Books
Zen Practice
Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck
A straightforward and down-to-earth book about Zen practice in relation to everyday life, by the founder of the Zen Center of San Diego.
The Three Pillars of Zen by Philip Kapleau
A helpful “how to” book, especially the introductory lectures on Zen training by Yasutani Roshi.
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
A beloved classic of American Zen, by the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and the first Zen monastery in the United States, Tassajara, in Northern California.
Basic Buddhism
Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction by Damien Keown
A concise introduction to the history and teachings of Buddhism, by a scholar of Buddhism.
Awakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das
A conversational introduction to Buddhist teachings, organized around the Eightfold Path, by an American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism.
Practicing with __________
Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn
On practicing with stress, pain, and illness, by the founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
The Depression Book and The Fear Book by Cheri Huber
On practicing with depression and fear or anxiety, by a Zen teacher.
Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames by Thich Nhat Hanh
On practicing with anger, by a Zen teacher.
A Year To Live and other books by Stephen Levine
On practicing with death and dying, your own and others’.
Forgetting Ourselves on Purpose: Vocation and the Ethics of Ambition by Brian J. Mahan
On practicing with your ambitions and transmuting ambition into vocation. Written from a Christian and Zen perspective. (Okay, so the author is my husband, but it really is a good book!)
Living Zen, Loving God by Ruben L. F. Habito
Thoughtful and theologically nuanced reflections on Zen in relation to Christianity, by a Zen teacher who is also a professor of religion and a former Jesuit.
Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian by Paul F. Knitter
A personal account of how Buddhism helped a Christian professor of theology in his struggle with his Christian beliefs.
Christian Contemplative Practice
The Cloud of Unknowing
A classic of Christian mysticism. A practical guide to contemplative prayer by an anonymous medieval author.
New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
Beautifully written reflections on the contemplative life, by a twentieth-century Trappist monk.
Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation by Martin Laird
An insightful, contemporary guide to Christian contemplative prayer.
Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel by Thomas Keating
Detailed instructions in centering prayer and a brief history of Christian contemplative prayer, by a founder of the centering prayer movement.
The Way of a Pilgrim
The story of an anonymous nineteenth-century Russian peasant who wanted to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and was introduced to the Jesus Prayer—the continuous repetition of “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”—a practice from the Orthodox Church, with roots in the desert spirituality of early Christianity. Several translations are available.
Sources of Meditation Cushions and Benches, Incense, Bells, and Other Supplies
The Monastery Store: monasterystore.org; (845) 688-7993
DharmaCrafts: dharmacrafts.com; (800) 794-9862
Carolina Morning: zafu.net; (888) 267-5366
Samadhi Cushions: samadhicushions.com; (800) 331-7751
Zen groups:
Start with an online search for “Zen” and your location. The directories of Zen centers on the Sweeping Zen site (sweepingzen.com) and the site of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association (szba.org) are incomplete but seem to be relatively up-to-date.
Other Buddhist groups:
The meditation practice taught to beginners in the Tibetan and Theravada Buddhist traditions is quite similar to Zen meditation. The Shambhala organization (shambhala.org) was founded by a Tibetan Buddhist teacher and offers secularized meditation training. To find other Tibetan Buddhist groups, search for “Tibetan Buddhism” or “Vajrayana.” To find Theravada Buddhist centers, search for “Theravada,” “Vipassana,” or “insight meditation.”
Christian groups:
You can find information on centering prayer groups on the site of Contemplative Outreach (contemplativeoutreach.org) and information on Christian meditation groups on the site of the World Community for Christian Meditation (wccm.org).