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What Buddhist Books to Own? written texts and materials is practice. The
Dharma as Buddha left it to us is not a piece of
From Michael Erlewine philosophy to consider, but above all is
Where to begin reading about Buddhism? That intended as a path to follow, a method for
is a question all of us interested in learning clearing away mental obstacles and
more about the dharma eventually face. Books engendering awareness. The Buddha himself
on Buddhism of all kinds have skyrocketed since made this clear.
the 1950s, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, Understanding Buddhist concepts is not the
where it seems that more books are published same as experiencing them, putting them to
each month than anyone could (or would) the test. And experiencing them is not the
possibly read. So what are the good books? same as realization, obtaining a permanent
Before I tiptoe into that question, let‟s note realization of an enlightened concept. There
that authorities tell us that the extant number are countless scholars out there who
of Buddhist texts is an order of magnitude understand (but many have not practiced) and
greater than any other of the world‟s religions, are able to speak on the various details of
and that means: a lot!. And I am not talking Buddhism. This outer academic shell of
about what is being published just now, but Buddhism is not what the Buddha intended -
only about the great amount of original source just dry understanding. The Buddha pointed out
texts dating back to I don‟t know when. For a path for us to experience and then finally
some reason, Buddhists like to write and they realize what he taught. That is the sole purpose
love to make lists. I jokingly suggest that it is of the dharma.
all that tea the Buddhists endlessly drink that is The only value in the dharma books is as a very
at the cause of it, lots of caffeinated staying general guide to practice, and as a way to
power. check on where we are at in the path. As
With the recent explosion of books on Tibetan mentioned, the Buddhists love to write and
Buddhism, it is not only a good, but a necessary make lists and there are detailed lists in the
question how we filter out what we might need dharma teachings for just about everything.
to read from all of the rest of the literature out There are the four stages of this and the ten
there. And the key point is that it all depends types of this and so on, forever. And each list is
upon where you are in your interest and what usually very formal and dry, and several such
you are trying to accomplish. lists in a row can make me sleepy in almost no
time. The poet William Butler Yeats has a
Since I am an archivist by nature, I must have wonderful line:
at least 1,000 or more books and teachings on
Tibetan Buddhism, which is way more than I “The grass cannot but keep the form, where
need or could possibly read myself, but I have the mountain hair has lain.”
read in at least most of them. Then there is the This line speaks to the essence of lists, that
fact that the essential dharma texts are not they are but the outer form of an experience
books that you simply read and put to one side, that we each must have for ourselves. By itself,
like a mystery novel. The original root texts each item in a list is just a formal reference to
and source books are ones that you need to an experience that can be life shaking in its
read or „read in‟ every time you move up a ability to change us. And these same dry lists,
notch in your understanding of the dhrama. once we have had those experiences, serve to
When you go back and re-read the same root remind us of these experiences. Otherwise,
text, you can have an almost completely they can seem way too abstract.
different take on it. The book has not changed;
you have changed, and what was dry as a bone So my point here is a simple one and one I
when you read it last has come alive with your know from sad experience: any attempt to
increasing understanding. practice looking at the mind itself, however
feeble a try, is usually worth more than reading
Before we do a canvas of what is out there, let a dozen books. If I had to boil down everything
me state what to me is the sine qua non, the I have learned in the last 35 years or so about
single most important concept to keep in mind meditation into a single directive, that
here and that is: the key to any and all of these directive would be: try it; do some practice
What Buddhist Books to Own?
first and then read, and not vice versa. Even significance has rubbed off on us. So we may
gaining one hair‟s width of experience may be have some of the root texts, but have to learn
all the difference in the world between to get something out of them.
ignorance and a path to realization. Try it.
Commentaries
It can seem almost impossible to get
And then there are the commentaries, and I
westerners to stop reading long enough to
don‟t mean the earlier commentaries on the
actually have some meditation experience,
root texts that are now considered part of the
whether it is good, bad, or indifferent. It seems
root texts themselves. I am talking about
we would rather do almost anything rather than
recent commentaries such as this one, and they
actually try to look at the mind itself. It is our
are everywhere today. Everyone who has
upbringing.
learned even a little about Buddhism wants to
Unlike Asia, where every child has at least write about it, myself included. Why? Because
some introduction to mind training, here we Buddhism is a real path that works in the
have basically none at all. Our idea of training modern world. I am sure there are other paths
the mind is learning philosophy or symbolic out there, but at least in the Tibetan Buddhist
logic, mathematics, and so on. We have never lineages they have managed to keep the
been encouraged or shown how to actually dharma teachings intact and pure. That is
experience the mind for ourselves. And without something!
that experience, we are left with pretty boring
What Books Are Valuable
stuff, like the lists I mentioned earlier.
The books that are worthwhile in my
So there you‟ve had the sales pitch. Don‟t be
experience are those that can successfully
afraid to start looking at your own internal
point out to me how to actually practice
mental processes, at the mind itself. It is what
without them becoming too boring or painful. It
all the thousands of lists and books are all
is all about practice, everything. Without
about and you can do it anytime and in any
practice or trying, nothing changes for me. I
place you desire, for the mind is ultimate
remain the same. Simply reading about
portability. That being said, let‟s talk about
practice has only a limited benefit. Therefore
books.
the books that inspire me to keep going in my
Root Texts practice are the useful ones. And, as you might
imagine it, these books can change over the
The root texts are where the dharma all came
years.
from and ultimately where we have to return
to. Everything else is derived from those root The Teacher
texts. In fact, most of what passes for root
As wonderful as books are, at least in
texts today (even in Tibetan Buddhism) are not
Vajrayana Buddhism, they are no substitute for
the original words of the Buddha, but words of
a work with a teacher. After all, the entire
Mahasiddas and yogis who came much later,
framework of Vajrayana Buddhism is built
who are successfully paraphrasing the Buddha‟s
around working closely with your guru, trusting
teachings. And after that come the endless
the guru to spot where you are off track, and
commentaries on either the words of Buddha or
having someone you trust recommend to you
on the sayings of the adepts and Mahasiddas.
how to stabilize and get back on track. So,
All of the above we can generally call the
more important than any books is to find a
original pith instructions or root texts. We each
teacher you can work with and who is willing to
should have some root texts available to us.
work with you, just as you are. All the Buddhist
The problem with the pith instructions or root texts in the world are not worth (to you) one
texts is that everything has been boiled down root teacher, at least as far as your individual
into such a diamond-like nugget that you have development is concerned. And all your excuses
to be enlightened to understand much of it. and rationalizations for not having a teaching
You can read the root texts, and you can tell right now are just that: rationalizations.
what you are reading is profound, but when all
is said and done, and the next dawn comes,
most often we find that nothing of great
What Buddhist Books to Own?
The Lineages You don‟t really need a book about the Four
Thoughts, although they are covered in many
Although the various main Tibetan Buddhist
beginning texts. Two classic works are “The
lineages agree on all the basics, they each have
Torch of Certainty” by Jamgon Kongtul (Prajna
their own way of presenting the dharma
Publications) and “The Jewel Ornament of
materials and practices. Since I don‟t know all
Liberation” by Je Gampopa. “The Jewel
of the lineages personally, what I can with
Ornament” is available in several translations,
confidence present here is what the Karma
some more formal than others. One that is
Kagyu Lineages use to introduce students to
more strictly the Kagyu take on the work is
practice.
called “Gems of Dharma, Jewels of Freedom,”
The Single Phrase published by Altea Publications. Both of these
books include good discussions of the “Four
In the 35 or so years that I have been listening
Thoughts That Turn the Mind.”
to teachings, and this seems to be true for all
of the lineages, there is one single sentence The Seven Points of Mind Training
that is most often used to start out an
The next text I would recommend to you is
introductory dharma talk and that is:
“The Seven Points of Mind Training” by the
“All beings seek happiness and try to avoid master Atisha. Aside from the two very small
suffering.” texts mentioned above, this was the first real
work that stuck with me way back when. And it
It seems that is the opener that anyone
is as fresh today as it was then.
remotely considering the Buddhist path has to
either accept or reject. Either we believe that Consisting of 59 slogans or „slokas‟ arranged
all beings do want to be happy and don‟t want under seven main points, there are literally
to suffer or we feel some other way. It has dozens of translations of this material, most of
always made sense to me. them reasonable. I like the one by Chogyam
Trungpa Rinpoche a lot.
The Four Thoughts
What is nice about this text is that each slogan
Perhaps the next most-common introduction to
is a simple one or two line statement of an idea
the Buddhist path are “The Four Thoughts That
to consider when approaching mind training.
Turn the Mind to the Dharma.” Instead of lofty
These slogans or „slokas‟ (as they are called)
religious concepts, the Four Thoughts are
were intended to be easy to memorize and
down-to-earth truths that just about anyone
„pithy‟, meaning they are kind of pith or kernel
can recognize as real at first glance. I know
instructions. And example would be:
that when I first heard them, I identified with
them completely. I felt that the Four Thoughts “Self-liberate the antidote”
were just what the world is. Nothing preachy
Think on that for awhile. I won‟t try to
about them, simply a description of how it is. If
comment on what it means here. There are
this is what Buddhism is all about, I thought,
also many commentaries on the slogans and
let‟s have some more of it. The Four Thoughts
they can be helpful to read as well. So, the
were nothing like the intellectualized idea of
point is that these slogans tend to stick in your
Buddhism I had understood back in the 1950s,
mind and pop to mind at appropriate times.
when, like existentialism, it was something for
This is a wonderful text to have on hand. There
„serious‟ late-night discussions with coffee and
is nothing else quite like it. There is a good
cigarettes. Hre are the Four Thoughts:
translation of the Seven Points along with great
The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind to the commentary by Ven. Khenchen Thrangu
Dharma Rinpoche here:
(1) This life is precious. http://www.kagyu.org/slogans/index.php
(2) Impermanence is with us. The Torch of Certainty
(3) Karma: Cause and Effect are endless This is a work by the great rime (non-sectarian)
19th scholar Jamgon Kongtrul the Great,
(4) This world (Samsara) is inherently
sometimes referred to as the “Tibetan
undependable.
Leondardo.” It is used by all of the various
What Buddhist Books to Own?
Tibetan lineages and is the fundamental text During what was a very short interview,
for those undertaking the „ngondo‟, the Four Rinpoche gave us permission to do ngondro and
Foundation Practices, also called the Four mentioned “The Torch of Certainty,” in
Extraordinary Preliminaries. particular the part about the Tong-Len
practice. We were able to purchase a copy
For some reason, I know of only one translation
right there at the center. After the interview,
of the book, which was published by Prajna
as we filed out in to the darkness and the bitter
Press, a part of what now is called Shambhala
cold, there were no outside lights to guide us.
Publications. This version is translated by
We could hear and dimly see the huge pieces of
Judith Hanson and includes an introduction by
plastic flapping in the wind that were hung on
the Ven. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
the raw cement of the monastery then being
“The Torch of Certainty” differs from the texts built high up on that mountain. It was eerie,
mentioned thus far in that it is really a and we were very far from home.
handbook for those entering the Vajryana path.
We slowly made our way down the mountain to
In that regard, it is not so much an introductory
a small motel room with only one small gas-lit
texts as a manual or guide through the five
heater stuck in the wall. My little family and I
ngondro practices, starting with the four
huddled together. My daughter May was only
common preliminaries (The Four Thoughts) and
about 1 year old at the time. And we opened
Tong-Len (sending and receiving), and going
“The Torch of Certainty” and eagerly read the
step-by-step through the five special or
section on Tong-Len, which is more commonly
extraordinary preliminaries, Taking Refuge and
(in English) called the Sending and Receiving
Bodhicitta, Prostrations, Vajrasattva, Mandala
practice. However, we were shocked by what
Practice, and Guru Yoga.
we found.
Since I have no other translation of this work
Having been more or less raised up (all the
for comparison, I can‟t offer you my favorite
astrology conferences) around psychic-oriented
version. This one seems a little on the fire &
counselors, we had been taught to stay as far
brimstone side, which is a little unusual for
away from negative emotions and people as
Tibetan Buddhism, at least among the more
possible. For example, psychics tended to place
modern or popular teachings, in that ideas of
their hands under running water after a reading
“Good” and “Evil” are not buffered in any way.
and let the problems and negativity flow out of
Actually I was a little intimidated when I first them and down the drain - that sort of thing.
encountered this text, but that was around the Yet here we were reading just the opposite.
time that I first met my teacher Khenpo
The Ton-Len practices were telling us to
Karthar Rinpoche. In fact, it was the first and
breathe in all the sufferings and negativity
only book he has ever personally recommended
from others, especially our enemies, and
to me. Of course, at the time I was asking him
breathe out or send out to them whatever joy,
for permission to start the ngondo practices, so
health, and goodness we had managed to
what do you expect? In fact, here is a funny
accumulate within us – the exact opposite of
personal story about my encounter with “The
how we had been taught to date. And the fire
Torch of Certainty.”
& brimstone quality of The Torch of Certainty
My family and I had just driven 800 miles scared the „bejesus‟ out of us, especially in
through what the weather forecasters said was that tiny motel with the fierce cold and winds
the coldest day of the year. It was so bitter howling around us. What had we gotten
that as we drove up the mountain, the last few ourselves into, we wondered?
miles, to the monastery where Rinpoche lived,
And so we managed to creep ourselves out
I had to scrape a little hole through the frost on
pretty „good‟ for a few moments. But our
the inside of my windshield with a business
respect and growing devotion to Rinpoche, this
card just to see out. We were driving to see
wonderful being we had recently met.
Rinpoche, because we so much wanted to see
gradually overcame our fright and resistance to
him again after meeting him for the first time a
this completely new approach, and we decided
couple of months earlier.
right there and then to take his advice and to
open up our minds to something quite different
What Buddhist Books to Own?
some few flakes, when I can pick entire gold some realization of the true nature of the
nuggets out of the root texts like the ones mind, you cannot enter Mahamudra practice.
described above. I can be reminded in a few That is the reason for all the preliminary
seconds of enough to keep me busy for days practices: to get you ready to see the true
thinking about it. nature of the mind. After THAT, Mahamudra
practice actually begins.
Mahamudra Texts
The root texts contain dozens of quotes that
Mahamudra meditation is an advanced
repeatedly point out that it is impossible to see
technique, often said to be the pinnacle of
the true nature of your mind without having
Kagyu meditation practice, and appropriately
someone who has already had that experience
hard to write about and even harder to read
point it out to you personally. So don‟t even
properly. Today there are more and more books
try. Neither you nor I are going to be the ones
about Mahamudra meditation becoming
that can figure it out, get it from a book, or
available, and there are even more that are
otherwise come up with it on our own. Our
unavailable to you without special permission
smarts may have gotten us this far, but I can
to even look at them. And these „secret‟ books
promise you that in Mahamudra you have
are not secret because they contain something
reached an impasse you will not cross without a
that if you read it would open the door to
teacher. The mahasiddhas make this perfectly
awareness or enlightenment. They are not
clear in their writings and I trust them before I
openly available because if you read them
would put any faith in your or my ability to
without a teacher watching over you and
figure it out.
working with you, it could be very easy to
misunderstand them and go off in a direction You are going to have to leave your bag of
actually that will set you back, rather than mental tricks behind if you really want to learn
propel you forward. Which reminds me: this stuff, and instead simply get in line and do
what you are asked to do by your teacher. If
I don‟t know how many beginners to dharma
you can‟t do that or don‟t feel comfortable
that I have come across that are certain they
with having a teacher, or have not really
can game the system and think they don‟t have
bothered to find AND work with a teacher, then
to have a teacher and, because of their innate
Mahamudra meditation and, for that matter,
talent can figure it all out by themselves. And
vajrayana Buddhism is not the path for you.
the smarter or brighter they are, the worse it
There are other paths.
is, for the vajrayana path, and particularly
Mahamudra meditation is not about „smart.” A So I am not going to recommend many
wound smarts. Mahamudra publications here. Ask your
particular vajrayana teacher what they suggest
In fact, the more academically “smart” or
you read.
erudite you think you are, the harder it can be
to approach Mahamudra training. The pundits http://www.Shenpen-osel.org
are “everywhere but enlightened” is what the
At the above web site, you will find an
root texts have to say about intellectual
INVALUABLE set of free downloads of a
understanding without serious practice. The
wonderful journal that had a short but
whole concept that you can grasp the gist of a
significant run. Here you can find the
topic intellectually breaks down when it comes
incredible Mahamudra teachings called the
to Mahamudra. Yes, those of us who have a
“Ganges Mahamudra, with commentary by the
quick or analytical mind can usually evaluate
Ven. Thrangu Rinpoche. They are:
something about most of the preliminary
practices by just reading a few books. Mahamudra Upadesha Teachings by Khenchen
Thrangu Rinpoche, “The Ganges Mahahudra”
But this all ends when you try to approach
Mahamudra meditation. Mahamudra practice Volume 3, Number 3, January 2000
depends on learning to see the true nature of
There are other Mahamudra teachings at this
the mind. Seeing a glimpse of the true nature
site. I would download all of the volumes
of the mind is not the fruition or final goal of
against the chance that they disappear and
Mahamudra practice, but only the „ante in‟ and
that you may become more interested in these
pre-requisite for the practice. That is: without
What Buddhist Books to Own?
advanced teachings in the future. They are ALL This was not a simple undertaking, because it
worth having and they are free! required not only a staff and the physical space
to operate in, but it also meant that someone
Dharma Teachings
had to travel to Nepal and India in search of
And then there are the great many individual authentic ritual practice items. Let me back up
teachings, usually in transcript form, either just a bit here.
photocopied or printed and stapled, in all kinds
A key element in this whole endeavor was a
of bindings. This kind of text is legion and
Bhutanese man named Sange Wangchuk and the
depends on what lineage you are in and what
fact we invited Sange and his wife Setan to
teachers you follow and can learn from. Just
come and live with us on-staff in Big Rapids as
because a lama is a tulku (reincarnate lama) or
part of Matrix Software. What first attracted
a rinpoche does not automatically mean that
me to Sange Wangchuck was the fact that he
their style is something you can learn from, not
was an astrologer and had studied Tibetan
by any means.
astrology, something I very much was
These individual teachings sometimes get interested in learning more about. At the time,
compiled with similar teachings into a book, Wangchuk was living at the KTD monastery and
but more often they do not and thus only have had helped in designing a 3-D prototype model
narrow distribution, perhaps to the main for the completed monastery and many other
students of the authoring lama. Nevertheless, useful things. He also taught Tibetan and had
at least in the Kagyu lineage, I have sampled previously served as Omze (chant master) for
(and published) a lot of them, so I do have one of the four eminences that accompany His
favorites. My very most favorite teachings are Holiness, the Gyalwa Karmapa.
by my teacher Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche or by
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. These two
rinpoches were learning partners at Thrangu
monastery in Kham, Tibet, so it is no surprise
that their styles are almost identical. For me,
they are the best, but that is just me. Of
course there are many, many fine teachers and
it is up to each of us to find the ones that
really speak to us. If one style puts us to sleep,
we need to keep looking.
Publishing Teachings and Sadhanas
As it turns out, I spent many years transcribing,
editing, and publishing various transcripts.
Here is a brief history of a company I started
that will explain my involvement and might be
Sange Wangchuk
interested to read about.
Sange Wanchuk is very gifted. Among other
KTD Dharma Goods: 1986 through 1994 things, he speaks seven languages, including
In 1986, my wife and I established KTD Dharma Pali and Sanskrit. And he is also a very skilled
Goods in an attempt to assist KTD (our main graphic artist, able to paint not only thankas
monastery) to provide authentic quality dharma (Tibetan religious paintings), but he literally
texts and ritual items to practitioners. At the can draw or design just about everything, from
time, although KTD had a small on-site dharma the intricate woodwork that made up the huge
store, they were not equipped to do a shrine at KTD to drawing exquisite images of
successful mail-order business. Since mail order the various Tibetan deities. But best of all, he
is something we understood, we offered to is a wonderful being to be around, a true
establish an off-site business here in Big example of kindness and compassion. He also
Rapids, Michigan at our expense, and to take was somewhat famous for his ability as a
no profit from it, which is what happened. singer, and he loved to sing the dohas or songs
of spiritual experience of the great yogi
Milarepa.
What Buddhist Books to Own?