Great Gift Ideas for Your Buddhist Friend

Incense - We tend to go through quite a bit of incense, so if you can find some good brands with peaceful scents, we'd be appreciative. They're not expensive and they're a nice thought.

Candles - Some of us use one or the other, incense or candles, but many of us use both. Some candles for our altars would be a nice idea. If yourBuddhist friend is female, we love candles anyway. Pick nice relaxing or refreshing smells.

Zen Garden - cliché, but we like them. You can pick them up most anywhere nowadays, and some are better than others, which makes finding one in your price range rather easy.

Books By The Dalai Lama - The Dalai Lama has some great books out including:

The Dalai Lama's Book of Wisdom

Wisdom on compassion and forgiveness from the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet.

The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living

A brilliant book wherein the Dalai Lama tackles many subjects near and dear to the hearts of people everywhere, including love, suffering, handling the loss of a loved one, and more. The Dalai Lama's answers are at once simple yet profound, and anyone could learn quite a bit from reading this book.

The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality

In this new book by the Dalai Lama, he explores how science and spirituality can co-exist. In his classic manner, his ideas are simple, yet very meaningful. Explore how Buddhism and science have many similar philosophies.

Many Ways to Nirvana: Reflections and Advice on Right Living

An eye-opening look at how any of us can attain enlightenment, no matter how busy our lives or humble our beginnings. Buddhist philosophies on Nirvana and enlightenment are addressed in this great book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Books by Thich Nhat Hanh - A Zen monk who has studied Buddhism and Christianity and often helps us when we lose our way. Check out some of his titles like

Anger

earned Amazon.com's best of 2001, teaches us to deal with one of life's most destructive emotions in a mindful way.

Living Buddha, Living Christ

an examination of how closely the beliefs of Christianity and Buddhism follow each other, and some words of wisdom so that we can all follow our path mindfully. Thich Nhat Hanh does a great job of exploring the similarities between these two large religions and why Christians may be drawn to Buddhism, but he explains that mindfulness is attainable in all religions. He also wrote Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers.

No Death, No Fear

Once again, Thich Nhat Hanh encourages us to think deeply in his book about interconnections and impermanence. This book is Thich Nhat Hanh's attempt to make us realize, simply, that death is not to be feared. I encourage people to take a different look at life with Nhat Hanh's book.

Teaching Love

A Buddhist perspective on the interconnectedness of everything and true love. Also touches on Buddhist practices such as prostration, reverence, etc. A good read for anyone, but especially a Buddhist.

Other Books are also bound to be a hit. Check out:

The Accidental Buddhist, by Dinty W. Moore - An amusing book where a man learns about Buddhism and becomes one himself pretty much by accident. Don't let this book fool you by its whimsical title, though. The journey he took was one of longing, and he came upon Buddhism to study it, finding himself along the way.

Dharma Family Treasures : Sharing Buddhism With Children , by Sandy Eastoak

A wonderful volume of short stories, essays, poems, and music in which the theme is sharing our religion with our children in a meaningful way.

A Mala - These are our prayer beads and we usually like to have at least one set laying around. Some people use smaller sets, some use the larger sets. They are usually made with beautiful stones and jade.

An Altar cloth - They protect our furnishings and focus our attention. Altar cloths are a thoughtful gift for a Buddhist friend.

Meditation bowl - You can find these sometimes in local stores as well as on ebay. Meditation bowls are typically made out of brass with a wooden ringer.

Silk Floor Pillow - Helps us keep our posture while meditating, and nice as a decorative object as well. Floor pillows, your friend's back will thank you.