Books That Brought Me to Buddhism

In high school, I learned about Buddhism briefly. At the time, I related to it and enjoyed reading the philosophies but didn’t give it much thought. After getting sick, I sought out meditation and beliefs to cope with what was happening. In learning more about Buddhism as a religion, I chose it as a lifestyle. Since then, I do my best to live a compassion based life. These are the books that brought to Buddhism.

• No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners: Clear Answers to Burning Questions About Core Buddhist Teachings by Noah Rasheta

I had to start somewhere. I started with the basics. I figured learning what Buddhism is and isn’t was the first step to understanding it’s cultural aspects. The path to enlightenment is not an easy one. This was a great book to begin with. It gave excellent perspective. If you’re just starting out, it’s a great read.

• Buddhism for Beginners: A Practical Guide To Spiritual by Tai Morello

Once I had a better idea of what Buddhism was, I wanted to understand how to practice it. It’s one thing to appreciate the religion or lifestyle from a far but I wanted to use it in my own life. Practicing meditation was a start, but there was so much more to learn. This book gave me an idea of what Buddhism looked like in practice and how to implement it into my own life. Again, highly recommend.

• When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

Like I said, I turned to Buddhism in a time where I couldn’t make sense of what was going on. When I stumbled upon this book, I was intrigued. Everything about it was exactly what I wanted to understand. Now, I knew what Buddhism was and I had an idea of how to practice it but I still wanted to make sense of my own situation. I was asking the old age question, “Why do bad things happen?” This book gave me a lot of clarity about why I felt the way I did. My perspective on life was completely opposite of where I wanted to be. This book gave me a lot of comfort. If you’re struggling, I couldn’t say enough good things about this book.

• An Open-Hearted Life by Russell Kots and Thubten Chodron

I will admit, I’m still in the middle of this book. It’s taken me a while to get through it with everything I have going on. Everytime I sit down to read it, I get sucked in by the philosophies in which they speak. This book is written by a psychologist and Buddhist nun. It gives excellent perspective on life and what it means to live compassionately.

All of these books have helped me along my spiritual journey. Of course, I credit my religion class in high school for introducing me to Buddhism. I don’t think I’d be where I am without Buddhism. It’s helped me understand life in a completely different way. I have not found enlightenment but it’s helped me find true happiness. I think that’s all I can ask for. Buddhism has been such a great gift in my life. If you’re searching for answers in life, I’d add Buddhism to your list.