Reddit mentions: The best karma books

I had kind of a hard time thinking about a response I felt good about. Below are resources roughly sequenced as "stages". All the resources are within or related to the Theravada tradition. I tried to keep everything free. When a preferred resource is not free, I include a free alternative. Buddhism is very much a practice, so when instructions are given put them into practice the best you can. There is also a need to understand why you are practicing, so there is a need to understand Buddhist theory. Some of these resources might not be seem immediately applicable to you, which is fine, just think of it as being similar to reviewing a map before going on the hike. This small collection of selected resources may seem overwhelming, but learning the dhamma is a long process, so there is no hurry to read or listen to everything. It is like walking through mist, you don't necessarily notice getting wet. I just want to reiterate that practicing is very important. Buddhism is about doing, and to lesser degree about acquiring book knowledge. One caution, I put several different meditation styles below; go a head and experiment with them, but figure out which one fits you best and stick with it for a while. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer skillfully. Remember that persistence will bring rewards. Good luck.

Books:

"Stage 1"

With Each & Every Breath: A Guide to Meditation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana [not free] (Free older version)

Noble Strategy by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

The Buddha’s Teachings: An Introduction by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"Stage 2"

In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi [not free] (A free "clone" can be found at www.suttacentral.net. It has all of the introductions Bhikkhu Bodhi wrote, but uses free translations of the suttas)

The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations translated by Gil Fronsdal [not free] (A free and reliable translation of the Dhammapada by Anandajoti Bhikkhu)

"Stage 3"

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli & Bhikkhu Bodhi [not free] (Free translations of all of the Majjhima Nikaya suttas can be found at www.suttacentral.net. Thanissaro Bhikkhu has translated a free anthology of the Majjhima Nikaya called Handful of Leaves, Volume II: an Anthology from the Majjhima Nikaya)

The Wings to Awakening: An Anthology from the Pali Canon by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Talks:

"Stage 1"

Introduction to Meditation is an audio course by Gil Fronsdal.

Basics is collection of talks by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

The Buddha's Teaching As It Is: An Introductory Course is a series of talks by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Eightfold Path Program is a series of talks by Gil Fronsdal.

Four Noble Truths is a series by Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella.

"Stage 2"

Don't eat your fingers. Seriously though, just listen to talks and get a better feel for the dharma.

"Stage 3"

Seven Factors of Awakening is a series of talks by Gil Fronsdal.

A Systematic Study of the Majjhima Nikaya by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Resources:(There are a huge number of great resource. Below are the ones I frequent or have frequented)

Texts: www.suttacentral.net, www.accesstoinsight.org, www.buddhanet.net, www.dhammatalks.org, www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net

Talks: www.dharmaseed.org (huge variety of teachers have talks here), www.dhammatalks.org (Thanissaro Bhikkhu has a huge catalog of talks. He has a straight forward style.), www.audiodharma.org (Gil Fronsdal has very accessible teaching style. He presents the dharma in an almost secular way, but doesn't doesn't diminish it in the process.)

Video: Buddhist Society of Western Australia (Ajahn Brahm is a much loved and accessible teacher), Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu (Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu has a very calm demeanor, and does live Q&A regularly, StudentofthePath (Bhikkhu Jayasara is a recently ordained monk and is an active redditor, u/Bhikkhu_Jayasara), Dhammanet (Bhikkhu Sujato has "loose" and friendly teaching style, but is a serious scholar.)

Our society is incredibly unhealthy, far more unhealthy than it is possible for most people to understand. You are beginning to realize this and "wake up", and it can be scary. You have been programmed with all these unhealthy patterns that make living a sheer misery and a terror, but you are expected to act as if nothing is wrong. It's very tricky to climb out of a hole like this.

Where are your bright spots? Do you have any good friends? Any communities you belong to? What are your dreams and passions in life?

The best thing I can recommend is Chogyam Trungpa's three-part series The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma. It is a complete guide to all of the aspects of Buddhist practices to end suffering and create a happy life. If you read and master any one of these three books, your problems will end. Very practical:

• Hinayana: The Path of Individual Liberation is the basics of Buddhism, meditation, clearing the mind and letting go of things which harm us
  
  
• Mahayana: The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion is the "second turning of the wheel" of Buddhism (like Christianity adds on to Judaism), and it focuses on developing compassion and joy, purity and brilliance through empathy and devotion to helping the world.
  
  
• Vajrayana: The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness is full of advanced techniques for near the end of the Buddhist path of self-purification. These techniques are incredibly powerful but can be dangerous if practiced before first balancing the mind with the first two "turnings of the wheel".
  
  These books are not about religion, but are technical guides for how to handle your life and existential issues of suffering and love, motivation and joy, depression and alienation, etc. I would recommend getting the first two books and working diligently out of them. You will find your problems quickly resolving themselves if you do something like this.
  
  Another perspective that helps me relax is the Church of the SubGenius. Their parody religion is actually a very high quality actual religion. Their main books, The Book of the SubGenius and Revelation X are hilarious and full of techniques for getting through the day and living with the "normals" or "pinkboys".
  
  There is also a fun community on Telegram you can join. See the sidebar in my subreddit, /r/sorceryofthespectacle, for a link to join the Telegram channel. Say hi to me on Telegram and I will introduce you to the wizards there.
  
  P.S. It sounds to me more like you have found your spark, than lost it ;-)

Supposedly, "karmic results of our actions most frequently do not ripen in the same lifetime in which we commit the actions."

"So for a result to arise in this lifetime, a deed must have great power, and to produce a deed of great power, the person (object) to whom we are doing this deed must be someone special, such as a fully enlightened being. The motivation for doing the deed must be incredibly strong, and the article involved in the deed must be a special object. If either of these elements are not strong enough, then the result will arise in the next lifetime; if they are even less powerful, then the result can only arise after three or more lifetimes. Thus, it is very difficult to obtain a result quickly in this lifetime." - Khenpo Appey Rinpoche




"Some of our acts are what we call karma that is visibly experienced: the act and the motivation are so strong that the result comes in this very life. If we do something extremely good and virtuous in this life, its result might be happiness in this very life." - Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

"By giving to the poor, giving food, clothing, housing, and medicine, and by generally serving the needy, you create the causes of a long, healthy, and comfortable life. Some of these results may ripen in this life; most will be experienced in future lives." - Geshe Lhundub Sopa

I really appreciate lojong training and think it's pretty underrated. The Great Path of Awakening, Training the Mind, and The Practice of Lojong are great texts to work with.

Like contemplating insight, studying lojong is a pithy way of integrating / absorbing dharma. I've found that studying them intensively allows them to arise in the conditions they best benefit in. For example, yesterday I was feeling contracted and the slogan regard all dharma [experience] as dreams spontaneously arose in mind*,* which effected an instant release and shifted perception into a dreamlike state.

>Slogan 19. All dharma agrees at one point -- All Buddhist teachings are about lessening the ego, lessening one's self-absorption.

This reminds us to not get caught in sectarian squabbling, or perhaps help us appreciate whatever tradition is most available and keep us from continuously shopping for something "better."

>Slogan 22. If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained.

This can help prevent us from overly-criticizing our practice when our minds are frantic rather than still, recognizing that we are being mindful all the same.

Hopefully you'll find something worth exploring in the slogans listed on the wiki!

EDIT: Also, if you're finding the anticipation of the dialogue distracting, it may be useful to keep in mind that it's not the dialog itself that is causing the "problem". The distraction is the problem, not the dialogue or the anticipation. (I love the question "Can you feel the shape of your hands?")

I found this topic through Sam Harris as well.

I found that Mahamudra for the Modern World was what I was looking for. It's quite pricey, but it's as close as I could get to getting an authentic teacher without traveling and upending my current life. I also found that spending that large amount of money made me take the CD's more seriously and commit more time to them. A bit of a placebo I think, but it was still effective. He also has various shorter and cheaper CD options for guided meditations on his site, but I don't have have experience with those so I can't comment on them.


The CD's are a combination of lectures and guided meditations. It's given me a far more "deep" understanding of the concepts, but also resulted in some of the most profound experiences and realizations in my life. In particular, a mix of tummo and metta meditation about halfway through the series had a huge effect on my state of mind and resulted in huge changes in how I lived my life.

If the CD's aren't an option, I would also recommend Secret of the Vajra World
by the same author, which has been recommended on this sub in the past.

This will be focused on the conceptual understanding of the practice, but I still find it valuable and fascinating.

Also, be aware that you'll be asked to imbibe some religious thinking/concepts (in the words of Harris) as you start pulling information from Dzogchen and Mahamudra instead of from more Western sources like Harris.

Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, the spiritual head of the Dzogchen Community passed away recently. His teachings are truly wonderful, and I'm sure someone will continue his lineage, but it may be a little while before direct transmission is given again in that sangha.

That said, he has some introductory Dzogchen books that are not only fine to read before practicing, but would generally be recommended to do so. In order to practice, one needs to have some understanding of the teachings. The most important factor in this is ones teacher, but that can certainly be facilitated by reading.

His key introductory books would be:

The Crystal And The Way Of Light

Dzogchen The Self Perfected State

Dzogchen Teachings

Teachers fully capable of giving direct introduction and guiding students through the Dzogchen teachings are few and far between. It's likely you'll have to connect with someone who isn't in the UK. However there are some first rate teachers who make trips to UK every year, such as Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. Mingyur Rinpoche also often teachers here and nearby countries. All of them also have books that it would be a good idea to read just now, along with online courses that would help to get started in practice before you can meet them in person. They have slightly different styles, so it would be worth doing a little reading, watching video clips etc. to see who you connect with.

What the Buddha Taught is the best "intro to Buddhism" book I've read yet, I highly recommend it. This is a book you will constantly be coming back to, if you decide to keep pursuing Buddhism that is, for it contains all of the essentials (IMO). The author also includes several key suttas given by the Buddha (several especially directed towards lay people like ourselves), and a collection of key verses from the Dhammapada (a classic Buddhist scripture). The other "Intro to Buddhism" book I will recommend is Becoming Enlightened by His Holliness the Dalai Lama, which gives an overview of the Buddhist path to Enlightenment that emphasizes the role of compassion, altruism, and wisdom.

 

For learning to meditate and practice mindfulness, I recommend Mindfulness in Plain English. What the Buddha Taught also has a great chapter on meditation and mindfulness.

 

Once you feel more comfortable with the basic principles of Buddhism, if you'd like to start reading and studying key Buddhist scriptures, I'd recommend starting with the following: In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon and The Dhammapada. The Pali Cannon in the oldest complete Buddhist cannon of scriptures that survives today. The Dhammapada is a short collection of sayings within the Pali Cannon that is thought to summarize the essence of the Buddha's teachings.

Might I also recommend reading some original sources. Reading about Buddhism is surely good for context and all that, but you can also dive right in to what those books are about.

Thich Nhat Hanh has been mentioned here recently. His sutra translations are awesome: https://plumvillage.org/category/sutra/

I like this edition of the Dhammapada, but there are version for free online: https://www.amazon.com/Dhammapada-Translation-Buddhist-Classic-Annotations/dp/1590303806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541179036&sr=8-1&keywords=dhammapada+book

Also check out the Lotus Sutra: https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/lsoc/toc/

That's like the blockbuster of sutras-- it has it all! It also has some clear formulations on what's going on with Buddhism, supposedly from late in Shakyamuni's life.

What are you looking for? What the Buddha Taught is a general intro to Buddhism focused on the Sravakayana teachings while In Buddha's Words is a collection of Pali texts. They aren't of the same genre.

There generally won't be texts like in Buddha's Words for the Mahayana as Mahayana Sutras are often much longer then Pali ones though there are collections of various sutras formed into one like the Avatamsaka Sutra which you can find on the internet or Sutras with commentaries like the

Surangama Sutra:

http://promienie.net/images/dharma/books/sutras_surangama-sutra.pdf

Heart Sutra Commentary:

https://www.amazon.com/There-No-Suffering-Commentary-Heart/dp/1556433859/ref=la_B001JOMDEC_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1503124435&sr=1-2

Collection of Bodhidharma's texts:

https://www.amazon.com/Bodhidharma-Anthology-Earliest-Records-Lilienthal/dp/0520219724/ref=pd_sim_b_18

If you are looking for texts like What the Buddha Taught then there is:

Chan Teachings of Master Xu Yun: Considered the Greatest Master of the past century in China, similar to someone like Ajahn Chan

http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Master_Hsu-Yun_Discourses_and_Dharma_Words.pdf

Buddhism of Wisdom of Faith: Comprehensive Teachings on Mainland Buddhism focused on Pureland

http://www.ymba.org/books/buddhism-wisdom-faith-pure-land-principles-and-practice

Master Yin Shun: Teachings in Chinese Buddhism, a general intro to Mahayana

http://www.buddhanet.net/chin_bud.htm

Some Free Ebooks on Mahayana Buddhism

http://chancenter.org/cmc/publications/free-literature/

I have this problem for sure. I started getting singing lessons back in October and that helped some, but ultimately my biggest improvements have been as of late. I do meditate everyday for 20 minutes, and I can see improvements in my ability to relax. Also, this post helped me a ton, particularly the part about essentially imagining you are inhaling while you sing. That has helped me more than anything. It opens up everything and my voice has finally felt free because of that. So give it a shot and start meditating, I'd say. The Buddha Walks into a Bar is a good way to start with the meditation stuff. Good luck!

Oh my God. Your own post itself is full of pure preciousness and wisdom it needs its own companion.

Commentaries are, IMHO, necessary for both texts (especially so for the Treasury). The Zindri (Zindri means Kunzang Lama’i Shyalung Zindri. Kunzang Lama’i Shyalung Zindri means a text by Khenpo Ngawang Palzang that elaborates on The Words of My Perfect Teacher. It other words Zindri means the book called "A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher") by Khenpo Ngawang Palzang is the standard companion to Words of my Perfect Teacher (at least for practitioners of the Longchen Nyingthik; (Longchen Nyingthig is a hidden Nyingma teachings & practices on Dzogchen revealed by Jigme Lingpa in the 1700s) *there may be others, though I suspect all Nyingmapa lamas and lay teachers use the KLS (*Kunzang Lama’i Shyalung, the Zindri, the book "A Guide To The Words of my Perfect Teacher) and the Zindri side-by-side as their standard teaching and study texts for the LN ngöndro).

Building on u/Namkha_'s comment, the Treasury is presented as a lam rim (literally a "graded path"). The tertön Kangyur Rinpoche's (KR was the teacher to Matthieu Ricard and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche. He made commentaries on (Yonten Dzo by Jigme Lingpa) and translated in English it's called the Treasury of Precious Qualities ) commentary is one that I've heard many people describe as accessible. The translation group overseen by Kangyur Rinpoche's son, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche, translated and published the elder Rinpoche's commentary.

​

Note to self: Get the Guide to the Words of...and skip the Treasury for now.

>True. I just think emphasis is perhaps more essential than name.

Yeah, from a practice point of view, one should treat the differences very seriously. It's the critical historians who like to insinuate that it was mostly rhetorical.

>the actual Jatakas were kind of entertaining, anyway, and their mere presence doesn't mean Chan would have been all hard-line about rebirth

I agree these stories are also very entertaining. Sometimes, those who grew up in predominantly Christian cultures have a hard time seeing humour and entertainment as anything other than secular pursuits. My experience is that Chinese religions very frequently incorporate humour and irreverence, and that these are quite compatible with an attitude of religious piety. So Westerners see Yunmen calling Buddha a "shit-stick", and think there's no way he could possibly have been a pious Buddhist. I disagree with that.

I suppose I'm waiting to find a clear indication from a traditional Chan source that rebirth is nothing more than a fancy joke. Until then, I'm going to assume the teaching was taken seriously.

>I don't know if it was you I already asked, but how/when did you learn Classical Chinese?

My undergraduate degree was in Chinese Studies. I got the opportunity to take a course in basic Classical Chinese around my second or third year, and a more advanced course in my fourth year. (Sadly, the latter course has since been axed at my institution.) I just kept at it when I began postgrad studies. The first year of my PhD was pretty much all spent translating Chan texts. That was a great year.

I'm on leave right now, and might never return (?), but last time I was lecturing I was the course co-ordinator for the same introductory Classical Chinese subject which I'd taken as an undergrad. And also for a complimentary subject in Chinese philosophy, which dealt with much the same sources albeit in English translation.

EDIT: btw, if you are going to learn Tibetan and Chinese, you might be able to do work on the Tibetan Zen corpus from Dunhuang. Sometimes those Tibetan translations shed light on things which are not too clear in the Chinese, for example Bodhidharma's "wall-gazing" meditation technique. Also, you would be well-placed to tell the world how Nyingma Vajrayana and Chan Buddhism might have influenced each other. That would make Padmasambhava-related posts on /r/zen a real possibility. ;)

I'm not sure I can speak on the nature of Zen so a comparison may be a moot point. I know my teacher's father was mentored by Shunryū Suzuki Roshi, but I know there is some debate in this forum (ad infinitum) regarding the nature of Zen and its delineation from Suzuki's lineage of Buddhism.

Within the context of Trungpa's relationship with Suzuki, the Shambhala tradition has incorporated many Japanese traditions into our community. We practice a Japanese walking meditation in addition to our own sitting practice. We practice Ikebana. We practice a Japanese tea ceremony. We even discuss Zen teachings as well as many of the Chinese and Japanese Buddhist teachings that are controversially debated as Zen or not Zen.

The question of doctrine is interesting, but I'll simply reply asserting that all dharmas should be regarded as dreams.

I can say that, in my experience, cultivating a small understanding of Hinayana and Mahayana are requisite to digging into Vajrayana. My teacher's father wrote a book called "Journey Without Goal" that provides a cursory look at Tantra. It's a great start.

There are many others I'd be happy to recommend if you wish. Of course, I do not recommend any of my own practices nor do they claim they lead to truth.

I'm not a teenager but I am a college student. Early 20's. I have learned a great deal from this book Really goes into some Buddhist practices and everyday life. Deals with issues like parties, drinking, money and women. Really practical for a beginner in an ever changing world. I found it really helpful in tough "college" situations. I also want to put out there that Buddhism isn't a religion but a way of life. Explore the world and live your life while being mindful! Good luck.

I have read a couple of decent books that are kind of a spiritual/metaphysical approach to self-help. These aren't so much about self-confidence as they are about gaining a more peaceful perspective on your entire life, which in turn will help you feel more confident about yourself.

The first is called Loving What Is by Byron Katie. She discusses a method called the turnaround, where you examine negative beliefs about yourself, and sort of meditate on them to realize that they are not true. Then you start to replace them with more positive beliefs, and your perspective becomes a lot brighter.

Another one I liked is Work Sex Money by Chogyam Trungpa.. This one is about taking a sort of Western-adapted Buddhist approach to your life without traveling to a monastery or any of the garbage that people assume they have to do in order to be more peaceful. It provides very logical ideas for examining your life and taking the stress out of it, which will help you find more of your own identity.

Finally, this is a bit of a weird one, but A Course in Miracles is my favorite. I don't recommend this for personal reading, but if you can find a weekly group or something where they read this book, it can be an amazing resource for improving your life. The book goes against a lot of Christian beliefs about the afterlife and metaphysics, but it basically teaches that you are the only one in control of your life.

If these are too intense, maybe try Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Ken Wapnick. Sorry if none of these interest you.

There is nothing else which is similar to "the ultimate" in Dzogchen except Mahamudra.

Unfortunately, it's really difficult to explain. Even the term "the ultimate" is misleading, so it was a bad choice of words on my part.

I remember when I first read about Dzogchen, I couldn't help but compare it to the Tree of Life, mostly the supernal triad and Ain, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur, but also the whole notion of how phenomena came to be made so much sense to according to the YHVH formula and and the ray of creation, that I simply saw it in everything I read if something sounded similar. It seems to make so much sense, although in a vague and mysterious way, that it is easy to get stuck on, especially if you have used the YHVH formula to apparently manifest reality or perhaps "spoken" with the numinous in one way or another to confirm the validity of Qabalah. Once I had some experience with pathworking, it was difficult to shake the idea that Qabalah was not the absolute truth. What else could possibly manifest such perfectly verifiable experiences? But, I had trouble with the origins of the whole thing, since I am repulsed by the Bible and pretty much all forms of Judeo-Christian religions. It didn't satisfy me to think one was "exoteric" for the profane and one was "esoteric" for the enlightened, particularly because so many different schools had such different ideas about God, the gods, where the world was headed, what aeon we were in, what is "good" and "bad," etc. etc.

So, now that I've given some backstory on that, I will defer you to this link, which might make some sense to you, but frankly I doubt it... http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/10/dzogchen-rigpa-and-dependent.html

It is not something you can read about and understand, really. I learned that firsthand. The Western Mystery Tradition involves a lot of reading and thinking and I was just determined to try to understand Dzogchen intellectually for several years before I realized it just wasn't going to work... and then I finally started listening to all the Dzogchen teachers who had always said this. A little reading is okay, but practice is most important. And then, when you get some idea of what it's all about, reading may be more productive rather than just a complete waste of time trying to make sense of things that seem impenetrable.

I would also recommend some book for you if you're interested on a good introduction to Dzogchen:

The Crystal and the Way of Light

Dzogchen The Self-Perfected State

The Mirror

I recommend them in that order.

E: Also, this might be useful. It is 7 pages, notice the "next >" button at the bottom.
http://vajranatha.com/articles/dzogchen-and-meditation.html

A frequent question with no easy answer.

To give another option than the ones already mentioned, I recently gave away "Secret of the Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet" to someone wanting to learn the basics of Vajrayana. After reading it, I thought it might make for a sane and solid introduction to people grown up in the modern world. In my experience, older texts like "Word of my Perfect Teacher" are fantastic, but not necessarily for new students.

Anyway, good luck! :)

Only one thing makes you a Buddhist -- taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings), and the Sangha (his followers). This means you see them as the means for escaping all suffering and reaching enlightenment.

It's important to note here that taking refuge in the Sangha means you see them as good companions on the path to enlightenment. Part of this is realizing that many of them are not enlightened so they suffer from the same afflictive emotions and mental states that you do, so don't be surprised if they piss you off from time to time. :P

But anyways, if you're interested in Buddhist teachings, that's great. There's so many of them to choose from it's pretty easy to get a bit lost. If you're into philosophy, especially existential philosophy, I'd look into Madhyamaka, and Nagarjuna's Seventy Stanzas is a great start to that. In a nutshell, Madhyamaka is about philosophical refutation of all philosophical viewpoints (including it's own), so if you like having nowhere as a home I think it'd sit well with you.

Definitely buy the guide that accompanies Words of My Perfect Teacher.

WOMPT is not a book you want to get through quickly. Read it carefully, and reflect on the teachings.

If you come across a profound thought: try your best to understand it, then reflect on the passage, and lastly mediate meditate on it.

It truly is a life changing book if you take your time with it.

I haven't read that yet, but will definitely put it on my list of books to read.

I'm currently reading "The Sun of Wisdom" by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso. It's a modern explanation of the famous "The Fundamental wisdom of the Middle Way" by Nagarjuna.

https://www.amazon.com/Sun-Wisdom-Teachings-Nagarjunas-Fundamental/dp/1570629994

Well since you kids didn't like my oh-so-funny Troma Entertainment comment, how about this:

T'hroma is a practice, discovered by Padampa Sangye (and Machig Labdron ) of visualizing the offering of all that to which we are most attached, with special emphasis on the body.

Of modern masters, one of the most well known in recent history was Chagdud Tulku. If you get a chance, have a listen to the recordings of him practicing with his sangha.

The late Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, a friend of Chagdud Tulku and student of Dungse Rinpoche, was also a practitioner of T'hroma.

Author and lotsawa Sarah Harding wrote (or translated?) a book on the practice called, "Clarifying the Meaning"

I've thought a lot about this apparent conflict during the past years and my conclusion is that there is no conflict for two reasons.

First, Buddhism is about working with our present situation as it is, and that includes paying bills, living in a society, having responsibilities and relationships.

Second, goals are just imaginary. We put a lot of landmarks in our lifes, and we constantly compare our present self with those future ideals in order to value ourselves. But the more our lifes are closer to Dharma, the more we value the present moment, and thus the less interesting those imaginary goals become, to the point that simply living becomes the goal. At this point we still work, study and strive to be good at what we do, but the whole process looks less heavy and more joyful. That's the difference.

I recommend you the book Work, Sex, Money: Real Life on the Path of Mindfulness by Trungpa Rinpoche.

Open Heart, Clear Mind by Thubten Chodron, great book and easy to read, I have to say the best beginner book on Buddhism I have ever read. She has her email at the end and she will actually write back to you.

Open Heart, Clear Mind: An Introduction to the Buddha's Teachings https://www.amazon.com/dp/0937938874/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WIw7CbRQ6T3N0

If you are looking for something more studious you can get the Buddha's discourses, they are a bit dry at times but they are the closest thing to the Buddha's own words you will be able to find.

The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya (The Teachings of the Buddha) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0861711033/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jIw7Cb6WRBSMW

This may help:

http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/study/comparison_buddhist_traditions/tibetan_traditions/intro_compar_5_traditions_buddhism_bon.html

I can also recommend three comprehensive books:

http://www.amazon.com/Indo-Tibetan-Buddhism-Buddhists-Tibetan-Successors/dp/1570629730

http://www.amazon.com/Indestructible-Truth-Spirituality-Tibetan-Buddhism/dp/1570629102/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1321049941&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Vajra-World-Tantric-Buddhism/dp/157062917X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1321049984&sr=8-3

Good luck!

The teachings on the lack of a intrinsic self are meant help us to realize that there is no hard limit on how good it is that we could make things, because no thing has a fixed nature, we can be free. You can certainly mull in a nilhist like state about it or you could see it as the factor then enables freedom. It has to be a choice, you have to want to become better.

The book that helped me more then any other to get out of that spot myself is 70 Stanzas on Emptiness: A Buddhist Psychology of Emptiness you might want to get him a copy, it really turned me around.

Meditation in Action - Chogyam Trungpa. This is a great introduction to basic principles of Shamatha meditation and mindfulness in action, it is highly practice-oriented. Also, The Sanity We Are Born With, same author. Teachings on basic sanity, wheel of life, and basically a wonderful bit about Buddhist Psychology. This one is slightly more advanced than meditation in action.

As a man born into Catholicism but now an atheist, it's my opinion that Buddhism is the most logical and reasonable religion that I've been exposed to. As someone mentioned before, it's almost like a philosophy mixed in with religion. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about Buddhism.

Trungpa's Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness is great if you want a pretty in depth survery of the whole landscape of Tantrayana.

It's a bit expensive though.

Two of my favorite books on the topic are very in-depth and detailed:

• Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism (World of Tibetan Buddhism, Vol. 1)
  
  
• Secret of the Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet (World of Tibetan Buddhism, Vol. 2)
  
  I seriously can't recommend them enough. I think they are brilliant. They are more academic than "scriptural" if that makes sense. They're the sort of books you'd read in college that are about Tibetan Buddhism.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802130313/

What the Buddha Taught is a good start. Its brief, its easy to read and gives you an overview of what Buddhism is about. If you like it from there, get a copy of the Dhammapada

http://www.amazon.com/Dhammapada-Translation-Buddhist-Classic-Annotations/dp/1590303806

Also, good book on "Vivid Awareness: The Mind Instructions of Khenpo Gangshar ", by (iirc) the root guru of Ven. Chogyam Trumpa (or at least one of his main teachers). (It used to be free on Amazon Kindle Unlimited.)

https://www.amazon.com/Vivid-Awareness-Instructions-Khenpo-Gangshar/dp/1590308166/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473534460&sr=1-1&keywords=vivid+awareness

Thubten Chodron - Open Heart, Clear Mind

IMHO, forget "articulate, accurate synopsis" and get a very realistic, real-world, human understanding of Buddhism. The Buddha Walks into a Bar...: A Guide to Life for a New Generation! has been a huge help for me. It's a very down-to-earth book that explains things for ley people, even novices like me. (< 1 year practicing Buddhism)

I really liked the book Dzogchen: the Self-Perfected State. It has really solid explanations and ranks as one of the top books I've read on religion/spirituality.

The one is Wilhelm's I Ching, the other is from Machik's Complete Explanation: Clarifying the Meaning of Chod. Definitely worth a peek ;)

I read some of his stuff, long time ago, but he doesn't really appeal much to me, to be honest. One book I read recently that contained really lucid and detailed instructions on this tipe of meditation was Vivid Awareness, from Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. Can't recomend it enough.

There is an excellent book on this topic. Goes deep into the existence of Chan in Tibet early on and how the 2 influenced each other. It uses direct documents from the time. They’re mainly from the border areas of the Tibetan and Chinese empires. It’s called “Tibetan Zen” and is a bit academic, but very interesting read. Here’s a link to it on Amazon: Tibetan Zen: Discovering a Lost Tradition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1559394463/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_UAEkDb1BD6F8W

For a good overview of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, try this one.
[Indestructible Truth - The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism Vol 1, by Reginald Ray]
(http://www.amazon.com/Indestructible-Truth-Spirituality-Tibetan-Buddhism/dp/1570629102?ie=UTF8&keywords=indestructibe%20truth&qid=1465296734&ref_=sr_1_sc_1&s=books&sr=1-1-spell)

Part 2 within Vol 1 of this book, delves on this topic.

In addition to what the others said, get A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher and read them alongside each other.

here we go :)

http://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Action-Chogyam-Trungpa/dp/159030876X

Carefree Dignity by Tsoknyi Rinpoche

Mahamudra: The Moonlight by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal

Vivid Awareness by Khenchen Thrangu

Lankavatara sutra

I think this may be what you're looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1590309375?pc_redir=1405865875&robot_redir=1

Of course you could be very wrong. There is only one true tradition and that is Buddhism the rest are like different medicines for the ignorant. Zen, Mahamudra, Dzogchen all stem from Buddhism (baudda in Sanskrit). Btw, have you read the bk. Tibetan Zen?

There a few meditation suggestions already and second those suggestions. I identify completely with what you described, and my quality of life was starting to suffer because of the side effects. Mindfulness and meditation is helping me get control of my thoughts and live in the "now". This is the book I started with ( http://www.amazon.com/The-Buddha-Walks-into-Bar/dp/1590309375 ).

Yeah it's not easy, but I had a lot of trauma and heartbreak to actually face and move on, which was holding me back because I was starting to resent people that just seemed to have life just fall into place for them, while mine was falling apart. It all started to change about a year ago when I read the book, "The Practice of Lojong". It's a bit difficult to read sometimes, but it will start to get your brain on the "right track" and start to see life, and other people in a different light.

http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Lojong-Cultivating-Compassion-Training/dp/1590303784

Ok, I've given you enough assignments now.... lol. Now go prosper, and spread the good word, and shine your light for others!

think about getting a copy of this: Dhammapada

I went through something similar (no death - just loss) last fall and it helped me find my way through some things that I didn't know if I would ever overcome -and if you're an atheist, you don't need to accept any notions of 'god.' (not there's anything wrong with god if that's what you're into...yadda yadda)