Reading lists

This list of dharma books is a compilation of recommendations from the following teachers: Christina Feldman, Sharda Rogell, Rob Burbea and Norman Feldman. Many of the same books were recommended by more than one teacher and so there is a common list as well as additional suggestions from specific teachers.

* Books marked with an asterisk are good books to start with.

Books recommended by two or more teachers

  • A Path with Heart – Jack Kornfield *
  • A Gradual Awakening – Stephen Levine *
  • Loving Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (The four Brahma Viharas) * and Faith – both by Sharon Salzberg
  • The Experience of Insight and Insight Meditation – Joseph Goldstein *
  • The Miracle of Mindfulness *, Being Peace, Peace in Every Step and Old Path White Clouds – all by Thich Nhat Hanh
  • Compassion – Christina Feldman
  • Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life – Jon Kabat-Zinn
  • Buddhism Without Beliefs – Stephen Batchelor
  • What the Buddha Taught – Walpola Rahula
  • Light on Enlightenment – Christopher Titmuss
  • Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind – Suzuki Roshi
  • Cutting through Spiritual Materialism – Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
  • Freedom from the Known – J. Krishnamurti

Recommended by Christina Feldman

  • The Noble Eightfold Path – Bhikkhu Bodhi
  • Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness – Bhante Gunaratana
  • In The Buddha's Words – Bhikkhu Bodhi

Recommended by Sharda Rogell

    Theravada/insight meditation
  • Seeking the Heart of Wisdom – Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield *
  • Mindfulness in Plain English – Bhante Gunaratne *
  • Radical Acceptance – Tara Brach *
  • One Dharma – Joseph Goldstein
  • Being Nobody, Going Nowhere – Ayya Khema
  • The Heart of Buddhist Meditation – Nyanaponika Thera
  • The Heartwood of Bodhi – Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
  • The Mind and the Way – Ajahn Sumedho
  • Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Ilness – Jon Kabat-Zinn
  • The Beginner's Guide to Insight Meditation – Arinna Weisman
  • A Year to Live, Who Dies, and Healing into Life and Death – all Stephen Levine
  • A Heart as Wide as the World – Sharon Salzberg
  • Satipatthana, The Direct Path to Realization – Analayo
  • Living in the Light of Death: On the Art of Being Truly Alive – Larry Rosenberg
    Zen Buddhism
  • The Zen Teachings of Huang Po – translated by John Blofeld
    Vajrayana (Tibetan Bhuddism)
  • When Things Fall Apart, The Wisdom of No Escape and The Places that Scare You – all by Pema Chodron
  • The Myth of Freedom and Shambala: Sacred Path of Wisdom – Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
  • Carefree Dignity and Fearless Simplicity – both by Tsoknyi Rinpoche (Dzogchen teachings)
    Other Dharma
  • Soul without Shame - Byron Brown (about working with the critical judge) *
  • When the Swans Came to the Lake – Rick Fields (History of Buddhadharma in the West) *
  • The Power of Now – Eckhard Tolle
  • I Am That – Nisargadatta Maharaj
  • Be As You Are: The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi – David Goodman
  • The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi – Published by Shambhala
  • Star Bright – Maureen Garth (Meditations for children)
  • Diamond Heart, Book One, Elements of the Real in Man – A. H. Almaas
  • Toward a Psychology of Awakening – John Welwood (An interface between Buddhism and psychotherapy)

Recommended by Rob Burbea

  • Silence – Christina Feldman
  • The Green Buddha – Christopher Titmuss

Recommended by Norman Feldman

  • The Life of the Buddha – Nanamoli
  • The Path of Compassion – Fred Epsteiner
  • The Buddhist Path to Simplicity – Christina Feldman
  • Meditation for Life – Martine Batchelor
  • Buddhism Plain and Simple – Steve Hagen
  • Peaceful Piggy Meditation (a book for young children and families) – Kerry Lee MacLean

Martine Batchelor's recommended book list

Discourses of the Buddha, recommended translations

  • The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha – Nanamoli & Bodhi
  • The Dhammapada – Gil Fronsdal
  • The Sutta Nipata – H. Saddhatissa