In 1994 the British Museum made a startling discovery when they opened a clay pot they had acquired from Afghanistan. Rolled up birch bark scrolls contained the earliest known written Buddhist scriptures. We can now learn how the teachings of the Buddha were studied, preserved and understood 2000 years ago. Contains: 93 illustrations, 34 in color; 3 maps; glossary; bibliography; index. Softcover.

T.W. Rhys Davids, Motilal Banarsidas,1985, softcover, 332 pgs.

A portrayal of ancient India during the period of Buddhist ascendancy, with a detailed account of the kings, clans and nations that played a role in its growth and spread.With 56 illustrations and maps, this classic work was first published in 1903, & is still illuminating today.

This anonymous Dhammapada commentary is a collection of stories, sixty in common with the Jataka Commentary, chosen to introduce, contextualise and explain the verses of the Dhammapada. It was apparently composed in Sri Lanka and its date is unknown.

Bhikkhu Bodhi, Wisdom Publications, 2002, 2073 pg., hardcover only

Here is the complete translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, the third of the four great collections in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon. Now in one volume instead of two.

B.C. Law, Pali Text Society, 1989, Hardcover

English translation of the Kathavatthu Commentary, a short but informative source for the history of Buddhism, considered 5th century C.E.

The fourth vol. of the Abhidhammapitaka, the earliest of the Abhidhamma texts, contains many statements about the "person" (puggala) from the Sutta-Pitaka. Different types of individuals are classified according to a complex manner of enumeration: Examples:What sort of person is one of perturbable nature? What sort of person is restrained by fear? What sort of person is an eye-witness? What sort of person is angry? ...is a slanderer? What sort of person is crafty? ...is deceitful? Which two persons are easily satisfied? What sort of person is hopeless? ...is hopeful? ...is he who has lost hope? What sort of person is 'foul-mouthed'? ...a 'flower-speaker'? ...'honey-tongued'? Who are the three teachers? Each chapter increases the number of specifications by one additional division for each type of human being, going from 1 to 10, in all.

Glenn Wallis, Random House, 2004, softcover, 190 pgs.

This new English translation is faithful to the Pali while retaining a lovely flow & a "vibrancy and relevancy” both "philologically tight" & poetic. Dr. Wallis, professor of Buddhism at U of Georgia, added a highly interesting modern commentary on it, "Guide to Reading the Text" that elucidates the technical terms and difficulties by drawing all his explanatory material right from the canonical suttas, the earliest discourses of the Buddha.

Robert Newman, Cool Grove Publishing, 2001, 156 pgs. hardcover

Illuminating text and stunning photographs bring together the imagery, historical placement, and background of the eight surviving statues of the Lohans, the direct disciples of the Buddha. These ceramic statues, discovered by pirates in a secluded shrine cave and brought to the Peking art market in 1913, are renderings of the first practitioners to experience the fruit of his path. This highly original text sheds light on meditation statues that have long remained in the shadow of antique arts terminology.

John D. Dunne, Wisdom Publications, 2004, 512 pgs. softcover

Part of Wisdom's acclaimed Studies in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism series. Dharmakirti is a central figure in the history of Buddhist philosophy. This extraordinary work of scholarship illuminates the body of Dharmakirti's works which have profoundly influenced Mahayana Buddhism. Dunne admirably renders the complex Dharmakirti into a lucid account.

Walpola Rahula, Grove/Atlantic, softcover

A vivid account of the monk's role as a follower & teacher of the Buddha's teaching, including topics on practical daily living, the path to spiritual perfection, and monastic disciplines.

Selected discourses from the Pali Canon designed to reveal the outline and breadth of the Buddha's teaching. This is a masterful collection of Venerable Bodhi's lucid translations.

The Buddha did not himself leave us with any single discourse that gives a concise outline of all the diverse elements of his Dhamma teaching. Venerable Bodhi has organized this anthology in thematic chapters, drawn primarily from the first four nikayas of the Pali Canon, to help readers unfamiliar with the full scope of the early collections of the Buddhas teachings to navigate and understand the structure of this vast literature.

Beautifully illustrated, with over 30 compelling, gentle, thought-provoking, and often humorous stories from the Buddhas life for older children and adults.

Jenny Phillips, Pariyatti Press, 2008, 200+ pgs. softcover.

Letters and interviews from inmates tell powerful stories of change after taking ten-day Vipassana meditation courses in an Alabama maximum security prison. Click here for more description.

Maurice Walshe, Wisdom Publications, 1992, 648 pg., hardcover only

34 longer discourses, revealing the gentleness, compassion, power, & penetrating wisdom of the Buddha. Included are mindfulness (Mahasatipatthana); morality, concentration, & wisdom (Subha); dependent origination (Mahanidrana); roots & causes of wrong views (Brahmajala); and a long description of the Buddha's last days and passing away(Mahaparinibbana Sutta); along with a wealth of practical advice and insight for all those travelling along the spiritual path. Introduced with a vivid account of the Buddha's life and a short survey of his teachings.

Bhikku Nyanasobhano, Wisdom Publications, 2003, 190 pgs. softcover

In a lyrical yet practical poetic voice, the author invites us to look upon the natural world with new eyes to find the truth of the Buddha's teaching in our own immediate experiences.

Harvey B. Aronson, Motilal Banarsidas, 1999, softcover, 130 pg.

The Buddha's teachings on love, sympathy & the sublime attitudes. Impressed with S.N.Goenka's emphasis on love & helpfulness towards others, the author cites Pali discourses & their commentaries to explain the place of concern for others in the Theravada religious life.

A 1916 translation of a rare 18th century Sinhalese and Pali palm-leaf manuscript. It is a manual of "Yoga practice" meaning the practice of samadhi and the jhanas.

Thera Nyanaponika, Altamira Press, 1997, Softcover, 333 pg.

From the Anguttara Nikaya, this offers the Buddha's teachings on basic ethical observances for the busy citizens of the world, to the more rigorous mental trainings prescribed for monks and nuns.

Renuka Singh, Penguin Global, 2004, 160 pgs. Softcover

Giving Buddha's spiritual journey a contemporary dimension, this anthology contains essays by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, other Tibetan lamas, and on the impact of Buddhist philosophy on them. Equally poignant are the accounts of others who, dissatisfied with the present world, embark on varied and meaningful searches for salvation.

From a master of British Indian history comes the exciting story of the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who introduced Buddhism to the West. Acclaimed historian Charles Allen brings to life a handful of extraordinary characters and takes readers to lost holy places across the Asian world as he chronicles how Westerners found the Buddha, tracing the Great Teacher's roots right back to India, where his words had been suppressed.

Translated by R.E. Emmerick, Pali Text Society, 2004, 110 pgs, softcover.

Popularized by the scholar and pilgrim I-tsing in the 5th c. it provides guidance for directing actions toward purifying the mind, and generating peace through practice. Sometimes called the "king of sutras," as it explains the "chain of causation."

Tr. by P. Masefield, Pali Text Society, 1994/1995, hardcover.

Commentaries given on the 3rd text of the Khuddaka-nikaya, the Sutta-pitaka's 80 collected solemn utterances of the Buddha made on special occasions.

Walpola Rahula, Grove Press, 1974, 151 pgs. softcover

With texts and commentary from suttas and the Dhammapada (as well as temple photographs), this book expands upon the Four Noble Truths, doctrines, cultural reflections, and ethics. Sri Rahula contextualizes the Buddha's teaching into modern experiences and also reframes common misunderstandings about the teaching and practice of the Buddha.