Readings and Resources

In the journey of shamata there are no visible paths, there are no signposts to follow. There are, however, other travelers who can guide us.

Gen Lamrimpa


Many of these resources will be available for free from your local library.

Suggested Meditation Readings

Our Tradition, Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhism

  • Topgyal, Dakpa. Diamond Key for Opening the Wisdom Eye: A Guide to the Process of Meditation. Charleston, SC: Broken Umbrella Press, 2004.

  • Lamrimpa, Gen. Calming the Mind: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on Cultivating Meditative Quiescence. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1992.

  • His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso or Bstan-'dzin-rgya-mtsho in libraries). How to Practice. Translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins. New York: Atria Books, 2002.

  • McDonald, Kathleen (Sangye Khadro). How to Meditate: A Practical Guide. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 1984.

  • Lodro, Gedun. Calm Abiding and Special Insight: Achieving Spiritual Transformation through Meditation. Ed. and trans. Jeffery Hopkins. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publishers, 2001.1998.

Other Traditions

  • Hanh, Thich Nhat. The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation. Boston: Beacon Press, 1987. Also available in audio formats.

  • Chodron, Pema. Start Where You Are. Boston: Shambhala. 1994.

  • Suzuki, Shunryu. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Weatherhill, 1986.

  • Trungpa, Chogyam. Meditation in Action. Boston: Shambhala. Distributed in the U.S. by Random House, 1996. (advanced)

  • Kornfield, Jack. A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life. New York: Bantam Books, 1993.


Suggested Readings on Buddhist Thought and Practice

Our Tradition, Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhism

  • His Holiness the Dalai Lama. An Open Heart. New York: Little, Brown, & Co., 2001.

  • Chodron, Thubten. Buddhism for Beginners. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publishers, 2001.

  • Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment. Ed. Trijang Rinpoche. Trans. Michael Richards. 2nd Ed. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2006.

  • Powers, John. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publishers, 1995.

Websites

Videos

  • The Buddha: The Story of Siddhartha. PBS, 2010. More information on the PBS website and at Shop PBS. May be available at your local library and from other streaming sources.

  • Discovering Buddhism. Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition. You can watch the online version for free (series of lessons introducing various topics in Buddhism such as karma, etc.).