Suggested Readings

General Buddhist

• What the Buddha Taught Walpola Rahula A very good introduction to Buddhist concepts — worth reading more than once.
• The Noble Eightfold Path Bhikkhu Bodhi Clear, detailed presentation of the path and its practice.
• Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha E.A. Burtt A starting point for many — substantial content packed into just over 200 pages.
• A Buddhist Bible Dwight Goddard Similar to Burtt's work but more extensive.
• The Dhammapada Eknath Easwaran (trans.) Recommended for its excellent commentary.
• The Way of the Bodhisattva Shantideva Beautiful verses on bodhisattva discipline.
• The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha Bhikkhu Nanamoli A substantial reference work.
• In the Buddha's Words Bhikkhu Bodhi An accessible anthology of suttas with helpful subject introductions.

Zen

These four are essential — short, direct, and clarifying. They move Zen from something fuzzy into something real.

• The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma Red Pine
• The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teachings of Hui-neng Red Pine
• The Zen Teaching of Huang Po John Blofeld
• Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind Shunryu Suzuki

Also worth reading:

• The Way of Zen Alan Watts
• Taking the Path of Zen Robert Aitken
• The Mind of Clover: Essays in Zen Buddhist Ethics Robert Aitken
• The Three Pillars of Zen Philip Kapleau
• Introduction to Zen Buddhism D.T. Suzuki
• Manual of Zen Buddhism D.T. Suzuki
• Zen Buddhism: Selected Writings D.T. Suzuki