Bibliography
Reading helped make the transition away from the pastimes of secular and social life into sacred and solitary life. This was on the recommendation of my teacher in the beginning, and then it became part of retreat life. In the first year there were sometimes three books going at once: one for serious concentration with special time set aside; one of medium density at mealtimes; and a light one for bedtime. In later years I continued with serious tomes mostly at mealtimes and lighter books at night. In this way I made my way through a considerable library of Buddhist literature; and in some cases resources that helped in other ways, for example, volumes on depth psychology. Most books were loaned. I didn’t set out to read so many and it’s probably more ideal not to engage this much with the written word, but by the end of retreat I was grateful to have delved this deeply into Buddhist thought, mingling it with practice. This bibliography was requested by a librarian friend; most titles are easily available. -DB
1st Year Serious Reading
Dilgo Khyentse: The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse, Vol. 2: Pure Awareness
Jigme Lingpa, Patrul Rinpoche: Deity, Mantra & Wisdom
Longchen Rabjam: Choying Dzod
Padmasambhava, Lipman translator: Secret Teachings of Padmasambhava
Thinley Norbu: Cascading Waterfall of Nectar
1st Year Medium Density
Anonymous: The Dhammapada
Dzongsar Khyentse: Commentary on Longchen Nyingtik Ngondro
Jamgon Kontrul (Ngawang Zangpo/Hugh Leslie Thompson): Retreat Manual
Patrul Rinpoche: Words of My Perfect Teacher
Marcia Binder Schmidt, editor, Erik Pema Kunsang, translator: Dzogchen Essentials
Shabkar: The Life of Shabkar: The Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin
Tulku Urgyen: Blazing Splendor
1st Year Light Reading
Ian Baker: The Heart of the World
Dilgo Khyentse: Journey to Enlightenment
Keith Dowman: The Divine Madman/The Sublime Life and Songs of Drukpa Kunley
Clarissa Pinkola Estes: Women Who Run with the Wolves
Robert Johnson: The Fisher King and the Handless Maiden/Understanding the Wounded Feeling Function in Masculine and Feminine Psychology
Robert Johnson: She/Understanding Feminine Psychology
Lobsang Gyatso: Memoirs of a Tibetan Lama
Ani Pachen: Sorrow Mountain/The Journey of a Tibetan Warrior Nun
Sandra Scales: Sacred Voices of the Nyingma Masters
Surya Das: Snow Lion’s Turquoise Mane
Alan Wallace: Dreaming Yourself Awake
Yudro Nyingpo: The Great Image/The Life Story of Vairotsana
2nd Year
Chogyam Trungpa: Transcending Madness
Dilgo Khyentse: The Collected Works of Dilgo Khyentse, Vol. 3: Pure Appearance
Dzigar Kongtrul: It’s Up To You
Traktung Dudjom Lingpa: A Clear Mirror/The Visionary Autobiography of a Tibetan Master
Gyurme Dorje translator: Tibetan Book of the Dead
Michaela Haas: Dakini Power
Sarah Harding: Niguma/Lady of Illusion
Jamgon Kongtrol, Thrangu Rinpoche, commentary: Creation and Completion/Essential Points of Tantric Meditation
Jamgon Mipham: Luminous Essence/A Guide to the Guhyagarbha Tantra
Jigme Lingpa, Patrul Rinpoche, et al: Deity, Mantra and Wisdom
Jigme Lingpa, Kangyur Rinpoche commentary: Treasury of Precious Qualities, Book 2
Noah Levine: Dharma Punx
Longchen Rabjam: Guhyagarbha Tantra and Commentary
Glenn Mullin: The Second Dalai Lama/His Life and Teachings
Khenpo Namdrol: The Practice of Vajrakilaya
Wes Nisker: The Essential Crazy Wisdom
Padampa Sangye: Lion of Siddhas/Life and Teachings of Padampa Sangye
Bill Plotkin: Wild Mind/A Field Guide to the Human Psyche
Sam van Schaik: Approaching the Great Perfection
Thomas Shor: A Step Away From Paradise
Marilyn Stablein: Sleeping in Caves
Tulku Thondup: Incarnation/History and Mysticism of the Tulku Tradition of Tibet
Alan Wallace: Stilling the Mind/Shamatha Teachings from Dudjom Lingpa’s Vajra Essence
3rd Year
Anam Thubten: No Self, No Problem/Awakening To Our True Nature
Susan Cain: Quiet/The Power of Introverts
Dudjom Rinpoche: The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, Book 2 (History)
Kim Gutschow: Being a Buddhist Nun
Catherine Ingram: In the Footsteps of Gandhi/Conversations with Spiritual Social Activists
Mary Jordan, Kevin Sullivan: The Prison Angel/Mother Antonia’s Journey from Beverly Hills to a Life of Service in a Mexican Jail
Julian of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love
Jack Kerouac: Dharma Bums
Dza Kilung Rinpoche: The Relaxed Mind/A Seven-Step Method for Deepening Meditation Practice
Jigme Lingpa, Kangyur Rinpoche commentary: Treasury of Precious Qualities, Book 1
Andrea Miller: Buddha’s Daughters
Namkhai Norbu: Lamp That Enlightens Narrow Minds
Khenpos Palden Sherap & Tsewang Dongyal: Tara’s Enlightened Activity
Kurtis Schaeffer: Himalayan Hermitess/The Life of a Tibetan Buddhist Nun
Shantideva: Bodhicaryavatara/Way of the Bodhisattva
Judith Simmer-Brown: Dakini’s Warm Breath/The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism
Gary Snyder: Left Out in the Rain
Gary Snyder: The Practice of the Wild (essay)
Cyrus Stearns: King of the Empty Plain/The Tibetan Iron Bridge Builder Tangtong Gyalpo
Suzuki Roshi: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Thinley Norbu: Magic Dance
Thrangu Rinpoche: Rechungpa/A Biography of Milarepa’s Disciple
Alan Watts: In My Own Way/Autobiography of Alan Watts
Alan Watts: This Is It
Yeshe Tsogyal: Padmasambhava Comes to Tibet (Padma Publishing)
4th Year
Anam Thubten: Magic of Awareness
Keith Dowman: Masters of Mahamudra
Sarah Hieatt: Autobiography of Sera Khandro (dissertation)
Machik Labdron, Sarah Harding translation: Machik’s Complete Explanation
Ken McLeod: Reflections on Silver River/37 Practices of a Bodhisattva
Jetsunma Palmo Tenzin: Reflections on a Mountain Lake
Tulku Pema Rigtsal: The Great Secret of Mind
Rainier Maria Rilke: Letters To a Young Poet
Gary Snyder: Back on the Fire
Gary Snyder: Nobody Home
Jampa MacKenzie Stewart: Life of Longchenpa
Roberto Trotta: The Edge of the Sky/All You Need to Know About the All There Is
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Kunsang, Schmidt: Quintessential Dzogchen