Top 3 (or more) favorite buddhist books or talks?

[Gintoki]

As the title says, I'd like you to share your favorites. Please share those that have most influenced your life or you feel are profound for one's growth or healing.

Thanks : )

*updated title*

[DNS]

When the Iron Eagle Flies, by Ayya Khema, 1991

What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola Rahula, 1959
online pdf:
What the Buddha Taught

Mindfulness in Plain English, by Henepola Gunaratana, 1990
online pdf:
Mindfulness in Plain English

Good Question, Good Answer, by Ven. Dhammika
online pdf:
Good Question, Good Answer

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English, by Henepola Gunaratana, 2009

Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond, by Ajahn Brahm, 2006

[Dhammanando]

Two lists of five — one ancient, the other modern

• • Dīgha Nikāya: Dialogues of the Buddha (T.W. Rhys Davids)
  • Suttanipāta: Woven Cadences (E.M. Hare); Group of Discourses (K.R. Norman)
  • Vibhaṅga: Book of Analysis (U Thittila)
  • Sammohavinodanī: Dispeller of Delusion (Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli)
  • Visuddhimagga: Path of Purification (Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli)
  
  
  • André Bareau, Recherches sur la biographie du Buddha dans les Sūtrapiṭaka et les Vinayapiṭaka anciens, 3 vols.
  • Rupert Gethin, The Buddhist Path to Awakening
  • Steven Collins, Selfless Persons: Imagery and Thought in Theravada Buddhism
  • Harvey B. Aronson, Love and Sympathy in Theravāda Buddhism
  • Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, The Life of the Buddha

[SarathW]

I got back to Buddhism by reading the following book.
The first time I had some understanding about Anatta.
I think this is a complete book.
First Fourteen chapters are dedicated to Buddha's life and general Buddhist philosophy.
Second half dedicated to Buddha''s teaching.


==========
The Buddha and his teaching by Narada.

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/buddh ... gsurw6.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

His book on Abhidhamma also available in the net.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

The Dhammapada

The Manuals of Insight (not only the Bodhipakkhiya Dīpanī although that is perhaps the best of them).

In This Very Life

[A fool from HK]

More then 5 books.

1.What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola Rahula
2.In the Buddha's Words, by Bhikkhu Bodhi
3.A Discourse on the Wheel of Dhamma, by Mahāsi Sayādaw
4. The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, by Ajahn Chah
5. Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond a Meditator's Handbook, by Ajahn Brahm
6. Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness, by Bhante Gunaratana

[samseva]

1. Buddhist Dictionary - Nyanatiloka Thera (available to download at http://www.buddhistelibrary.org/en/disp ... p?pid=1956)
2. The Heart of Buddhist Meditation - Nyanaponika Thera
3. The Life of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli

[bodom]

1. Introduction to Insight Meditation by Ajahn Sucitto
2. The Noble Eightfold Path by Bhikkhu Bodhi
3. In the Buddha's Words by Bhikkhu Bodhi
4. The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah
5. The Buddha's Path to Deliverance by Nyanatiloka

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

1. Samyutta Nikaya
2. Majjhima Nikaya
3. Nibbana Sermons - aka "The Mind Stilled" (Nanananda)
4. Anguttara Nikaya
5. Sutta Nipata
6. Concept And Reality (Nanananda)
7. Clearing The Path - Notes & Letters (Nanavira)
8. The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah (Ajahn Chah)
9. Dhammapada
10. Meanings (Ninoslav Nanamoli)



Metta,
Retro.

[samseva]

• André Bareau, Recherches sur la biographie du Buddha dans les Sūtrapiṭaka et les Vinayapiṭaka anciens, 3 vols.
• Rupert Gethin, The Buddhist Path to Awakening
• Steven Collins, Selfless Persons: Imagery and Thought in Theravada Buddhism
• Harvey B. Aronson, Love and Sympathy in Theravāda Buddhism
• Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, The Life of the Buddha

You can read French? Is André Bareau's book your favourite out of the five mentioned and is it very much worth reading?

[Gintoki]

Sorry to change the thread title, I felt it made more sense for people to add as many books of significance as they like.

I think your favorite books have a lot to say about you and I'm excited to add as many of these to my epub/mobi library as I can get ahold of. I'd add a list myself but I've yet to finish even one haha.

[daverupa]

For a start...
===

The Buddhist Path to Awakening, Gethin

Majjhima/Samyutta/Anguttara Nikayas, tr. Bodhi

Satipaṭṭhāna: the direct path to realization, Analayo
Perspectives on Satipaṭṭhāna
A comparative study of the Majjhima-nikāya

Early Buddhism: a new approach; the I of the beholder, Hamilton

Early Buddhist metaphysics: the making of a philosophical tradition, Ronkin

[Dhammanando]

You can read French?

I could twenty years ago, though I expect I'd have a harder time doing so today.

Is André Bareau's book your favourite out of the five mentioned

No, I wouldn't say that. The books that I've re-read most often are the Suttanipāta from the ancient list and Ñāṇamoli's Life of the Buddha from the modern list.

and is it very much worth reading?

I think Bareau's Recherches is an interesting and valuable complement to Ñāṇamoli's Life. Bareau's work is more specialised in that it covers a much shorter period than Ñāṇamoli's (i.e. from the Bodhisatta's going forth until the conversion of Sāriputta and Moggallāna) but his work is based upon a wider range of sources: besides Pali the professor also knew Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese and had read widely in the extant Vinaya texts preserved in these languages. Also he tended to be rather more adventurous and speculative than Ñāṇamoli. This isn't always a good thing, for on occasion it leads to drivel like this and elicits scathing reviews like this:

J.W. De Jong.pdf

(32.59 KiB) Downloaded 108 times

On the other hand, at his best Bareau gives the reader a stronger sense than any other writer of what it was like to be living in ancient Magadha or Kosala.

[robdog]

In The Buddha's Words - Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Middle Length Discourses Of The Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Collected Teachings Of Ajahn Chah

[Gintoki]

When I search for the collected teachings of Ajahn Chah I find this book with 'Food for the Heart' as the main title:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/086171323 ... ajahn+chah

Just want to make sure this is the right one I'm seeing referenced.