While there are seemingly more and more books on Zen every day—so much so that Daido Loori called it a glut—there are books that shed great light on Zen.

These are the ones that have most inspired me and my thinking.

1. Bringing the Sacred to Life by John Daido Loori
2. The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye by Dogen
3. The Eight Gates of Zen by John Daido Loori
4. Moon in a Dewdrop by Dogen
5. The Heart Sutra by Red Pine
6. Path of Enlightenment by John Daido Loori
7. Invoking Reality by John Daido Loori
8. How To Cook Your Life by Dogen
9. To Meet The Real Dragon bu Gudo Nishijima
10. One Robe, One Bowl: The Zen Poetry of Ryokan