Buddhism

The Gospel of Buddha: Compiled from Ancient Records

by Paul Carus [1909]

A modern retelling of the Buddha's work and life.

Buddha, the Word

by Paul Carus



Amitabha

by Paul Carus [1906]

Buddhist concepts of God, non-violence, and religious tolerance.

The Buddhist Catechism

by Henry S. Olcott (42nd. ed.) [1908]

A unity platform for Buddhists, drawn up by Buddhism's first modern western convert.

The Creed of Buddha

by Edmond Holmes (2nd. ed.) [1919]

A Pantheist looks at contemporary Western views of Buddhism.

The Life of Buddha

by Andre Ferdinand Herold [1922], tr. by Paul C. Blum [1927]

A good introduction to the life and works of Buddha.

A Buddhist Bible

by Dwight Goddard (1st ed.) [1932]

An edited (but not watered-down) collection of key Zen documents, a favorite of Jack Kerouac. This anthology has had a huge influence on the spread of Buddhism in the English-speaking world.

The Smokey the Bear Sutra

by Gary Snyder.

A much beloved short poem about the relationship between Buddhism and ecology, written by one of the 'beat' era poets, simultaneously funny and profound.

The Dhammapada and The Sutta Nipâta (SBE10),

Dhammapada tr. by Max Müller; Sutta-Nipâta tr. by V. Fausböll [1881]



Buddhist Suttas (SBE11)

Translated from Pâli by T.W. Rhys Davids [1881]



Vinaya Texts (Part I) (SBE13)

Translated from the Pâli by T.W. Rhys Davids and Herman Oldenberg. [1881]

The Pâtimokkha and The Mahâvagga, I-IV.



Vinaya Texts (Part II) (SBE17)

Translated from the Pâli by T.W. Rhys Davids and Herman Oldenberg. [1882]

The Mahâvagga, V-X, and The Kullavagga, I-III.



Vinaya Texts (Part III) (SBE20)

Translated from the Pâli by T.W. Rhys Davids and Herman Oldenberg. [1885]

The Kullavagga, IV-XII.



The Questions of King Milinda

translated by T. W. Rhys Davids

The Questions of King Milinda, Part I (SBE35) [1890]

The Questions of King Milinda, Part II (SBE36) [1894]



Dialogues of the Buddha

(The Dîgha-Nikâya)

Translated from the Pâli by T.W. Rhys Davids; London, H. Frowde, Oxford University Press [1899]

Volume II of the Sacred Books of the Buddhists.

Buddhism in Translations

by Henry Clarke Warren [1896]

A often-cited scholarly anthology of translations of key Theravada Buddhist documents. (thanks to Chris Weimer)

The Udâna

Translated by Dawsonne Melanchthon Strong [1902]

(thanks to Chris Weimer)

Psalms of the Sisters

by Caroline A. F. Rhys Davids [1909]

(Thanks to Mary Mark Ockerbloom of A Celebration of Women Writers)

The Buddha's Way of Virtue

tr. by W.D.C. Wagiswara and K.J. Saunders [1920]

A translation of the Dhammapada, one of the central Buddhist sacred texts.

Jataka

The Jataka is a huge collection of fables framed as previous incarnations of the Buddha, many of which either have parallels or derivatives in western folklore and literature. Although the Jataka is not considered part of the canonical Buddhist scripture, it is very popular. Each tale usually has a concise moral, and the entire collection is a browsers' delight.

The Jataka, Vol. I

tr. by Robert Chalmers ed. E.B. Cowell [1895]

The first of six volumes of the complete Cowell translation of the Jataka.

The Jataka, Vol. II

tr. by W. H. D. Rouse ed. E.B. Cowell [1895]

The second of six volumes of the complete Cowell translation of the Jataka.

The Jataka, Vol. III

tr. by H.T. Francis, ed. E.B. Cowell [1897]

The third of six volumes of the complete Cowell translation of the Jataka.

The Jataka, Vol. IV

tr. by W.H.D. Rouse, ed. E.B. Cowell [1901]

The fourth of six volumes of the complete Cowell translation of the Jataka.

The Jataka, Vol. V

tr. by H.T. Francis, ed. E.B. Cowell [1905]

The fifth of six volumes of the complete Cowell translation of the Jataka.

The Jataka, Vol. VI

tr. by E.B. Cowell, and W.H.D. Rouse [1907]

The sixth and final volume of the complete Cowell translation of the Jataka.

Indian Fairy Tales

by Joseph Jacobs [1912]

A collection of Indian folklore, retold for younger readers 'of all ages', includes many stories from the Jataka, a Buddhist compilation of fables.

Jataka Tales

by Ellen C. Babbit [1912]

A collection of Jataka stories, fables about previous incarnations of the Buddha, usually as an animal, retold for younger readers.

Buddhist Scriptures

by E. J. Thomas [1913]

A short collection of Buddhist scripture, from the Wisdom of the East series.

The Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King (SBE19)

A Life of Buddha by Asvaghosha Bodhisattva, translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by Dharmaraksha A.D. 420, and From Chinese into English by Samuel Beal [1883]



Buddhist Mahâyâna Texts (SBE 49)

[1894]

Translated by E.B. Cowell, F. Max Müller, and J. Kakakusu.

Includes the Diamond Sutra.

Saddharma-pundarîka (The Lotus Sutra) (SBE 21)

tr. by H. Kern [1884]



She-rab Dong-bu (The Tree of Wisdom)

by Nagarjuna; edited and translated by W. L. Cambell [1919]

An influential Tibetan Buddhist text.

Esoteric Teachings of the Tibetan Tantra

edited and translated by C.A. Musés [1961]

Includes Seven Initation Rituals of the Tibetan Tantra, the Six Yogas of Naropa, plus the Vow of Mahamudra.

Açvaghosha's Discourse on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahâyâna

tr. by Teitaro Suzuki [1900]

The Awakening of Faith of Ashvagosha

tr. by Timothy Richard [1907]

The Path of Light

tr. by L.D. Barnett [1909]

A translation of the Bodhicharyavatara of Santideva, a key Mahayana Buddhist text.

The Gateless Gate

by Ekai [Huikai], called Mu-mon, tr. by Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934]

One of the classic collections of Zen Buddhist Koans.

Chinese Buddhism

by Joseph Edkins [1893]

A comprehensive discussion of Chinese Buddhism.

Buddhism In Tibet

by Emil Schlaginteweit [1863]

One of the few 19th century books about Tibetan Buddhism.

The Religion of the Samurai

by Kaiten Nukariya [1913]

This book focuses on Northern (Mahayana) Buddhism, and Zen Buddhism in particular. It includes a wealth of detail as well as very lucid explanations of Zen Buddhist concepts.

Shinran and His Work: Studies in Shinshu Theology

by Arthur Lloyd [1910]

A Christian scholar explores Shinshu Buddhism. Includes text and translation of the Shoshinge of Shinran Shonen, with extended commentary.

The Creed of Half Japan

by Arthur Lloyd [1911]

A comprehensive history of Mahayana Buddhism, particularly in Japan, and possible ties to Gnosticism and early Christianity. Includes two translated texts from the Nichiren school.

Principal Teachings of the True Sect of Pure Land

by Yejitsu Okusa [1915]

The history and practice of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan.

Buddhist Psalms

by S. Yamabe and L. Adams Beck [1921]

A key Pure Land text, by the founder of the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan.

Manual of Zen Buddhism

by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki. [1935]

An anthology of texts relating to Zen.

Suzuki was one of the most popular 20th century writers about Zen Buddhism. Includes the famous 'Ox-Herder' illustrations.

Zen for Americans

by Soyen Shaku, translated by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki. [1906]

A collection of essays on Buddhism.

Includes The Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters .



Mysticism, Christian and Buddhist

by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki. [1957, not renewed]

Suzuki compares and contrasts Buddhism with Meister Eckhart's mystical outlook.



Gleanings In Buddha-Fields

by Lafcadio Hearn [1897].

The Nō Plays of Japan

by Arthur Waley [1921].

Translations of a selection of Nō dramas, which have deep connections with Japanese Buddhism, Shinto, and Japanese folklore.

Buddhism and Immortality

by William Sturgis Bigelow [1908].

A essay on Karma and Nirvana in the light of Darwin and Emerson.

India in Primitive Christianity

by Arthur Lillie [1909].

What are the links between Buddhism and early Christianity?

The Way to Nirvana

by L. de la Vallée Poussin [1917].

Investigating Buddhist thought on rebirth and transcendence.

KAKUZO OKAKURA

The Book of Tea

by Kakuzo Okakura [1906]

The aesthetics of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, and its connection to the Japanese world-view as a whole.

The Ideals of the East

by Kakuzo Okakura [1904]

The evolution of Japanese art and its relationship to Buddhism.

Journal Articles about Buddhism

A collection of academic journal articles about Buddhism from the 19th Century.

These are collections of files harvested from the Internet on these popular Buddhist topics:

Tibetan Buddhism: Archives

Zen Buddhism: Archives

For more translations of Southern Buddhist texts, we highly recommend Access to Insight [External Site].