While there are many courses and tutorials online, learning from a book is still one of the best ways to greatly improve your skills. Below I have selected top Eastern Philosophy books.
- The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (2007)
- Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System As a Path to the Self (2004)
- The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Easily Accessible Information for a Richer, Fuller Life (2001)
- Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy (2011)
- Tao Te Ching (2016)
- The Tao of Pooh (1983)
- Zen and the Art of Happiness (2006)
- The Perennial Philosophy (2009)
- Ocean of Dharma: The Everyday Wisdom of Chogyam Trungpa (2008)
- Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (2009)
- The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained (2017)
- Eastern Philosophy For Beginners (2007)
- Scriptures of the East (2003)
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (2007)
Graced with opening words by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, the Penguin Deluxe Edition of The Tibetan Book of the Dead is “immaculately rendered in an English both graceful and precise.” Translated with the close support of leading contemporary masters and hailed as “a tremendous accomplishment,” this book faithfully presents the insights and intentions of the original work.
Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System As a Path to the Self (2004)
In Eastern Body, Western Mind, chakra authority Anodea Judith brought a fresh approach to the yoga-based Eastern chakra system, adapting it to the Western framework of Jungian psychology, somatic therapy, childhood developmental theory, and metaphysics and applying the chakra system to important modern social realities and issues such as addiction, codependence, family dynamics, sexuality, and personal empowerment.Arr…
The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Easily Accessible Information for a Richer, Fuller Life (2001)
The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy & Religion provides a thorough discussion of the most widely practices belief systems of the East. Author Diane Morgan understands how to direct the materialistic, linear way of Western thinking toward a comprehension of the cyclical, metaphysical essence of Eastern philosophy.
Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy (2011)
This book is an introduction in the very best sense of the word. It provides the beginner with an accurate, sophisticated, yet accessible account, and offers new insights and challenging perspectives to those who have more specialized knowledge. Focusing on the period in Chinese philosophy that is surely most easily approachable and perhaps is most important, it ranges over of rich set of competing options.
Tao Te Ching (2016)
The Tao Teh King (Tao Te Ching) forms the fundamental core of modern Taoist philosophy and has informed the beliefs and mode of life of the people of China for 2500 years. For all those who seek peace, contentment, harmony and balance in life, the Tao Teh King is an indispensable resource. Lao Tse’s words speak directly to the heart with simple, direct and profound wisdom addressing the core principles of the art of living well.
The Tao of Pooh (1983)
The how of Pooh? The Tao of who? The Tao of Pooh!?! In which it is revealed that one of the world’s great Taoist masters isn’t Chinese–or a venerable philosopher–but is in fact none other than that effortlessly calm, still, reflective bear. A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh!
Zen and the Art of Happiness (2006)
Cutting-edge science and spirituality tell us that what we believe, think, and feel actually determine the makeup of our body at the cellular level. In Zen and the Art of Happiness, you will learn how to think and feel so that what you think and feel creates happiness and vibrancy in your life rather than gloominess or depression.
The Perennial Philosophy (2009)
An inspired gathering of religious writings that reveals the “divine reality” common to all faiths, collected by Aldous Huxley “The Perennial Philosophy,” Aldous Huxley writes, “may be found among the traditional lore of peoples in every region of the world, and in its fully developed forms it has a place in every one of the higher religions.” With great wit and stunning intellect—drawing on a diverse array of faiths, including Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Christian mysticism, and Islam…
Ocean of Dharma: The Everyday Wisdom of Chogyam Trungpa (2008)
<p class=”MsoNormal”>Here is an inspiring collection of short teachings from the writings of the renowned Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa. Pithy and immediate, these teachings can be contemplated and practiced every day—or any day—of the year.
Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (2009)
If you change your brain, you can change your life.Great teachers like the Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, and Gandhi were all born with brains built essentially like anyone else’s―and then they changed their brains in ways that changed the world.
The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained (2017)
Explore the history and concepts of philosophy, from the big thinkers to complex theories, with straightforward text and witty illustrations that demystify an often daunting subject matter. Now in paperback.Are the ideas of René Descartes, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes still relevant today?
Eastern Philosophy For Beginners (2007)
The spiritual rewards and intellectual challenges of Eastern Philosophy are revealed in this visually stunning book, illustrated by Joe Lee and with 19th Century engravings.Eastern Philosophy is not an intellectual pursuit, but one that involves one’s entire being. Much of it is so deeply entwined with the non-intellectual art of meditation, that the two are impossible to separate.
Scriptures of the East (2003)
This anthology of scriptures offers selections that vary in length from a few paragraphs to 10 pages, accompanied by brief introductions that discuss the nature and scope of scripture within each religion as well as the history of each scripture presented.
Best Eastern Philosophy Books: The Ultimate List
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some eastern philosophy books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Conceptualising Divine Unions in the Greek and Near Eastern Worlds (Ancient Philosophy & Religion)
Author(s): Eleni Pachoumi
ID: 3353222, Publisher: BRILL, Year: 2022, Size: 5 Mb, Format: pdf
Eastern Christian Approaches to Philosophy
Author(s): James Siemens, Joshua Matthan Brown
ID: 3452365, Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham, Year: 2022, Size: 3 Mb, Format: pdf
The Eastern Christian Tradition in Modern Russian Thought and Beyond
Author(s): Teresa Obolevitch
ID: 3460483, Publisher: Brill, Year: 2022, Size: 2 Mb, Format: pdf
Please note that this booklist is not absolute. Some books are really record-breakers according to The Wall Street Journal, others are written by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant books you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.