What are some "must have" books?

[Jaidyn]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kind regards!

[joda]

The books by Paul Williams are a must-read imho; both "Buddhist Thought" and "Mahayana Buddhism".

[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

[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

[Jnana]

Are there similar books in Mahayana that you would recommend?

Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend
Nagarjuna's Precious Garland: Buddhist Advice for Living and Liberation
Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way
The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva

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?

Ornament of Reason: The Great Commentary to Nagarjuna's Root of the Middle Way
Nagarjuna's Reason Sixty (Yuktisastika) with Candrakirti's Commentary
The Inner Science of Buddhist Practice: Vasubandhu's Summary of the Five Heaps with Commentary by Sthiramati
The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech: A Detailed Commentary on Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva
The Complete Works of Atisa, The Lamp for the Path & Commentary
The Jewel Ornament of Liberation: The Wish-Fulfilling Gem of the Noble Teachings
The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Volume One
The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Volume Two
The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Volume Three


All the best,

Geoff

[Adamantine]

Diamond Sutra http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Sutra-Red-Pine/dp/1582432562/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315773844&sr=1-1

Vimalakirti Sutra http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Teaching-Vimalakirti/dp/0271006013/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315773899&sr=1-6

Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamikakarikahttp://www.amazon.com/Fundamental-Wisdom-Middle-Way-Mlamadhyamakakrik/dp/0195093364/ref=pd_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-Prajnaparamita-Commentaries/dp/1559393564/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315774110&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-Way-Life/dp/1559390611/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315774338&sr=1-1

[plwk]

The Tree of Enlightenment: http://peterdellasantina.org/books/tree ... enment.pdf
Indian Buddhism: http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductDetail.asp?PID=1055
An Introduction to Buddhism: http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Budd ... 0521313333
The Foundations of Buddhism: http://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Buddh ... 0192892231

[catmoon]

Shunryu Suzuki's two books are listed here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... uzuki+shun
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
This is a book that has changed who I am to such an extent that people sometimes comment on it without any prompting.

[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

[Adamantine]

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

[deepbluehum]

Don't forget to save money by looking if these are published on line. Many of these are.

[Sönam]

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



... and some others

Sönam

[Kai]

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...........

[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.

[Karma Dondrup Tashi]

No must-have books. Just a must-have teacher.

[Will]

Bodhichitta is the pillar of Mahayana, so...

Nagarjuna's Guide is one: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchR ... &x=16&y=15

Vasubandhu's Treatise is another: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchR ... &x=58&y=15

[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

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

[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

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.



~~ Huifeng

[alwayson]

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".

Don't forget to save money by looking if these are published on line. Many of these are.

What do you mean by "published"

[Huifeng]

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

~~ Huifeng