Books for
Meditative Practice
Rama recommended many books to his students over the years. This list here includes many of them. You may order them through Amazon.com by clicking on the title or picture.

Rama's book Surfing the Himalayas was translated into numerous languages. Here are some of the covers.
 

Meditation
 
Surfing the Himalayas
by Frederick Lenz
Learn to meditate while following the adventures of a young snowboarder as he surfs the roof of the world. Laugh with him as he meets and studies with the Enlightened Master Fwap.
 
Snowboarding to Nirvana
by Frederick Lenz
Follow the further adventures of the young snowboarder as he boards and meditates with Master Fwap, meets the outrageous Oracle, romances the beautiful Nadia, parties in Los Angeles, and ultimately solves the riddle of the missing dimensions.
 
Illusions
by Richard Bach
The story of an American mystic and his student as they fly across the land.
 
Walden
by Henry David Thoreau
The core American statement of self-reliance and enlightenment. Thoreau moves to Walden pond finding that 'heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.' Watch for his encounter with a magical loon that is the Roadrunner to Thoreau's Coyote.
 

Carlos Castaneda
 
The Active Side of Infinity
by Carlos Castaneda
Carlos reviews his study with Don Juan, and reviews his life against the tapestry of his practice.
 
Journey to Ixtlan
by Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda met Don Juan, who taught him the Path of Mysticism. Each chapter is a core lesson, starkly and beautifully painted against the Sonoran Desert.
 
The Power of Silence
by Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda travels with Don Juan and Don Genaro as they endeavor to show him the indescribable Tonal and the unimaginable Nagual.
 
Tales of Power
by Carlos Castaneda
Don Juan continues Carlos' education, with Don Genaro, the Nagual, showing Carlos how to open the Wings of his Perception.
 

Tibetan Buddhism
 
The Great Path of Awakening
by Jamgon Kongtrul / Ken McLeod
He who desires shelter quickly, For himself and for all others, Should use this sacred mystery, The exchanging of oneself for others.
 
Hidden Teachings of Tibet : An Explanation of the Terma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
by Tulku Thondup
A clear explanation of the Tantric Buddhism and the Termas. What happens when the lamp goes out?
 
Highest Yoga Tantra
by Daniel Cozort
Presentation of the stages of the Highest Yoga Tantra, the extraordinary techniques of Short Path Buddhism.
 
A Journey in Ladakh
by Andrew Harvey
Travel to the Himalayas, the bright hills, and journey to the soul of Buddhism.
 
Mystical Verses of a Mad Dalai Lama
by Glenn H. Mullin
The 2nd Dalai Lama, 'Melodious Laughing Vajra'. The story of his life and his teachings as he traveled throughout Tibet.
 
Stallion on a Frozen Lake : Love Songs of the Sixth Dalai Lama
by Coleman Barks
The 6th Dalai Lama. He gave back his monk's vows, and lived the life of a naljorpa, a Tibetan Buddha. Haunting and lovely poems.
 
Tibetan Book of the Dead
by W.Y. Evans-Wentz
Roadmap to the Bardo (your Mind), which is encountered during life and after death.
 
Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation
by W.Y. Evans-Wentz
The life of Guru Rinpoche, Tibet's great Tantric Buddha Padma Sambhava.
 
Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines
by W.Y. Evans-Wentz
Vajrayana Buddhist texts on Mahamudra, Naropa's Six Yogas, and the Prajna-Paramita.
 
Tibet's Great Yogi, Milarepa
by W.Y. Evans-Wentz
One of Tibet's greatest enlightened masters. Redefines the meaning of perseverance and hard work.
 

Buddhism
 
A Buddhist Bible
by Dwight Goddard
Selections from Buddhist writings from Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan, and modern sources.
 
Buddhist I Ching
by Chih-Hsu Ou-I / Thomas Cleary
A translation of the I Ching by a noted Buddhist scholar. A Buddhist view on ancient wisdom.
 
Buddhist Masters of Enchantment
by Keith Dowman / Robert Beer
Extraordinary stories and stunning artwork invoke the Eighty-Four Mahasiddhas - the root gurus of the Tantric Buddhist traditions.
 
Buddhist Scriptures
by Edward Conze
Essential selections from the various schools of Buddhism. An excellent introduction.
 
Dhammapada, The Sayings of the Buddha
by Thomas Byrom
The sayings of the Buddha. The Tathagata is sitting in front of you right now, and this is what he says.
 
Fundamentals of Mainstream Buddhism
by Eric Cheetham
A lucid study of the primary tenets of Buddhism. An excellent starting point for any Buddhist study.
 
The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti
by Robert A.F. Thurman
This dialogue between Vimalakirti, a great Boddhisattva who dwelled in the inconceivable liberation, and Manjushri is one of the classic Mahayana scriptures.
 
The Large Sutra of Perfect Wisdom
by Edward Conze
A classic Mahayana scripture from 100 A.D. discusses topics from the depth and breadth of Buddhism.
 
Siddhartha
by Hermann Hesse
Hesse's classic work on the life of a Buddha, from childhood through enlightenment.
 

Zen Buddhism
 
One Robe, One Bowl
by Ryokan / Paul Stevens
Beautiful and stirring Zen poems by an 18th century Zen Master.
 
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones
by Paul Reps, Nyogen Senzaki
101 Zen Stories, 48 Zen Koans, 10 Bulls, 1 Centering.
 
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
by Shunryu Suzuki
Quiet, elegant introduction to the worlds of Zen. These are the collected lectures by Suzuki Roshi given to the San Francisco Zen Centers. It's right there, don
 

Hinduism and Vedanta
 
Autobiography of a Yogi
by Paramahansa Yogananda
Yogananda's classic and inspiring story of the pathway to enlightenment.
 
Bhagavad Gita
by Swami Prabhavananda / Christoper Isherwood
The timeless classic of Vedic practice -- a thorough look into the pathway to self-knowledge.
 
Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
by M / Swami Nikhilananda
Beautiful account of the life of one of India's greatest Enlightened teachers. Written by a close student, with countless stories and dialogues.
 
The Kabir Book
by Kabir / Robert Bly
Poems by the 16th century Indian Saint. The path of Bhakti, translated with particular insight.
 
Mahabharata
by William Buck
Epic Indian poem rendered in to modern English. The story of two great houses, of Krishna and Arjuna, of battle and enlightenment.
 
Ramayana
by William Buck
A tale of bravery and battle, of archery and magic, of friendship and war.
 
The Supreme Yoga
by Swami Venkatesananda
The Path of Knowledge as taught to Rama by Vasistha.
 
The Upanishads
by Swami Prabhavananda / Frederick Manchester
Ancient Vedic texts, with discussions of Yogic philosophy.
 
The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali
by Swami Prabhavananda / Christoper Isherwood
Detailed explanation of the systems of Yoga.
 

Taoism
 
The Art of War
by Sun Tzu / Samuel B. Griffith
The classic book on strategy. As appropriate for sword fighting as for riding the subway.
 
The Buddhist I Ching
by Thomas Cleary
The classic I Ching from a Buddhist viewpoint, considering the political, contemplative, and enlightenment perspectives.
 
Columbia I Ching on CD-ROM
by Richard John Lynn
The I Ching on CD-ROM - a stunning interactive program that allows the user to explore the meaning and clarity of this great Chinese book.
 
I Ching
by Richard Wilhelm / Cary F. Baynes
The classic translation of the timeless book of Chinese wisdom. The patterns of life.
 
The Way of Life
by Lao Tzu / Witter Bynner
The source book on Taoism. The way to do is to be, but not like you thought.