Contents1 Best books on buddhism In 20241.1 1. CLASSIC TEXTS FROM BUDDHISM1.1.1 A. Tripitak.1.1.2 B. Dhammapada : The teachings of the buddha1.1.3 C. The heart sutra : mahayana Buddhist text.1.2 MODERN WORK ON BUDDHISM1.2.1 A. “What the buddha thought” By walpola Rahula1.2.2 B. “The miracle of mindfulness” by thich nhat hanh1.2.3 C. “Buddhism beliefs” By Stephen.1.3 BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE BOOKS1.3.1 A. “The Art of Happiness” By dalai Lama.1.3.2 B. “Zen mind, beginner’s mins” By shunryu1.3.3 C. “The heart of buddhas teachings” By thich nhat hanh1.4 BOOKS ON BUDDHISM AND PSYCHOLOGY1.4.1 A. “The mindful way through depression” By Mark Williams.1.4.2 B. “Radical acceptance” By Tara Brach1.4.3 C. “The happiness trap” By Russ Harris1.5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Best books on buddhism In 2024 Buddhism started around 500 BCE. If calculated, it dates back to 2500 years ago. Buddhism also known as art of life, it was founded by sidhartha. Also known as buddha Or Gautam buddha. This gautama before buddha is added as a respect to the buddha. His original name was sidhartha but as a respect because his aunts name was gauatama, she had raised sidhartha after her mothers death. When you will start to learn about buddhism, there will be alot of doubts and misconceptions in your mind about it like whether it is a religion? is it a philosophy? is it a art of life? is it based on science? is it beneficial? 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 …
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