Expert's Picks of Asian Religions and Philosophies by Jack Shoemaker Special to The Washington Post Sunday, March 28, 1999

Many come to Asian religions and philosophies, as I did myself, from side doors, from Thomas Merton or Transcendental Meditation, from Yoga or sushi, from dancing therapies or the restrained violence of akido, from Hokusai or John Woo, the I Ching or Issa. There are, these days, many who promise insight with only a little fuss and virtually no cultural bother. The word "Eastern" is always capitalized in the marketing of our new age.

But there is a front door, and it leads to a great house with many rooms, a house designed, perhaps, for several lifetimes. So let's begin at the beginning, walk through that front door and then see where our interests might lead us in the time we have left for this short tour.

The great classics deserve repeated readings, and we are blessed with many English translations. I will parenthetically mention translators I know to be of value, although another reader might well suggest others. Only when I mention a specific volume do I give the publishing details.

The Bhagavad-Gita. An animated new translation by Barbara Stoler Miller. (Bantam Classic, paperback)

Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tsu.
Translated more often than any other text into English, it often lends itself to mistranslation – Victor Mair, John Wu and co-translators Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo are restrained and responsible, as are a few others.

Chuang Tzu. Here the author's name has become the title of his own work. Translators David Hinton, Burton Watson and Thomas Merton all have valuable editions.

The Analects of Confucius
David Hinton's translation is new and wonderful, D.C. Lau's is workmanlike, the old standby Arthur Waley remains worthwhile, and I remain especially fond of the translation by Ezra Pound.

Mencius. David Hinton again, but Lau is again his workmanlike self.

Everything that follows flows from these basic texts, and one could spend his or her days within this anteroom. But for those who would like more contemporary investigations I would offer the following, knowing that tomorrow I might choose an entirely different list:

Alone with Others: An Existential Approach to Buddhism, by Stephen Batchelor (Grove, 1983).
The best introduction to Buddhism I've come across, this book is clear and inspiring.

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki (Weatherhill, 1972).
By the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center, this book is one of the bestselling books ever published about Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism, and for once the success is well-deserved.

Taking the Path of Zen, by Robert Aitken (North Point, 1982).
I edited this book in 1981, and many others have since agreed that it is the most direct book of introduction and instruction available in English.

Everyday Zen: Love and Work, by Charlotte Joko Beck (HarperSF, 1989).
As David Steindl-Rast remarks, "an extraordinary book for ordinary people."

The World of Zen, edited by Nancy Wilson Ross (Random House, 1964).
This anthology, now almost 40 years old, has not been surpassed. It is a rich, cultural appreciation.

Essays in Zen Buddhism, by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (Grove, 1986).
No list such as this can ignore Suzuki, and in fact one could assemble a short shelf of his books to good advantage. This one is only a beginning.

Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of a Zen Master Dogen, by Zen Master Dogen, Kazuaki Tanahashi (North Point, 1995).
Many believe that Dogen is the single greatest figure in the long history of Zen, and his work, while difficult, is rich beyond measure.

Moving out from such a close focus on Zen, a few others:

How the Swans Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America, by Rick Fields. Rich, anecdotal, and very valuable.

A Buddhist Bible, edited by Dwight Goddard (Beacon, 1994).
First published in 1938, it has so much good material that remains fresh and vital. It was a primary text for Jack Kerouac.

Being Peace, by Thich Nhat Hanh (Parallax, 1988).
This great Vietnamese teacher has scores of books and one can begin with virtually any one of them to experience his wisdom, compassion and common sense.

The Way to Freedom: The Library of Tibet, by the Dalai Lama (HarperSF, 1994).
Tibetan Buddhism, perhaps more arcane and esoteric than Zen, has great attraction in the West, and this lovely book is as good a place as any to begin.

But if we've managed to get this far, or even part way, then I would direct you away from these more secondary texts back to the central teachings of Buddhism, the Sutras. I would suggest that we start with these three:

The Heart Sutra and The Diamond Sutra. Often translated together as the Wisdom Books. Edward Conze, A.F. Price, Robert Aitken and a few others have offered fine versions of one or both.

The Lotus Sutra. The great translation by Burton Watson makes the other versions nearly unreadable.

The Flower Ornament Scripture: The Avatamsaka Sutra.
A monument, as far beyond description as Chartres. In the Shambhala edition, Thomas Cleary has managed what was thought unmanageable. Suzuki says "it is really the consummation of Buddhist thought, Buddhist sentiment, and Buddhist experience. To my mind no religious literature in the world can match what is attained by this sutra."