Mindfulness and Insight Meditation
Mindfulness is the heart of meditation practice. It is both universal and eminently practical. By paying attention to our body, mind and emotions we can transform them and awaken to the unique beauty and possibilities of each present moment.
The Miracle of Mindfulness
Thich Nhat Hanh
Beacon Press (1976)

Buddhist teacher Nhat Hanh introduces the basic principles of mindfulness meditation by blending stories and practical exercises in a simple direct style.

The Experience of Insight
Joseph Goldstein
Unity Press (1976)

Joseph Goldstein studied intensively with many of the foremost Buddhist teachers of Eastern Asia. The book is a compilation of his instructions and discourses to students given during a thirty day Vipassana meditation retreat.

A Gradual Awakening
Stephen Levine
Anchor Books (1979)

Stephen Levine is an American teacher of Vipassana meditation who has taught in prisons and hospices. In this basic text of mindfulness meditation practice, he presents an approach which skillfully engages and integrates the mind and heart of the practitioner.

A Still Forest Pool
Jack Kornfield and Paul Breiter
Quest Books (1985)

The book is a compilation of the teachings of Thailand insight meditation master Ajahn Chah. Although his teachings are deceptively simple, they contain a profound power to transform the mind and heart of the earnest practitioner.

Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation
Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield
Shambhala (1987)

The book is a skillful blend of practical instruction, psychological insight and perennial wisdom, born out of the authors' twelve-year collaboration in teaching intensive meditation retreats throughout the world.

Peace Is Every Step
Thich Nhat Hanh
Bantam Books (1991)

Eminent Buddhist teacher Nhat Hanh shows how mindfulness of breathing and awareness of the acts of our daily lives can transform and heal difficult psychological states and help develop inner and outer peace in the world.

Insight Meditation
Joseph Goldstein
Shambhala (1993)

Based on more than thirty years experience teaching Buddhist meditation retreats, the book touches on a wide range of topics raised by both beginners and seasoned practitioners. It offers wise and practical guidance to those seeking to liberate the mind through insight meditation.

Wherever You Go, There You Are
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Hyperion Books (1994)

In this best-selling book, Kabat-Zinn maps out a simple path for cultivating mindfulness in one's own life. Quotations from many of the world's great spiritual traditions reinforce the beauty of dwelling in mindful presence each moment of life.

Breath by Breath
Larry Rosenberg
Shambhala (1998)

Rosenberg, who is a resident teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in Cambridge, Massachusetts, presents the ancient Buddhist teaching on cultivating tranquility and insight through full awareness of breathing in this important book.

Food for the Heart
Ajahn Chah
Wisdom Publications (2002)

Ajahn Chah was an exemplary Buddhist teacher whose simple yet profound style of teaching had a special appeal to Westerners. This collection of his teachings conveys the art of Buddhist mindfulness meditation and skillful living with wisdom, humour and compassion.

Mindfulness in Plain English
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Wisdom Publications (2002)

This important work by a Buddhist monk and scholar is a clear description of the myths, realities and benefits of mindfulness meditation. The writing is clear and straightforward and emphasizes the importance of loving-kindness on the path of spiritual development.

One Dharma
Joseph Goldstein
Harper Collins (2002)

Respected Buddhist teacher Joseph Goldstein distills more than forty years of spiritual practice and teaching in this exploration of a new emerging Buddhist tradition taking root in the West.

Coming to Our Senses
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Hyperion Books (2005)

The book is a companion to the author's Wherever You Go, There You Are and offers simple, intuitive ways in which we can come to a deeper understanding of the world and our life path through full awareness and mindful attention.

The Sound of Silence
Ajahn Sumedho
Wisdom Publications (2007)

Ajahn Sumedho is an American monk who studied closely with renowned Burmese meditation master Ajahn Chah. This collection of his simple, direct, and often humorous teachings illuminate the path of meditation and mindfulness.

The Wise Heart
Jack Kornfield
Random House (2008)

This important book examines the universal teachings of Buddhist psychology and their practical application to psychotherapy and transforming the human mind and heart. Kornfield, who holds a PhD in clinical psychology, has been one of the leaders in introducing Buddhist practice and psychology to the West.