked but many of these are important if you wish to gain a deeper perspective and some are difficult only in part.

The majority of these books are or will be available for consultation in the Maenllwyd Library. Arrangements for a study or reading retreat for fellows may be possible on request. Books may however NOT be borrowed nor taken from the library under any circumstances. A number of the titles listed have been contributed to the library only through kind donations from fellows. Most of the works stem from my own collection.

Obtaining Books

Books from more obscure publishers in print are often available from Amazon.co.uk or Wisdom Books. Some titles have been republished by other publishers.

Hyperlinks

Most titles below have hyperlinks to Amazon or other sellers. These are provided for your convenience, but before purchasing please take a moment to check that the link has taken you to the correct item and the correct edition - some of the referenced books are out of print and the link may take you to a different edition or even a different book.

Sections of the Reading List

• Introductory Reading for Beginners in Chan & Zen
• Study Texts in Indian Buddhism and Theravada
• Chan and Zen
  • Further Studies and More Advanced Reading
  • Koan Manuals etc
• Tibetan Buddhism
• Buddhist History and Contemporary Culture
• Philosophy, Psychology and Modern Issues
• Some Sutras and Classics in English
• Introductory Books for Children
• Maenllwyd Library

Introductory Reading for Beginners in Chan & Zen

• Batchelor, M. 1998.
  Principles of Zen
  Thorsons. London.
• Beck, C. J., 1989.
  Everyday Zen
  Harper. San Francisco.
• Cleary, T.
  Instant Zen
  North Atlantic Books, Berkeley.
• Crook, J.H. (ed) 1991.
  Catching a Feather on a Fan
  Element. Shaftesbury.
• Shengyen, Master. 2002.
  Illuminating Silence: The Practice of Chinese Zen
  Watkins. London.
• Humphreys, C. 1949.
  Zen Buddhism
  Heinemann. London.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. 1994.
  Wherever You Go There You Are
  Hyperion. New York.
• Kapleau, P. 1965.
  The Three Pillars of Zen
  Beacon Press. Boston.
• Kennet, Roshi J. 1972.
  Selling Water by the River
  Random House. London (reissued as
  Zen is Eternal Life)
  
• Kukushi, M. 1996.
  Dream Conversations on Buddhism and Zen
  Shambhala. Boston/London.
• Lu Kuan Yu 1960 et seq.
  Chan and Zen Teachings Series 1, Series 2, Series 3
  
• Sheng Yen, Master. 1982.
  Getting the Buddha Mind
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Sheng Yen, Master.
  Dharma Drum, The Life and Heart of Chan Practice
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Stevens, J. 1993.
  Three Zen Masters
  Kodansha International. Tokyo/London.
• Suzuki, S. 1970.
  Zen Mind, Beginners Mind
  Weatherhill. New York/Tokyo.
• Thich Nhat Hanh. 1974.
  Zen Keys
  Anchor. New York.
• Uchiyama, Roshi K. 1973.
  Approach to Zen
  Japan Publications Inc. Tokyo.
• Watts, A. 1957.
  The Way of Zen
  Thames and Hudson. London.

Study Texts in Indian Buddhism and Theravada

• Bunnag, J. 1973.
  Buddhist Monk, Buddhist Layman: A study of Urban Monastic Organisation in Central Thailand
  Cambridge University Press.
• Carrithers, M. 1983.
  The Buddha
  Oxford Paperbacks.
• Dutt, S. 1962, 1988.
  Buddhist Monks and Monasteries of India
  Motilal Banarsidass. Delhi.
• Gombrich, R. 1988.
  Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Banaras to Modern Colombo
  RKP. London.
• Humphreys, C.
  Buddhism
  Penguin. London.
• Ling, T. 1976.
  The Buddha
  Pelican. Penguin Books. London.
• Ling, T. 1981.
  The Buddha's Philosophy of Man
  Early Indian Buddhist Dialogues. Everyman. London.
• Nyanaponika, Thera and Hecker, H. 1997.
  Great Disciples of the Buddha
  Wisdom Books. Boston/London.

Chan and Zen

Further Studies and More Advanced Reading

• Blofeld, J. 1958.
  The Zen Teaching of Huang Po
  Buddhist Society, London.
• Blofeld, J.1962.
  The Zen Teaching of Instantaneous Awakening (Hui Hai)
  Buddhist Publishing Group. Leicester.
• Braverman, A. 1989.
  Mud and Water. A collection of talks by the Zen Master Bassui
  North Point. San Francisco.
• * Buswell, R. E. 1983.
  The Korean Approach to Zen: The collected works of Chinul
  University of Hawaii Press. Honolulu.
• Buswell, R.E.1992.
  The Zen Monastic Experience
  U.P. Princeton.
• Chang, G.C.C. 1972.
  The Buddhist Teaching of Totality: the Philosophy of Hwa Yen Buddhism
  Allen and Unwin. London.
• Cleary, T. 1997.
  The Five Houses of Zen
  Shambhala. Boston/London.
• Leighten,T.D. and Yi Wu. 1991.
  Cultivating the Empty Field. The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi
  North Point. San Francisco.
• * Dumoulin, H. 1979.
  Zen Enlightenment, Origins and Meaning
  Weatherhill. New York/Tokyo.
• * Holmes Welch, 1967.
  The Practice of Chinese Buddhism 1900-1950
  Harvard U.P. Cambridge, Mass.
• Kasulis, T.P. 1981.
  Zen Action-Zen Person
  University of Hawaii Press. Honolulu.
• Kraft, K. (ed) 1988.
  Zen Tradition and Transition
  Rider. London.
• Leggett, T. 1978.
  Zen and the Ways
  Routledge and Kegan Paul. London.
• Loori, J.D. 1999.
  Teachings of the Insentient
  Dharma Communications. Mt Tremper, NY.
• * Lu Kuan Yu. 1964.
  The Secrets of Chinese Meditation
  Rider. London.
• * Nishiyama, K. and J. Stevens.
  Dogen Zenji: Shobogenzo. The Eye and Treasury of the True Law, Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4
  4 vols. Nakayama Shobo. Tokyo.
• Schloegl, I. 1975.
  The Wisdom of the Zen Masters
  Sheldon. London.
• Schloegl, I. 1976.
  The Zen Teaching of Rinzai
  Shambhala. Berkeley.
• Sekida, K. 1975.
  Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy
  Weatherhill. New York /Tokyo.
• Shengyen, Master. 1987.
  Faith in Mind: a Guide to Chan Practice
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Shengyen, Master. 1988
  Ox-herding at Morgan's Bay
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Shengyen, Master. 1991
  The Infinite Mirror: Ts'ao-Tung Ch'an: Commentaries on Inquiry into Matching Halves and Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• * Shengyen, Master. 1997
  Complete Enlightenment
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Shengyen, Master. 1999
  Subtle Wisdom: Understanding Suffering, Cultivating Compassion Through Chan Buddhism
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Shengyen, Master. 2002.
  There Is No Suffering: A Commentary on the Heart Sutra
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• ShengYen, Master. 2002.
  Zen Wisdom: Conversations on Buddhism with Chan Master Shengyen
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Shengyen, Master. 2002.
  The Sword of Wisdom
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Shengyen, Master. 2002.
  Hoofprint of the Ox: Principles of the Chan Buddhist Path as Taught by a Modern Chinese Master
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Shengyen, Master. 2005.
  Song of Mind: Wisdom from the Zen Classic Xin Ming
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• * Suzuki, D.T. 1949-53.
  Essays in Zen Buddhism
  Three Series. Rider. London.
• Victoria, B. 1997.
  Zen at War
  Weatherhill. New York/Tokyo.
• Waddell, N. 1996.
  Zen Words for the Heart: Hakuin's commentary on the Heart Sutra
  Shambhala. Boston/London.

Koan Manuals etc

• Sheng Yen, Master. 1987.
  The Poetry of Enlightenment
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• * Cleary, T. 1990.
  The Book of Serenity: One hundred Zen Dialogues
  Lindisfarne. New York.
• * Shaw, R.D.M. 1961
  The Blue Cliff Records, The Hekigan Roku
  Michael Joseph. London.

Tibetan Buddhism

• Chang, G.C.C. 1970.
  The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa
  Harper Colophon. New York/London.
• Chang, G.C.C. 1963.
  Six Yogas of Naropa and Teachings on Mahamudra
  Snow Lion. New York.
• * Cozort. D. 1986.
  Highest Yoga Tantra: An Introduction to the Esoteric Buddhism of Tibet
  Snow Lion, New York.
• Crook, J and Low, J. 1997.
  The Yogins of Ladakh
  Motilal Banarsidas. Delhi.
• David-Neel, A. 1967.
  Magic and Mystery in Tibet
  Souvenir Press. London.
• Gyatso, P. 1997.
  Fire Under the Snow. Testimony of a Tibetan Prisoner
  Harvil. London.
• Harrer, H. 1953.
  Seven Years in Tibet
  Hart Davis. London.
• Lama Anagarika Govinda. 1959.
  Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism
  Rider. London.
• Lama Anagarika Govinda. 1966.
  The Way of the White Clouds
  Hutchinson. London.
• * Lama Anagarika Govinda. 1977.
  Creative Meditation and Multi-dimensional Consciousness
  Allen and Unwin. London.
• Low, J. 1994.
  Simply Being
  Durtro. London. (Subsequently republished elsewhere)
• Mackenzie, V. 1998.
  Cave in the Snow: A Western Woman's quest for Enlightenment
  Bloomsbury. London.
• Rangdrol, T.N. 1989.
  Lamp of Mahamudra
  Shambhala. Boston/Shaftesbury.
• * Samuel, G. 1993.
  Civilised Shamans: Buddhism in Tibetan Societies
  Smithsonian. Washington.
• * Snellgrove, D. 1987.
  Indo-Tibetan Buddhism
  Serindia. London.
• Snelling, J. 1990.
  The Sacred Mountain: The Complete Guide to Tibet's Mount Kailas
  East-West Publications. London/La Hague.
• Sogyal Rimpoche. 1992.
  The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
  Harper. San Francisco.
• Wallace, B.A. 1980.
  The Life and Teaching of Geshe Rabten: A Tibetan Lama's Search for Truth
  Allen and Unwin. London.

Buddhist History and Contemporary Culture

• Batchelor, S. 1994.
  The Awakening of the West. The Encounter of Buddhism and Western Culture
  Parallax Press. Berkeley.
• Bishop, P. 1989.
  The Myth of Shangri la
  Athlone. London.
• * Ch'en, K. 1964.
  Buddhism in China: A historical Survey
  Princeton.
• * Crook, J.H. and Osmaston, H. (eds). 1994.
  Himalayan Buddhist Villages
  Motilal Banarsidass for Bristol University.
• Fields, R. 1986.
  How the Swans Came to the Lake: a narrative history of Buddhism in America
  Shambhala. Boston.
• Friedman, L. 1987.
  Meetings with Remarkable Women: Buddhist Teachers in America
  Shambhala. Boston/London.
• * Gernet, J. 1995.
  Buddhism in Chinese Society, an economic history from the fifth-tenth centuries
  Columbia U.P. New York.
• * Goldstein, M.C. and Kapstein, M.T(eds). 1998.
  Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet
  University of California Press. London.
• Goyal, S.R. 1987.
  A History of Indian Buddhism
  Kasumanjali Prakashan. Meerut.
• Kitagawa, J.M. and Cummings, M. (eds). 1987.
  Buddhism and Asian History
  Macmillan.
• * Lopez, D.S. 1999.
  Prisoners of Shangri la: Tibetan Buddhism and the West
  University of Chicago Press.
• Shakya, T. 1999.
  The Dragon in the Land of Snows
  Pimlico. London.
• Snelgrove, D. and Richardson, H. 1968.
  A Cultural History of Tibet
  Prajna. Boulder, Colorado.
• Suzuki, D.T. 1938.
  Zen Buddhism and its influence on Japanese Culture
  Eastern Buddhist Society. Kyoto.
• Tworkov, H. 1989.
  Zen in America: profiles of five teachers
  North Point. San Francisco.
• * Warder, A.K. 1980.
  Indian Buddhism
  Motilal Banarsidass. Delhi.
• * Williams, P. 1989.
  Mahayana Buddhism
  Routledge. London.

Philosophy, Psychology and Modern Issues

• * Abe, M. 1985.
  Zen and Western Thought
  Macmillan. London.
• Batchelor, S. 1983.
  Alone with Others: an existential approach to Buddhism
  Grove Press. New York.
• Batchelor. S. 1990.
  The Faith to Doubt: Glimpses of Buddhist Uncertainty
  Parallax Press. Berkeley.
• Batchelor, S. 1997.
  Buddhism Without Beliefs: a Contemporary Guide
  Bloomsbury. London.
• * Collins, S. 1982.
  Selfless Persons: Imagery and Thought in Theravada Buddhism
  Cambridge.
• Crook, J.H. and Fontana, D. (eds). 1990.
  Space in Mind: East-West psychology and contemporary Buddhism
  Element. Shaftesbury.
• Eppsteiner, F. (ed). 1988.
  The Path of Compassion: writings on socially engaged Buddhism
  Parallax Press. Berkeley.
• Epstein, M. 1996.
  Thoughts Without a Thinker
  Duckworth. London.
• * Faure, B. 1993.
  Chan Insights and Oversights
  Princeton. NJ.
• * Faure, B. 1991.
  The Rhetoric of Immediacy
  Princeton. NJ.
• Jones, K. 1989.
  The Social Face of Buddhism
  Wisdom. London.
• * Jones, K. 1993.
  Beyond Optimism: a Buddhist Political Ecology
  Jon Carpenter. Oxford.
• * Murti, T.R.V. 1955.
  The Central Philosophy of Buddhism
  Allen and Unwin.
• Naranjo, C. and Ornstein, R.E. 1971.
  On the Psychology of Meditation
  Esalen Book. Viking. NY.
• * Peranjpe, A.C., D.Y.F. Ho and Rieber, R.W. (eds). 1988.
  Asian Contributions to Psychology
  Praeger. New York/London.
• Revel, J-F. and Ricard, M. 1998.
  The Monk and the Philosopher
  Thorsons. London.
• Watts, A. 1961.
  Psychotherapy East and West
  Ballantine. New York.
• * Wright, D.S. 1998.
  Philosophical Meditations on Zen Buddhism
  Cambridge.

Some Sutras and Classics in English

• Bhikkhu Nanamoli. 1972/92.
  The Life of the Buddha according to the Pali Canon
  Buddhist Publication Society. Kandy.
• * Bhikkhus Nanamoli and Bodhi. 1995.
  The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha
  Wisdom. London.
• * Cheng Chien, Bhikshu. 1993.
  Manifestation of the Tathagata. Buddhahood according to the Avatamsaka Sutra
  Wisdom. London.
• * Cleary, T. 1993.
  The Flower Ornament Scripture (Avatamsaka Sutra)
  Shambala. Boston.
• Price, A.F. and Wong, Mou-lam (trans) 1969.
  The Diamond Sutra and the Sutra of Hui-neng
  Shambhala, Boulder.
• * Suzuki D.T. 1932.
  The Lankavatara Sutra
  Routledge and Kegan Paul. London.
• * Walshe, M. 1995.
  The Long Discourses of the Buddha
  Wisdom. Boston/London.

Introductory Books for Children

• Hope, J and van Loon, B 1996
  Buddha for Beginners
  Writers/Readers Publishing Inc,
  Republished as 1999
  Introducing Buddha
  Icon Books
• Blackstone, J and Josipovic, Z. 1986.
  Zen for Beginners
  Writers/Readers Publishing Inc.

Maenllwyd Library

List of donated books

• Aitken, R. 1997.
  Original Dwelling Place
  Counterpoint.
• Amphoux, Nancy. 1987.
  Diary of a Zen Nun
  Rider.
• Batchelor, M. 1999.
  Principles of Zen
  Element.
• Batchelor, S. 1997.
  Buddhism without Beliefs
  Bloomsbury.
• Beck, C. J. 1989.
  Everyday Zen
  Harper.
• Blackstone, J and Josipovic, Z. 1986.
  Zen for Beginners
  Writers/Readers Publishing Inc.
• Blank, J. 1993.
  Arrow of the Blue Skinned God
  Simon and Schuster.
• Brown, B.E. 1994.
  The Buddha Nature
  Motilal Banarsidass.
• Buddhadasa. 1971.
  Toward the Truth
  Westminster Press.
• Cheng Chien Bhikshu. 1993.
  Manifestation of the Tathagata
  Wisdom.
• Cleary, C. 1977.
  Swampland Flowers
  Grove Press.
• Cleary, T. 1997.
  The Five Houses of Zen
  Shambala.
• Crook, J.H. 1997.
  Hilltops of the Hong Kong Moon
  Minerva.
• Crook, J.H. and Fontana, D. (eds). 1989.
  Space in Mind. East-West Psychology and Contemporary Buddhism
  Element.
• Crook, J.H. and Low, J. 1997.
  The Yogins of Ladakh
  Motilal Banarsidass.
• Crook, J.H. and Osmaston, H. (eds). 1994.
  Himalayan Buddhist Villages
  Motilal Banarsidass.
• Dalai Lama.
  Transforming the Mind. Programme of 1999 Visit to London
• Deshimaru, Master. 1985.
  Questions to a Zen Master
  Rider.
• Eppsteiner, F (Ed.)
  The Path of Compassion: writings on socially engaged Buddhism
  Parallax Press.
• Fu, C. and Wawrytko, S. (Eds). 1991.
  Buddhist Ethics and Modern Society
  Greenwood.
• Fu, C and Wawrytko., S (Eds). 1994.
  Buddhist Behavioural Codes and the Modern World
  Greenwood.
• Goldstein, M.C. and Kapstein, M.T. (Eds). 1998.
  Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet: religious revival and cultural identity
  California.
• Gyatso, T. (The Dalai Lama). 1975.
  The Buddhism of Tibet and the Key to the Middle Way
  Allen and Unwin.
• Herrigel, E. 1969.
  The Method of Zen
  RKP.
• Hirose, N. 1992.
  Immovable Wisdom
  Element.
• Hixon, L. 1995.
  Living Buddha Zen
  Larson.
• Hoffman, Y. 1977.
  The Sound of One Hand
  Paladin.
• Hogen, Roshi. Undated. (1985?)
  Zen Here Now
  Jiko Oasis Books.
• Humphreys, C. 1979.
  A Western Approach to Zen
  Allen and Unwin.
• Lama Yeshe. 1995.
  The Tantric Path of Purification
  Wisdom.
• Lu K'uan Yu (ed).
  Master Hsu yun's Discourses and Dharma Words
• Mackenzie, R. 1998.
  The Boy Lama
  Harper and Row.
• Mann, R. 1996.
  Buddhism in a Foreign Land
  Aukana Trust.
• Nan, Master. 1994.
  To Realise Enlightenment
  Samuel Weiser.
• Nanamoli, Bhikkhu. 1992.
  The Life of the Buddha
  Buddhist Publications Society. Kandy.
• Nishiyama, K. and J. Stevens.
  Dogen Zenji: Shobogenzo. The Eye and Treasury of the True Law, Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4
  4 vols. Nakayama Shobo. Tokyo.
• Pabonka Rimpoche. 1991
  Liberation in the Palm of your Hand
  Wisdom.
• Revel, J-F. and Ricard, M. 1998.
  The Monk and the Philosopher
  Thorsons. London.
• Riddell. C, 1996.
  Buddhism for Sheep
  Ebury Press.
• Sangharakshita. 1985.
  The Eternal Legacy
  Tharpa.
• Schumann, W. 1976.
  Buddhism: an outline of the teaching schools
  Rider.
• ShengYen, Master. 1982.
  Getting the Buddha Mind
  Dharma Drum.
• Shengyen, Master. 2002.
  The Sword of Wisdom
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Shengyen, Master. 1997
  Complete Enlightenment
  Dharma Drum. New York.
• Shulman, N. 1992.
  Zen in the Art of Climbing Mountains
  Element.
• Sohaku Ogata.1 959.
  Zen for the West
  Rider.
• Suzuki, D.T. 1986.
  The Zen Doctrine of No Mind
  Rider.
• Suzuki, D.T. 1994.
  Living by Zen
  Samuel Weiser.
• Swanson, P.L. 1989.
  Foundations of Tien tai Philosophy
  Asian Humanities Press.
• Tai Situpa. 1992.
  Relative World, Ultimate Mind
  Shambala.
• Thich Nhat Hanh. 1988.
  The Heart of Understanding
  Parallax Press.
• Toulmin, S. 1990.
  Cosmopolis
  University of Chicago.
• Trungpa, Chogyam. 1984.
  Shambala, the Sacred Path of the Warrior
  Shambala.
• Walshe, M. 1995.
  The Long Discourses of the Buddha. (Digha Nikaya)
  Wisdom.