What are some "must have" books?

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Jaidyn
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What are some "must have" books?

Post by Jaidyn »

I'm much familiar with Theravada, but new to Mahayana.

I have, for a longer time, read Samyutta Nikaya and Majjhima Nikaya along with complementary books.

Are there similar books in Mahayana that you would recommend? Books from all major sub-traditions are welcome (I guess Mahayana is devided further).

Secondary: I am also interested in complementary books and academic treatments of Mahayana.

Simply: What books are in the serious Mahayana-students (lay or not) bookshelf?

I have a sense that Mahayana has much to offer that I have missed.

Kind regards!
joda
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by joda »

The books by Paul Williams are a must-read imho; both "Buddhist Thought" and "Mahayana Buddhism".
Karma Yeshe
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Karma Yeshe »

hi,

Here are some of my picks...

"Words of My Perfect Teacher"

"Gently Whispered" by Kalu Rinpoche

"The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" Updated version

Hope this Helps,

Dan
What Is...What Was...What Could be...What must never Be.
The Doctor

Something Old...Something New...Something Borrowed...Something Blue.
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Astus
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Astus »

For East Asian Buddhism (after reading Paul Williams' Mahayana Buddhism):

Orthodox Chinese Buddhism by Ven. Sheng-yen
The Way to Buddhahood by Ven. Yinshun
Coming to Terms with Chinese Buddhism by Robert H. Sharf
Entry into the Inconceivable by Thomas Cleary
The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment by Charles Muller
Tracing Back the Radiance by Robert Buswell
Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation by Carl Bielefeldt
Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith by Thich Thien Tam
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
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Adamantine
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Adamantine »

Diamond Sutra http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Sutra-Red ... 844&sr=1-1

Vimalakirti Sutra http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Teaching-Vim ... 899&sr=1-6

Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamikakarikahttp://www.amazon.com/Fundamental-Wisdo ... d_sim_b_41

Also, I haven't read this but plan to, it looks good-- Indian and Tibetan commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Sutras: http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Beyond-One-P ... 110&sr=1-3

Also, as Geoff said Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life is an absolute must, I have Batchelor's translation but this one by Alan Wallace may be better http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Bodhisattva ... 338&sr=1-1
Contentment is the ultimate wealth;
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha
plwk
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by plwk »

The Tree of Enlightenment: http://peterdellasantina.org/books/tree ... enment.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Indian Buddhism: http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductDetail.asp?PID=1055" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
An Introduction to Buddhism: http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Budd ... 0521313333" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Foundations of Buddhism: http://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Buddh ... 0192892231" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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catmoon
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by catmoon »

Shunryu Suzuki's two books are listed here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... uzuki+shun" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
He was one of the first Zen masters to teach in the West

also Healing Anger by the Dalai Lama http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Anger-Pat ... 206&sr=1-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This is a book that has changed who I am to such an extent that people sometimes comment on it without any prompting.
Sergeant Schultz knew everything there was to know.
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Huifeng
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Huifeng »

Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

~~ Huifeng
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Adamantine
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Adamantine »

Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

~~ Huifeng
I did list the commentaries, I'd assumed the root text
was included
Contentment is the ultimate wealth;
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha
deepbluehum
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by deepbluehum »

Don't forget to save money by looking if these are published on line. Many of these are.
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Sönam
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Sönam »

I did'nt see the Big Red book in the list ...

Image

... and some others

Sönam
By understanding everything you perceive from the perspective of the view, you are freed from the constraints of philosophical beliefs.
By understanding that any and all mental activity is meditation, you are freed from arbitrary divisions between formal sessions and postmeditation activity.
- Longchen Rabjam -
Kai
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Kai »

Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

~~ Huifeng
And no Pure land sutras...........
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Astus
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Astus »

I think one should see the difference between essential books and auxiliary ones. There are also introductory books and in depth works. Just before this becomes a list of all the books people like. :)
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
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Karma Dondrup Tashi
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Karma Dondrup Tashi »

No must-have books. Just a must-have teacher.
It has been the misfortune (not, as these gentlemen think it, the glory) of this age that everything is to be discussed. Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France.
Nicholas Weeks
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Bodhichitta is the pillar of Mahayana, so...

Nagarjuna's Guide is one: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchR ... &x=16&y=15" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Vasubandhu's Treatise is another: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchR ... &x=58&y=15" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
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Huifeng
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Huifeng »

Adamantine wrote:
Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

~~ Huifeng
I did list the commentaries, I'd assumed the root text
was included
Hi Adamantine,

Yes, you did list the Vajracchedika / Diamond sutra, sorry for me missing that.

As for Brunnholzl's translation that you link to, it definitely does not contain the mula / root text at all. And, having read Brunnholzl's book, all I can say is that by this time, a commentary on a commentary on a commentary (at least), much of the plot of the Prajnaparamita seems to have been lost along the way. It may be a good text to understand the Kagyu position on it, but not at all that helpful to understand the Prajnaparamita, in my opinion.

~~ Huifeng
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Huifeng
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Huifeng »

Kai wrote:
Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

~~ Huifeng
And no Pure land sutras...........
Good point! But ... although East Asian Buddhists generally don't think of the Prajnaparamita as "Pureland", the larger Perfection of Wisdom which I mention has a complete teaching on purifying and adorning a Buddha field (ie. pure land) as part of the bodhisattva path.

:smile:

~~ Huifeng
alwayson
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by alwayson »

Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
~~ Huifeng
Thats because this entire class of literature can be summed up in two sentences max.

1. Everything appears as conceptual constructs.

2. Be a Bodhisattva.

I prefer Madhyamaka or reading Paul Williams commentary on the Prajnaparamita Sutras if we are talking about "must haves".
deepbluehum wrote:Don't forget to save money by looking if these are published on line. Many of these are.

What do you mean by "published" :quoteunquote:

:spy:
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Huifeng
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Re: What are some "must have" books?

Post by Huifeng »

Pretty much everything that Williams says about the Prajnaparamita is just paraphrasing Conze.
And Madhyamaka does not equal Prajnaparamita.

~~ Huifeng
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