 | Kapok Zafu Meditation Cushion, Black
Buy new: $41.95 To sit on when you meditate, I'd recommend either a zafu (a round cushion that supports a cross-legged or kneeling posture and is stuffed with a plant fiber called kapok . . .
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 | Buckwheat Zafu Meditation Cushion, Black
Buy new: $41.95 . . . or with buckwheat hulls), . . .
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 | Medium Zabuton Meditation Mat, Black
Buy new: $44.95 A zabuton is a thick mat that goes under your zafu or seiza bench and cushions your knees. This cushioning is important if you're kneeling or if you're sitting cross-legged on a hard floor, but it's unnecessary if you're sitting cross-legged on a carpeted floor.
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 | The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment by Philip Kapleau Roshi
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $0.52 For detailed instructions in Zen meditation, including illustrations of sitting postures, I'd recommend this book, which is a classic of American Zen, . . .
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 | The Secret Is There Are No Secrets: An Introduction to Zen Meditation
Buy new: $14.95 / Used from: $8.51 . . . or this instructional video, by an American Zen teacher, . . .
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 | Finding the Still Point (Book and CD): A Beginner's Guide to Zen Meditation (Dharma Communications) by John Daido Loori
Buy new: $10.98 / Used from: $7.97 . . . or this book and CD, by the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery in upstate New York. (Or read the meditation instructions on the monastery's Web site: www.mro.org.)
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 | Morning Star Gift Set
Buy new: $16.50 Incense isn't necessary, but it's nice for atmosphere, and it can be used to time your meditation periods. This is a sampler of good Japanese incense that comes with an incense burner.
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 | Polder Digital Timer with Vibrating, Audible, and Illuminated Alarm
Buy new: $14.95 This looks like a great little timer for meditation. It can be set to vibrate, flash, beep, or any combination of those, so you don't have to end your meditation with the jarring noise of an alarm clock or a regular kitchen timer, and you don't have to watch a clock while you're meditating. (You can also find CDs, MP3 files, and software for timing meditation periods. Or you can use incense.)
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 | Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
Buy new: $10.36 / Used from: $0.40 And here are a few more good books:
Another classic of American Zen.
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 | Everyday Zen: Love and Work (Plus) by Charlotte J. Beck
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $6.00 Zen in plain English, by an American Zen teacher.
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 | What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada by Walpola Rahula
Buy new: $10.40 / Used from: $2.94 A good introduction to basic Buddhist teachings.
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