Reddit mentions of The Compass of Zen (Shambhala Dragon Editions)

The Compass of Zen by Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim is an excellent introduction to Buddhism in general, and more specific introduction to Korean Buddhism.

Uh... either Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or The Compass of Zen.

I agree with other commentators, this may be (in my non-medical opinion) mild to moderate depression. (Again, this is just an idea, diagnosing people over the internet with little information is not entirely ethical). I would like to suggest to other posters that depressive disorders are somewhat diverse.

Depending on your personal and financial situation, I cannot recommend seeing a psychologist enough, as I have been in this same situation. Whether you come from a background of hard science or spirituality, I would urge folks to see therapists/psychologists as a teacher that can help you understand what what is real, and how to have a good relationship with your thoughts/feelings.

I would like to suggest a few books that I have found to be personally helpful in this regard:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), very good read which outlines how your mind, Buddhists might call it the ego, creates a fake reality in a depressed state, and methods to counteract it:

Burns, David Feeling Good

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a different but similar approach to dealing with challenging thoughts/feelings, borrows a lot from Buddhism. Main idea is to be aware of thoughts and feelings as occurring, and not good or bad (and not "you"). To accept thoughts and feelings, not as reality but just as thoughts or feelings, and to take action towards something you value:

Harris, Russ The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living

If you're on a little, or big, Buddhist kick, I'd recommend the writings of Zen Master Seung Sahn. This particular book takes his bright and connectable style, and examines a variety of Buddhist traditions to see how they alleviate dukkha/suffering/stress/etc. in different ways:

Seung Sahn The Compass of Zen

Please do check out these books and post questions if you have them. If you are interested in finding a psychologist, and it is something that takes personal buy-in, I would suggest taking a look at Psychology Today or on your insurance company's website, if you're American.

Have a great night! =D

Thanks, i love my name!

All those noble truths and 8 fold paths and what not arent necessarily as important as they seem. You spend all this time learning about them, and for what? To be a "better" person? To be free of suffering? The most important thing is that you dont become attached to any teaching. The sort of irony in it is that the teachings are designed to free you of attachment. So you use the teachings to be free of them lol. Buddhism, at its core, is full of these oddities/idiosyncrasies/contradictions. It can be very confusing, and some of the teachings are indeed designed to confuse you because they force you into letting go. At the end of the day, nothing can save you. No zen masters, no teachings, no self, no nothing. If that doesnt make sense, then you already understand.

Here is one of the best books ive ever read. It blew my mind so many times, and i only read it after 4 yrs of being a zen buddhist an i sitll got a lot out of it. A++ 10/10 would read again

http://www.amazon.com/The-Compass-Shambhala-Dragon-Editions/dp/1570623295

You can read the first 15 pages on amazon!