CloudWater Zendo, the Zen Center of Cleveland

• 1: Home
• 2: Ch'an (Zen)
  • 2.1: Ch'an (Zen)
  • 2.2: Our Chan Lineage
  • 2.3: Meditation Basics
• 3: About Us
  • 3.1: History
  • 3.2: Contact Us
    • 3.2.1: Map to CloudWater Zendo
  • 3.3: Calendar
  • 3.4: Regularly Scheduled Activities
  • 3.8: Test Page
  • 3.9: Photos
• 4: About Buddhism
  • 4.1: What Is Buddhism
  • 4.2: The Buddha
  • 4.3: Key Buddhist Teachings
  • 4.4: Taking The Vows of Refuge
  • 4.5: FAQ
• 5: Pure Land Buddhism
  • 5.1: What Is Pure Land Buddhism
  • 5.2: The 5 Elements School
  • 5.3: The Pure Land Sutras
  • 5.4: History of Meditative Pure Land Practice
  • 5.5: Comparing the Paths
  • 5.6: 5 Elements Practices
    • 5.6.1: Sutra Study
    • 5.6.2: Recitation Practice
    • 5.6.3: Atonement & Veneration
    • 5.6.4: Visualization Meditation
    • 5.6.5: Meditation Practice
• 8: Ask a Monk
  • 8.1: Ask a Monk
  • 8.2: "Public Cases"
• 9: The Bamboo Grove
• 10: The Begging Bowl
• 11:
• 12: Holiday Sutra

Suggested Readings

Innumerable books about aspects of Buddhism and Buddhist-related disciplines have been written, but we should remember that "book learning" is no substitute for the practice of enlightening one's self.  We should think of books as Dharma friends we encounter along the way, friends which can point the way to Truth but are not Truth in and of themselves.  The following is a selection of books which may help to point the way.  Remember that textual study alone is not enough; it is our responsibility to find Truth for ourself through diligent practice.

Ch'an

• The Blue Cliff Record, edited by Cleary and Cleary.
• Ch'an and Zen Teaching Vols. 1-3 by Lu K'uan Yu (Charles Luk).
• The Secrets of Chinese Meditation by Lu K'uan Yu (Charles Luk).
• The Transmission of the Mind Outside the Teaching by Lu K'uan Yu (Charles Luk).
• Chan Buddhism by Peter D. Hershock.
• The Golden Age of Zen by John C. H. Wu.
• The Syncretism of Ch'an and Pure Land Buddhism by Heng-ching Shih.
• The Way of Zen by Alan Watts.
• Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy Ferguson
• The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma by Red Pine.
• The Zen Teaching of Huang-Po translated by John Blofeld.
• The Zen Teaching of Rinzai translated by Irmgard Schloegl. 

Zen

• Bankei Zen by Peter Haskel.
• The Book of Rinzai by Eido Shimano Roshi.
• Namu Dai Bosa by Eido Shimano Roshi.
• Points of Departure by Eido Shimano Roshi.
• The Gateless Barrier by Robert Aitken.
• Moon in a Dewdrop by Dogen.
• The Training of the Zen Buddhist Monk by D. T. Suzuki.
• The Zen Koan as a Means to Enlightenment by D. T. Suzuki.
• A Manual of Zen Buddhism by D. T. Suzuki.
• Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki.

Pure Land Buddhism

• Approaching the Land of Bliss, edited by Richard K. Payne and Kenneth K. Tanaka. 
• Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith by Thich Thien-Tam.
• The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Doctrine by Kenneth K. Tanaka.
• Horizontal Escape by Thich Thien-Tam.
• The Land of Bliss by Luis O. Gomez.
• Pure Land, Pure Mind translated by J. C. Cleary.
• The Sutra of Contemplation on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, translated by Ryukoku University
• The Three Pure Land Sutras by Hisao Inagaki.
• Visions of Sukhavati by Julian Pas.

General Buddhism

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism by Gary Gach.
• Buddha by Karen Armstrong.
• The Dhammapada, various translations.
• The Dharma by Kalu Rinpoche.
• Everyday Suchness by Gyomay Kubose.
• The Center Within by Gyomay Kubose.
• The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh.
• The Way to Buddhahood by Ven. Yin-Shun.
• Zen Shin Talks by Rev. Koshin Ogui.