Recommended Reading

For a tradition that supposedly has “no dependence on words and letters” (as Bodhidharma is reputed to have said), there’s been an awful lot written about Zen! No list can ever be complete, but perhaps this list will get you started. StoneWater Zen Centre maintains a great library for group members. Book donations are always welcome!

Tony Shinro Doubleday posted this blog in 2011 about his experience of Zen in books.  It’s worth a read.

Downloadable books in pdf format

Bukkyo dendo kyokai (bdk) society for the promotion of buddhism. An excellent site for buddhist topics, talks etc and downloadable pdf versions of the Shobogenzo; Platform sutra; Lotus sutra etc

Books by Keizan Roshi

    • Easy-to-use Zen: Refresh and Calm your Mind, Body and Spirit with the Wisdom of Zen. David Scott. Vega Books. 2002. ISBN: 1843335875
    • The Way of Zen. David Scott, Tenshin Fletcher. Thomas Dunne Books. 2003. ISBN: 0312206208
    • The Elements of Zen. David Scott, Tony Doubleday. Element Books. 1996. ISBN: 1862040427
    • Simply Zen: Interiors and gardens. David Scott, Sian Evans, Marc Peter Keane. Soma Books. 2003. ISBN: 1579590853
    • Three Bowl Cookbook: Secrets of enlightened cooking from a Zen kitchen. David Scott, Tom Pappas, Caroline Uzielli (editor), Dawn Henderson (editor). Carroll & Brown. 2000. ISBN: 1903258030
    • Japanese Cooking. David Scott. Windward. 1986. ISBN: 0711204438
    • The Fighting Arts: Choosing the way. David Scott (editor), Mick Pappas. Rider. 1988. ISBN: 0712625771
    • Samurai and Cherry Blossom. David Scott. Rider. 1987. ISBN: 0712616926
    • Essential Japan (Essential Travel Guide series). David Scott. Little Brown & Co. 1992. ISBN: 0316252069
    • Japan (AA Explorer Series). David Scott. AA Publishing. 2003. ISBN: 0749535792

Books by Taizan Maezumi Roshi & his Dharma Successors

Books by other contemporary Zen teachers

Old Masters

Sutras

Koan Collections

Meditation & Zazen

    • Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy. Katsuki Sekida (Editor), A.V. Grimstone (Editor). Weatherhill Publishers. 1976. ISBN: 0834801140
    • The Miracle of Mindfulness: Manual on Meditation. Thich Nhat Hanh. Rider. 1991. ISBN: 0712647872
    • Mindfulness in Plain English. B.H. Gunaratana. Wisdom Publications. 2002. ISBN: 0861713214
    • Meditation for Dummies. Stephan Bodian. John Wiley & Sons Inc. 1999. ISBN: 0764551167
    • The Posture of Meditation: A Practical Manual for Meditators of All Traditions. Will Johnson.  Shambala 1996. ISBN 1 57062 232 9
    • Alligned, Relaxed, Resilient: The Physical Foundations of Mindfulness.  Will Johnson. Shambala 2000. ISBN 1 57062 518 2
    • Touching Enlightenment: Finding Realization in the Body.  Reginald A. Ray. Sounds True 2008. ISBN 978 1 59179 618 3
    • Full Catastrophe Living: How to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation. John Kabat-Zinn. Piatkus 2004. ISBN 978 0 7499 1585 8

Psychology & Philosophical

General Reading