Zen and Japanese Culture by D.T. Suzuki. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2019.

This work is a classic that has influenced generations of readers and played a major role in shaping conceptions of Zen’s influence on Japanese traditional arts. In simple and poetic language, Daisetz Suzuki describes Zen and its historical evolution. He connects Zen to the philosophy of the samurai, and subtly portrays the relationship between Zen and swordsmanship, haiku, tea ceremonies, and the Japanese love of nature. Suzuki uses anecdotes, poetry, and illustrations of silk screens, calligraphy, and architecture. The book features an introduction by Richard Jaffe that acquaints readers with Suzuki’s life and career and analyzes the book’s reception in light of contemporary criticism, especially by scholars of Japanese Buddhism. Suzuki's work remains a valuable source for those wishing to understand Zen in the context of Japanese life and art.

Selected Works of D.T. Suzuki, Volume I: Zen by D.T. Suzuki, ed. Richard M. Jaffe. Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2015.

Suzuki was a key figure in the introduction of Buddhism to the non-Asian world. Many outside of Japan encountered Buddhism for the first time through his writings and teaching, and for nearly a century his work and legacy have contributed to the ongoing religious and cultural interchange between Japan and the rest of the world, particularly the United States and Europe. Selected Works of D.T. Suzuki gathers the full range of Suzuki’s writings―both classic essays and lesser-known but equally significant articles. This first volume in the series presents a collection of Suzuki’s writings on Zen Buddhist thought and practice. In an effort to ensure the continued relevance of Zen, Suzuki drew on his years of study and practice, placing the tradition into conversation with key trends in 19th- and 20th-century thought.

Manual of Zen Buddhism by D.T. Suzuki. New York: Grove Press, 1999.

Here are the famous sutras, or sermons, of the Buddha, the gathas, or hymns, the intriguing philosophical puzzles known as koan, and the dharanis, or invocations to expel evil spirits. Included also are the recorded conversations of the great Buddhist monks—intimate dialogues on the subjects of momentous importance. In addition to the written selections, all of them translated by Dr. Suzuki, there are reproductions of many Buddhist drawings and paintings, including religious statues found in Zen temples, each with an explanation of its significance, and the great series of allegorical paintings "The Ten Oxherding Pictures."

An Introduction to Zen Buddhism by D.T. Suzuki. New York: Grove Press, 1964.

One of the world’s leading authorities on Zen Buddhism, D. T. Suzuki was the author of more than a hundred works on the subject in both Japanese and English, and was most instrumental in bringing the teachings of Zen Buddhism to the attention of the Western world. Written in a lively, accessible, and straightforward manner, this work is illuminating for the serious student and layperson alike. Suzuki provides a complete vision of Zen, which emphasizes self-understanding and enlightenment through many systems of philosophy, psychology, and ethics. With a foreword by the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung, this volume has been generally acknowledged a classic introduction to the subject for many years. It provides, along with Suzuki’s Essays and Manual of Zen Buddhism, a framework for living a balanced and fulfilled existence through Zen.

Zen: Merging of East and West by Philip Kapleau. New York: Anchor Books, 2000.

In this companion volume to The Three Pillars of Zen, Kapleau establishes guidelines for Western practitioners of Zen Buddhism, offering appealing, simple answers to the questions Westerners most often ask. Among the topics discussed in this informative, user-friendly book: "Transcendental Meditation: Who Transcends What?", "Can I Practice Zen and Be a Good Jew (or Catholic)?", "Reading About Enlightenment Is Like Scratching an Itchy Foot Through Your Shoe," and "Meditation Is an Escape--What Are You Doing to Help Society?" Kapleau's eloquence, humor, and authority make this an indispensible handbook for understanding Zen in the Western world.

The Zen of Living and Dying: A Practical and Spiritual Guide by Philip Kapleau. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, 1998.

To live life fully and die serenely: surely we all share these goals, so inextricably entwined. Yet a spiritual dimension is too often lacking in the attitudes, circumstances, and rites of death in modern society. Kapleau explores the subject of death and dying on a deeply personal level, interweaving the writings of Western religions with insights from his own Zen practice, and offers practical advice for the dying and their families.

The Three Pillars of Zen by Philip Kapleau. New York: Anchor Books, 1989.

In this classic work of spiritual guidance, the founder of the Rochester Zen Center presents a comprehensive overview of Zen Buddhism. Exploring the three pillars of Zen—teaching, practice, and enlightenment—Roshi Philip Kapleau, the man who founded one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States, presents a personal account of his own experiences as a student and teacher, and in so doing gives readers invaluable advice on how to develop their own practices. A moving, eye-opening work, this book is the definitive introduction to the history and discipline of Zen.

The Other Shore: A New Translation of the Heart Sutra with Commentaries by Thich Nhat Hanh. Berkeley, CA: Palm Leaves Press, 2017.

In September 2014, Thich Nhat Hanh completed a profound and beautiful new English translation of the Prajñaparamita Heart Sutra, one of the most important and well-known sutras in Buddhism. The Heart Sutra is recited daily in Mahayana temples and practice centers throughout the world. This new translation came about because of Nhat Hanh's belief that the patriarch who originally compiled the Heart Sutra was not sufficiently skillful with his use of language to capture the intention of the Buddha's teachings—and has resulted in fundamental misunderstandings of the central tenets of Buddhism for almost 2,000 years. Revealing the Buddha's original intention and insight makes clear what it means to transcend duality and pairs of opposites, and to touch the ultimate reality and the wisdom of nondiscrimination.

The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now by Thich Nhat Hanh. London: Rider, 2017.

In troubled times, there is an urgency to understand ourselves and our world. We have so many questions, and they tug at us night and day, consciously and unconsciously. In this important volume, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh—one of the most revered spiritual leaders in the world today—reveals an art of living in mindfulness that helps us answer life’s deepest questions and experience the happiness and freedom we desire. Thich Nhat Hanh presents, for the first time, seven transformative meditations that open up new perspectives on our lives, our relationships and our interconnectedness with the world around us.

A Lifetime of Peace: Essential Writings by and about Thich Nhat Hanh by Thich Nhat Hanh et al, edited by Jennifer S. Wills. New York: Marlowe & Co., 2003.

This book draws on dozens of sources to collect the very best writing by and about Thich Nhat Hanh, the revered Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist. This timely collection is both a political and spiritual handbook which encompasses all of Thich Nhat Hanh's major themes—mindfulness, love, truth, compassion, and peace on earth. In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. nominated Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing the monk's lifelong efforts to encourage peace and reconciliation around the world. This important collection not only presents Hanh's writing about his experiences during the Vietnam War and excerpts from his journals, but also collects a range of other highlights, such as his advice for those entering into meditation practice and his unique insights into Buddhist and Christian theology. But above all, this collection is a timely and thought-provoking examination of the nature of peace.

Fragrant Palm Leaves: Journals 1962-1966 by Thich Nhat Hanh. London: Rider, 2000.

This book reveals a vulnerable and questioning young man, a student and teaching assistant at Princeton and Columbia Universities from 1962-1963, reflecting on the many difficulties he and his fellow monks faced at home trying to make Buddhism relevant to the people's needs. We also follow Thich Nhat Hanh as he returns to Vietnam in 1964 and helps establish the movement known as "engaged Buddhism" - starting self-help villages, a new university, a Buddhist order, and many other efforts for peace. This book is regarded by many Vietnamese as Thich Nhat Hanh's most endearing book. This extraordinary translation offers Western readers a glimpse into another time and into the mind of a great thinker and activist. It gives a model of how to live fully, with awareness, during a time of challenge and upheaval.

Things Pertaining to Bodhi: The Thirty-Seven Aids to Enlightenment by Sheng Yen. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, 2010.

The Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment are a set of fundamental teachings of Buddhism in the form of a list. The list’s seeming simplicity belies the fact that it is actually a kind of road map to enlightenment for anyone who follows it with diligence and sincerity. The Thirty-seven Aids comprise seven groups of practices conducive to awakening. Each of the seven groups is itself a list of enlightenment factors, which add up to a total of thirty-seven. Master Sheng Yen’s down-to-earth teachings take the reader on a progression through each of the practices, illustrating how they relate to the reader’s own path toward enlightenment.

Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism by Sheng Yen. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, 2006.

This is an inspiring guide to the practice of Chan (Chinese Zen) in the words of four great masters of that tradition. It includes teachings from contemporary masters Xuyun and Sheng Yen, and from Jiexian and Boshan of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). Though the texts were written over a period of hundreds of years, they are all remarkably lucid and are perfect for beginners as well as more advanced practitioners today. All the main points of spiritual practice are covered: philosophical foundations, methods, approaches to problems and obstacles—all aimed at helping the student attain the way to enlightenment.

The Poetry of Enlightenment: Poems by Ancient Chan Masters by Sheng Yen. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, 2006.

In this classic work of spiritual guidance, the founder of the Rochester Zen Center presents a comprehensive overview of Zen Buddhism. Exploring the three pillars of Zen—teaching, practice, and enlightenment—Roshi Philip Kapleau, the man who founded one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States, presents a personal account of his own experiences as a student and teacher, and in so doing gives readers invaluable advice on how to develop their own practices. A moving, eye-opening work, this book is the definitive introduction to the history and discipline of Zen.