The Six Dharma Gates to the Sublime

A top 5 must have on these topics.

The Six Dharma Gates to the Sublime The Essentials of Buddhist Meditation These two books are the best instructional books I have ever seen concerning a comprehensive system of meditation, which features samatha/ vipassana practiced in the same sitting, as mutually dependent exercises. Very light on doctrine or philosophy, which helps enormously, and also light on technical terms that might obscure a clear meaning. Any committed and experienced meditation practicer with an open mind about methods will delight in these two books, regardless of one's doctrinal orientation.

GREAT

Tradition says that Buddha used this breath meditation under the Bodhi Tree and became a fully enlightened being. That seems like a good recommendation for cultivators of today. Zhiyi gives one all the essentials for practice.

I will call this capital THE meditation manual because it presents Buddha's meditation, the "Indian", "old skool" anapanasati, but from a Mahayana perspective; that is, it presents it "in reverse", starting from the Bodhisattva path and penetration into emptiness to explain what role does breath meditation still have once we work within the framework of Mahayana faith.