Resource From Cedar Rapids Zen Center

These are collections of talks for people who are doing zazen and practicing in daily life.

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki contains short talks for zazen practitioners. This is a book to be read with the heart. Shunryu Suzuki was the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and the first major teacher of Soto Zen to Americans.

Returning to Silence and You Have to Say Something by Danin Katagiri contain encouragement and coaching talks for zazen and daily life. Another book to be read with the heart. A sucessor of Shunryu Suzuki and founder and former abbot of the Minnesota Zen Center.

Everyday Zen and Nothing Special by Charlotte Joko Beck contain straightforward, no nonsense advice about how to practice with many examples from the author's personal experience. Includes numerous dharma talks about what to expect (and not expect) from zazen and sesshin, and how to make Zen practice a day-to-day, moment-to-moment experience that truly changes the way you see yourself and the world.

Zen Seeds by Shundo Aoyama is a collection of talks on practice by the abbess of Aichi Senmon Nisodo, a women's training center is Japan. A fine book for beginning daily life practice.

Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains by Reb Anderson is a collection of zazen and daily life practice talks by the former abbot of San Francisco Zen Center and a longtime student of Shunryu Suzuki.

It's Easier Than You Think by Sylvia Boorstein is a primer on Buddhism, exploring the path to happiness through the Buddha's basic teachings and stressing ways to eliminate hindrances to clear seeing. Her personal stories color the teachings with humor, perception and love.

A Still Forest Pool by Achaan Chah is a book of short talks for the spirit by a Thai Theravidin teacher. It describes life in a remote forest monastery in Northern Thailand but always stays relevant to the everyday life of a city dwelling westerner. Achaan Chah was one of the masters under whom Jack Kornfield practiced meditation.

Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hahn begins with detailed instruction in conscious breathing and the awareness of small acts in our everyday lives, and concludes with an exploration of the connection between inner peace and peace in the world.

Opening the Hand of Thought by Kosho Uchiyama is a readable, simple introduction to Zen practice and Zen meditation. It contains good how-to-material for beginning to do zazen.