Here is a list of books I support & recommend.
These are books that have helped me along my journey & I hope to help others discover the wisdom I have unburied through these treasures as well. As I post exerps from various books, I will be adding them here. That said, it has been nicely put by a teacher of mine.. "Study is necessary but not sufficient." So study deeply friends & practice deeper.
TailSwallower.com is set up with affiliate programs for most the books here, so if you purchase books through the links provided on this BlogSite, you will be helping TailSwallower out as well... which is ofcourse deeply appreciated :)
Endless bows to you & all beings,
- Fugon Mugen |
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Zen Mind,
Beginners Mind
Shunryu Suzuki (1905-1971) was a direct spiritual descendant of the renowned 13th-century Zen master Dogen, and his hugely influential Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind ranks with the great classics of Zen literature.
Suzuki’s clear, coherent translation of ancient beliefs and principles miraculously leaves all the subtleties of Zen intact, while adapting the language to modern sensibilities. As he reveals the actual practice of Zen as a discipline for daily life, the listener begins to understand what Zen is really about. |
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Dropping Ashes On
The Buddha
“Somebody comes into the Zen center with a lighted cigarette, walks up to the Buddha statue, blows smoke in its face, and drops ashes on its lap. You are standing there. What can you do?”
This is a problem that Zen Master Seung Sahn is fond of posing to his American students who attend his Zen centers. Dropping Ashes on the Buddha is a delightful, irreverent, and often hilariously funny living record of the dialogue between Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn and his American students.
Consisting of dialogues, stories, formal Zen interviews, Dharma speeches, and letters using the Zen Master’s actual words in spontaneous, living interaction with his students, this book is a fresh presentation of the Zen teaching method of “instant dialogue” between Master and student which, through the use of astonishment and paradox, leads to an understanding of ultimate reality. |
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A must read! This is a book you will come back to again, again & again. Out of the various translations I have read, so far this is my favorite translation. |
Tao Te Ching
New English Version
The ancient Chinese classic, Tao Te Ching is the worlds most translated book. This timeless book of profound wisdom is a staple meal for any zen & tao practitioner alike.
In 81 brief chapters, Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, provides advice that imparts balance and perspective, as well as a serene and generous spirit. It teaches us how to work for the good with the effortless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao: the basic principle of the universe.
Stephen Mitchell's best-selling version has been widely acclaimed as a gift to contemporary culture. |
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Wonderful book! A perfect fallow-up to the Tao Te Ching* |
2nd Book
Of The Tao
The most widely translated book in world literature after the Bible, Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is the classic manual on the art of living. Following the phenomenal success of his own version of the Tao Te Ching, renowned scholar and translator Stephen Mitchell has composed the innovative The Second Book of the Tao.
Drawn from the work of Lao tzu's disciple Chuang-tzu and Confucius's grandson Tzussu, The Second Book of the Tao offers Western readers a path into reality that has nothing to do with Taoism or Buddhism or old or new alone, but everything to do with truth. Mitchell has selected the freshest, clearest teachings from these two great students of the Tao and adapted them into versions that reveal the poetry, depth, and humor of the original texts with a thrilling new power. Alongside each adaptation, Mitchell includes his own commentary, at once explicating and complementing the text.
This book is a 21st-century form of ancient wisdom, bringing a new, homemade sequel to the Tao Te Ching into the modern world. Mitchell's renditions are radiantly lucid; they dig out the vision that's hiding beneath the words; they grab the text by the scruff of the neck - by its heart, really - and let its essential meanings fall out. The book introduces us to a cast of vivid characters, most of them humble artisans or servants, who show us what it means to be in harmony with the way things are. Its wisdom provides a psychological and moral acuity as deep as the Tao Te Ching itself.
The Second Book of the Tao is a gift to contemporary readers, granting us access to our own fundamental wisdom. Mitchell's meditations and risky reimagining of the original texts are brilliant and liberating, not least because they keep catching us off-guard, opening up the heavens where before we saw a roof. He makes the ancient teachings at once modern, relevant, and timeless. |
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365 Tao
Daily Meditations
An offering of up-to-date words of inspiration and guidance for every day of the year presents brief, poetic aphorisms, meditations, and more, based on each day's single Taoist principle.
Deng Ming-Dao is the author of The Wandering Taoist, Seven Bamboo Tablets of the Cloudy Satchel, Gateway to a Vast World, and Scholar Warrior. |
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Hua Hu Ching
The perfect companion to Stephen Mitchell's version of the Tao Te Ching, this is the astonishing rendering of Lao Tzu's further writings. Each of the eighty-one teachings presented by Taoist scholar and poet Brian Walker are rich with wisdom, mystery, and startling enlightenment.
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. |
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| This section is for books that I recommend to most people as the best starting point for those who are new to or grappling with the teachings of non-duelism. These books will help you begin to "crack the shell of the mind", get you to look honestly at yourself, lift the vail of illusion & help you see the world through new eyes & help lay a solid groundwork to deeper realization. These books are interestingly enough, not any particular "ism" which also allows one to see that the path to awakening is beyond any particular tradition, which is an excellent foot to start out on! |
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The Four
Agreements
In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
Don Miguel Ruiz has dedicated his life to sharing the wisdom of the ancient Toltec. For more than two decades, he has guided others toward their personal freedom. Today, he continues to combine his unique blend of ancient wisdom and modern-day awareness through journeys to sacred sites around the world. |
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If you can afford it, I suggest to get the 3 book collection. 3 great books wrth reading for a good price & cheaper in the long run then getting them separately. |
The Four Agreements
Toltec Wisdom Collection
This three-book set by bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz offers his most widely acclaimed works:
The Four Agreements reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering.
The Mastery of Love illuminates the fear-based beliefs and assumptions that undermine love and lead to suffering and drama in our relationships.
The Voice of Knowledge reminds us of a profound and simple truth: The only way to end our emotional suffering and restore our joy in living is to stop believing in lies — mainly about ourselves.
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A New Earth
Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity: He implores us to see and accept that this state, which is based on an erroneous identification with the egoic mind, is one of dangerous insanity.
Tolle tells us there is good news, however. There is an alternative to this potentially dire situation. Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one.
In illuminating the nature of this shift in consciousness, Tolle describes in detail how our current ego-based state of consciousness operates. Then gently, and in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consciousness. We will come to experience who we truly are, which is something infinitely greater than anything we currently think we are, and learn to live and breathe freely. |
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Or if a Q & A format would be more helpful for you, then read this book 2nd! or reading them both is BEST* |
The Power of Now
Ekhart Tolle's message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle's clear writing, supportive voice, and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who's ever wondered what exactly "living in the now" means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container--more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.
Written in a unique "questions & answers" format, Tolle packs a lot of information and inspirational ideas into The Power of Now. Topics include the source of Chi, enlightened relationships, creative use of the mind, impermanence, and the cycle of life. This book is a must read for anyone interested in fully waking up to the only place we truly ever live; the present moment. |
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Read this book 3rd!
This is my recomended 1st book on Buddhism!
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Buddhism
Plain & Simple
This book offers a clear, straightforward approach to Buddhism in general and awareness in particular. It is about being awake and in touch with what is going on here and now.
When the Buddha was asked to sum up his teaching in a single word, he said, "Awareness." The Buddha taught how to see directly into the nature of experience. His observations and insights are plain, practical, and down-to-earth, and they deal exclusively with the present. In Buddhism Plain and Simple, Steve Hagen presents these uncluttered, original teachings in everyday, accessible language unencumbered by religious ritual, tradition, or belief.
"It doesn't get any plainer or simpler than this. Zen priest Steve Hagen explains it all for you, so you can be a candle unto yourself." -Tricycle Magazine |
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Zen Mind,
Beginners Mind
Shunryu Suzuki (1905-1971) was a direct spiritual descendant of the renowned 13th-century Zen master Dogen, and his hugely influential Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind ranks with the great classics of Zen literature.
Suzuki’s clear, coherent translation of ancient beliefs and principles miraculously leaves all the subtleties of Zen intact, while adapting the language to modern sensibilities. As he reveals the actual practice of Zen as a discipline for daily life, the listener begins to understand what Zen is really about. |
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5th book to read.. or if your already peacticing meditation.. put this book on the TOP of your list. This is my Recomended 1st book on meditation! A must read for all who meditate! This is the BEST book I have descovered about meditation.
Thank you Adyashanti! |
True Meditation
What would happen if you were to allow everything to be exactly as it is? If you gave up the need for control, and instead embraced the whole of your experience in each moment that arose? In the 14 years that he studied Zen, Adyashanti found that most seasoned meditators had used the practice as a means to a goal they never reached. Ultimately, he realized that only when you let go of all techniques, even the concept of yourself as a meditator, will you open to the art of true meditation: dwelling in the natural state. True Meditation invites you to join the growing number of seekers who have been touched by the wisdom of Adyashanti to learn:
- How to make the "effortless effort" that will vivify the present moment
- Meditative self-inquiry and "The Way of Subtraction": how to ask a spiritually powerful question, and determine the real answer
- Three guided meditations intended to reveal what Adyashanti calls "your home as awareness itself"
"We've been taught that awakening is difficult," explains Adyashanti, "that to wake up from the illusion of separation takes years. But all it really takes is a willingness to look into the depths of your experience here and now." True Meditation gives you the opportunity to reclaim the original purpose of meditation, as a gateway to "the objectless freedom of being"
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