Free Downloads

The Forest Sangha

The Forest Sangha offers an extensive collection of books and audiotapes that can be downloaded for free. Go to their website at Forest Sangha. Below are a couple of online books published by Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahan Succito.

The Four Noble Truths by Ajahn Sumedho
This small booklet of edited talks given by Ajahn Sumedho on the central teaching of the Buddha: that the unhappiness of humanity can be overcome through spiritual means.

Pārami, Ways to Cross Life’s Floods by Ajahn Succito
Pārami – ‘perfections,’ or transcendent virtues – are daily life practices that give the mind a firm ground in Dhamma. Comprising simple qualities like patience, generosity and truthfulness, they can be skilfully applied to the ‘flash-points’ in the day in order to steer the mind out of samsaric currents and on towards peace, clarity and nibbāna.

Buddha-Nature, Human Nature by Ajahn Succito
This book is an extensive review of the relationship between the ‘human’ and the ‘natural’ world. It is about the environmental crisis, how that is mirrored in the human crisis that the Buddha addressed – and ways of resolving this.

The Buddhist Publication Society

The Buddhist Publication Society in Sri Lanka maintains an extensive website with thousands of free downloads. Steve Weissman’s booklet below is one example of the society’s many offerings.

Wise Reflection: The Importance of Wise Reflection in Meditation by Steve Weissman.
“Much of this booklet is devoted to trying to correct meditation “myths.” By “myths” I mean certain misunderstandings that many Buddhists have acquired. These misunderstandings are widespread, and as a result, many meditators do not realise the importance of reflective meditation.”

Sayadaw U Tejaniya

The Burmese teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya has done much to make dharma practice something that any layperson can follow in their everyday life. His website includes a number of free resources, including the books listed below:

Don’t Look Down on the Defilements: They Will Laugh at You by Ashin Tejaniya.
“All wrong attitudes are the defilements craving and aversion or any of their relatives such as elation, sadness, or worry. Not accepting defilements will only strengthen them. The defilements hinder your progress in meditation and prevent you from living your life fully….Look out for the defilements. Get to know the defilements that arise in your mind. Observe and try to understand them.”

Dhamma Everywhere: Welcoming Each Moment With Awareness+Wisdom by Ashin Tejaniya.
“Remember that awareness alone is not enough. There has to be wisdom present in the awareness. Where is that wisdom going to come from? There are three kinds of wisdom. Information you get from reading, from listening to Dhamma discourses or from discussions with teachers. Intelligence or knowledge is acquired though thinking, reasoning, or intellectual analysis. Insight is gained through direct experience. In short, we refer to them as information, intelligence, and insight.”

Dharma Seed

Dharma Seed gathers, preserves, and freely shares recordings of teachers inspired by early Buddhism for the benefit of students, teachers, and dharma centers worldwide. The talks and meditations available through the Dharma Seed website are largely, although not exclusively, teachings from the Western Insight Meditation tradition.
Here are a few of the many guided meditations found on Dharma Seed.

Pascal Auclair: Love as Renunciation

Sharda Rogell: Loving Kindness on the Body.

Thanissara: Equanimity: Letting Go of the Struggle

Howie Cohn: Big Mind

Vinny Ferraro: Guided Compassion

Arinna Weisman: Guided Joy Meditation

Frank Ostaseski: Strong Back/Soft Front Guided Meditation

Other

Everyday Zen: Love and Work by Charlotte Joko Beck