Subject: Books (was: help a neophyte)
From: [email-masked] (Mark Danburg)
Date: 29 Jun 1993 19:02:51 -0500
Newsgroups: alt.meditation

Here's a completely subjective look at several books on meditation.  I
hope that some of you find it useful.

	_The New Three Minute Meditator_ by David Harp.  This book focuses on
short meditations that you could squeeze into your day easily, thus relaxing
yourself on a regular basis and reducing your general stress level.  Easy to
read, easy to practice.

	_How to Meditate_ by Lawrence LeShan.  This book focuses on meditation
as a gradual life-improving technique.  It includes several frameworks for
classifying different kinds of meditation (structured/unstructured or mind/
emotion/body or so on) and discusses related issues (psychotherapy, ESP stuff)
This is the book I usually recomend to beginners.

	_The Fine Arts of Relaxation, Concentration, and Meditation_ by Joel
Levey.  This book is sort of a "cookbook" of meditations, describing 50 or
so different techniques.  Good for a window-shopper of meditations.

	_The Meditative Mind_ by Daniel Goleman.  More a book about meditation
than a teaching book.  Execellent survey of different traditions of meditation
and how they fall together.  My personal favorite.

	_Journey of Awakening_ by Ram Dass.  Ram Dass has written a number of
lovely books.  This one has nice sections on what to expect from meditation
and choosing the path best suited for you, but my favorite sections are on
dealing with the inevitable problems meditators face.

	_Freedom in Meditation_ by Patricia Carrington, Ph.D.  An excellent
scientific analysis of meditation with some very good theories.  Kind of a
dense read, but maybe that's just me.

	Of course (as _all_ of these books say), the important thing is
not to read about meditation, but to meditate.

_______________________________________________________________________________
Peace to all who read this.....Mark [email-masked]
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////////

From: [email-masked]
Newsgroups: alt.meditation
Subject: BOOKS ON MEDITATION
Date: 11 Sep 1993 09:31:57 GMT
Organization: Center for Instructional and Research Computing Activities
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Reply-To: [email-masked]
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I am a close friend of the Theosophical Society of Orlando.
 (TS for short)  T.S.'s publishing company is called Quest Books.
Good Authors: C.W.Leadbeater, Annie Besant, H.P. Blavatsky,
Arthur E. Powell.
Ernest Wood writes some alright books on meditation and concentration.
Roy Eugene Davis writes some very good books on meditation.
For the most part, these are authors who are legitamite and
knowledgeable.  As a practising "psychic" for 2 years, I have
fully embrased the concepts by these authors.
Books by Keith Harary PhD and Pamela Weintraub are well done
but be warned, their approach is from a purely scientific
perspective, and when finding the proper, individual meditative
style, anyone should always be a skeptic.  Require proof!
I don't recomend Llewellyn books.  In their works I see many
flaws that stem from an obvious ignorance of certain essential
facts about metaphysics.
The most important volume that you should read is that one
between your ears.

Do you grok in fullness?

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein is a fictional book
that is essential in any personal library.

Article 734 of alt.meditation:
From: [email-masked] (Subhas Roy)
Newsgroups: alt.meditation,soc.culture.indian
Subject: Books on Meditation: summary of responses
Date: 12 Sep 1993 23:20:13 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Lines: 136
Sender: [email-masked]
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

	Books on Meditation: Summary of Responses

My original query:

> Can you suggest me some good writings 
> on meditation for beginner?
> 
> Subhas Roy   email: [email-masked]

Thanks to all those who responded. --subhas roy

---------------------------------------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Gregory Paul Polly)

I like Charlotte Beck's *Everyday Zen* a lot. It's been one of my
favorite Zen books for awhile now. It's especially good if you're 
looking for a version of Zen that's authentic but not too esoteric
or "Eastern." 
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: Marguerite Schauder <[email-masked]>

[...]
 I would suggest either checking not Indian authors and\or Tibetan
authors.  Snow Lion catalogue in New York (you can find the 1-800
number by calling 1-800-555-1212..or whatever your directory
assistance number may be.)  They carry a long list of Tibetan authors
and I believe Indian authors as well.  There is also the Wisdom
publications (800-272-4050) and I know they carry many authors from
many cultures.
[...]
I would rather not suggest any particular book per se, because it
should feel real good for you, and it will come.  I just wanted
to help with some ideas on where to search.
[...]
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Wayne radinsky)
 
Venture Inward by Hugh Lynn Cayce  (which also covers other
topics besides meditation)
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Ms. Kim Collins (ACS" <[email-masked]>

These are the two books I recommend for meditation:

_Journey of Awakening_ by Ram Dass gives a good overview of a variety
of meditation techniques from many traditions.

If you are interested in zazen meditation, an indispensable guide is
_The Three Pillars of Zen_ by Roshi Philip Kapleau.  It includes
illustrations, questions and answers, as well as an old Zen text.
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Jai Maharaj)
  
Namaste!  I have beed a student and teacher of Yog(a) for more
than four decades now.  I do have a lot more to learn.
 
At this time, I would like to recommend
 
FUNDAMENTALS OF YOGA
 
by Rammurti S. Mishra, M.D.
 
Julian Press (1987)     ISBN: 0O0-517-56422-X  $12.95 
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: Bruce R Jaffe <[email-masked]>

[...]
I remember that the book that really got me inspired about meditation
was Paramahansa Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi". Of course, I
did not pursue studies in his school of meditation, feeling more drawn
to the teaching called Actualism. But the general principles and
spirit of his book really helped set me on my way.
[...]
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Pranob Banerjee)

here are some books/ articles that i found useful:

*  Raja Yoga by Sw. Vivekananda  - RK Mission   

*  Meditation by Sw. Satprakashananda  -  RK Mission

*  Series of Articles in Times of India (Sunday Issues, 1984-88(?) )
   by Hareesh Raja,  deciple of Sw. Muktananda of Ganeshpuri Ashram.

*  Concentration and meditation (forgetting exact name of the book)
   by Sw. Sivananda.  (Divine Life Society -  Rshikesh)

*  For good overview: Autobiography of an Yogi by Sw. Yogananda

*  The Best ofcourse: Srimad Bhagawad Gita

  (these are my opinion)
 
You can also refer to: "Awakening of Kundalini" by Gopi Krishna.
It is a very honest account of his experience with the "serpent power".
---------------------------------------------------------------

From: [email-masked]
Newsgroups: alt.meditation
Subject: BOOKS ON MEDITATION
Date: 11 Sep 1993 09:31:57 GMT

I am a close friend of the Theosophical Society of Orlando.
 (TS for short)  T.S.'s publishing company is called Quest Books.
Good Authors: C.W.Leadbeater, Annie Besant, H.P. Blavatsky,
Arthur E. Powell.
Ernest Wood writes some alright books on meditation and concentration.
Roy Eugene Davis writes some very good books on meditation.
For the most part, these are authors who are legitamite and
knowledgeable.  As a practising "psychic" for 2 years, I have
fully embrased the concepts by these authors.
Books by Keith Harary PhD and Pamela Weintraub are well done
but be warned, their approach is from a purely scientific
perspective, and when finding the proper, individual meditative
style, anyone should always be a skeptic.  Require proof!
I don't recomend Llewellyn books.  In their works I see many
flaws that stem from an obvious ignorance of certain essential
facts about metaphysics.
The most important volume that you should read is that one
between your ears.

Do you grok in fullness?

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein is a fictional book
that is essential in any personal library.

Date: Sun, 03 Oct 93 15:35:55 -0700
From: "Daniel H. Miller" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Reading list on meditation 

The following are my "core" recommendations for people wanting to start
understanding Zen.  I am no expert; these are the books that made me
personally more aware of the Zen outlook.  The books are in no order (they
each contributed something unique to my understanding of Zen). My
annotations are in []:

Sekida, Katsuki, 1893- Zen training : methods and philosophy / Katsuki
Sekida ; edited, with an introd., by A. V. Grimstone.  1st ed.  New York :
Weatherhill, 1975 (my copy is copyright 1985). (paper, $15) [This book
describes how to breath correctly during zazen (seated meditation).  Some
connections between the physical aspects and mental aspects of meditation
are covered.]

Hoover, Thomas, 1941 The Zen experience / by Thomas Hoover New York : New
American Library, c1980 (Series: A Plume book) (paper, $4.95) [This books
talks about the lineage of masters starting from Indian roots and moving
through the sudden and gradual schools in China, and onto Zen in Japan and
on into America.  The books has a nice mixture of history and the Zen spirit
within the masters.]

Kasulis, T. P., 1948 Zen action/Zen person / by T. P. Kasulis Honolulu :
University Press of Hawaii, c1981. (paper) [This book describes the
relationship between the Chinese language and Zen.  A little more academic,
but accessible.]

Paul Reps (compiler), Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, Anchor/Doubleday (no date).
(paper, $7.95) [This books presents many Zen "koans".  Koans are riddles
that need to be penetrated with something beyond rational thought.
"Solving" koans is a very individual matter, and the book presents the
koans, but does not explain anyone's "solutions".  A well known collection
of Rinzai (one of the two major branches of Zen in Japan) koans called
Mumonkan is included.]

Kapleau, Philip, 1912- ed.  The three pillars of Zen : teaching, practice,
and enlightenment / compiled & edited, with translations, introductions &
notes, by Philip Kapleau foreword by Huston Smith. Rev. and expanded ed.
Garden City, N.Y. : Anchor Press, 1980.  xxii, 400 p. : ill.  21 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN: 0-385-14786-4 : (my
copy is c1989, 25th anniversary edition) (paper, $10.95) [Kapleau is the
head of the Rochester Zen Center.  His explanations are very accessible.  He
talks about starting meditation, some of the philosophy, and (I think) most
importantly talks about what some lay practitioners are concerned about when
they are meditation and thinking about Zen.  One of the best intro books, in
my opinion.]

Suzuki, Shunryu.  Zen mind, beginner's mind. Edited by Trudy Dixon. With an
introd. by Richard Baker.  [1st ed.]  New York, Walker/Weatherhill [1970]
(paper, $5.95) [The first book I read on Zen.  It changed my outlook on
life.  An important work because each of the essays is different, but
represents the "sameness" of the Zen spirit that Suzuki is trying to
convey.]

"A Universal Recommendation for Zazen (Fukan Zazen-gi)" in Yokoi, Yuho,
1918- Zen Master Dogen : an introduction with selected writings / by Yuho
Yokoi, with the assistance of Daizen Victoria ; and with a foreword by
Minoru Kiyota.  1st ed.  New York : Weatherhill, 1976.  [Dogen is credited
with bringing Soto Zen to Japan from China.  This very short work is a
summary of his life long experience with "just sitting".  It is amazing how
much can be said in so few words!]