“We realize that all the ways we’ve kept ourselves asleep have led nowhere.” – Sakyong Mipham
When I first tried to sit down and draw something again, since not trying to draw anything since high school, I drew a statue of the Buddha that I have. Drawing it just made me very happy.
I have some books, many of them with a Buddhist bent,  that I always turn to in times of trouble or depression or even just moments of feeling lost. Suddenly, while looking at my bookshelf, it occurred to me that I should share some of that list here, with the idea that we’re all looking for good books that can serve as a guide when things get rough or even if it’s just a particularly bad day.
Turning the Mind Into an Ally – Sakyong Mipham
Running With the Mind of Meditation – also by Mipham
The Not So Big Life – Sarah Susanka
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running – Haruki Murakami
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle – also by Murakami
A Buddha Walks into a Bar – Â A Guide to Life for a New Generation – Lodro Rinzler
The 6.5 Practices of Moderately Successful Poets: A Self-Help Memoir – Jeffrey Skinner (I just discovered this and it’s a fantastic book – if you’re not a poet, like me, Â just put in a different word for whatever kind of art or venture you’re engaged with and it still all makes sense.)
Just Kids – Patti Smith
The Freedom Manifesto – Tom Hodgkinson (kind of silly but also a breath of fresh air)
I meant to tell you that I read ‘Turning the Mind…’ and I really enjoyed it – one part that has stuck with me is idea that the mind is naturally clear, calm and blissful and so it’s more about getting all the other gunk out of the way rather than seeking something out – obviously he said it more eloquently 🙂 thanks for the additional book ideas!
I’m so glad you read it. I tried to get through it 5 times before I made it through last winter. Not that it’s a hard book but I think my Midwestern mind just couldn’t comprehend some of the ideas at first. If you come across other good meditation books, let me know.