(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best meditation books

This is a fair question. A condition to practicing toward awakening is a desire to awaken, which comes from good teachings. For pragmatic dharma resources, I recommend you check out the sidebar links, particularly Daniel Ingram's MCTB and Ron Crouch's website (and, specifically, his post "Why Meditate?". Those inspired me to practice.

There are lots of other interesting books on the subject too, including Shinzen Young's recent book The Science of Enlightenment, Sam Harris's Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion, and Adyashanti's The End of Your World: Uncensored Straight Talk on the Nature of Enlightenment. Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now also is quite popular.

And, really, depending on your bent, you can't get any better than the original Buddhist teachings. On the subjects of Enlightenment, the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra are two of my personal favorites. (These are as translated by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.)

So, I'd recommend reading and seeing if you feel inspired by the teachings. For me, there was something about the very idea of "Enlightenment" that stirred a desire deep within my heart. It was palpable, and it started at an early age, sometime in middle school or high school when I had to do a project on religions and happened to be assigned Buddhism. Encyclopedia-like resources don't necessarily point you in the direction of Enlightenment, but the explanation of "Nirvana" had some sort of primal appeal to me.

Once pragmatic dharma teachers like Daniel Ingram and Ron Crouch started claiming that some form of "awakening" was actually possible for Average Joe Layperson (like me), I was intrigued, and I decided to give the experiment a shot. Of course I did.

What changes? It depends on how you define "stream entry" and who you ask. There are lots of different models for Enlightenment (as discussed in Daniel's MCTB). Using the pragmatic dharma definition, stream entry is defined as the first time a practitioner completes a fully cycle of insight (typically measured against the Progress of Insight maps) and experiences a "cessation" event. What changes varies from practitioner to practitioner, but on the Fetters Model, which I think is as good as any, three important "fetters" are dropped: (a) belief in self, (b) doubt about the Path, and (c) attachment to rites and rituals.

Concretely, based on my experience, the fetters model (filtered, of course, through my still sometimes cloudy conceptual lens) made a lot of sense. Regarding "self view," the "cessation" experience has a way of kicking you out of the linear way of looking at your life, as an existent self living chronologically in time. While often this insight fades for a while, it is pretty clear at the point of initial awakening, and I speculate that a part of your mind never forgets that. This insight deepens with further practice. Your perspective on your experience shifts from being caught typically in the horizontal dimension of time to instead tuning into the vertical dimension of "just this," in which time, like all things, including the self, is seen as just a concept, a particular way of looking at this immediate, obvious, and manifest reality. Seeing "just this," and recognizing that there is no permanent self that is just this or that provides tremendous relief. Most of our lives are spent trying to protect the self, improve it, make it happy. Seeing through this delusion, even for a moment, has a way of radically transforming one's perspective on experience.

Second, after you complete a cycle of insight, you don't really doubt "just this." There's a lot of work necessary to integrate and deepen that insight. But it feels like you have directly touched reality, the Tao, Nirvana, God, or whatever. Interestingly, in my experience, that which seems to remains when all else fades is all that you ever wanted to begin with. So, the value of this Path becomes obvious. Faith is no longer necessary. A deep part of your mind understands that "this is it."

Finally, the attachment to rites and rituals goes away because you realize that it's "just this." You might have done a lot of work to realize that, but once you do, it's all pretty simple. That realization can't be taken away from you. It's done. It's always available. As a practical matter, that realization tends to fade, come and go, which teaches us an interesting thing about "awakening experiences," a lesson we will have to learn well as we continue to deepen our practice. But generally speaking, after "stream entry," one realizes that awakening is not somehow external to one's present situation, indeed the very idea of internal and external is just another concept which has no concrete, permanent status (is ultimately empty). Thus, the need for rites and rituals is seen through.

All that said, these realizations may not be perfectly obvious at the conceptual level after stream entry. As a practical matter, people generally feel lighter, relieved, happier, at least for a time. But those states are just states, which are not permanent. Enlightenment, Awakening, Liberation, Nirvana, or whatever you want to call it is something that goes beyond particular states or this or that. Once you begin to open up to that dimension of being, you experience a much more profound and lasting sense of peace with just this existence, as it is. It's a nice spot to be in. :)

Hope that helps.

I'll start with one of the best books Moonbeams of Mahamudra. There is also an excellent commentary on that book by Ven. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.

There is another real treasure available (atm, anyway): The Shenpen Ösel Magazine (From the web page:) "
Between the years of 1997 and 2003, Kagyu Shenpen Ösel Chöling published transcripted Buddhist teachings in the tri-annual magazine Shenpen Ösel.

The magazine sought to present the teachings of recognized and fully qualified lamas and teachers, with an emphasis on the Karma Kagyu and the Shangpa Kagyu lineages. The contents were derived from transcripts of teachings hosted by Kagyu Shenpen Ösel Chöling and other Kagyu Centers in North America." Just an great, great resource for teachings by Kagyu masters.

Another great Kagyu resource: The Mahamudra Meditation Center, also, not too surprisingly, created by a student of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, Peter Barth. That site has a great Mahamudra Meditation Manual, which used to be available for free but now cost $5 on Amazon. Monks need to eat, too.

So, onto personal experience, which is all I can speak from. Buddhist teachers are definitely there for spiritual meditation questions. Your are correct that most answers on this forum are not even close to helpful. (There are some good ones and they are usually from the same people.) The best thing you can do is talk to meditation teachers. They will expect you to have read up on the material and be looking for clarifications or be asking about the correct direction to go, so to speak. Even with meditation teachers (monastics, non-monastics, etc.), quality of help can vary wildly. And the really good ones seem to get surrounded with people like us. :) So, one day at a time.

My experience has been that meditation is like learning to swim. There is no substitute for doing it. That $5 manual above is great for your practice. Also, as I also like the Gelukpa approach, the Intro to Meditation by FPMT (fpmt.org) is a great into to their meditation program. That course is free (after you register online), and the rest of that Discovering Buddhism course is not very expensive. As a "graduate" of that program, I can whole-heartedly recommend that program. (Lots of good guided meditation there.)

Hope that helps. Please do write or DM me if I can be of any more help. Good Luck!

I went to one AA meeting when I first got clean and never went back. I understand people have found support and success in it but to me, personally, I felt it only increased the stigma of drug addicts as these broken hopeless people barely hanging on by a thread. It's an outdated system that relies on little science or attempting to progress the participants and relies more on holding people in place and focusing on the past. Instead I just worked towards becoming a normal person. Here are some of the resources I used:

r/Fitness - Getting Started: Exercise is probably the #1 thing that will aid you in recovering. It can help your brain learn to produce normal quantities of dopamine again as well as improve your heath, mood, well being and confidence.

Meetup: You can use this site to find people in your area with similar interests. I found a hiking group and a D&D group on here which I still regularly join.

Craigslist: Same as above - look for groups, activities, volunteer work, whatever.

Diet

This will be the other major player in your recovery. Understanding your diet will allow you to improve your health,mood, energy, and help recover whatever damage the drugs may have done to your body.

How Not To Die Cookbook

Life Changing Foods

The Plant Paradox

Power Foods For The Brain

Mental Health

Understand whats going on inside your head and how to deal with it is also an important step to not only recovery but enjoying life as a whole.

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy

The Emotional Life Of Your Brain

Furiously Happy

The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works

Educational

If you are like me you probably felt like a dumbass when you first got clean. I think retraining your brain on learning, relearning things you may have forgot after long term drug use, and just learning new things in general will all help you in recovery. Knowledge is power and the more you learn the more confident in yourself and future learning tasks you become.

Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse

Why Nations Fails

Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud

The Modern Mind: An Intellectual History of the 20th Century

Thinking, Fast and Slow

The Financial Peace Planner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Restoring Your Family's Financial Health

Continued Education / Skills Development

EdX: Take tons of free college courses.

Udemy: Tons of onine courses ranging from writing to marketing to design, all kinds of stuff.

Cybrary: Teach yourself everything from IT to Network Security skills

Khan Academy: Refresh on pretty much anything from highschool/early college.

There are many more resources available these are just ones I myself have used over the past couple years of fixing my life. Remember you don't have to let your past be a monkey on your back throughout the future. There are plenty of resources available now-a-days to take matters into your own hands.

*Disclaimer: I am not here to argue about anyone's personal feelings on AA**

Hmm, good question. I can't claim to have read a lot of Thay's work (because as you said, there's quite a bit), but my hunch based on what I have read is that where you should start depends on your current knowledge of Buddhism.

Thay seems to write two types of books: a "general audience" type book that draws on Buddhism, but only to the extent that the teachings can be practiced by anyone regardless of their background. The Miracle of Mindfulness might be an example of this, or his "one-word-title books" as I call them: Power, Savor, Fear, etc.

The other type of book he writes seems to be intended for readers who either are already Buddhist or interested in going more deeply into Buddhist teachings. To know where to start with these works, a lot depends on how familiar you already are with the Buddha's teachings. I can tell you the order I read them, which seemed to work quite well:

Started with: The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: This is Thay's overview of the core teachings of Buddhism. I see this book like this: if Buddhism was a country, this would be a map of it. It shows you all the major points of interest, and the roads connecting all of them together. After reading this, you'll have a good grasp of what the different pieces of Buddhism are and how they work together to help you toward awakening/enlightenment.

But if you've never read anything about Buddhism at all before, I'm personally not sure if this is a good first book as it's not exactly a light read. Don't get me wrong: it's written with Thay's usual elegance and clarity, but it's packed with a lot of stuff (in the best sense). I was already somewhat familiar with the basics of Buddhism, so for me it was easy to build on that; but for someone brand new, I think the "general audience" books would still be a better start.

After that first book: In the first book itself, Thay recommends three sutras every serious practitioner should study regularly: the Bhaddekaratta Sutra, the Anapatasati Sutra, and the Satipatthana Sutra. Thankfully, Thay has translated and written commentaries on all three sutras and my links go to his books on these sutras.

Not much more I can share given that I'm about halfway through Thay's book on the Anapanasati Sutra. What I can say is that I can see why he says these are sutras to be studied throughout your life. They have some really powerful teachings that I have no doubt will take me years to grasp and practice properly.

Hope that helps. I'm sure others have read far more of Thay's work than I have, and can either correct my attempt here or give better recommendations.

The post got removed but I just wanted to reply to this last comment you made in case you come back to see it. What I would advise is just try not to be perfect. Just be yourself. What makes you feel good. It can be anything. Especially related to fashion, the places you hang out, the people you choose to be with.

Please note you didn't really get donwvoted here. You can go off on people in r/rant, r/angry (not anger) or r/offmychest all day. But this sub we really try to dig in and help people with anger management.

We can work ourselves up into an existential crisis over almost anything. Please realize you are not in a worst case scenario and other people don't wake up in the morning intent on ruining your day. So go easy on yourself and on everyone else. Spewing hatred at people will not foster peace. The transgender community is in the spotlight right now and it's basically being treated as the red-headed step-child of the world. So you need to seek out calm people for advice, people who have already been through it and aren't in the throws of figuring out who they are right now. Seek wisdom not opinions.

I used to hang out in punk clubs, gay bars, goth clubs and basically what most people would consider the worst dive bars in town because i was really low but found I could talk to other people who felt like outcasts out there. I didn't have any commonality with most people. But I started seeing people who dressed as weird as humanly possible because it made them feel like they were expressing themselves. It was a circus but it's a beautiful circus to those who appreciate it.

Even physically ugly people find love. We know this for a fact just people-watching on Saturday nights.
But thank God, right? If not, half of us would never find mates. We don't get to choose what we look like. We can alter it but only so much. Do what you would want to do anyway in life and the right people will come along. Gratitude, compassion, forgiveness will attract what you want.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you are kind to people and give them a chance they might have an easier job seeing the beauty in you. So omit those bad words and harsh feelings toward any specific group of people. They didn't help you. If something's not doing you any good, stop doing it. But don't lash out at them like it's their fault. When we know we have a hard problem on our hands, we have to work extra hard and find what heals us by ourselves. The power to choose your life is in your own hands. Take the wheel.

I suggest you find a counselor/therapist who deals with what you're dealing with. There are a lot out there that are well versed specifically in things like gender identity, body dysmorphia and conditions we don't even have names for yet. Shop around a bit to find the one that you connect with and offers suggestions that help you. Keep a journal and write your thoughts in it so you can go back and evaluate it and see if it's really true or if you're being negative. Having a journal gives you something to immediately go to and stay on track when you have a therapist as well. Also, you should just read. Read and read and read. Until you're kind of done. And then write. Write about what your experience has been. Being positive takes work, it doesn't just fall in our lap.

Movies are good too. Movies, movies, movies. Find movies that make you feel better and then ask yourself why they make you feel better.

It was twenty years ago and I'm not hip or that daring anymore. But I found my circus. Find your circus.

Hope you can feel better soon.

>1) What are some good ways to start practicing mindfulness?

Mindfulness of breathing may seem basic, but the Buddha said that one can reach enlightenment by this alone. There are many great things about mindfulness of breath, including that you can do it anywhere, anytime and it is very relaxing.

A great place to start is the Anapanasati Sutra (Anapanasati means "mindfulness of in-and-out breathing.") If you want something more in-depth, you can check out the book "Breathe, You Are Alive!" by Thich Nhat Hanh.

>2) I catch myself have a lot of negetive thoughts about other people and myself, is there something I should work on with regard to my thought process or attitude?

Metta meditation is wonderful for this! You start by wishing happiness and freedom from suffering for yourself, and then move on to wishing the same for others. You can find instructions on it here or [here](http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Loving-Kindness-Meditation-(Metta). One nice thing about metta meditation is that it doesn't take long (you can have a very productive session in just 5 minutes.)

This is also a great one to take "off the cushion" - when someone is annoying you, just try to realize that they are probably being unpleasant because they are, in some way, suffering. Then wish that they can be free of that suffering, and you will probably find whatever anger or ill-will you have will evaporate.

Wishing well to yourself is also a wonderful skill. When you find yourself having to perform some task, and mentally grumbling "this is terrible, I can't believe I have to do this, if only I had done [X] I could have avoided this..." you can catch yourself and realize, "why am I causing myself extra suffering? I must do this thing, so let me enjoy it as much as possible."

>3) Are there books or other reading materials of some kind that might help with further quesrions?

Too many to count! But if you're looking for an intro to meditation and mindfulness, I'd say Breathe, You Are Alive! is a great start.

Thank you for the reply. I think I understand where you are coming from, but there is something I don't understand. Why is it that science excludes the possibility of looking at the world as a beautiful and sacred thing? I think science necessarily leads us to that conclusion.

I think your interpretation of quantum mechanics is pretty flawed. The facts of quantum mechanics can makes us wonder at the craziness of reality, but it is an unreasonable step to go from quantum mechanics to saying, well, we're not really made up of 'things.' We are made up of things. I don't think that's what QM actually says at all.

>If it were all just a conglomerate of small particles, it would not have the life that it has. It can't really be explained or understood with concepts.

It is statements like this that I feel have no good reasons behind them. We've made incredible progress in understanding the world based on the premise that everything is a conglomerate of small particles, including our studies of consciousness. What does looking into the eyes of an infant do to falsify that idea?

The fundamental fallacy here is the same fallacy we see from creationists and other psuedosciences. It is the idea that since we don't understand the science behind something yet it is impossible for science to understand. There isn't a good reason to believe that.

I was unaware of the book 'Buddha on the brain' but I am a fan of other books that have looked at the convergence of neuroscience and buddhism. Specifically, Zen and the Brain has been a very interesting read, and so far, has been excellent.

One of the big problems we run into is when we have physicists talking about neuroscience. Unless they've done a lot of work outside their field, they're not going to have a good idea about the current state of that field. Someone like Ramachandran, on the other hand, who is a neuroscientist, has dome some truly amazing work in the field, and as should be listened to when it comes to talking about consciousness.

The thing that we're discovering is something that's very non-intuitive, which is that mind/brain duality is false. The mind is the brain, and is an emergent phenomenon from the connections that compose the brain. To me, that is an incredibly beautiful and sacred thing.

I guess the difference between us is what led us to the conclusion that life is beautiful and sacred. For me, it was science. For you, it appears to be the practice of buddhism and the teachings of people like Tolle.

This is a tough question to answer. I was lucky and my practice evolved naturally from more basic meditation to advanced methods without planning it that way. Looking back I would say this was a huge advantage.

I started in college doing simple mantra meditation. One word, repeated calmly with the breath. This is like TM. TM tells you that their mantra is sacred and you need to lick their buttholes and pay their car payments and then they give you a super special exotic Sanskrit mantra or something. Bullshit. You can pick any word you want. In my opinion it's better to pick a word with broad spiritual meaning as opposed to something more specific - use "God" instead of "peace," for example. When I started out I was meditating with a Benedictine monk named Fr. Laurence Freeman and he gave us the Aramaic word (actually, I guess it's a "term") "Maranatha" which means "come, Lord." I did that 20 minutes each morning and evening for a full academic year (at the Georgetown University John Main Center for Meditation as one of the founding scholars-in-residence, mind you [clears throat, pats self on back]). The regularity of those sessions coupled with the support of the group gave me a nice foundation in my practice. I would suggest finding a group if possible but it's not necessary. A $10-$20 "suggested" donation in a little basket by the door is customary. Anything else (aside from the cost of room and board on a retreat) should raise your eyebrows. I would also like to add that although I wasn't a Christian at the time I had no problem using a mantra attributed to Christ. I never thought much about the meaning of the mantra, to be honest. It's all about focusing the mind. You could use a nonsense word like "feminism" and it would work just fine (just kidding, don't do that). Here are Fr. Laurence's books: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=laurence+freeman

I was and suppose still am a Buddhist and got pretty deep into it. If you're serious about meditation I would suggest sticking to Buddhist meditation because it is far superior to all other systems. Some might argue this point but they would be wrong. I eventually discovered "concentration" or "jhanas" meditation, although most people simple call it "following the breath." All you do is pay attention to your breathing. If you get distracted internally you simply return to the breath. Now, traditionally there are a couple of ways of doing this. Either focus on the rise and fall of the abdomen or the breath as it passes that little divot just under your nose called the "anapanasati" spot. This is what I did and although it sounds weird it works great.

I went on my first retreat at this point with the authors of the book that introduced me to the method. It was incredible. The experience was quite honestly like visiting Heaven. 2 weeks in silence in the forest meditating all day, every day, until my mind was just a glowing ball of joy and wisdom. 10/10 highly recommend. Here is the book I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Jhanas-Traditional-Concentration-Meditation/dp/159030733X

Eventually I discovered Dzogchen meditation and it had very dramatic effects. Two great books to check out are "Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" and "Flight of the Garuda."

(after typing it seems like I should start with the caveat that what follows is mainly recalled from memory, so don't quote me on the research)

There are certainly similarities, in that awakening has effects on brain activity. For example, I remember reading an article about brain scans on long-term meditators (specifically Tibetan monks that claimed certain attainments that would correlate to what we call awakening here) that could basically shut off their default mode network at will, which is the area associated with identification with the self concept. When they'd intentionally enter other 'modes' of experience, the brain would reflect that.

The obvious difference is the loss of control. Citing my own experience, awakening eliminates the rigid attachment to the personal identity, but the capacity is still there as a perspective. It's just not a limiting perspective.This is very convenient, because without it, functioning in the world would be hard if not impossible.

For example, one may experience states where there is a complete loss of separation to the point they can't draw distinction between their body and someone else's. If they were hungry, they literally wouldn't know where to put food to address that hunger.

To me awakening seems like a natural maturation process, and similar to any other human transition there are balanced and imbalanced versions. Often the imbalanced stories (like someone not knowing where to put food) draw a lot of attention because of the contrast they show to normal experience. They have 'shock value' compared to the balanced version, which seems more mild in comparison.

There are benefits to a mild process (the lack of abruptness gives one time to adapt, which reduces the likelihood of dysfunction), but sometimes abrupt contrasts serve a purpose. A lobotomy would be an example of an abrupt contrast, with the obvious drawback of being relatively final and haphazard. Psychedelics are another example. The psychedelic experience is more controlled, but because the changes in brain chemistry aren't permanent, the effect will eventually fade (the main reason I never found them that attractive personally).

The aims of practices like meditation are similar - to cause changes in brain chemistry - but it's generally more mild and requires a fair amount of time, effort, and commitment, which is the major downside (IMO).

If there were a way to perform something similar to a lobotomy in a controlled and precise manner, it may result in similar benefits of long-term meditative practice without the downsides. The best of both worlds. This still seems a bit far-off though, given the complexity of the brain and our limited knowledge of human consciousness.

Combining meditation with technology (brain scans, etc) in addition to more research into applied psychedelics in a controlled manner seems more promising in the immediate future.

Shinzen Young's book The Science of Enlightenment might be worth reading, if you haven't already. He is currently researching a "God Helmet" which could affect brain states similar to a lobotomy but in a short-term and controlled manner.

How spiritual awakening translates to brain activity is super interesting to me, thanks for a fun post

Dzogchen and Mahamudra are two different sets of practices that aim at something quite similar. Dzogchen is seen to be the pinnacle of the Nyingma (old school) and Mahamudra of the Sarma schools (Kagyu, Gelug, etc.). Open presence does play a role in such practices, depending on what you mean by "open presence" and which practice you are referring to.

There are a number of different practices in each school. Probably the best technical instructions on Mahamudra are now available in a book titled Moonbeams on Mahamudra.

Clear Dzogchen instructions are harder to find, but I like the book Perfect Clarity which has a selection of Dzogchen and Mahamudra pith instructions, at least for trekchod. Finding clear togal practice instructions is very difficult, but the main practices seem to be sky gazing, dark retreat where you see light in the darkness, seeing rainbow halos (tigles) around light sources such as the sun or a light bulb (NEVER STARE DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN, OK?), and similar things like that. But you shouldn't be practicing togal anyway until stabilizing trekchod, according to the classic instructions at least.

Now some people will tell you "you need a teacher/guru" and even "you have to complete the preliminary practices (ngondro) first." No doubt having a qualified teacher who has experienced the territory they are teaching can be useful, and some preliminary practices may benefit some people.

That said, most Dzogchen teachers are highly inaccessible. Good luck ever getting a single 1-on-1 session with one, let alone ongoing personalized support for the idiosyncrasies of your practice. So "having a teacher" in practical terms often means going to a retreat or two, never interacting with them personally, and reading their books, with them never even knowing your name. And some teachers have strange views or run cults (see Sogyal Rinpoche as an example), so you might even get messed up from following a teacher if you're not careful.

In terms of preliminaries, personally I think traditional ngondro is highly inappropriate for Westerners, and my teachers (Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Anam Thubten, etc.) agree, so I disagree that traditional preliminary practices (such as doing 100,000 prostrations and 1 million vajrasattva recitations) are necessary or even good for Westerners, with our already busy minds and achievement orientations.

There can be a practical reason for preliminaries however, which is that many people cannot simply rest their mind in an open, spacious, unwavering presence, vivid and clear and luminous, even with pointing out instructions, because their mind is too agitated or dull, or because they lack sufficient insight into emptiness. This was certainly the case for me before doing a bunch of S.N. Goenka style vipassana and some other practices that allowed me to develop sufficient concentration, clarity, and insight. Moonbeams on Mahamudra touches on the need for "common" concentration and insight before practicing "uncommon" mahamudra, and I think this is indeed important for most people.

If you want a taste of what the instructions are like, there are many pith instructions published freely on the internet. For instance, here are mahamudra instructions from the 9th Karmapa. Or here are some classic mahamudra instructions from Tilopa. The Song of Mahamudra from Saraha is great too. Here are some Dzogchen trekchod pith instructions. The Bön tradition also has Dzogchen instructions which can be found in this book.

Good luck!

I really like Coolcrowe's explanation.

Personally I found The Myth a good starting point for approaching some of my existential problems, but it is a very slim book. The ideas raised there are dealt with in more detail and in a more practical or immediate way through Buddhism. In particular, formlessness, suffering, and peace are all central, and have been extensively studied and practiced for about two and a half thousand years...

Well worth a look at http://www.reddit.com/r/buddhism

I began my study with Stephen Batchelor's "Buddhism without Beliefs" which is an accessible and secular introduction,
http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Without-Beliefs-Contemporary-Awakening/dp/1573226564

As a scientist and agnostic/atheist/"pastafarian" (Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster :-) I found Buddhism useful as a down to earth, non-religious tool for philosophical and existential inquiry.
If you want a hardcore scientific examination of how it may work, the sky's the limit with Dr. James Austin's "Zen and the Brain", written by a neuroscientist and zen meditator. Be warned though, it's a massive volume (~800 pages) which includes heaps of really dry stuff on neurotransmitters and the anatomy of the brain,
http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Brain-Understanding-Meditation-Consciousness/dp/0262011646

I love studying, but you may find that cognitive understanding only takes you so far (an insight which it sounds like you've already come to by yourself) - and sometimes just causes more problems. I'd definitely recommend joining a meditation group to explore in a more immediate way what goes on inside your experience. My local Buddhist centre offers fantastic meditation drop-in classes. You may be able to find a local group on their website,
http://www.fwbo.org/contacts/addresses.html

I also recommend a couple of podcasts,
http://www.audiodharma.org/
http://www.dhammatalks.org.uk/

Have a great journey!

I became a Buddhist gradually, over a few years. There is no need to hurry or immediately adopt a new belief system. Think of it more like adopting a new exercise program. Start out moderately and see where it takes you.

My introduction was through Steve Hagen’s Buddhism Plain and Simple. It is a great introduction, takes you through the basics and it has one of the best methods to learn to meditate.

My recommendation is to learn to meditate. Once you get your feet wet, give practice a try. You don’t have to go heavy into readings. Start putting what you know into practice and see what happens.

The self-discovery part is important. Plus it’s interesting and fun. You’ll enjoy it. Like exercise, start doing it and see where it takes you. Keep reading and studying - there’s a lot out there, but you don’t need to know everything to start. Get moving and learn for yourself.

I know that leaves a lot of uncertainty, but uncertainty is a major part of the universe we live in. And something rather different from the Christianity you’ve grown up with. You will get used to it. The good news is that you’ll find plenty of interesting things along the path and you’ll end up in a different place than you are now.

Relax and enjoy your journey down the path.

Also, don’t beat up on Christianity too much. It’s very easy to get along with Christians. My parents are and I occasionally attend services at their church. Their pastor knows I’m Buddhist and he couldn’t be happier to have me there. I like him very much, too. It is entirely possible to convert and maintain good relations with your family. And you should.

For introductory books for Zen, I'd recommend Robert Aitken's 'Taking the Path of Zen' (only about 170 pages), and a book you will enjoy reading every few years.

Suzuki Roshi's classic 'Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind' is another book that you will want to keep in your collection, since as you progress in your practice, the book will change with you and give you deeper insights.

I would not recommend diving into the sutras until you have a solid basic understanding of Buddhism, as you will likely just get confused. An exception being The Dhammapada (Sayings of the Buddha), which although it is part of the Khuddaka Nikaya, is quite approachable. It will leave you with questions certainly, but also with a good deal of understanding. I recommend Gil Fronsdal's superb 2005 English translation, which you can actually listen to him reading here: http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/dhammapada/

A general introductory book would also be helpful. 'The Buddha and His Teachings,' Bercholz/Kohn has essays from Zen practitioners, as well as distinguished practitioners from other schools, which can help you to see what approach to learning the dharma you might want to take.

Good luck with your practice!

i could suggest a book, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry
http://www.amazon.com/After-Ecstasy-Laundry-Heart-Spiritual/dp/0553102907

really, once you take the blue pill, ya cant go back, and its hard to believe somebody would really want to, but you can help free others... this can be an amazing beautiful world, and you aren't the only one working towards that goal, you may walk the path by yourself at times, but you are never truly alone, allies will show themselves eventually, never stop caring, never stop trying, but really, you may end up realizing that where you are is not where you should be, that the people there are not ready to wake up, or maybe not even able. but never give up, and its so cliche, but it has to be said, its about the experience, not the end of the road, that is the point, dont feel discouraged, just be a voice of sanity when you can. Digest, the DMT trip is so compressed it always takes some time to digest, and its always with you.

nothing has changed, but everything is different, its tough to process, but its beautiful and amazing. It gives you another viewpoint to observe from, use it. give it time, dont repress, youve seen something not that many have, felt things, well, what it always comes down to, there arnt words for it, and also, as others in the thread mentioned, Terrance McKenna, just do it..

Last week I found out that my ulcerative colitis (diagnosed ten years ago) is now Crohn's disease. Prior to the colonoscopy that confirmed it I was buffeted by intense fear of death, and sat in the office watching some really intense sensations and feelings arise. I had just been reading death meditations in Ken McLeod's book Wake Up To Your Life days prior, which might have contributed to the strength and clarity to what arose. Compared to the last time I had the procedure, I was acutely aware of the fragility of the body – much of the staple somatic techniques were incredibly painful to conduct, but I chose to keep observing as preparatory training for when death finally strikes (or the inevitable health complications that arise as I continue to age). I can't deny that this week has been incredibly hard in light of this news and yet more challenges – there's a real desire for deliverance at times. That said my results are relatively positive, and I'm glad that I have the means to take care of this before it worsens – being grateful for the gifts of life goes a long way, and I'm thankful that I get to enjoy another birthday tomorrow. As such, this specific period was quite productive for practice and I'm better off for it.

Finally made it out to Dharma Ocean yesterday – many of the members have been practicing for several years, and it was great to be able to discuss the technical aspects of Reggie Ray's techniques in great depth. We sat for approximately 1.5 hours and had an in-depth discussion followed by tea and snacks. I'll continue attending and look forward to what grows from that.

You are incorrect. The path to enlightenment looks different for everyone, but Buddhism isn’t as free wheeling as it sounds like you believe. Siddhartha Buddha gave plenty of guidance on what you should and shouldn’t do, as well as what the world is like, how you should live in it, and how to go about moving toward enlightenment. The differences between countries are not because people are randomly deciding to do things differently, but because countries tend to have a dominant school, and those schools tend to either rely on different texts or interpret those texts differently. It’s essentially the same as Baptist vs. Methodist vs. Pentecostal vs. Episcopalian Christianity.

There are hundreds of rules for monastic monks, but all Buddhists live by at least 5 basic basic precepts (#1-5) while almost all Mahāyāna traditions dictate 10 (#1-10) bodhisattva precepts. Others tend to expand that list even further. Generic wording of them is:

1. No harming living beings
   
2. Do not take what is not freely offered
   
3. Do not misuse sexuality
   
4. Do not lie
   
5. Avoid intoxicants
   
6. Do not slander or gossip
   
7. Do not praise yourself at the expense of others
   
8. Do not begrudge others what is yours
   
9. Do not harbor anger
   
10. Do not speak ill of the Triple Jewel.
    
    That’s not to mention the three rules that are the Triple Jewel:
    
    
11. Take refuge in the Buddha
    
12. take refuge in the Dharma
    
13. Take refuge in the Sangha
    
    Some traditions add additional precepts. Tibetan Buddhists follow 18 major and 46 minor precepts. My tradition has “16” but they’re really the ten basic precepts, the Triple Jewel, and “do not create evil, do good, and help others do good.”
    
    Again, they vary a bit by tradition, but here are the 227 Monastic Rules for bhikkhus of the Tibetan school. Other monasteries have similar rules, to different extents and degrees of severity.
    
    Most/all major schools have a form of “taking the precepts” where you move from “interested in buddhism” to “a member of (school) Buddhism” by acknowledging the Triple Jewel and vowing to uphold the precepts.
    
    The full 10 come from the Brajmahala Sutra, which is a bit debated, but all have their core in earlier texts that are considered canon by basically everyone. Buddha himself gave plenty of guidance for our actions.
    
    The precepts are not strict rules, but they are your guidance as a Buddhist in the same way the 10 commandments are guidance and not rules. No one is going to throw you out for violating them, but it’s hard to call yourself a Buddhist if you deny them in their entirety.
    
    Further, when debating what “is or isn’t” Buddhism, remember that the Buddha’s teachings are not all there is. Other (qualified) teachers’ writings are just as valid as guideposts, and the Brajmahala is one of those teachings. Ignoring the qualified writings made after Siddhartha Buddha’s death is just as silly as a Christian ignoring the New Testament because it wasn’t written by Jesus, but rather by his disciples and his disciple’s students who did their best to remember and interpret and explain and expound on his original teachings.
    
    In fact, all modern schools of Buddhism are based on these secondary interpretations. It’s why Buddhist scholars are important — their guideposts help lay people who cannot devote their entire lives to Buddhism. The teachings by these teachers — most especially those which are canon — are the teachings of Buddhism. If you hold strictly to only the Buddha’s teachings, you’re missing the point.
    
    So, to get back on topic, homosexuality is not against the ‘rules’ of Buddhism, but what this monk did absolutely was. Not only does it violate many of the rules for bhikkhus, but it also violates the five universal precepts. This is misuse of sexuality, by engaging in sexuality with people who were not able to refuse due to either his authority or the idea that he was a spiritual leader.
    
    If you’re interested in a good book on the Precepts, I recommend Being Upright by Reb Anderson it is a Mahāyāna discussion of the 10 basic precepts, but that necessarily includes the five universal precepts. It is an excellent resource.
    
    Edited to clarify use and application of pātimokkha.

Welcome!! My advice would be to read something about Buddhism generally (covering Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions as well as high-level Buddhist thought) and then read an introduction to meditation or use one of the more secular mindfulness apps to get your feet wet.

Intro to Buddhism: Buddhism for Beginners by Thubten Chodron
Thubten Chodron is a well-known Tibetan Buddhist nun, but this book does a great job of staying high-level and presenting Buddhism as a whole

Intro to Meditation: Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein
Joseph Goldstein is probably one of the world's most renowned meditation teachers, and this book is an excellent introduction that also covers Buddhist teachings more generally. Joseph's background is primarily based in the Theravada traditions.

For guided meditation apps, I have used Headspace and 10% Happier. Both are great and offer a free trial period with meditations for beginners.

It is a fallacy that working on yourself is working on all areas of life. This belief was a party line or selling point of many Buddhist teachers particularly those from non-western countries. Many western Buddhist teachers today recognize that therapy can be a very helpful adjunct to Buddhist meditation practice.

Jack Kornfield's book, After the Ecstacy, The Laundry is one of many books with information on how Buddha dharma alone is not enough in today's world that has evolved quite a bit in the last 2500 years.

I love the Buddha dharma, deeply and dearly.

Yes, working on oneself can be more attachment to the world. Wilber admits this. However, until we are fully enlightened, we best pay attention to our actions, words and intentions.

Speaking for myself, I have personally found that broadening my awareness to think in terms of inner self, relationship self, science and health, and culture and self has helped bring me to greater wisdom than focusing solely on inner self. I've by no means neglected the work on inner self.

edit: calling one of the quadrants "inner self" isn't accurate, and neither are the other labels I've used here for quadrants. The explanation is a tl;dr in itself.

I think a retreat, whether zen sesshin or vipassina is extremely helpful and for many people (such as Sam Harris) even if they do 1 hour a day, it is during a retreat where they first begin to understand how to actually meditate.


Also committing to meditate at specific times, especially when I don't want to has been really helpful in terms of continuity and momentum in my practice.


This book helped me more than any podcast, video, dharma talk, or reading material I found prior. I can think of many ways why that is the case but mostly in how he talks about meditation in a way I've not heard anyone else do. I'll post the book description below the link.

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Enlightenment-How-Meditation-Works/dp/1591794609
merges scientific clarity, a rare grasp of source-language teachings East and West, and a gift for sparking insight through unexpected analogies, illustrations, humor, and firsthand accounts that reveal the inner journey to be as wondrous as any geographical expedition. Join him here to explore:
Universal insights spanning Buddhism, Christian and Jewish mysticism, shamanism, the yogas of India, and many other paths
How to begin and navigate your own meditation practice
Concentration, clarity, and equanimity—the core catalysts of awakening
Impermanence—its many aspects and how to work with them
Experiencing the “wave” and “particle” natures of self
Purification and clarification—how we digest mental blockages and habits through inner work
Emerging neuroscience research, the future of enlightenment, and much more
For meditators of all levels and beliefs—especially those who think they’ve heard it all—this many-faceted gem will be sure to surprise, provoke, illuminate, and inspire.

There are lots and lots of resources out there, where you could have a read and see if the language of the system appeals to you, makes sense etc. But really, if you want to practice Mahamudra, you're really going to need a teacher with a lot of experience. This is sure in any style of meditation, but I wouldn't underestimate how well you can practice without a teacher, but also how far off piste you can deviate if you practice for a long time without proper guidance.

My number one practice text recommendation is 'Moonbeams of Mahamudra', it is Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche's translation of Tashi Namgyal's masterwork. Amazing book. - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moonbeams-Mahamudra-Traleg-Kyabgon/dp/0980502233

Mahamudra is interesting in that it is at once presented as the ultimate teaching within certain lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, but I have also found it the clearest and most pragmatic. It really suits the western mind because it relies on much less prior theory, cultural praxis, philosophy etc than other Vajrayana systems of practice. Whilst 'Mahamudra' as a term refers to a very high view, the system of meditation could really be taught to a person who had never sat in their life. It begins with very basic shamatha training - cultivating a stability of attention - which is what most people learn at their local mindfulness class or whatever.

So don't let traditionalists put you off by telling you that Mahamudra is for people who have done decades of study, ngondro, generation/completion stage, etc etc etc. It's just not true. It is true that the traditional path provides a wonderful foundation if practice well, but it's also true that some people get lost in that traditional path and really waste years of their life doing stuff that really doesn't do much to help them or others.

If you want pragmatic, down to earth advice on Mahamudra, then Ken McLeod is probably my number one reccomention. He doesn't teach anymore, but his website has a lot of resources. He did two, three year retreats under Kalu Rinpoche, and has been through all the worst things that can happen to a meditator, and is very very open about his experience. He is clear, accurate, and stays very close to the traditional presentation without being dogmatic. Ken has been an enormous help to my own practice.

[I have to run, but I'll come back and edit this later if I remember]

Before starting on the Tibetan Book of the Dead, you might want a survey book of Buddhism. Although not at all complete, I do think the book The Buddha and His Teaching is a great academic survey covering many foundations of Buddhism including the Buddha's story, Karma, the eightfold path, ego, attachment, and meditation. It mainly follows the Tibetan model in organization: Part 1: Hinayana, Part 2: Mahayana, Part 3: Vajrayana, excluding focus on schools like Zen and Theravada. All in all, though, an excellent read.

There are also a number of contemporary readings that will explain Dharma through a modern lens. What Makes You Not a Buddhist? was recommended to me awhile back.

Also, if you'd like to get to the heart of it, start meditating. You only need 10 minutes a day of basic shamatha and vippasana practice to start becoming a student of your own mind.

Good luck

EDIT: it just dawned on me that Shamatha and Vippasana might be foreign terms to you. You can do a google search, or you can PM me and I'd be happy to help

Glad I could help. And yeah, it's good to experiment and see what kind of cool things you can get your mind and body to do, but at the same time I think it's better to do these practices within some framework. I mean, the techniques that the Hindus or the Tibetans use have been developed over centuries, so there are sure to have been people who have run into similar problems and discovered how to fix them and how to avoid them. If you're interested in energetic practices in particular (working with chakras, "chi", etc.), I think the best book I've found from a Buddhist standpoint is this one: The Bliss of Inner Fire. I believe it is one of the few books that actually gives teachings on Tummo meditation practice in English. (Note: Check your local library, or look around online, I was able to find a PDF of this book and it's available at my university's library.)

Here is a list of monasteries where you will be able to practice meditation for an extended period of time and eventually ordain as a monk:

-Pa Auk Forest Monastery in Myanmar

-Panditarama Forest Meditation Center in Myanmar

-Wat Chom Tong in Thailand

-Wat Ram Poeng in Thailand

The monasteries below allow shorter stays for first-time visitors:

-Bhavana Society in West Virginia

-Metta Forest Monastery in California

-Sirimangalo International in Canada

-Bodhinyana in Australia

If you’re interested in learning how to meditate, the following books are excellent guides. Each of these authors has a novel approach to explaining meditation that complements the others.

-The Mind Illuminated by John Yates

-Shift Into Freedom by Loch Kelly

-With Each & Every Breath by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. This author has other great books available for free.

-In The Buddha’s Words by the Buddha (translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi)

I recommend that you check out /r/streamentry, an online community of laypeople (non-monks) pursuing awakening. You might also wish to contact /u/Bhikkhu_Jayasara, a fully ordained monk who often participates in /r/buddhism.

Best of luck to you on the path.

Yeah, that definitely makes it way tougher. Can you absorb stuff by watching a video? If so, maybe you could try finding some videos of really peaceful/compassionate/enlightened monks and try to absorb their attitudes and approaches to meditation. Culadasa has some videos, as does Shinzen Young.

For working directly with defense mechanisms, you might get a lot of benefit from working through Wake Up to Your Life by Ken McLeod. It discusses a lot of how defense mechanisms function and how to take them apart just like vipassanna takes apart sensations. It's definitely slower to pick them apart, but it's still doable. Some of the material from the book is covered in this retreat summary and the rest of his website.

Good luck and hope your practice goes well.

I am not a Buddhist. I study Buddhist philosophy and try to live my life aligned with the Budda’s teachings (not by any means the same thing)...so I may not be a good source for your question. However...

My advice is to not get too caught up in the various details and such. Buddhism today is like any other organized religion in the sense that it seeks to influence your thinking and behaviors in such a direction that benefits the leadership of that religion. So, instead, I would recommend you start with a couple of interesting books that talk about Buddhist philosophy without bogging down in the dogma. I recommend:

Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Buddhism-True-Philosophy-Enlightenment-ebook/dp/B01MPZNG63/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525851744&sr=8-1&keywords=why+buddhism+is+true+robert+wright



And

Buddhism Plain and Simple: The Practice of Being Aware Right Now, Every Day

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005CVTTWM/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o01_?ie=UTF8&psc=1


These two books look at Buddhism in a sober, modern light and do a very good job of pointing out the basic teachings. They both also reference other sources that you can then use to expand your exploration, if you so desire.



Best of luck to you, on your path....

I'd start off with Vipassana meditation (Great resource for this: http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html) For me, it's the easiest and simplest way to go about it. I know that some people prefer the tantric way where they open their chakras and try to feel their energy, but I can't really get into that. It depends on personal preference of course but if you want to learn a bit more about the tantric way, there's a great book on Tibetan Buddhism called "The Bliss of inner fire."

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bliss-Inner-Fire-Practice/dp/086171136X

Here's a bit more info about chakras if you do decide to go down that route:
http://www.eclecticenergies.com/chakras/open.php

It's completely a personal choice, but as I mentioned earlier, I prefer Vipassana meditation.
Hope that helps.

The Dalai Lama has many excellent books on Tibetan Buddhism, my favorites are How To Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life and Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life.

 

Lama Surya Das, Traleg Kyabgon, and Thubten Chodron all have excellent introductions written from a Tibetan perspective as well.

It sounds like your heart is really in it, may I recommend a book?? http://www.amazon.com/Wake-Your-Life-Discovering-Attention/dp/0062516817/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318910807&sr=8-1

It's not so much a self help book as it is some great proverbs, short stories, and then reflections to help you see the path of enlightenment and caring for others. It's all about compassion and knowing what you deserve, or rather, don't. It really opened my eyes about "expectations" which in my opinion is everyones biggest enemy when it comes to being let down in life.

Understanding emptiness (sunyata) of conditioned things around you and reallizing non-self (anatta) are extremely freeing and happy states. You are magic not because the world is magical but bc you've freed yourself from the mental proliferation that most of us are blown around by like dry leaves. The sense of self which is the cause of all your confusion, suffering, whatever else is at the root of any possible agitation that can bring the mind away from a bright stillness.

You seem to have a strong desire for transcendence. This can be a hindrance. I have it, and have benefited greatly from having a good teacher. You can find them at places like IMS or your local monastery.

From Buddhadasa:
"The term "anapanasati" does not mean, as is generally interpreted, mindfulness established on in and out breathing. Actually it means mindfulness established on an object all the time with each in and out breath: Initially one establishes mindfulness on the breathing itself, then on different kinds of feeling, different states of mind, then the characteristic of impermanence… and finally on relinquishment, which is the ultimate objective of the practice."

If you'd like to try it get this book. It's incredible:
http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Breathing-Manual-Serious-Beginners/dp/0861711114/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452893595&sr=8-1&keywords=anapanasati

I am in the middle of reading Zen and the Brain.

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Brain-Understanding-Meditation-Consciousness/dp/0262011646

While the spiritual aspects of his experience with Zen as a religion can get a little preachy at times, the referenced work and suppositions Austin makes may be relevant to your search.

I myself meditate, though not for any spiritual fulfillment. I would be the last person to qualify any of my experiences as "evidence" in support of a physiological phenomenon, however I have felt certain aspects of the principle of oneness, and the onset of each stage as you delve deeper and deeper into yourself. From this deeper and deeper state of relaxation and focus I certainly derive a great deal of satisfaction and brief encounters with what some may describe as euphoria.

Probably not what you were looking for, but that kind of mindset is exactly what Buddhists train to eradicate through meditation. I'm reading Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World right now, and it breaks Buddhism down into everyday language really nicely. A lot of it is about abandoning recognition or validation from the outside world, and keeping a perspective on what's important - including appreciating yourself and what you have. Great read, and might help guide you on your own path to self-improvement, Buddhist or not :)

Since the course is for beginners, I think it should be fine to sign up. It will help you establish a regular practice, ask questions, and meet other people who meditate. You'd probably be able to do the course just fine without having a copy of TMI, but I'd still recommend that you get a copy for your own benefit. It's very comprehensive and Culadasa's mind model is worth the price of admission alone.

Other books I recommend, which are easy to find used on the cheap:

Breath By Breath, by Larry Rosenberg
https://www.amazon.com/Breath-Liberating-Practice-Meditation-Shambhala/dp/1590301366/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483032245&sr=8-1&keywords=breath+by+breath

Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483032359&sr=8-1&keywords=mindfulness+in+plain+english

There's the reading list in the side-bar, but that doesn't really have secondary books on Hinduism.

There's Gavin Flood's An Introduction to Hinduism. I haven't read it yet, but it's the only thing I got off the top of my head. If you want, I can look through the copy I found on the sidewalk and tell you about it.

But Flood seems to have a pretty good pedigree. But I don't know if he's a Hindu. I would also recommend Eknath Easwaran's translation of the Bhagavad Gita. I have it, and his intro goes into Hindu concepts. This book also seem well-received, though I don't have it.

There's a public domain book called The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India. There's also The Wonder that was India, which is good. And apparently the same guy wrote The Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism.

Most Indian history books talk about Hinduism, so maybe the Cambridge History of India?

Her books recommended elsewhere in this thread, yes. But the other is the excellent Practicing the Jhanas by Snyder and Rasmussen. If you just read through the relevant bits, it's probably 80 pages. Who can sit still and read 80 pages these days though? Maybe if the book came with a 9v shocker? ;)

Well, Shaila Catherine did spend quite a bit of time with Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, and her book "Wisdom Wide and Deep" (which the venerable one wrote the foreword to) is a very good explication of that style of Visuddhimagga practice (it is a commentary on a commentary, as it were, so just know that :)

I don't discount other folks' experience with deeper states in that style of practice. I just hope people can agree that there is a range of experience to be had with Samadhi and Jhana (again, see Shankman's book). If not, then we just disagree, no biggie. May we all know "samma samadhi" and may it be of service in our liberation.

You're welcome, glad it helped.

http://www.amazon.ca/Practicing-Jhanas-Traditional-Concentration-Meditation/dp/159030733X

I would grab a book like this. These are Pa Auk Sayadaw's students. He teaches in the tradition of the Visuddhimagga - http://www.abhidhamma.org/visuddhimagga-1.htm, which is a classic meditation manual, very comprehensive, this is a free copy.

Leigh Brasington has alot of stuff out there, but then again he couldn't hit Jhana on a Pa Auk retreat, so I tend to shy away from him, as he teaches also to nurture these jhana factors, which is opposite to what the Sayadaw as well as the Visuddhimagga teaches.

Concentration practice is very much about focusing on on one point, cultivating the factors. However, concentration is not the end of practice, there is the insight side, the Sayadaw teaches traditionally, so he starts with concentration, then the sublime abidings and then elemental and vipassana.

I too had a pre-disposition for concentration and after starting sitting (2 weeks in), I obtained full Jhana Absorption, which was profound, just using mindfulness in plain English-
http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.php, this is mainly about mindfulness.

In the end the importance is the technique and keeping with it. Ajahn Chah said insight leads to concentration, concentration leads to insight, so whichever path you pick, stick with it. Part of the process of cultivating concentration is subduing the hinderances, which in itself can be quite insightful and freeing.

I really like Rodney Yee's yoga DVDs :) I've tried a lot of them, and I find that his style just works best for me.

I also enjoyed Meditations from the Mat when I was first getting into yoga - I liked the daily essays, and it helped me stay kind of focused on my goal.

And I've been debating off and on whether I want to pick up Moving Toward Balance (Rodney Yee again, what can I say?).

You can try Buddhism for Beginners by Thubten Chodron, a highly reviewed book with recommendations from leading Buddhist figures like the Dalai Lama. Once you're a little more familiar with basic Buddhist concepts, you can try more in-depth books such as The World of Tibetan Buddhism: An Overview of Its Philosophy and Practice by the Dalai Lama, if you're interested in more detailed philosophical explanations of Buddhism. For lighter books that focus on applying a few core Buddhist concepts to everyday life, there's quite a few bestsellers by the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh to check out. If you eventually take an interest in the Vajrayana aspect of Buddhism, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is the author to go - he also has an intro to Buddhism-ish book called What Makes You NOT a Buddhist, which is another highly reviewed & recommended book.

Edit: https://studybuddhism.com/ is also a great source, founded by a longtime Western student of the Dalai Lama.

Source: Longtime Buddhist practitioner with exposure to both the Chinese & Tibetan Buddhist traditions. I tend to suggest books by authors who are both highly experienced in the philosophy and practice of a certain lineage, because I feel that a lot of books where the author is only knowledgeable about philosophy are just... really lacking in quality, to be honest. Buddhist philosophy is great, but it's the practice of it that really brings these philosophies alive.

I don't think there's anything wrong with being a Christian and practicing Buddhism. Lots of people see Buddhism as more of a philosophy than a religion. The resources are definitely out there though. As far as books go, my personal favorite and the only book I have on the subject is Awakening the Buddha Within by Surya Das. I'd highly recommend it!

As far as feeling down about where you're at in life, don't beat yourself up. We're all on our own journeys and we all strive to better ourselves the best way we can. Be well, brother!

Chi is merely an amalgamation of several other natural forces (Breath, momentum, elasticity, etc) utilized towards a certain goal to produce the maximum amount of force with the least amount of effort. At least that's how it works with Taijiquan. Psychologically speaking, Chi is the same way. This book with commentary from C.G. Jung explains the concept more succinctly than I can.

So to answer your question, Chi isn't like The Force, made up of midichlorians in your body. Although you could do research on the neurological effects of meditation. It has been done before with very interesting results. I'll leave the research in what I'm sure are your very capable hands.

And you're asking someone named Sun-Wukong what he thinks of the Jade Emperor? He's a figure from folklore, the stories you hear about the Jade Emperor and all those other immortals and patron deities don't need to be true to be right. That's the point of parable.

That's like saying American's can't be atheist because of Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed.

Unfortunately people may become fixated to that experience and try to guard it at all expenses. But it is destined to go away. Instead of continuing bliss, you get change to work with your shit. Practitioner should just drop that experience and go deeper. Jack Kornfield has written good book specially about that subject: After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path:

>"Enlightenment does exist. It is possible to awaken" Such times of "great wisdom, deep compassion and a real knowing of freedom," however, alternate with life's dirty laundry, "periods of fear, confusion, neurosis, and struggle".

VERY to the point:

ON ACTION.

​

Find the best version of translation and commentary you can find in your preferred language.

Digest ve..............ry slowly.

​

I'd think this book, like a good movie, it's better approached being clueless as to what it is "about".

This doesn't intend [oh the irony] to be a solution to anything, though,

it's a gift I'd gift you if I were you.

We strive to not become attached to any practice, but especially not to a practice that does not fit into our lives. Why have any desire? Why have a desire that cannot be filled? This is how suffering is created.

I'd recommend the book The Science of Enlightenment by Shinzen Young. There are a couple of books by this name, so here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Enlightenment-How-Meditation-Works/dp/1591794609/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XJ5VCMA881V81A4FARQ0

Remember: Trying to get to the destination by following the path of another makes enlightenment harder than it needs to be. There is no honor in a harder path, only a farther distance from the truth.

I suggest the Satipatthana Sutta with a practice-oriented commentary. It's probably the most comprehensive sutta.

Here are a couple good ones:

Transformation and Healing: Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening (Joseph Goldstein)

Then there's the Anapanasati Sutta, which is also considered to be very authentic and comprehensive. In it the Buddha shows how he used the breath to practice the four establishments of mindfulness to achieve full awakening. Here are a couple good commentaries:

Breathe, You Are Alive: The Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing (Thich Nhat Hanh)


Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation (Larry Rosenberg)

For everyday little thoughts or things that my yoga teachers say around savasana I like

• Meditations from the Mat
  
  
• 365 Prescriptions for the Soul
  
  
• The Essential Rumi or The Gift - Hafiz
  
  
  Or some "stylish" books like ...
  
  
• Eat Pray Love - meh
  
  
• Yoga Bitch and if that one doesnt strike your fancy, you could go look under the similar products.
  
  
  There's also some documentaries like Enlighten Up which used to be streaming on Netflix for free. Not a GREAT documentary but good if you want to focus on the culture of yoga!
  
  

Shift into Freedom by Loch Kelly is fantastic, he was authorized to teach it by Mingyur Rinpoche and is able to describe seemingly difficult concepts in clear language. The book has tons of techniques and maps out a clear path. I initially heard of him from a Daniel Ingram and he seems to be a fan.

https://www.amazon.com/Shift-into-Freedom-Open-Hearted-Awareness/dp/1622033507

If he has any understanding of psychophysiology, neurochemistry and neuroanatomy he'd likely find Zen and the Brain highly useful. If he's interested in clinical publications, this piece from Davidson would be a good start. For pure instruction Jack Kornfield's guide for beginning meditation is excellent.

You need to learn to cope with your natural emotions, thoughts, and desires without the aide of any substance. You're not addicted to weed, it's your emotional crutch. This book has helped me a lot. Give it a try. Personally, I find inspirational helpful words on every page of this book. First, you will learn that it is pointless to dwell on thoughts, emotions, or desires. Then, you will learn how to actually control yourself enough to not dwell on those things. That's all there is to it. You're not broken. You're not an addict. You're not a bad person. You simply were not taught self-discipline by your parents or society, and now you're dealing with the fallout of being an adult without an emotional foundation to stand on. It's up to you to build that foundation, or you can do the typical thing and medicate yourself with something legal.

The Buddha and His Teachings by Samuel Bercholz and Sherab Chodzin Kohn was my first real introduction to Buddhism. It has a great biography of the Buddha and covers the core Buddhist teachings, as well as information on the different schools and traditions that exist in the world.

A great book that I've just finished reading and can't recommend highly enough is Indestructible Truth by Reginald A. Ray, which is a very comprehensive introduction to Tibetan Buddhism's history, theory, practise and philosophy.

If you're interested in reading a really great book about both the relative and ultimate meaning of these precepts, I wholeheartedly recommend Being Upright: Zen Meditation and the Bodhisattva Precepts by Reb Anderson.

I'm taking a class at my local Soto Zen center about these precepts as well, and am sewing my rakusu in preparation of formally taking them.

If the book /u/BlueFalcon2009 recommended doesn't click for you, you might try this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Plain-Simple-Steve-Hagen-ebook/dp/B005CVTTWM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499349054&sr=1-1&keywords=buddhism+plain+and+simple

That book was a lifesaver for me when I was going through my divorce. It really helped me reorient my thinking in a way that has made me a much stronger and happier person than I ever was back when I was with my ex.

(I haven't read The Storms Can't Hurt the Sky, so I'm not suggesting there's anything wrong with it -- just giving another option).

If you're interested in tantric buddhism, I would suggest reading anything and everything by Lama Yeshe.

Here's an intro to the subject he gave. It's pretty good if memory serves.

His book gives detailed instructions for the practices that form the core of tantric meditation within Vajrayana.

I would need to ask my Chinese friends =) But I imagine it mostly comes from the book, since this illustration was (I think) produced for the book when it was published in the modern age (though I believe the original is thought to be from the 1500s.)

these are books on the subjects you seem interested in


Tao Of Sexology

​

The secret of the golden flower

​

​

The multi orgasmic man

​

I havent read the last one but a buddy of mine recommended it to me

​

cheers

This book is pretty great: Meditations from the Mat. Author is a recovered addict and yogi.

Pema Chodron is a Tibetan Buddhist author who has written a lot of books that are accessible for newcomers. I haven't read this one in particular, but she has a book called No Time To Lose, which is based on a highly influential classic in Mahayana Buddhism called Bodhisattvacharyavatara (A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life).

Here is the amazon link for Pema Chodron's book:

http://www.amazon.com/No-Time-Lose-Timely-Bodhisattva/dp/1590304241/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Traleg Kyabgon recently published a book all about karma and rebirth titled Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters. When people ask me about emptiness, rather than a book, I prefer to direct them to this nifty little website:

http://emptinessteachings.com/introduction-to-buddhist-emptiness/

Other helpful writers are Thubten Chodron (Buddhism for Beginners), the Dalai Lama, and Mingyur Rinpoche.

If you want a heavier book that explains all the various things that Tibetan Buddhists do, you can get A Complete Guide to The Buddhist Path. I don't think you can practice much with this book, but once you're finished with it you'll be reasonably informed about how Tibetan Buddhism operates.

Sure!

My teacher, one of the first women to receive full monastic ordination, wrote a book called Buddhism For Beginners. She teaches in the Tibetan tradition which isn't always everyone's cup of tea as it is pretty ritualized and religion-y.

As an alternative, you might consider the exceptional book The Three Pillars of Zen.

I am still very new to Advaita Vedanta and, so far, I've mostly just watched YouTube videos and am currently reading the Bhagavad Gita which is considered to be an important text to that tradition.

I apologize. I did not read your post to be honest. You would enjoy this book. If you haven't already. https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Golden-Flower-Chinese-Book/dp/0156799804

I literally JUST received Meditations from the Mat in the mail! I suppose I shouldn't offer it as a suggestion just yet since I haven't read it, but a teacher I very much admire and enjoy taking classes with suggested it, because it offers daily reflections, so you can read a little and get "little tastes" of the spiritual side of yoga.

I tried to read the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga but had a really difficult time getting into it. :/ I'm excited to hear others' suggestions!

Nice. You might like to check out Locke Kelly's Shift into Freedom which has a whole bunch of short exercises like this.

Suzuki never to my knowledge had those problems, but his direct successor as abbot was involved in an extra-marital affair(s). This book:

Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion, and Excess at San Francisco Zen Center

Discusses it, and in this book:

Being Upright: Zen Meditation and the Bodhisattva Precepts

Talks about this period as well as the author's own failings in not addressing Baker's behavior sooner then he did.

Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World is my favorite book on Buddhism.

Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up: A Practical Approach for Modern Life by B. Alan Wallace is really good.


Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism


Wake Up to Your Life by Ken Mcleod. This one is more of a practical book grounded in a Western take on Tibetan Buddhism.

If you enjoy yoga (even if you don't practice yoga), you may like Meditations from the Mat

Meditations from The Mat is a great book too!


http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385721544/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=35077703004&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5667773347437400616&hvpone=11.15&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5vcab3xz8u_b

Non-directive meditation is found in different traditions. The main one's I've found are:

Taoism

• Zuowang, see http://oldoakdao.org/blog/
  
  Buddhism
  
  
• Zen (zazen, inspired by Taoism, see the book True meditation, Adyashanti)
  
• Dzogchen/mahamudra: See for example Shift into freedom
  
  Hinduism
  
  
• Tantra: Doctrine of vibration
  
• Vedic meditation
  
  You also find it in other traditions:
  
  
• Neo-Confucianism: Jing zuo //similar to zuowang and zazen
  
• Esoteric and contemplative Christianity Centering prayer
  
  Perhaps /u/sovereign_self has something in mind as well

I love this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Breathing-Manual-Serious-Beginners/dp/0861711114/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485535004&sr=1-1&refinements=p_27%3ABuddhadasa+Bhikkhu

Hey everybody, Check out Larry Rosenberg's book https://www.amazon.com/Breath-Liberating-Practice-Meditation-Shambhala/dp/1590301366

The Jhanas are discussed and internal "signs" are pointed out and what to do with them etc... have fun!

Buddhadasa Bhikkhu would like to agree. See his published Mindfulness of breathing which is better written than his freely available Anapanasati.

However you cannot say that staying in jhana constitutes Dhamma-anupassana. Here one is naturally free of greed etc. and the 5 hindrances, but one does not gain insight into them. Also one does not gain insight into the 5 aggregates or impermanence etc.

There is a well-known technique for switching between samatha and vipassana within any method. In anapanasati, if you fix your mind on the idea of in and out, then this is a permanent object which will eventually lead to jhana. If you observe any sensation (whether the breathing or otherwise) then it should be considered vipassana as it is a real object and might have mental layers. Also, you will have to switch to another or the next sensation because every sensation has a fixed duration. So you can see samatha and vipassana cannot be planned simultaneously, though one can quickly lead to the other.

I am still wondering if there is a methodical approach to 5 aggregates etc.

Was reading through the med faq and some archived med topics and saw this book mentioned, which has just gone on my "to read" list. Although it was published in 1998, so is dated somewhat, but still a good general overview.

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Brain-Understanding-Meditation-Consciousness/dp/0262011646

I found this and this but I'm not sure which one is better.

I couldn't say, but I am reading Eknath Easwaran's. Many people like that one.

http://www.amazon.com/Bhagavad-Classics-Indian-Spirituality-ebook/dp/B004DI7R5G/ref=la_B000APGY1O_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369413456&sr=1-1

I used Simply Being for a little bit. Mostly, meditation and mindfulness exercises put me to sleep. But I have terrible anxiety on planes and Simply Being was really helpful.

I got a lot out of the book Buddhism Plain and Simple. It's very nonreligious if that's your thing; I'm practicing Christian and it was still perfect.

I would suggest Meditations from the Mat (Amazon Link). It breaks down the 8 Limbed Yogic path and then goes through a daily examination of the lessons. IT was easy to digest and really hits home.

Anyone can adopt Buddhist mindfulness, no matter what their religion, just don't try to shoehorn Jesus into the Buddhist dharma, it won't work.

Mindfulness is explained thus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satipatthana

You can read the original sutras like The Satipatthana Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/soma/wayof.html

but without a commentary and examples it will be tough going.

I have this book in my shelves and it is almost worn out.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Heart-Buddhist-Meditation-Satipatthna/dp/0877280738

Since you found Thich Nhat Hanh useful, I see that he also has a book on this topic.
http://www.amazon.com/Transformation-Healing-Sutra-Establishments-Mindfulness/dp/book-citations/1888375620

I see this book is highly recommended by some of the people in this thread, so I went to Amazon to get it and saw this review:

> I was looking for more information on Tibetan buddhism, but sadly this book is mostly about the author. I found it hopelessly narcissistic and pedantic.

I'll probably still get it anyway, since you guys (and most of the rest of the Amazon reviewers) recommend it so highly, but I'd appreciate it if someone could address this review.

EDIT: Actually some of the two- and three-star reviews are concerning as well...

Larry Rosenberg, although more of a meditation teacher than a Buddhist scholar has a nice take on the Anapanasati Sutta http://www.amazon.com/Breath-Liberating-Practice-Meditation-Shambhala/dp/1590301366/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=07XAVP5X1QQ9JRCZ5JZE

For me I liked "Awakening the Buddha Within"
http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Buddha-Within-Tibetan-Western/dp/0767901576

You'd probably like The Secret of the Golden Flower if you haven't already read it. The version I linked even has a commentary by Carl Jung.

Buddhism Plain and Simple: The Practice of Being Aware Right Now, Every Day https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CVTTWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_spnyDbMH695F7

It's not a book about meditation but I highly recommend it. There is one chapter about practicing meditation but the whole book is about the concept of the self. And don't worry its not about joining a religion. It explains the key ideology behind Buddhism without all the ceremonial and symbolism crap

Haven't gotten far enough to know if there's good instruction in there, but it looks to be a non-mystical analysis of meditation.

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Enlightenment-How-Meditation-Works/dp/1591794609

I've been reading Shinzen Young's new book The Science of Enlightenment, and he talks a lot about the very questions you raised - there's even a whole chapter on impermanence. It may be worth a look.

research a bit before reading each of his books. while he's done some really solid translation-work with real buddhist texts, he has also written some 'pop' books that are arguably misleading.

you'll be fine as long as you research before diving in

http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Mat-Daily-Reflections-Path/dp/0385721544

Mediation from the mat - it keeps me going and sets my mind on practice.

I simply sit in lotus position and focus on my breath. I try to return to my breathing sensations as soon as I catch myself thinking.

To be more precise, I try to follow the teachings of Steven Hagen on his books Meditation: Now or Never and Buddhism Plain and Simple.

Since I posted this this morning, I've gotten 'Zen and the Brain' http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Brain-Understanding-Meditation-Consciousness/dp/0262011646 It covers a lot of research, but I haven't read enough to summarize yet. Publication date is 1998 so it might be stale relative to some of the recent stuff.

Lama Surya Das - Awakening the Buddha Within

Also this book: https://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Jhanas-Traditional-Concentration-Meditation/dp/159030733X/ref=nodl_

Milarepa and other buddhists make use of tummo.

Buddhism Plain and Simple, by Steven Hagen (recommended on /r/Buddhism)

awakening the buddha within

Here's a link to an updated version

A list of contributors:

Ajahn Chah, Pema Chödrön, The Second Dalai Lama, Dogen, S.N. Goenka, Dainin Katagiri, Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi, Milerepa, Padmasambhava, Reginald Ray, Shunryu Suzuki, Nyanaponika Thera, Thich Nhat Hanh, Chögyam Trungpa, Bhikkhu Bodhi, and Burton Watson.

EDIT: this was my intro to Buddhism, I've read it probably 3 or 4 times, and it explains why I'm a bit of a syncretist.

No the 2nd link is it http://www.lifeforcebooks.com/_Media/SecretGoldenFlower.pdf same as this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Golden-Flower-Wilhelm/dp/0156799804/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1372702054&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=The+Secret+of+the+Golden+Flower

still a more reasonable argument than "every time you form a concept you lose sight of reality"