Resources

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. So that's my sales pitch! That said, sutras and suttas can be difficult to understand if you don't have a teacher well-versed in the texts and/or a strong knowledge of core Buddhist terminoloy and concepts and/or, as translator Red Pine says, if you don't have really good karma!

1. The Prajnaparamita Sutra (collection of short texts). Within the Prajnaparamita, the most commonly read texts are the Heart Sutra (free downloads are readily available) and the Diamond Sutra. 
2. The Surangama Sutra. This work has some incredibly direct instructions for practice.
3. The Lankavatara Sutra. I have to admit, the Lanka is my new love! I'm currently re-reading it, this time often spending over an hour on just a few paragraphs. I'm sure I'll write about it at some point on the blog. I think it is an incredibly important and profound teaching of the direct path to awakening.

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. All Else is Bondage: Non-Volitional Living by Wei Wu Wei 
2. 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.
3. I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj translated by Maurice Frydman.
4. 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)
5. What is Tao by Alan Watts
6. Hsin Hsin Ming (can be found online for free download)
7. A Course in Miracles
8. The Diamond in Your Pocket and other titles by Gangaji
9. Pursuing Consciousness and other titles by Peter Ralston
10. Tantra Illuminated by Christopher D. Wallis
11. Spiritual Enlightenment: The damnedest thing and other titles by Jed McKenna
12. Yoga in the Kashmir Tradition: the art of listening by Billy Doyle
13. Silence of the Heart: Dialogues with Robert Adams

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. Cloud Mountain Retreat Center
3. Insight Timer - fantastic resources and great app for your meditation sits
4. Open Library - Alan Watts
5. Adyashanti and Gangaji are two teachers I greatly respect 
6. Shinzen Young and Unified Mindfulness (I didn't personally connect with this approach, but a lot of my friends like it)
7. Wildmind Meditation also has some nice resouces, particularly with focus on mindfulness

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 Qi Gong Movements

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

Vicki hosts book club and general discussion events on spiritual, personal growth, and aware living topics through a Meetup.com group called Practical Transformation. These are often hosted as online events but may sometimes only be available as local events in the Vancouver, WA (USA) location. I also co-host or cross-post aware living meetups at The Simplicity Project.

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! 

• I Heart Huckabee's
• Revolver (lots of violence, nudity, etc., but really interesting portrayal of a waking up of sorts)
• Donnie Darko
• Violet (2021)
• 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)