Expert: Laurie McLauglin - 2/25/2010

Question
What Buddhist book's and CD's can you recommend ?

Answer
Thanks again for letting me answer your question

As far as the best place to look for books and CD's on Buddhism, that’s a tough question. There are so many good ones and there are so many different traditions.  As you know I am Tibetan Mahayana Gelugpa but that tradtion might not work for where you are.

I found a website that was pretty cool for discussing Buddhism.  It is called http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism That may help you talk with practitioners of other traditions.

Here are some books that work for me. The Mahayana teachers I suggest you read which for me were pretty easy to understand are any books by the great Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, Tibetan teachers such as, His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, "The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living" , Lama Thubten Yeshe, "The Essence of Tibetan Buddhism" and "Becoming your own Therapist", or Robert Thurman, "Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Real Happiness" , for a great meditation book, I like "Guided Meditations on the Stages of the Path" by Thubten Chodren or Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo's "Stabilizing the Mind".

Although she has not written a book that I know of, Venerable Robina Courtin has many of her teachings on tape online and is also wonderful; www.robinacourtin.com. She has a no nonsense tell it like it is approach.

Also for CDs from the specific lineage I follow, you can try www.fpmt.org

For Theravaden or Vipassana teachers, I suggest you check out Jack Kornfield, "A Path With Heart", or "Living Dharma", Sylvia Boorstein, "It's Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness" or any talks online by Ajahn Amaro. These teachers for me were easy to understand and insightful.

So these are the books, CD's and websites I recommend where you can get audio downloads that I recommend.  I hope one or more of these resonate with you and help you on your path.

I wish you much success and joy as you progress on the Buddhist path.

Namaste - Laurie