In buddhas times, when buddha used to give sermons, large number of people used to come to listen to the buddha. Once a person came and said I want to know what is your dhamma, but tell me few words what is your dhamma (teaching). Buddha says to him in very little words of what buddhism teaches, in words of pali – ” sabba paapa saa aaakarangan, khusalasa uppa sam pada, sachit pariyod dapanan, yeta buddha na sasaana” In English it means – this will be the teachings of all the buddhas, whenever there will be buddha he teaching will only include this which is,

Buddha says ” sabba paapa saa aaakaranan” which means refrain from doing all kinds of bad deeds or in different words unwholesome actions, those actions which harms self and all the other being, further he says “khusalassa upasampada” Which means do all kinds of good dead or in other words “wholesome actions”, and further buddha says ” Sachit pariyodapanan ” Which means purify your mind to the deepest level, “yeta buddha na sasanan” This is what buddha teaches.

Buddhism’s goal is to come out of suffering. It’s will come to you in practical ways, in audios, in text, you will find it in which form you are trying to find it in. Main buddhas teachings are 4 noble truths and 8 fold noble paths

The teachings are so valuable, it is also necessary that you have a pretty good knowledge about books and you might find your path and answers you have been looking for all your life.

There are so many books on Buddhism, it can be overwhelming on where to start. But don’t worry, I am going to provide books which are both for beginners friendly and which are easy to understand, And when you will make decision on what books to read, listen to your instincts, listen to your heart, ask yourself where you are in life and what you need to know right now from Buddhism.  so here are some of the best books on Buddhism.

 

1. CLASSIC TEXTS FROM BUDDHISM

 

A. Tripitak.

This book is also considered to be the most original texts of Buddhism, This book is divided into 3 divisions, 1st is vinaya pitaka, which contains rules for monks. 2nd sutta pitaka Or dhammapada, it contains all the discourses and sermons of the buddha, 3rd is abhi dhamma, it talks about metaphysics and around scriptures of the buddha. If you wish to read this book ask yourself from 3, which one first you want to read and you feel excited to read about and go foreword with it. I have linked them here. vinaya pitaka , Sutta pitaka , AbhiDhamma Pitaka 

B. Dhammapada : The teachings of the buddha

As I said earlier, this book contains all teachings of the buddha, his sermons, lessons, etc. there have various books of these which are available in the market, or you can order this from Amazon. This book is perfect for people who are just new to Buddhism and just wants to get some information on buddha.

C. The heart sutra : mahayana Buddhist text.

There are 3 branches of Buddhism. All three follow different paths to enlightenment. Maha means big/large. Yana means vehicle. This book is very popular in today’s time, fairly because it has a topic of emptiness. You can give it a go, it’s a very interesting book.

 

MODERN WORK ON BUDDHISM

 

A. “What the buddha thought” By walpola Rahula

Walpola has tried to bring out the basic understanding concepts of Buddhism in this book so that it’s beginners friendly. He has tried to explain complex subjects into simple language. It’s a great read for beginners.

 

B. “The miracle of mindfulness” by thich nhat hanh

This book is written by Zen master thich nhat hanh. He has given practical advices on mindfulness in this book, which is good for the beginners to see its effects on your life. He uses normal daily situations to turn those as opportunities for practicing mindfulness, it’s s very good book for reading and gaining knowledge for mindfulness.

 

C. “Buddhism beliefs” By Stephen.

Buddhism beliefs is a fantastic work by Stephen. He writes in this book that Buddhism is not just merely a religion or a set of rules, but it’s a way of life, an art of life. Not a religion but a philosophy for people. This book will shock you and will make you think about your realities.

 

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE BOOKS

 

A. “The Art of Happiness” By dalai Lama.

Dalai lama shows practical steps in this book on how to be happy, the art of happiness. He shows how using compassion and empathy can make yourself happy. He has given various personal examples which can connect with the readers. It’s a fascinating book to read

 

B. “Zen mind, beginner’s mins” By shunryu

This book is classic in Zen Buddhism practice. This book involves various Zen practices, it’s very valuable for the beginners, as it also has a concept of cultivation of beginners mind. It’s an fantastic book to read who are curious about Zen Buddhism and want to get into it.

 

C. “The heart of buddhas teachings” By thich nhat hanh

This book is a treat to learning the basic foundation of the Buddhism. It contain information on 8 fold noble paths and 4 noble Truths. He writes in a gentle manner for the reader to understand. He writes both upper layers of the Buddhism and also goes in-depth in buddhas teachings.

 

BOOKS ON BUDDHISM AND PSYCHOLOGY

A. “The mindful way through depression” By Mark Williams.

This is a very helpful book for the people who are going through depression or any other emotional phase. He uses mindfulness techniques with cognitive therapy. He teaches how to be in present moment and not let the emotional weight put you down.

 

B. “Radical acceptance” By Tara Brach

This book is one of those must read ones. Tara teaches you to on how to have control on your thoughts through acceptance of your thoughts and letting them go. She teaches a lot of practical solutions which are result worthy, it’s really a very lovely book to read.

 

C. “The happiness trap” By Russ Harris

This books elaborates the concept of happiness. It shows what is true happiness and questions the wellbeing of being happy. He tries to help people with this book to face adversity and challenges in life through the theory of ACT. This book will help anyone who is whether interested or not interested in Buddhism.

 

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

reading books and taking interest in Buddhism when you are not familiar with Buddhism needs curiosity and really good karma. We have listed some books which might really help you to make your life better.

There is no such thing in Buddhism where you can say that this much teaching is enough, you should keep on learning.

One more thing before we end this blog, when buddha got enlightened, he used this technique to purify his mind, this techniques was long lost after 500 years of buddhas death. Very few people in Burma have protected and kept the technique in its purest form. The technique is Vipassana meditation. This technique was brought to India by SN. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. The courses are free of cost and totally run on donations from previous students.

If you also wish to visit buddhas places and see it with your own eyes, you can visit this page Or contact on this phone number : 9769333269