Resources

Below are important Buddhist courses, teachings and Dharma/Dhamma talks. If you don't have the inclination to study the full Buddhist scriptures, there are other avenues for learning that will provide insight, inspiration and guidance. You'll find more resources in the Teachers section on this page, but I provide these links as I think they are highly informative and valuable for the newly curious and long-time practitioners alike. 

1. Free courses at Open Buddhist University that all together provide a solid foundational understanding of the key elements of Buddhism. I've just recently discovered this site and am exploring the different courses. The course content and structure are very well done. (One caveat thus far: They suggest putting focus on the abdomin when watching the breath. However, from what I know of Taoist cultivation, this isn't advisable. Instead, place attention at the nostrils if/when focusing on the breath to avoid other imbalances from being introduced.)
2. Witnessing Who You Really Are with Luang Por Sumedho
3. Ajahn Sucitto suggests how to "Deepen Your Practice". Although he is speaking to retreat attendees, I find this short video covers quite a lot of ground any new and skilled practitioners can take to heart in your practice, both for formal meditation sessions and when you integrate the teachings and methods into everyday life.  
4. More to come soon!

Below are books on Buddhist teachings, some from varying sects or schools of Buddhism. It can take some effort to sort out the common language and terminology so as to keep the different schools' approaches and teachings clear (i.e. not mixing them up). For that reason, I am trying to keep this list to the resources on Buddhism I've found most broadly useful regardless if you're a Theravada, Pure Land, Zen, Dzogchen, or Vajrayana Buddhist or not Buddhist at all! Quick tip: You can often find books on Buddhism offered freely in PDF versions.

1. The Noble Eightfold Path by Bikkhu Bodhi. This is a fantastic overview of the Buddha's core teachings.
2. Seeing with the eye of Dhamma: The Comprehensive Teaching of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu by Buddhadassa, Santikaro. A very comprehensive way of looking at the teachings of the Buddha in a practical way that applies to everyday life.
3. It’s Like This. A collection of talks by Ajahn Chah.
4. Still Flowing Water. A collection of talks by Ajahn Chah.
5. Small Boat Great Mountain by Ajahn Amaro. A neat interweaving during a retreat at Spirit Rock that looks at Buddhism through the lens of both Theravada and Dzogchen teachings.
6. Simply Being by James Low. An inspiring read by a contemporary Dzogchen teacher, especially for those on the Bodhisattva path.
7. Being Nobody, Going Nowhere by Ayya Khema. From an incredible western Theravada nun with a knack for making Buddhism very accessible to practice. 
8. The Enlightened Vagabond. A wild, amazing and deeply motivating work about the widely known and loved Dzogchen master and great lama, Patrul Rinpoche.
9. Inner Listening: Meditation on the Sound of Silence by Ajahn Amaro. A work that shares some of Luang Por Sumedho's teachings for practicing with the 'inner sound' (also known more widely as 'Nada Yoga').
10. Chan and Zen Teaching Series 1, 2 and 3 by Charles Luk. Hard to find books, but they are amazing resources for anyone interested in older Ch'an translations, especially teachings of the 6th Zen Patriarch and (in Series 3) excellent translation and commentary on The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment. 

When I talk to people about the sutras that I'm reading (I plan to start studying the Pali suttas soon too), I usually get comments like "Oooh, you're a scholar." Well, I don't know about that! But I really get a lot out of studying these texts and discourses. Sometimes they motivate and move me. Sometimes I gain insights and have deep meditation experiences after reading the sutras. They deepen my understanding of the Buddha's teaching like few other resources have. And they work their way into my daily practice or when I reflect on life situations and even show up often in my dreams. 

That said, sutras and suttas can be difficult to understand if you don't have: a teacher well-versed in the texts (hopefully with direct understanding, not just scholarly knowledge) and/or a strong knowledge of core Buddhist terminology and concepts and/or, as translator Red Pine says, really good karma! 

1. Agamas Sutras or the corresponding Pali canon: Digha-nikaya, Majjhima-nikaya, Samyutta-nikaya, Anguttara-nikaya, and Khuddaka-nikaya). I haven't dug into these yet. I'd suggest translations by Bikkhu Bodhi. 
2. The Surangama Sutra translated by Charles Luk or BDK. This work has fantastic direct instructions for practice and tips to avoid the pitfalls (just because you have an awakening experience, don't think you're a saint just yet!). My favorite gatha (set of verses) from the Buddha that I recite frequently comes from this Surangama. 
3. The Prajnaparamita Sutra collection of short texts, Edward Conze. I deeply appreciate the Prajnaparamita discourses. If you are on the Mahayana and Bodhisattva path, they are very profound. This includes the next two most famously read texts...
4. The Heart Sutra. Though free downloads are readily available, I really like translations by Red Pine. Very important text, especially in the Zen tradition but also in others such as Tibetan (Vajrayana and Dzogchen) traditions.
5. The Diamond Sutra. Another important text to study again and again. 
6. The Platform Sutra (of Hui Neng), Red Pine. Not a sutra of the Buddha's teachings but of the 6th Zen Patriarch. (There is a 'pocket-size' edition of this along with the prior two sutras.)
7. The Lankavatara Sutra translated, Red Pine. I have a deep love for the Lanka. I'm currently re-reading it, this time often spending over an hour on just a few paragraphs. I think it is an incredibly important and profound teaching of the direct path to awakening.
8. The Lotus Sutra. It's on my list to read!
9. The Vimalakirti Sutra. Another highly cross-referenced sutra. This offers inspiration through teachings of the revered, enlightened lay person, Vimalakirti, who tirelessly encouraged beings to set their minds on the Bodhisattva's path to complete enlightenment with guidance that is in language perhaps slightly more accessible than some of the other sutras.
10. The Sutra of Complete [or Perfect] Enlightenment, Charles Luk. Where to begin. A mind-blowing, incredibly direct teaching in just 40 or so pages. Not all translations are created equal, though. I appreciate Luk's over others.
11. Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, Bhikkhu Bodhi. It's on my list!
12. Prajnaparamita in 8000 lines by Edward Conze. It's on my list to read!
13. Prajnaparamita Long sutras by Edward Conze. It's on my list to read!
14. Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sutra [aka Nirvana Sutra]. It's on my list to read!
15. Maha Vairocana sutra. It's on my list to read!
16. The Flower Ornament Scripture (Avatamsaka Sutra). I'm slowly making my way through this 1500+ page fantastic journey of what 'infinite potentiality' looks like! 

Below you'll find a mix of Buddhist, Taoist, Advaita Vedanta and other relevant non-dual wisdom tradition teachings that I've found particularly illuminating.

1. Video excerpt of a Douglas Harding talk. He is so wonderfully motivating, encouraging us to take a good look at what's really going on here. 
2. Inner Awakening and Practice of Nada Yoga, Edward Salim Michael
3. The Transparency of Things by Rupert Spira
4. Silence of the Heart: Dialogues with Robert Adams
5. All Else is Bondage: Non-Volitional Living by Wei Wu Wei 
6. Yoga in the Kashmir Tradition: the art of listening by Billy Doyle
7. Perfect Brilliant Stillness by David Carse is the most beautifully told and illuminating story of spontaneous enlightenment by someone who was not a 'seeker'. The Audible version is amazing. You can also download a free copy of the entire book here. See also my book review post.
8. I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj translated by Maurice Frydman.
9. Tao Te Ching (you can find this online for free but some favorite interpretations include those by Jonathan Star, Carl Abbott, Stephen Mitchell, and Wayne Dyer)
10. What is Tao, The Wisdom of Insecurity, and other titles by Alan Watts
11. The Hsin Hsin Ming (can be found online for free download)
12. Pursuing Consciousness and other titles by Peter Ralston
13. Tantra Illuminated by Christopher D. Wallis
14. Spiritual Enlightenment: The damnedest thing (and other titles) by Jed McKenna
15. The Diamond in Your Pocket (and other titles) by Gangaji
16. A Course in Miracles

1. Luminous Dharma is the site of Jason Bartlett (Dharma Guide, incredible teacher) and has an impressive respository of primarily Buddhist teachings and practices
2. Ajahn Sona, Abbot of Birken Monastery has a great collection of talks on YT
3. Amaravati Buddhist Monastery - in case you aren't aware, Buddhists love to give away Buddhist teachings free of charge! You can peruse YT videos, download amazing books, and more! And Luang Por Sumedho is a wonderful teacher (among several other Ajahns at Amaravati). 
4. Cloud Mountain Retreat Center
5. Insight Timer - fantastic resources and great app for your meditation sits
6. Open Library - Alan Watts
7. Adyashanti and Gangaji are two teachers I greatly respect 
8. Rupert Spira is a widely acclaimed teacher. He speaks from a non-dual background that sounds to me like Advaita Vedanta, as was Gangaji's teaching lineage, and he mostly uses self-inquiry to help people discover their true nature.  
9. Shinzen Young and Unified Mindfulness (I didn't personally connect with this approach, but some of my friends like it)
10. Wildmind Meditation also has some nice resouces, particularly with focus on general mindfulness practice

There have been a simple living resource here and there who had ideas that I appreciated. But most of what I know and do are my own thing and the best ideas come from just talking openly with others who are interested in simplifying their lives. Of course, the Tao Te Ching is probably the earliest authority on the topic... about 2500 years ago and still totally relevant today! 

• The creator of Project 333
• Cait Flanders
• Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith
• Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier
• Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin
• Mr Money Moustache 

• 18 Qigong Movements
• Shaolin Qigong

1. Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg
2. Various titles by Melody Beattie (author of The Language of Letting Go and Codependant No More)
3. The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
4. The Medicine Box by Shantung Hsu
5. The Power of Now and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
6. Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan
7. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
8. The Four Agreements and Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz
9. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
10. The Three Pillars of Zen by Roshi Philip Kapleau
11. Awareness and other titles by Anthony DeMello
12. The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts
13. Power vs. Force by David R. Hawkins
14. The Paradigm Shifts (Dr. Rosie Kuhn was my life coaching mentor)
15. I Give You My Life: The autobiography of a western Buddhist nun by Ayya Khema

Movies are quite personal to taste. Some may contain content that is unpleasant to you, so please do check trailers and reviews first. Although I find these to all have a quality of personal growth or awakening, don't assume because I like them that you won't find a movie to be boring, stupid or downright offensive! Tip: You can watch movies for free on Kanopy if you have a library card. There are also many full length spiritual movies on YouTube. 

• I Heart Huckabee's
• Revolver (lots of violence, nudity, etc., but really interesting portrayal of a waking up of sorts)
• Donnie Darko
• The Man Who Planted Trees
• Brother Sun, Sister Moon
• The Matrix
• Zen Noir
• Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... And Spring
• Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
• Birdman (2014)
• Sri Ramana Maharshi - Jnani (YouTube)
• A neat documentary about hermits in the mountains of China (YouTube) by one of my favorite Buddhist translators, Red Pine (Bill Porter)