Recommended Buddhist Books & Readings
Read articles, excerpts of meditation books on how to meditate.
Meditation Books For Beginners and Experienced Meditators
Recommended Readings for Trungpa Rinpoche’s Transmission of Buddhist Teachings
Meditation Books For Beginners to Buddhism and Experienced Meditators
Below is a list of the best books on meditation for both new meditators and experienced practitioners including books by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Pema Chödrön, and other Buddhist writings.
Top of this book list is The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma Book Series written by Buddhist master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The series is considered Chögyam Trungpa's masterpiece.
Click here to learn more about our Buddhist Course based on this book series.
Join Our Ongoing Book Courses on Zoom!
Courses (Spring 2023):
Past Courses (recordings available);
The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion (Volume 2) (2022)
The Tantric Path of Indestructible Wakefulness (volume 3). (from 2022)
Recommended Readings for Trungpa Rinpoche’s Transmission of Buddhist Teachings
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche Books –Introductory
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
The Myth of Freedom, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Meditation in Action, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Training the Mind, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
The Path is the Goal, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
The Heart of the Buddha, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Glimpses of Mahayana, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Born in Tibet, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
First thought, Best thought, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Timely Rain: Selected Poetry of Chögyam Trungpa, Edited by David Rome
Click here to buy books online at Shambhala Publications
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche Books – Advanced
Great Eastern Sun: the Wisdom of Shambhala, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Smile at Fear, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Dharma Art, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Visual Dharma: the Buddhist Art of Tibet, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Chögyam Trungpa and Francesca Freemantle
Journey without Goal, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Crazy Wisdom, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Illusion’s Game, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Orderly Chaos, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
The Lion’s Roar, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Transcending Madness, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
The Dawn of Tantra, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Mudra, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Pema Chödrön
How to Meditate, Pema Chödrön
The Wisdom of no Escape, Pema Chödrön
When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chödrön
Start Where You Are, Pema Chödrön
The Places that Scare You, Pema Chödrön
Other Relevant Buddhist Writings
Mind at Ease by Traleg Kyabgon (study chapters of this book in our ongoing Tuesday course via Zoom. Learn more
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Suzuki Roshi
Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso
Indestructible Truth, Reggie Ray
Secret of the Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet, Reginald Rey
Luminous Emptiness, Francesca Fremantle
Mind beyond Death, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, Gampopa, Translated by Khenpo Konchok
The Heart Essence of the Enlightened Ones, Dilgo Khyentse, Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group
Buddha in the Palm of your Hand, Osel Tenzin
Making Friends with Death, Judith Lief
As It Is, Volume 1 by Tulku Urgyen, Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche
Carefree Dignity: Discourses on Training in the Nature of Mind by Tsoknyi Rinpoche
Crooked Cucumber, David Chadwick
The Awakened One: A Life of the Buddha, Sherab Chodzin Kohn
How To Practice Shamatha Meditation: The Cultivation Of Meditative Quiescence Gen Lamrimpa, B. Alan Wallace
Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche, and its wonderful commentary
A Guide to The Words of My Perfect Teacher by Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang
Rainbow Painting by Tulku Urgyen
Freedom in Bondage by Adeu Rinpoche
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche
Lineage
The Life of Marpa the Translator, Tsang Nyon Heruka, Translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee
The Life and Teaching of Naropa, Rinchen Namgyal, Translated by Herbert V. Guenther
The Life of Milarepa, Tsang Nyon Heruka, Translated by Lobsang Lhalungpa
The Rain of Wisdom: The Essence of the Ocean of True Meaning, the Vajra Songs of the Kagyu Gurus, Translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, Translated by Garma C. C. Chang
Articles & Other Readings
Mindfulness in Action, Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness
by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
This excerpt from Mindfulness in Action provides an excellent introduction to mindfulness-awareness meditation in more detail.