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What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 12:15 pm
by Jaidyn
I'm much familiar with Theravada, but new to Mahayana.

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

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

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

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

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

Kind regards!

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:09 pm
by joda
The books by Paul Williams are a must-read imho; both "Buddhist Thought" and "Mahayana Buddhism".

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 6:07 pm
by Karma Yeshe
hi,

Here are some of my picks...

"Words of My Perfect Teacher"

"Gently Whispered" by Kalu Rinpoche

"The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" Updated version

Hope this Helps,

Dan

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 6:20 pm
by Astus
For East Asian Buddhism (after reading Paul Williams' Mahayana Buddhism):

Orthodox Chinese Buddhism by Ven. Sheng-yen
The Way to Buddhahood by Ven. Yinshun
Coming to Terms with Chinese Buddhism by Robert H. Sharf
Entry into the Inconceivable by Thomas Cleary
The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment by Charles Muller
Tracing Back the Radiance by Robert Buswell
Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation by Carl Bielefeldt
Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith by Thich Thien Tam

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:31 pm
by Jnana

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:50 pm
by Adamantine
Diamond Sutra http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Sutra-Red ... 844&sr=1-1

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

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

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

Also, as Geoff said Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life is an absolute must, I have Batchelor's translation but this one by Alan Wallace may be better http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Bodhisattva ... 338&sr=1-1

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:47 am
by plwk
The Tree of Enlightenment: http://peterdellasantina.org/books/tree ... enment.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Indian Buddhism: http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductDetail.asp?PID=1055" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
An Introduction to Buddhism: http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Budd ... 0521313333" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Foundations of Buddhism: http://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Buddh ... 0192892231" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:43 am
by catmoon
Shunryu Suzuki's two books are listed here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... uzuki+shun" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
He was one of the first Zen masters to teach in the West

also Healing Anger by the Dalai Lama http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Anger-Pat ... 206&sr=1-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This is a book that has changed who I am to such an extent that people sometimes comment on it without any prompting.

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 8:28 am
by Huifeng
Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

~~ Huifeng

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:08 pm
by Adamantine
Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

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

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 9:31 pm
by deepbluehum
Don't forget to save money by looking if these are published on line. Many of these are.

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:39 am
by Sönam
I did'nt see the Big Red book in the list ...

Image

... and some others

Sönam

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:44 am
by Kai
Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

~~ Huifeng
And no Pure land sutras...........

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 1:56 pm
by Astus
I think one should see the difference between essential books and auxiliary ones. There are also introductory books and in depth works. Just before this becomes a list of all the books people like. :)

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:17 pm
by Karma Dondrup Tashi
No must-have books. Just a must-have teacher.

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:22 pm
by Nicholas Weeks
Bodhichitta is the pillar of Mahayana, so...

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

Vasubandhu's Treatise is another: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchR ... &x=58&y=15" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 3:21 am
by Huifeng
Adamantine wrote:
Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

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

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

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

~~ Huifeng

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 3:23 am
by Huifeng
Kai wrote:
Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
Get Conze's translation of either the version in 8,000 verses - the Astasahasrika, or the "large" Perfection of Wisdom.

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

:smile:

~~ Huifeng

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 3:49 am
by alwayson
Huifeng wrote:Hard to believe that nobody has actually mentioned the Prajnaparamita sutra.
~~ Huifeng
Thats because this entire class of literature can be summed up in two sentences max.

1. Everything appears as conceptual constructs.

2. Be a Bodhisattva.

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

What do you mean by "published" :quoteunquote:

:spy:

Re: What are some "must have" books?

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 4:33 am
by Huifeng
Pretty much everything that Williams says about the Prajnaparamita is just paraphrasing Conze.
And Madhyamaka does not equal Prajnaparamita.

~~ Huifeng