Spiritual Books You Read Over and Over

[forestofclarity]

Every few years I find myself, inevitably, drawn to reading or receiving teachings on a few books over and over. They seem to expand every time I read them or receive teachings on them. Some of them are mysterious, like the Dao De Jing. Others are more straight forward, like the Path of Sri Ramana by Sadhu Om. Others are both, like Self Liberation Through Seeing With Naked Awareness. Each time I almost feel like I'm reading something quite different, which is of course a reflection of my own mind. 

 

I'd be curious to hear about specific books or teachings others return to over and again. 

[心神 ~]

I tend to return to the Dao De Jing, the Dhammapada, and the Gospel of Matthew. Lately I've also been revisiting The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn, especially The Game of Life and How to Play It and Your Word Is Your Wand.

[markern]

I reread this book and listen to the lectures as if it was the Bible and always will. It is by a little known Norwegian awakened woman:

https://www.vigdisgarbarek.no/content_en.html

 

[Vajra Fist]

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind is one I return to time and again.

 

Currently halfway through Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith by Thich Thien Tam, and can see myself rereading it again.

 

 

[Mark Foote]

6 hours ago, Vajra Fist said:

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind is one I return to time and again.

 

Currently halfway through Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith by Thich Thien Tam, and can see myself rereading it again.

 

 

 

VajraFist, you might want to look up the lectures in "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind", and see what Suzuki actually said.

 

I do some comparison, here:

 

What Shunryu Suzuki Actually Said

 

More of What Shunryu Suzuki Actually Said

 

A friend of mine turned me on to lectures by Dick Baker, former abbot of S. F. Zen Center and of Crestone Zen Center, on "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind".  I think you had to have a password to view them. Anyway, Baker only read from "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" and described what it was like in the early days of SF Zen Center, he had almost nothing to say about the content of the lectures. That's what sparked my interest, so I went to David Chadwick's cuke.com and looked up a couple of lectures. 

 

In more than one case, I believe Shunryu Suzuki's meaning was distorted in the editing of "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind".

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:47 PM by Mark Foote

[Mark Foote]

 

I tend to reread the works of Yuanwu a lot, principally Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu. I think the only English translation currently available is by the Cleary brothers, but I like their translations.

 

I think Carl Bielefeldt's "Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation" is excellent, I refer to the translations he makes in the book a lot. I didn't realize how much material Dogen lifted from Chinese sources until I read Bielefeldt's book.

 

I also come back to "The Gospel of Thomas", I have a translation made in the 1950's that I bought in the '60's that I like ("The Gospel According to Thomas", coptic text established and translated by A. Guillaumont, H.-CH. Puech, G. Quispel, W. Till and Yassah ‘Abd Al Masih, pg 18-19 log. 22, ©1959 E. J. Brill).

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:57 PM by Mark Foote

[forestofclarity]

On 6/10/2025 at 8:49 PM, 心神 ~ said:

Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn

 

Mitch Horowitz also has some interesting books in this area. 

 

On 6/11/2025 at 3:55 PM, Mark Foote said:

Cleary brothers

 

Thomas Cleary is underrated, IME. 

[doc benway]

There are several for me, mostly from the Bön tradition:

How to Practice Dzogchen in Daily Life by Drupdra Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin. One of the most precise and concise manuals on dzogchen. meditation I've ever encountered.

Living Wisdom by Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche is a wonderful collection of pith instructions drawn from several retreats he taught in the US before his passing. 

Awakening the Luminous Mind by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. This is the book that introduced me to Bön dzogchen and describes both a very accessible dzogchen practice method and a more esoteric and advanced practice.

Awakening the Sacred Body by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. This book describes core practices from the tantric series of teachings that are a great support for daily dzogchen practice and can be used as an independent core practice by itself.

Masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyengyüd by Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche is a series of teachings from 24 Bön dzogchen masters, each of who is said to have attained the rainbow body. These are there core pith instructions given to their pupils.

The Twenty-One Nails: Oral Commentaries by Yongdzing Tenzin Namdak RInpoche and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. The 21 Nails is a series of teachings, each of which is a description of one particular characteristic of the nature of mind.

 

Awareness and The Way to Love are two wonderful books by one of my favorite teachers, Father Anthony Demello. 

 

Finally, anything written by Jalal ad-Din Muhammad ar-Rumi. I have several collections of his poetry. Perhaps my favorite is a book of previously untranslated work along with beautiful illustrations called Rumi: Hidden Music by Maryam Mafi