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FAQ -- Talk.Religion.Buddhism newsgroup
by John Kahila, June 1996
(*) Buddhism: Intro & Suggestions for newcomers to talk.religion.buddhism (part 1/3) (*) Buddhism: Common questions about Buddhism & glossary (part 2/3) (*) Buddhism: Resources of possible interest to Buddhists (part 3/3)
Buddhism: Intro & Suggestions for newcomers to talk.religion.buddhism (part 1/3)
- Subject: Buddhism: Intro & Suggestions for newcomers to talk.religion.buddhism (part 1/3)
- From: jkahila@world.std.com (John Kahila)
- Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 03:12:24 GMT
- Newsgroups: talk.religion.buddhism
Archive-name: buddhism-faq/intro Posting-Frequency: monthly talk.religion.buddhism FAQ -- Part 1 of 3 Mind precedes its objects. They are mind-governed and mind-made. To speak or act with a defiled mind is to draw pain after oneself, like a wheel behind the feet of the animal drawing it. Mind precedes its objects. They are mind-governed and mind-made. To speak or act with a peaceful mind is to draw happiness after oneself, like an inseparable shadow. -- The Dhammapada (Richards' translation, see "resources" for info) ------------------------------ The FAQ is in three parts. Part 1 gives a full table of contents. The other two parts give only the contents for their sections. Readers of this FAQ may also be interested in other FAQs mentioned in the Resources section. ------------------------------ Subject: 1. Table of Contents, etc. 1. Table of Contents, etc. 1.01 Introduction 1.02 Significant changes in this edition of the FAQ 1.03 How to obtain the most recent version of the FAQ 1.04 How to suggest additions/corrections to the FAQ 1.05 How to contact the FAQ maintainer 1.06 Acknowledgments 1.07 Disclaimer 2. Information for those new to the Net 2.01 What are WWW, FTP, gopher, archie and veronica ...? 2.02 About newsgroups 2.03 Netiquette 2.04 I am bothered by a person/topic. What can I do? 2.05 Ummm ... I'm afraid it's more serious than that. 2.06 What is a killfile, and where can I get me one? 2.07 Aren't you being a bit obsessive about crossposting? 2.08 I only have email. What can I do? 2.09 My mailbox is unmanageable. What can I do? 2.10 Where can I find other FAQs? 2.11 What's this "chat" thing I've heard about? 3. Occasionally asked questions 3.01 Charter? What charter? 3.02 What is the current flamewar about? 3.03 Do Buddhists worship the Buddha as a deity? 3.04 Do Buddhists believe in God? 3.05 Do Buddhists believe in a soul? 3.05.01 If there is no self, who am I talking to? 3.06 Do Buddhists believe in reincarnation? 3.06.01 If there is no self, what is reborn? 3.07 What does Buddhism say about sex? 3.08 What does Buddhism say about homosexuality? 3.09 What does Buddhism say about morality in general? 3.10 Are all Buddhists vegetarians? 3.11 Aren't you being a bit obsessive about not-self? 3.12 What do you think of Hesse's _Siddhartha_? 4. Glossary 4.01 Why don't you folks speak English? 4.02 A note on spelling and usage 4.03 A random selection of terms and names 4.04 A random selection of abbreviations and smileys 5. Resources of possible interest to Buddhists 5.01 Some Internet sites 5.02 Online scriptures and related material 5.03 Sites mostly devoted to specific practices 5.04 Other sites of possible interest 5.05 Mailing lists 5.06 Electronic journals 5.07 Newsgroups 5.08 A random selection of books 5.09 Bookstores, etc. 5.10 Bulletin Boards, etc. 5.11 Meditation Centers 5.12 Overlapping interests 5.13 Cults and other forms of abuse ------------------------------ Subject: 1.01 Introduction This is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) file for talk.religion.buddhism. It is posted monthly, on or near the first of the month, to the following groups: talk.religion.buddhism alt.answers talk.answers news.answers alt.magick.tyagi (by request) The purpose of the FAQ is to serve as a single source of (hopefully) useful answers to common questions of several different types: "What does the term 'X' mean in Buddhism?" "Does Buddhism say anything about X?" "Are there Internet resources dealing with X?" "How can I do X on the Internet?" It has finally been possible to check most of the links listed in the FAQ. They should once again be mostly current. Still working on getting the resource list up to date. ------------------------------ Subject: 1.02 Significant changes in this edition of the FAQ Apart from section 3.02 (which is updated monthly), and apart from a large number of updated URLs that it would be pointless to itemize, the following changes have been made in the FAQ during the last month: * Four new occasionally asked questions 3.05.01 If there is no self, who am I talking to? 3.06.01 If there is no self, what is reborn? 3.11 Aren't you being a bit obsessive about not-self? 3.12 What do you think of Hesse's _Siddhartha_? * 5.01 Al Bloom's site now includes information about HAIB, an ecumenical Buddhist organization <http://www.aloha.net/~albloom/haib> * 5.02 Bibliography of Buddhist scholarly works <http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/e-cbs.htm> * 5.02 Much that is new and interesting at the IRIZ pages <http://www.iijnet.or.jp/iriz/irizhtml/> * 5.03 Kwan Um school of Zen * 5.04 Charley Muller's site now has more resources <http://www2.gol.com/users/acmuller/> * 5.04 Indology home page <http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucgadkw/indology.html> * 5.07 Newsgroups ucb.org.chinese-buddhist-soc dropped from newsgroup list; we all make mistakes =8-O ------------------------------ Subject: 1.03 How to obtain the most recent version of the FAQ The FAQ is archived, and is available by anonymous FTP from rtfm.mit.edu /pub/usenet-by-group/talk.religion.buddhism/ and rtfm.mit.edu /pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/buddhism-faq/. The FAQ is also archived at rtfm.mit.edu's mirror sites. If you don't know what "anonymous FTP" is, see 2.01. For information on obtaining the FAQ by email, see 2.10. ------------------------------ Subject: 1.04 How to suggest additions/corrections to the FAQ If there is a topic you would like to see covered in the FAQ, or if you find any mistakes, please send email to the FAQ maintainer (see next item). ------------------------------ Subject: 1.05 How to contact the FAQ maintainer The current FAQ maintainer is John Kahila (jkahila@world.std.com) ------------------------------ Subject: 1.06 Acknowledgments Many people have contributed to improving the FAQ -- more than can be named (and some have asked not to be named). Two people who deserve special thanks are Hsuan Peng and Connie Neal, whose excellent comprehensive resource list has made the FAQ maintainer's task easier. See 5.01. ------------------------------ Subject: 1.07 Disclaimer This is not an "official guide" (whatever that might be) to Buddhism. It is only an effort on the part of the FAQ maintainer to provide useful information. Inevitably, both the selection and the presentation of material is skewed by the FAQ maintainer's biases -- but hopefully not too much. This FAQ does not represent the collective viewpoint of t.r.b. There may be errors. You have been warned. ------------------------------ Subject: 2. Information for those new to the Net This section is intended primarily for readers who are very new to Internet services in general. Many readers will want to just skim the headings. If your newsreader understands digest format (tin doesn't), you should be able to do this painlessly (e.g., by using ^G in nn). ------------------------------ Subject: 2.01 What are WWW, FTP, gopher, archie and veronica ...? If you are new to the Internet, please obtain a copy of FYI #4, Answers to Commonly asked "New Internet User" Questions. You may need to "bootstrap" this process, by using one of the utilities you are asking questions about. This is not as mysterious as it sounds. In what follows, the computer's side of the dialogue is indicated in square brackets []. Do not type that part in. The indicated dialogues are only approximate -- details may vary depending on circumstances. The rest is your side of the dialogue, which you *do* have to type in (followed by pressing the Return or Enter key). I have used my own email address in the examples; you should substitute your own. If you have a Web browser, set it to point at gopher://ds2.internic.net:70/00/fyi/fyi4.txt If you have access to gopher, use the following gopher ds.internic.net [Connecting...Retrieving Directory...] cursor down to InterNIC Directory and Database Services (AT&T)/ and press <Enter> [Connecting...Retrieving Directory...] cursor down to Internet Documentation (RFC's, FYI's, etc.)/ and press <Enter> [Connecting...Retrieving Directory...] cursor down to FYI's (For Your Information RFC's)/ and press <Enter> [Connecting...Retrieving Directory...] cursor down to fyi4.txt and press <Enter> [Connecting...Retrieving File...] Press s A form will pop up. Just press <Enter>. Press q, followed by another q You will be asked if you really want to quit. Answer y. If you have access to FTP, use the following: ftp ds.internic.net [Connected to ds.internic.net] [A long welcome message.] [220 ds2.internic.net FTP server ready.] [Name (ds.internic.net:kahila):] anonymous [331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.] [Password:] jkahila@world.std.com [230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.] [Remote system type is UNIX.] [Using binary mode to transfer files.] [ftp>] ascii [200 Type set to A.] [ftp>] cd fyi [250 CWD command successful.] [ftp>] get fyi4.txt [200 PORT command successful.] [150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for fyi4.txt (98753 bytes)] [226 Transfer complete] [101220 bytes received in 60.71 seconds (1.628 Kbytes/s)] [ftp>] bye [221 Goodbye.] If you have only email access, send a message to mailserv@ds.internic.net. In the body of the message, put the line document-by-name /ftp/fyi/fyi4.txt The document will be sent to you by an automatic mail server in two pieces, which you will have to splice together yourself. As of 27 March 1995, FYI4 had a size of 98753 bytes as a UNIX file and 101220 bytes as a PC file. If you use the mail server, the two received messages -- as of 27 March 1995, on UNIX -- have sizes of 67287 and 34803 bytes. I don't know if the server is smart enough to break them into smaller chunks for mail systems that require that; if anybody knows the answer to this, please tell me. FYI4 is sometimes cited by RFC number (currently RFC1594). It is possible to retrieve documents by RFC numbers, but you should not do so in this case. RFC numbers change if a document is revised, FYI numbers do not. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.02 About newsgroups If you are new to USENET newsgroups generally, please subscribe to news.answers, news.announce.newusers and news.newusers.questions if you have not already done so. General questions about USENET (and some other topics) are addressed regularly in these groups. By subscribing, you can learn a lot in a short time about how to use Internet resources. Other sources for information on USENET and the Internet in general can be found at <http://www.isu.edu/departments/comcom/internet/toc.html>. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.03 Netiquette Consider reading "Emily PostNews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette" if you haven't already done so. It is available from many sites, e.g. <http://www.clari.net/brad/emily.html>. Besides being informative, Emily is very funny (and becomes funnier as one learns more about how news works). Less whimsical guides can be found at various locations around the Net, which you will probably see mentioned from time to time in news.newusers.questions. In particular, there is a more or less "official" discussion of netiquette that can be found at <http://ds.internic.net/fyi/> as FYI-28. Recommended reading. Please do not crosspost carelessly or broadly. If you are replying to something crossposted by somebody else, please ask yourself if the original crosspost really needs to be preserved. When responding to long posts (such as this one), please do not embed the entire original post into your reply. Preserve only what is needed for context. Many people pay for Internet service by the byte. Newsgroups are public; email is private. Many people consider it extremely impolite, and an invasion of privacy, to post email to newsgroups without the permission of all parties involved. On the other hand, remember that this is not a "rule"; it is only a politeness guideline. Don't say anything in email that you would not want to have publicly displayed in a newsgroup, or your 15 minutes of fame could be painful. Please try to avoid debates of the "my religion is better than yours" variety (is not! is too! not! too!). If you feel like telling a non-Buddhist what it is about the Dharma that enriches your life, that's great. But if you feel like ridiculing the person, please think twice and reflect on the example that you will set. If others disparage your practice, try to respond with restraint and compassion. Certain people in t.r.b. (including the FAQ maintainer) have been known to modify the principle of the preceding paragraph when dealing with missionaries. Your conscience will have to be your guide. Here are a few gentle thoughts on netiquette for Buddhists, adapted from the Insight mailing list FAQ: Keep discussions friendly. View this newsgroup as an opportunity to practice both ahimsa (harmlessness) and sati (mindfulness). Let's use the group as a means of offering encouragement and support to each other in our shared exploration of Dharma. Rule of thumb: When responding to a message to which you had a strong emotional reaction -- irritation, ecstatic delight, anger, whatever -- wait a day or two to cool down a little before responding. There is no hurry. Also keep in mind that silence often speaks louder than words. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.04 I am bothered by a person/topic. What can I do? If a post inspires an unpleasant (or even pleasant) feeling, it may be instructive to examine how that feeling arises. Phosphors on screens have no independent power to influence thought. Remember that newsgroups and email are very "flat." There is very little emotional context, unless somebody is flat-out raving. Take a few seconds to ask if the poster might have meant a remark humorously. OK, you've read this far -- it's serious. Your simplest choice is to press the "next" key of your newsreader as soon as you recognize the poster or the topic as an irritant. If you aren't sure which key is the "next" key for your newsreader, read the manual or ask someone who works for your Internet service provider. If you are tired of pressing "next," or if that isn't an option for some reason, consider using a killfile (see below). ------------------------------ Subject: 2.05 Ummm ... I'm afraid it's more serious than that. There are three special cases that may require forceful action. (1) If you are being personally harassed in some major way, and if the offender does not respond to requests to stop, talk to your administrator and communicate with the offender's administrator (your administrator will know how to do this). Persist until the problem is fixed. Most ISPs take a very dim view of having their systems used as a platform for harassment. (2) If somebody is crossposting 1700-line off-topic tracts to a large number of unrelated groups including t.r.b., and does not respond to requests to stop, talk to your administrator and communicate with the offender's administrator. (3) If spammers post off-topic ads to t.r.b. for things like credit-rating repair services or legal "help" with Green Card lotteries, consider putting them on the Advertisers Blacklist. Information about the blacklist is available by anonymous FTP from rtfm.mit.edu /pub/usenet-by-group/alt.answers/advertisers-blacklist and also at <http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/BL/>. The latter URL appears to be kept more current. If you find it necessary to speak to a sysadmin other than your own, remember that the sysadmin has a job and a life and -- at least in case (2) -- may be trying to fend off dozens of complaints about the same person all at once. Be polite and clear in communications. Provide supporting documentation where appropriate, but try to keep it brief and readable. If you submit examples of email messages or news posts, *please include the complete headers* so that the sysadmin can investigate the possibility of forgery. Do not engage in dirty tricks (like mailbombing) -- that will only increase the confusion, making the original problem harder to solve and possibly getting you into trouble. Remember to consult your sysadmin -- two heads are better than one, and you will be better protected against counter-complaints. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.06 What is a killfile, and where can I get me one? Most newsreading software has some mechanism for filtering out unwanted subjects and/or authors. For example, in tin you can press ^K for pretty clear instructions. In nn, the corresponding command is K. For users of rn and trn, there is a FAQ on killfiles which should be available at any FAQ site (e.g. by FTP from ftp.uni-stuttgart.de /pub/doc/faq/news.newusers.questions/rn_KILL_file_FAQ). For users of Agent (an offline reader), version .99e supports killfiles. For Mac users, a newsreader that supports killfiles is available from <http://www.ese.ogi.edu/pub/network/newswatcher/>. If you don't know how to set up a killfile, talk to your administrator or someone else who is knowledgeable about how things are done at your facility or on your system. Please do not email the FAQ maintainer; he can sympathize, but he knows less about your local setup than you do. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.07 Aren't you being a bit obsessive about crossposting? Maybe so. A well-planned crosspost does save resources (only one copy of the message needs to be kept, instead of one per group). And velveeta is preferable to spam any day (see glossary). However, a poorly-planned crosspost can cause problems even if the original post was on-topic for all groups involved. If a tree of threads and subthreads develops, some of them will inevitably be on-topic for only one group -- but all of the original groups will see the thread unless someone remembers to change the addressing. The problem just mentioned can be eliminated quite easily, by setting the "Followup-To" line of a post so that it only points at one group. This also has two nice side effects. First, you won't have to look in all of the original groups for replies that have gotten detached from the thread. Second, it identifies you as a non-newbie. :-) It's not a rule ... just a request to be thoughtful. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.08 I only have email. What can I do? A lot more than you think. In the US, send email to listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu. Enter just this one line in the body (not the subject line) of the message: GET INTERNET BY-EMAIL NETTRAIN F=MAIL In Europe, send email to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk. Enter just this one line in the body (not the subject line) of the message: send lis-iis e-access-inet.txt Elsewhere, use whichever site is closer to you. You will receive the most recent version of the standard documentation for accessing most Internet services (including newsgroups) by email. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.09 My mailbox is unmanageable. What can I do? Unix systems (and some others) support "mail filters." These are programs that can organize your mail into folders, so that it isn't just one big jumble. This can be a great blessing if you subscribe to a large number of mailing lists. The FAQ maintainer knows whereof he speaks. Some popular Unix mail filters are "procmail", "mailagent" and "filter". Also, offline readers for PC users often support some form of filtering. Mail filters are sometimes also used to send unwanted mail from specific senders to /dev/null (sort of the email equivalent of a killfile). Personally, the FAQ maintainer finds it easier to use the 'D' key in his mail reading program; but some people like the feature. More info: <http://www.smartpages.com/faqs/mail/filtering-faq/faq.html> Also available by anonymous ftp from ftp.ii.com /pub/ii/internet/filtering-mail-faq.txt. If you filter mail using Unix "filter", there is a very helpful guide at <http://rohan.sdsu.edu/filter.html>. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.10 Where can I find other FAQs? Here are a few locations for general FAQs: <gopher://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk:70/1/usenet/news-FAQS> <http://www.smartpages.com/faqs/> <ftp://ftp.uu.net/usenet/news.answers> <ftp://ftp.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/doc/faq> <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/> In the last case, you can also use the symbolic link /usenet in place of /pub/usenet-by-group. Warning: symbolic links sometimes seem to confuse Web browsers. If Netscape (or whatever) gives you a cryptic message like "URL not found", try using the actual link. If the FAQ you want is archived at MIT, and if you know its name and the full path needed to get to it, you can get a copy by email. The mail filter FAQ can be obtained by sending the message send usenet/news.answers/mail/filtering-faq to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu. The talk.religion.buddhism FAQ (all three files at once) can be obtained by sending the message send usenet/talk.religion.buddhism/* or send usenet/news.answers/buddhism-faq/* to the same address. A complete list of commands understood by the MIT mail server can be obtained by sending the message help to the same address. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.11 What's this "chat" thing I've heard about? Interactive Relay Chat (IRC) allows several users to send messages to each other over a single "channel" in real time. Some channels are general free-for-alls. Others are dedicated to specific topics. There are two topic channels that may have special interest for readers of t.r.b. One is #tibet -- not sure when the channel operator is around. The other is #buddhist. Try 'em out! If you haven't used IRC before, here are some notes based on the Unix IRCii client (if you use something else, consult the resource listed in the next paragraph -- or better yet, consult someone who also uses the same IRC client). These notes are not entirely correct for 'advanced' users, but if you know what's wrong with them you don't need my advice anyway. :-) Otherwise they will be good enough until you know your way around. If your system has an IRC client installed, just type IRC to get started. If your system does not have an IRC client installed, and you want to know where to find one (or if you just want more info), take a look at <http://www.kei.com/irc.html>. IRC commands start with a forward slash (e.g., /help). Anything typed on a line that does not start with / will be sent to the channel(s) you are on. If you are new to IRC, it is *strongly* suggested that you look at all of the following before doing anything else: /help intro /help newuser /help etiquette Next, try something like /join #buddhist or /join #tibet followed by /who * (note the asterisk) to find out if anyone other than yourself is logged on. If you are alone on the channel, try waiting around for a bit -- if everybody just looked in and left, there would almost never be two people on a channel at the same time! To leave a channel, type /leave * (or just /join a new channel). To quit IRC altogether, type /exit or /quit or /bye.
(*) Buddhism: Intro & Suggestions for newcomers to talk.religion.buddhism (part 1/3) (*) Buddhism: Common questions about Buddhism & glossary (part 2/3) (*) Buddhism: Resources of possible interest to Buddhists (part 3/3)
Buddhism: Common questions about Buddhism & glossary (part 2/3)
- Subject: Buddhism: Common questions about Buddhism & glossary (part 2/3)
- From: jkahila@world.std.com (John Kahila)
- Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 03:13:13 GMT
- Newsgroups: talk.religion.buddhism
Archive-name: buddhism-faq/questions Posting-Frequency: monthly talk.religion.buddhism FAQ -- Part 2 of 3 A centipede was happy quite, Until a frog in fun Said, "Pray, which leg comes after which?" This raised her mind to such a pitch, She lay distracted in the ditch Considering how to run. - Anon (from Oxford Book of Verse for Children) ------------------------------ The FAQ is in three parts. Part 1 gives a full table of contents. The other two parts give only the contents for their sections. Readers of this FAQ may also be interested in other FAQs mentioned in the Resources section. ------------------------------ 3. Occasionally asked questions 3.01 Charter? What charter? 3.02 What is the current flamewar about? 3.03 Do Buddhists worship the Buddha as a deity? 3.04 Do Buddhists believe in God? 3.05 Do Buddhists believe in a soul? 3.05.01 If there is no self, who am I talking to? 3.06 Do Buddhists believe in reincarnation? 3.06.01 If there is no self, what reincarnates? 3.07 What does Buddhism say about sex? 3.08 What does Buddhism say about homosexuality? 3.09 What does Buddhism say about morality in general? 3.10 Are all Buddhists vegetarians? 3.11 Aren't you being a bit obsessive about not-self? 3.12 What do you think of Hesse's _Siddhartha_? 4. Glossary 4.01 Why don't you folks speak English? 4.02 A note on spelling and usage 4.03 A random selection of terms and names 4.04 A random selection of abbreviations and smileys ------------------------------ Subject: 3. Occasionally asked questions ------------------------------ Subject: 3.01 Charter? What charter? Creation of a talk.religion.buddhism newsgroup was formally proposed to news.announce.newgroups on 19 Aug 1994 by Than Vo (thanv@van.oz.au). The results of the vote were 386 YES and 31 NO, plus 1 abstention and 3 invalid ballots. What follows is a lightly edited version of the charter as given in Than's CFV of 21 Sep 1994. (The original can be found at ftp.uu.net /usenet/news.announce.newgroups/talk/talk.religion.buddhism.) CHARTER The newsgroup "talk.religion.buddhism" is open to the discussion of all topics relating to Buddhism as a religion as well as a philosophy. The objectives of this forum are: o To promote Buddhism as founded in India by Gotama Siddharta more than 2,500 years ago; o To promote the understanding of the teachings of Lord Sakyamuni Buddha, who, out of His great compassion towards all beings, showed the path to perfect enlightenment; o To propagate the Tipitaka teachings as found in the Pali Canon; o To collaborate with all schools and denominations of Buddhism in promoting the study and practice of Buddha's teachings; o To promote unity and solidarity of all Buddhists; o To promote mutual understanding, coordination and cooperation among Buddhists in all parts of the world; o To promote Buddhist traditions in developing spiritual values; o To promote the Buddhist virtues of Compassion, Wisdom and Courage for self-development; o To facilitate discussions on all aspects of Buddhism including, but not limited to, Buddhist schools and denominations, within and among Buddhist cultures. o To exchange and communicate understanding of the Buddha's teachings among the ordained, the laity and non-Buddhists; o To facilitate studies of Buddhist philosophy among scholars; o To facilitate dialogue in the form of questions and answers about Buddhism from non-Buddhist adherents of other religions. All discussions shall be resolved in the spirit of Buddhism - in harmony. Buddhism is one of the principal religions, with some 700 millions of Buddhists all over the world. There are also many scholars studying Buddhism in universities. There is a need for a channel of worldwide communication for the Buddhist community -- a serious USENET newsgroup dedicated to Buddhism in general -- so that lay people, ordained Buddhists and non-Buddhists can communicate and exchange freely their experiences and interests. The newsgroup "talk.religion.buddhism" is intended to provide such a needed facility. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.02 What is the current flamewar about? Spring has sprung. No time for flamewars. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.03 Do Buddhists worship the Buddha as a deity? No. The Buddha achieved perfect victory over the causes of rebirth. His Parinirvana was 2500 years ago. All that remain are relics and monuments. Of course Buddhists have religious observances of many kinds, including offerings of fruit and incense before Buddha-images. These practices are an expression of our shared faith and practice, and a means of acquiring merit. They are not gestures of deference to a god. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.04 Do Buddhists believe in God? Buddhism has been characterized as 'atheist' by the Pope and others -- but 'non-eternalist' is a more accurate term. Deities are mentioned many times in the scriptures. People often interpret such references metaphorically (especially in the West); but even if they are taken literally, there is no conflict with the Teaching. However, the idea of an eternal Creator God is contrary to the Buddhist doctrines of anicca and anatta, and is flatly contradicted in scripture (see, for example, the second section of the Brahmajala Sutta, pp.75-83 of Walshe's translation of the Digha Nikaya). Theists, agnostics and atheists are all welcome within Buddhism (and in this group); Buddhists make up their own minds about the existence or nonexistence of deities, if they get around to it. Some people find this question uninteresting, feeling that neither a 'yes' nor a 'no' answer contributes meaningfully to the elimination of suffering. See also next item. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.05 Do Buddhists believe in a soul? Some would say that questions like 3.04 and 3.05 are in the same general category as "Does Nonexistence Exist?" Such questions are unanswerable. But even if one does not take this stand, the semantics of the questions are very difficult. In both cases, someone who answers with a categorical "yes" needs to reconcile the answer with the characteristics of conditioned phenomena: unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), impermanence (anicca) and the nonexistence of a substantial Self (anatta). Those who answer with a categorical "no" face a different set of problems, e.g. making sure that what they are negating is the same as what is being affirmed by the people to whom they are speaking. Suffice it to say that there are ways to give a coherent sense to either answer, if one is so inclined. Is there "something" that is experienced as a self having continuity in time -- a self with will, and joy, and pain? Of course there is, there would be no need for the Buddha's teaching otherwise. But is there a permanent and substantial self? Buddhist doctrine says no. It is not possible to deal with this question adequately in a FAQ. Those who are interested can try starting with _The Questions of Milinda_, a classic Buddhist text in which the matter is considered in some detail (see for instance 'The Distinguishing Marks' beginning at page 34 of I.B. Horner's translation). ------------------------------ 3.05.01 If there is no self, who am I talking to? The word 'self' has a multitude of meanings in English. Not all of those meanings are relevant to the notion of self (//attaa//) that is negated in the doctrine of anatta. Sometimes 'self' is used in English to suggest a permanent identity (or soul) of a type that would be foreign to Buddhist thought. At other times, 'self' is used only to denote a "conventional person" (as in "make yourself at home"); this usage presents no problems. Here is what the _Encyclopedia of Buddhism_ has to say on the subject (from G.P. Malalasekera's article on anatta): Buddhism has no objection to the use of the words //attaa//, or //satta//, or //puggala//, to indicate the individual as a whole, or to distinguish, one person from another, where such distinction is necessary, especially as regards such things as memory and kamma which are private and personal and where it is necessary to recognize the existence of separate lines of continuity (//santaana//). But, even so, these terms should be treated only as labels, binding-conceptions and conventions in language, assisting economy in thought and world and nothing more. Even the Buddha uses them sometimes. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.06 Do Buddhists believe in reincarnation? People who ask this question usually mean transmigration of souls. People who answer it sometimes mean rebirth. This can lead to confusion. Buddhism does not teach transmigration of souls, nor does it teach against it (see 3.05). As long as the 'soul' is regarded as just a bundle of transient phenomena, subject to arising and passing away, transmigration is not objectionable. Of course, that gives both 'soul' and 'reincarnation' meanings quite different from the ones usually intended by people of other faiths, which can lead to miscommunication; thus it is probably best to avoid this usage. If 'soul' is taken in its usual popular sense -- an eternal unchanging something, or a spark of an eternal unchanging perfect Someone -- then the scriptures and commentaries are unanimous in denying its existence: For there is suffering, but none who suffers; Doing exists although there is no doer; Extinction is but no extinguished person; Although there is a path, there is no goer. -- Buddhaghosa, Visuddhimagga XIV 90 (tr. Nanamoli) Usually, someone who uses the word 'reincarnation' means the "re-instantiation" of a substantial and permanent personal essence of some kind -- an atman, or a soul in the sense of some Western religions. The existence of such a thing is rejected in the suttas (except as a convention), and is categorically denied in the Abhidhamma. Discussion of the transmigration of something that doesn't exist is pointless. Buddhism *does* teach liberation from rebirth. Rebirth in this context means bondage to the causes of suffering, not renewed physical embodiment of a permanent spiritual substance in the form of an animal or human. ------------------------------ 3.06.01 If there is no self, what is reborn? One traditional view is that karma and its results "belong" to a particular life continuum, not to the "person" identified with that life continuum in our minds at any particular time. The standard comparison is to a candle: if the flame from one candle is transferred to another, the second flame is "neither the same nor different"; it may have different fuel, but it is still causally connected to the first flame. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.07 What does Buddhism say about sex? Monks, nuns and other ordained persons may (or may not) be expected to observe strict celibacy, depending on the sect they belong to. The laity of most traditions are expected to observe the Precepts, which call for *nonharmful* sexual behavior. At a minimum, this means refraining from sexual behavior that is a cause of non- mindfulness and suffering, our own or anyone else's. In some Buddhist countries it may mean other things as well, reflecting the prevailing values of the cultures involved. Such cultural overlays vary from country to country. If your interest is primarily cultural, you may be able to find a knowledgeable person in a pertinent soc.culture.* group. Please do not crosspost soc.culture.* messages to t.r.b. If you receive information from soc.culture.* that you feel would be of general interest to readers of this newsgroup, please post a separate summary to t.r.b. instead. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.08 What does Buddhism say about homosexuality? Homosexual behavior is off-limits to ordained persons in traditions that follow traditional monastic rules (Vinaya). However, *all* sexual behavior is off-limits in this case; homosexuality is merely one of the forms of proscribed behavior that is explicitly mentioned. Where lay people are concerned, Buddhism says nothing about homosexuality. Individual Buddhists or Buddhist cultures may have views on the subject, but such views are not germane to this FAQ. A good historical overview can be found in _Buddhism, Sexuality and Gender_ (Jose Ignacio Cabezon, ed.); see booklist in Part 3. As a general rule, Buddhists of most major traditions do not regard sexual orientation as being terribly relevant to practice as long as one's sexual behavior is in line with the precepts (see 3.07). ------------------------------ Subject: 3.09 What does Buddhism say about morality in general? In Buddhism, unwholesome behavior is not a sign of defection to the camp of a sinister being. Nor is it a "sin" that brings upon us the wrath of a vengeful God. "Immoral" behavior is a product of mistaken view. It is wrong not because it violates some external set of laws handed down from on high, but because it strengthens the bonds of clinging and engenders suffering. In Buddhism, unwholesome impulses are not things to be violently suppressed by a schizoid act of will; they are to be noted and understood. As we come to recognize how mental defilements give rise to unwholesome attitudes, we will be able to work on developing wholesome attitudes instead. If our behavior does harm, we can try to avoid the twin pitfalls of self-protection and self-flagellation; both reinforce the myth of a substantial self. We can acknowledge errors, try to make amends, and try to have compassion for ourselves as well as others. So much for unwholesome behavior -- what about wholesome behavior? For Buddhists, morality (sila) is behavior that is consistent with the Eightfold Path (see glossary) -- in particular with those parts of the Path that are concerned with body, speech and livelihood. The moral code of Buddhism is summarized in the Precepts (see glossary). The Precepts are not "commandments" in the sense of some Western religions. They are rules of training, intended to help us move closer to liberation and compassionate action. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.10 Are all Buddhists vegetarians? No. The First Precept admonishes us to refrain from killing, but meat eating is not regarded as an instance of killing, and it is not forbidden in the scriptures. (We are speaking here mainly of the Pali scriptures. Some of the Mahayana scriptures, notably the Lankavatara Sutra, take a strong position in favor of vegetarianism.) As recorded in the Pali scriptures, the Buddha did not prohibit consumption of meat, even by monks. In fact, he explicitly rejected a suggestion from Devadatta to do so. In modern Theravada societies, a bhikkhu who adheres to vegetarianism to impress others with his superior spirituality may be committing an infringement of the monastic rules. On the other hand, the Buddha categorically prohibited consumption of the flesh of any animal that was "seen, heard or suspected" to have been killed specifically for the benefit of monks (Jivaka Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya 55). This rule technically applies only to monastics, but it can be used as a reasonable guide by devout lay people. To understand this "middle path" approach to meat-eating, we have to remember that there were no "Buddhists" in Shakyamuni's time. There were only mendicants of various kinds (including the Buddha's disciples), plus lay people who gave them alms out of respect without necessarily worrying about the brand name of the teachings. If meat was what a householder chose to offer, it was to be accepted without discrimination or aversion. To reject such an offering would be an offense against hospitality and would deprive the householder of an opportunity to gain merit -- and it could not benefit the animal, because it was already dead. Even the Jains may have had a similar outlook during the same period of history, despite the strict doctrine of ahimsa. Vegetarianism could not become a source of serious controversy in the bhikkhu sangha until the rise of fixed-abode monastic communities in which the monks did not practice daily alms-round. Any meat provided to such a community by lay people would almost certainly have been killed specifically for the monks. That may be one reason for the difference in Mahayana and Theravada views on meat eating -- the development of monastic communities of this type occurred principally within Mahayana. The issue of meat eating raises difficult ethical questions. Isn't the meat in a supermarket or restaurant killed "for" us? Doesn't meat eating entail killing by proxy? Few of us are in a position to judge meat eaters or anyone else for "killing by proxy." Being part of the world economy entails "killing by proxy" in every act of consumption. The electricity that runs our computers comes from facilities that harm the environment. Books of Buddhist scriptures are printed on paper produced by an industry that destroys wildlife habitat. Worms, insects, rodents and other animals are routinely killed en masse in the course of producing the staples of a vegetarian diet. Welcome to samsara. It is impossible for most of us to free ourselves from this web; we can only strive to be mindful of entanglement in it. One way to do so is to reflect on how the suffering and death of sentient beings contributes to our comfort. This may help us to be less inclined to consume out of mere greed. All of that having been said, it cannot be denied that the economic machine which produces meat also creates fear and suffering for a large number of animals. It is useful to bear this in mind even if one consumes meat, to resist developing a habit of callousness. Many Buddhists (especially Mahayanists) practice vegetarianism as a means of cultivating compassion. The Jivaka Sutta hints that one could also make a good case for vegetarianism starting from any of the other brahmaviharas (see Glossary). Interestingly, it is loving-kindness rather than compassion that is mentioned first in the Jivaka Sutta. If you are considering trying out vegetarianism for the first time, we suggest discussing it with someone who has experience. There are a few issues that ought to be considered regarding balanced diet, etc. ------------------------------ 3.11 Aren't you being a bit obsessive about not-self? Maybe so. It is possible to get carried away with the doctrine of anatta, seeing it as justification for a view that is very close to scientific materialism. Suffice it to say that this is not how most Buddhists see things. It would be very difficult to put together any kind of coherent doctrine of moral responsibility if a person was just a disaggregated assemblage of momentary phenomena. However, the doctrine of anatta tends to receive strong emphasis among Buddhists for several reasons. First, many people who seek to understand Buddhism come from religious backgrounds in which it is customary to speak of a permanent soul. Of course it is not necessary to be a Buddhist to study Buddhism, and disbelief in a soul is not a "requirement" for intellectual understanding (any more than belief in one is a requirement for an intellectual understanding of Christianity). But understanding is not likely to be furthered if one attempts to find an "esoteric" soul doctrine of some kind in the teaching. Second, although Buddhism does not agree with the moral nihilism that some persons see in science (or at least in positivism), it seems that scientific scepticism is more easily reconciled with anatta than with at least some of the religious alternatives. Finally, anatta is proclaimed in the scriptures as one of the two distinctive teachings of the Buddhas (the other being the Four Noble Truths, see Majjhima Nikaya 56.18 [I.380]). Much of Buddhist thought is consistent with other systems of Indian religion and philosophy; but these two doctrines are unique. ------------------------------ 3.12 What do you think of Hesse's _Siddhartha_? This is a nice book that says a lot about Hesse's views about spirituality and freedom. But it does not say a whole lot about Buddhism, nor did Hesse intend for it to do so. The main character in _Siddhartha_ is *not* the Buddha -- in fact, the Siddhartha of the title meets the Buddha and ultimately decides to follow a different path. _Siddhartha_ has about the same relationship to orthodox Buddhism that Nikos Kazantzakis' _The Last Temptation of Christ_ has to orthodox Christianity -- which is to say, it's a good read but not exactly canonical. :-) ------------------------------ Subject: 4. Glossary The following glossary is offered to help with words sometimes seen in posts in t.r.b. This list is not intended to be comprehensive or doctrinally precise -- the definitions given here are only intended as a rough guide, to orient readers who are unfamiliar with the terminology. If you believe important terms are missing, feel free to email the FAQ maintainer with suggestions. NOTE: Some proper names and sects are included here. Most are not. Inclusion in the glossary does not reflect the FAQ maintainer's opinion (or anybody else's) of the importance of a person or sect. At most, it only reflects the history of discourse in t.r.b. If you want a glossary entry for Vairocana, start a thread and it may happen. The abbreviation guide is for those who haven't yet gotten used to BTW, IMHO, etc. ------------------------------ Subject: 4.01 Why don't you folks speak English? Buddhism has several canonical languages. The chief ones are Pali (the main language of the Theravada canon) and Sanskrit (the main language of the Mahayana canon). Other languages that are sometimes encountered: Sinhalese (Sri Lanka), Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan. (These are not all of the languages of Buddhism -- they are only the languages of the earliest versions of key scriptures and commentaries.) Terms transliterated from Asian languages have an undeniable in-group appeal -- but there are other (and better) reasons for using them. One reason is simply that these "foreign" terms have the authority of 2500 years of tradition in many cases, and are understood by members of all Buddhist traditions (even if their first language is something like Finnish or Swahili). Another reason is that the words that would have to be used to render a Pali or Sanskrit technical term into English (or any other living language) are inevitably freighted with unintended meanings. The advantage of using a "dead" language is that semantic precision becomes less of a moving target. ------------------------------ Subject: 4.02 A note on spelling and usage In cases where more than one choice for a word is available, the FAQ maintainer has a tendency to favor Pali. Some attempt has been made to indicate equivalent terms in other languages, but this has not been done in all cases. If you find another spelling more natural, send email to the FAQ maintainer so that the alternative spelling can be included. No attempt has been made to preserve diacritical marks. ------------------------------ Subject: 4.03 A random selection of terms and names Note: A number of the following definitions are adapted from Nyanatiloka's _Buddhist Dictionary_. Readers who are looking for (Pali) terms not defined here, or who need more precise definitions or references to the scriptures, are encouraged to consult Nyanatiloka. The Nanamoli/Bodhi translation of the Majjhima Nikaya also contains discussions of many terms. (See book list in section 5 for more info.) aggregate(s) - See khandha. alaya-vijnana - Usually rendered 'storehouse consciousness'. In Yogacara philosophy, this is the underlying stratum of existence that is 'perfumed' by volitional actions and thus 'stores' the moral effects of kamma. Note that it is regarded as a conditioned phenomenon, not as a 'soul' in the sense of Western religion. The theory is most fully elaborated by Vasubandhu in //Vij~napti-maatrataa-tri.msikaa// and by Dharmapala in //Vij~napti-maatrataa-siddhi-"saastra//. The doctrine of alaya-vijnana greatly influenced Chinese Buddhism and sects derived from it (e.g. Zen). See also bhavanga. Amitabha Buddha (Jap. Amida butsu) - 'Limitless Light.' In Mahayana, the Buddha of the Western Paradise (the Pure Land). Also encountered in the aspect of Amitayuh (or Amitayus), 'Limitless Life.' Pure Land Buddhists practice recitation of the name of Amitabha. anatta (Skt. anatman) - No-self. One of the Three Characteristics (q.v.). anicca (Skt. anitya) - Impermanence. One of the Three Characteristics. antinomianism - The idea that the Elect are above the moral law (as in some versions of 'justification by faith not by works'). arahant (Skt. arhat) - One who has attained enlightenment. asava - a 'taint' that obstructs progress toward enlightenment. The Abhidhamma lists four asavas (perhaps for convenient identification with the four supramundane paths?): sensual desire, desire for eternal existence, speculative opinions and ignorance. The Suttas usually list only three asavas, omitting explicit mention of the taint of speculative opinions (but it is referred to implicitly, e.g. at MN 2). Avalokiteshvara (Tib. Chenrezi, Chin. Kwan-Yin or Guanyin, Jap. Kannon) - Mahayana Bodhisattva of Compassion avijja (Skt. avidya) - ignorance bhavanga - Sometimes rendered 'life-stream'. In Theravada Buddhism, this is the underlying stratum of existence that is used to explain memory and other 'temporal' phenomena such as moral accountability. It is described by Buddhaghosa and others as the natural condition of mind, bright and shining and free from impurity. Note that it is regarded as a conditioned phenomenon, not as a 'soul' in the sense of Western religion. (The Sarvastivadin/Mahayana treatment of bhavanga is different.) See also alaya-vijnana. bhikkhu, bhikkhuni (Skt. bhikshu, bhikshuni) - monk, nun bodhisattva (Pali bodhisatta) - A future Buddha. brahmaviharas - Four "sublime abidings" (lit. 'abodes of Brahma') that accompany spiritual development, consisting of compassion, loving kindness, sympathetic joy for others, and equanimity toward the pleasant and the unpleasant. Buddha - The Enlightened (or Awakened) One. The First Refuge of the Triple Gem. Chogye (alt. Jogye) - largest Buddhist sect in Korea conditioned phenomena - Phenomena (dhammas) constituted of the five khandas (Skt. skandhas), objects for paticcasamuppada (Skt. pratityasamutpada), subject to arising and passing away. With a handful of exceptions (notably Enlightenment itself), all phenomena fall into this category. daimoku - The practice of chanting "Nam (or Namu) Myoho Renge Kyo" in Japanese Lotus Sutra Buddhism. Myoho Renge Kyo is the sutra's name in Japanese. (His Holiness the 14th) Dalai Lama - Leader of the Tibetan people in exile. Vajrayana Buddhists regard him as the living embodiment of Avalokiteshvara (q.v.). Most other Buddhists, including Theravadins, revere him as a teacher of very high spiritual attainment who works tirelessly for peace and goodwill. dana - The practice of giving to accumulate merit. defilement - see kilesa dependent arising, dependent origination - See paticcasamuppada. dharma (Pali dhamma) - When spelled this way (not capitalized), means roughly "phenomenon." Dharma (Pali Dhamma) - When spelled this way (capitalized), refers to the Teachings of the Buddha. The Second Refuge of the Triple Gem. dukkha - Often rendered as "suffering," but can span the whole range from excruciating pain to not-getting-what-I-want. One of the Three Characteristics (q.v.). (Noble) Eightfold Path - The Path of the Fourth Noble Truth: Right Understanding, Right Thinking, Right Speech, Right Attitude, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration. epistemology - In philosophy, the study of the nature and limits of knowledge. fetter - See samyojana. Five Aggregates - See khandha. Four Noble Truths - Suffering. Suffering has a cause. Suffering has an end. There is a path that leads to the cessation of suffering (see Eightfold Path). Gautama (alt. Gotama) - Family name of the Buddha. Heart Sutra - The Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra, one of several "perfection of wisdom" sutras in the Mahayana scriptures. Calculatedly paradoxical in its language ("there is no suffering, cause, cessation or path"). Central to most Mahayana schools. hermeneutics - The science of interpretation or exegesis of Scripture. Hinayana - Lesser Vehicle. According to Walshe, this term was originally coined by Mahayana polemicists to distinguish their path (seen as a 'greater vehicle' with room for all) from the path of the Sarvastivadins (seen as a 'lesser vehicle' with room for only one at a time). Over time, it came to be applied to the only surviving member of the original 'eighteen schools' of Southern Buddhism, Theravada (q.v.). Many Buddhists prefer the term Theravada, because 'Hinayana' is perceived to have negative connotations. hindrance - see nivarana; not to be confused with nirvana. :-) insight meditation -- See vipassana. Jodo - Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. Jodo Shinshu - The largest Jodo sect in modern Japan (in fact, the largest Buddhist sect of any kind in Japan, as far as the FAQ maintainer knows). See Shinran Shonin. karma (Pali kamma) - Literally, "action." Often translated "cause and effect." karuna - Compassion. One of the brahmaviharas. khandha (Skt. skandha) - One of the Five Aggregates of Clinging: matter (rupakhandha), sensations (vedanakhandha), perceptions (sannakhandha), mental formations (sankharakhandha), consciousness (vinnanakhandha). A starting point for Buddhist psychology. kilesa (Skt. klesha) - one of ten 'defilements' that are to be overcome through training, viz. greed, hate, delusion, conceit, speculative views, skeptical doubt, mental torpor, restlessness, lack of shame, and lack of moral dread. (A related term, upakkilesa, is also sometimes translated as 'defilement' but 'impurities' may be preferable in that case. Nyanatiloka's dictionary has a discussion.) Lotus Sutra - The Saddharmapundarika Sutra, one of the Mahayana scriptures. Lotus Sutra Buddhists sometimes practice recitation of the title of the sutra. See daimoku. mappo - A prophesied end time of decadent Dharma in Japan. Several Buddhist traditions that arose in 12th century Japan (notably the practices of Nichiren and Shinran) are historically unintelligible unless seen against the backdrop of this prophecy. Mahayana - Greater Vehicle. The northern branch of Buddhism. More doctrinally liberal than Theravada (recognizes several non-historical sutras as canonical -- it should be noted, however, that even Theravada gives canonical authority to some non-historical works, such as the Jatakas or the Abhidhamma for that matter). Strong focus on alleviation of suffering of all sentient beings. metta - Loving kindness. One of the brahmaviharas. mettabhavana - A meditation practice that develops loving kindness toward all sentient beings. mindfulness - See sati. mudita - Sympathetic joy. One of the brahmaviharas. nembutsu - The practice of chanting "Namu Amida Butsu" in Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. See Amitabha. Nichiren Daishonin - Twelfth-century founder of a practice that is the basis of a number of Lotus Sutra (q.v.) sects in Japan. Nichiren Shoshu - A Nichiren sect founded in Japan in the foothills of Mt. Fuji in the 13th century. Its head temple is Taisekiji Temple. Nichiren Shu - A Nichiren sect founded in Japan at Mt. Minobu in the 13th century. Its head temple is Kuonji Temple. nirhoda - Cessation. (Specifically, the cessation of suffering in the Third Noble Truth.) nirvana (Pali nibbana) - Absolute extinction of suffering and its causes. nivarana - One of five 'hindrances' that obstruct the development of concentration and insight: sensual desire, ill will, sloth-and-torpor, restlessness and skeptical doubt. The scriptures compare them respectively to water mixed with colors, boiling water, water covered by moss, water whipped by wind, and muddy water. ontology - In philosophy, the branch of metaphysics that deals with the notion of Being per se, as opposed to specific instances of it (such as God). Buddhist philosophy is somewhat allergic to the notion of Being in the sense of Western and/or Hindu philosophy, so most of what passes for ontological discourse in other philosophies would be considered unintelligible in Buddhism. parinirvana (Pali parinibbana) - The end of the Buddha's physical existence (i.e., his death). paticcasamuppada (Skt. pratityasamutpada) - Dependent origination. The twelve-stage process that leads from ignorance to rebirth. pratyekabuddha (Pali paccekabuddha) - A 'solitary awakened one'. Sometimes used as a term of reproof, to refer to students who get entangled in personal striving for illumination. One of the characteristic marks of pratyekabuddhas is that they do not teach. Precepts - A basic set of standards for moral conduct: to refrain from killing, stealing, harmful sexual behavior, lying and the use of intoxicants. These are the five "normal" precepts for the laity; more extensive sets may apply to persons in special circumstances, e.g. the monastic community. Pure Land - See Amitabha. samadhi - Concentration (as in the 'right concentration' of the Eightfold Path). A state of one-pointedness of mind achievable through certain forms of meditation. samatha (Skt. shamatha) - 'Calmness' meditation, a set of techniques for developing one-pointedness of mind. Cf. samadhi and sati. samsara - (lit. 'wandering together') The wheel of suffering and rebirth. samyojana - one of ten 'fetters' that tie beings to the wheel of birth and death. They are: belief in a substantial self, skeptical doubt, clinging to rules and ritual, sensual craving, ill will, craving for fine-material existence, craving for immaterial existence, conceit (mana), restlessness and ignorance. The first five are the 'lower' fetters; the second five are the 'upper' fetters. In the Stream Enterer the first three fetters have been destroyed; in the Once-Returner the next two are weakened, and in the Non-Returner they are destroyed; in the Arahant all fetters have been destroyed. Sangha - A word with several associations. One meaning refers specifically to the Aryasangha (Pali Ariyasangha -- those who have attained to the supramundane Path). Another meaning is the patimokkha sangha -- the community of ordained monks and nuns. Western Mahayanists sometimes use the word in yet a third sense, to refer to the "mahasangha" -- the community of all believers. The Sangha that is referred to in the Triple Gem is the Ariyasangha; from an orthodox viewpoint (whether Theravada or Mahayana), beings who have not cut off the defilements are not a satisfactory object of refuge. sati (Skt. smrti, Jap. nen) - Mindfulness (as in the 'right mindfulness' of the Eightfold Path). Consciousness of/attention to experience here and now. Cf. vipassana and samadhi. Satipatthana Sutta - The Discourse on the Basis of Mindfulness, a fundamental Buddhist scripture describing methods of meditation. (Also cited by its Digha Nikaya title: Mahasatipatthana Sutta = the Greater Discourse on the Basis of Mindfulness.) sensei - Teacher. Title of respect in Japan. Shakyamuni - Sage of the Shakya clan. Common epithet of the Buddha. Shingon - A Japanese Vajrayana sect. Shinran Shonin - Twelfth-century founder of Jodo Shinshu. skandha - see khandha. skillful means - Creating good causes for sentient beings to enter onto the Path. This includes practicing the five perfections, explaining the Dharma in language a hearer can understand, etc. Siddhartha (Pali Siddhatta) - Personal name of the Buddha. Soka Gakkai International (SGI) - A Buddhist lay organization founded in the 20th century and formerly affiliated with Nichiren Shoshu. Its headquarters is located in Tokyo. soteriology - The study of salvation. spam - Usenet slang for posting the same message (separately) to a large number of groups, usually ones for which the message is totally off-topic. Frequently combined with trolling (q.v.) in order to maximize the effect. Also popular with mass advertisers. Not to be confused with velveeta (q.v.). sublime abidings - See brahmaviharas. sutra (Pali sutta) - In Theravada, a historical discourse of the Buddha as passed down by oral tradition and ultimately committed to writing (the Suttapitaka was not actually compiled in written form until circa 80 B.C.E., around the same time as the earliest Mahayana sutras were set down in writing). In Mahayana, the set of canonical sutras is enlarged to include some nonhistorical sermons -- the Heart Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, etc. taint - see asava. Tathagata - The Thus-Gone One. An epithet of the Buddha. thera, theri - elder monk, elder nun. Theravada - The Way of the Elders. The southern branch of Buddhism. More doctrinally conservative than Mahayana (narrower conception of what is canonical). Strong focus on correct practice and right conduct. Thich Nhat Hanh - A contemporary Vietnamese Zen monk and campaigner for peace. Among other things, he has suggested a 'positive' interpretation of the Precepts: Reverence for Life, Generosity, Sexual Responsibility, Deep Listening and Loving Speech, and Mindful Consumption. Three Characteristics - All conditioned phenomena are unsatisfactory, impermanent and devoid of Self. Three Poisons - Used as a synonym for the three unwholesome roots (q.v.). We are not aware of any use of this precise expression in the Pali Canon, but the English usage is fairly well established. Not to be confused with the 'taints' (see asava). Three Unwholesome Roots - three conditions that determine the moral quality of unskillful volitional actions, viz. greed (lobha), hate (dosa) and delusion (moha). Sometimes translated in other ways, e.g. lust, ill-will and ignorance. See also kilesa. Three Wholesome Roots - three conditions that determine the moral quality of skillful volitional actions, viz. non-greed, non-hate and non-delusion. Tipitaka (Skt. Tripitaka) - The Three Baskets of Buddhist scripture, comprised of the Suttapitaka (the discourses), the Vinayapitaka (rules governing the monastic order) and the Abhidhammapitaka (Buddhist psychology). There are significant differences between the Theravada and Mahayana canons. Triple Gem - The Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. trolling - Usenet slang for the act of posting something incendiary, with the intent of provoking argument. upekkha - Equanimity. One of the brahmaviharas. Vajrayana - Sometimes translated Thunderbolt Vehicle (or Diamond Vehicle). A development of Mahayana Buddhism that includes several features of Indian philosophy not found elsewhere (e.g., tantric yoga). Strong emphasis on teacher-student relationship. velveeta - A product that is rumored to resemble cheese. Also Usenet slang for the practice of crossposting a message to a large number of unrelated groups. vetulyavada - This term or one of its cognates (vetulyaka, vetullaka, vaipulyavada, etc.) is found in a few Theravada sources, e.g. at Kathavatthu XXIII. Originally, the terms designated a pre- (possibly proto-) Mahayana doctrine that was regarded as heretical by the more orthodox. Later, some Theravada writers may have adopted it as a polemical label for Mahayana per se -- which is reminiscent of the history and use of the word 'hinayana' by certain Mahayana writers. See hinayana. vipassana (Skt. vipashyana) - Insight, seeing things as they are. Also used to refer to insight meditation, a technique that develops attention to the arising and passing away of conditioned phenomena (Theravada) or attention to the emptiness of conditioned phenomena (Mahayana). Zen (Chin. Ch'an) - A Buddhist tradition founded in China as a result of the teaching of Bodhidharma, circa 475 C.E. Found today mostly in Vietnam, Japan and Korea (and of course various centers in the West). ------------------------------ Subject: 4.04 A random selection of abbreviations and smileys Some common abbreviations found in all newsgroups: AFAIK As far as I know (O)BTW (Oh,) By the way FAQ Frequently Asked Question (or a document addressing such) FWIW For what it's worth IM(((E/N/O)S)H)O In my (((ever/not/oh) so) humble) opinion ng newsgroup (often uncapitalized) OTOH On the other hand RO(T)FL Rolling on (the) floor laughing YHBT You have been trolled (i.e., you have fallen for a provocative post from somebody who was out to create a bit of mischief) YMMV Your mileage may vary Some common abbreviations on the Buddhist newsgroups: BCE Before current (or common) era; synonymous with B.C. CE Current (or common) era; synonymous with A.D. DN Digha Nikaya, one of the collections of suttas in the Sutta Pitaka (see tipitaka in glossary; also book list) HH(DL) His Holiness (the 14th Dalai Lama) MN Majjhima Nikaya, one of the collections of suttas in the Sutta Pitaka (see tipitaka in glossary; see also book list) Some smileys: <g> short for <grin>, indicates humorous intent :-) "normal" smiley (humorous intent ... look at it sideways) ;-) "winking" smiley (somewhat more impish intent) :-( unsmiley (regret) :) ;) :( same as the preceding, for people who don't know where the '-' key is on international keyboards :-) =8-O Yikes! More comprehensive lists of abbreviations and smileys are available at various places on the Net. One good source for smileys (and many other things) is the Electronic Frontier Foundation: <http://www.eff.org/> (EFF home page) <http://www.eff.org/papers/eegtti/eeg-286.html> (smileys)
(*) Buddhism: Intro & Suggestions for newcomers to talk.religion.buddhism (part 1/3) (*) Buddhism: Common questions about Buddhism & glossary (part 2/3) (*) Buddhism: Resources of possible interest to Buddhists (part 3/3)
Buddhism: Resources of possible interest to Buddhists (part 3/3)
- Subject: Buddhism: Resources of possible interest to Buddhists (part 3/3)
- From: jkahila@world.std.com (John Kahila)
- Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 03:13:58 GMT
- Newsgroups: talk.religion.buddhism
Archive-name: buddhism-faq/resources Posting-Frequency: monthly talk.religion.buddhism FAQ -- Part 3 of 3 Intimacy in the society of the holy, Conversation in the society of the learned, And friendship with the unselfish. These will cause no regrets. -- Nagarjuna ------------------------------ The FAQ is in three parts. Part 1 gives a full table of contents. The other two parts give only the contents for their sections. Readers of this FAQ may also be interested in other FAQs mentioned in the Resources section. ------------------------------ 5. Resources of possible interest to Buddhists 5.01 Some Internet sites 5.02 Online scriptures and related material 5.03 Sites mostly devoted to specific practices 5.04 Other sites of possible interest 5.05 Mailing lists 5.06 Electronic journals 5.07 Newsgroups 5.08 A random selection of books 5.09 Bookstores, etc. 5.10 Bulletin Boards, etc. 5.11 Meditation Centers 5.12 Overlapping interests 5.13 Cults and other forms of abuse ------------------------------ Subject: 5. Resources of possible interest to Buddhists Much of the information that follows is a condensed version of Hsuan Peng's excellent (and much more comprehensive) "Buddhist Internet Pointers" list. See 5.01. The FAQ maintainer attempts to visit listed Net sites once in a while to be sure that links are still valid, but it is not possible to monitor all listed sites on a regular basis. If you become aware of changes, please send email to the FAQ maintainer so that the FAQ can be updated. This list is offered mainly as a service to those who do not have (or have not yet learned how to use) the powerful search capabilities available through some resources on the Internet. If you have a Web browser, you are better off generating a list yourself; it will be more focused and more up to date, and you will not be constrained by the FAQ maintainer's tastes. There are many good free search services available. Three of them are: Lycos <http://lycos.cs.cmu.edu/> WebCrawler <http://netcrawler.com/> InfoSeek <http://www2.infoseek.com/> Note: InfoSeek runs two services. The one listed here is free; the other is not. If any problems arise because of inadvertent confusion of the two services, send an email note to InfoSeek and they will be happy to straighten things out. ------------------------------ Subject: 5.01 Some Internet sites The Number One nifty site has to be the Coombs Virtual Library, at the Australian National University. It has links to all sorts of stuff, plus a wealth of information of its own related to a vast range of traditions and topics. <http://coombs.anu.edu.au/CoombsHome.html> <http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVL-Buddhism.html> <ftp://coombs.anu.edu.au/coombspapers/otherarchives/> Access To Insight/DharmaNet Home Page <http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index.html> Australian BuddhaNet Home Page <http://www2.hawkesbury.uws.edu.au/BuddhaNet/> Buddhist Internet Pointers (Hsuan Peng/Connie Neal resource list) <http://www-personal.umich.edu/~dalef/hp-resources.html> <ftp://ftp.louisville.edu/pub/it/listfiles/buddha-l/> text version Buddhist scholarly resources <http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/e-cbs.htm> CEAL Buddhism page <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~felsing/cstuff/bud.html> Nicely organized, includes links to sources on China and other stuff. A bunch of stuff in Chinese, including some sutra texts. Some nice GIFs. Most of this needs special software (the cognoscenti tell me it's in BIG-5). For info on Chinese language, see 5.04. <gopher://dongpo.math.ncu.edu.tw:70/00/buda/about/budanet.eng/> <http://www.ee.ntu.edu.tw/~b83050/> slow link Cornell AsiaLink <http://cucjk.eap.cornell.edu/asialink/asialink.html> The /teaching/AAR_courses/ subdirectory contains materials related to courses taught at Cornell on Zen and the Lotus Sutra. Dharma Electronic Files Archive (DEFA) <http://sunsite.unc.edu/dharma/defa.html> <ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/academic/religious_studies/Buddhism/DEFA/> HAIB - Ecumenical Buddhist site <http://www.aloha.net/~albloom/haib> Journal of Buddhist Ethics resource list <http://www.cac.psu.edu/jbe/resource.html> Mind Only Cafe <http://www.uncwil.edu/sys$disk1/wilsonj/mind-only-cafe.html> Schedules for a large number of dharma centers <http://www.accesstoinsight.org/centers/home.html> Sitting meditation sites <http://www.accesstoinsight.org/patipatti.html> Tiger Team Buddhist Information Network <http://www.newciv.org/TigerTeam/> Zen centers (a good worldwide list) <http://www.iijnet.or.jp/iriz/irizhtml/centers.htm> ------------------------------ Subject: 5.02 Online scriptures and related material Dhammapada Heart Sutra Mahamangala sutta <ftp://coombs.anu.edu.au/coombspapers/otherarchives/ electronic-buddhist-archives/buddhism-general/e-texts/sutras-translations/> (Should be all on one line. Sorry for splitting it, but wrapping seemed even worse.) Parinirvana Sutra <http://www.well.com/user/devaraja/parinirvana.html> A condensed version of the much longer Mahaparinibbana Sutta. A variety of miscellaneous items (e.g., several sutta translations in the BPS Wheel series) are available from DEFA. See section 5.01. Claude Huss has made a number of Jodo Shinshu texts available at his White Path Temple site <http://www.mew.com/shin/>. Material in English, Japanese and Chinese (last two require special display software). Includes an English translation of the Tannisho. For the serious specialist, the entire Tipitaka and Atthakatha (plus a few miscellaneous items such as the Milindapanha) are available on CD-ROM in Thai and Romanized Pali, via Mahidol University in Thailand and its American representatives. This material is *not in English*. Package includes software for display and cross-referencing. More info: <http://www.mahidol.ac.th/budsir/budsir-main.html>. Some Tibetan materials are available on CD-ROM from the Asian Classics Input Project at Princeton. More info: <http://acip.princeton.edu/>. A collection of Shin Buddhist texts (Shinshu Seiten) is now available on 8mm mini CD-ROM. In Japanese, and in Sony DataMan format (special software will be needed both for display and for format handling). More info: FAX +81-75-341-7753. EiHeiJi Temple plans to issue a commemorative Dogen CD-ROM (in Japanese, special display software needed). More info: FAX +81-776-63-3894. A number of transcription projects are associated with the Electronic Buddhist Text Initiative. There is an EBTI Web page at the International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism (IRIZ): <http://www.iijnet.or.jp/iriz/irizhtml/ebti/ebtie.htm>. Sri Lanka Buddhist Canon Project <http://www.gold.ac.uk/history/ibric.htm> In collaboration with the Journal of Buddhist Ethics, the International Buddhist Research and Information Center (IBRIC) in Sri Lanka has made available on the Web a downloadable version of the Buddha Jayanti edition of the complete Pali scriptures. Supplied in both Mac and PC versions, in romanized Pali *without English translations*. Translations and search software are being considered for a later time. Nice fonts supplied also. ------------------------------ Subject: 5.03 Sites mostly devoted to specific practices Pure Land <http://www.mew.com/shin/> (White Path Temple -- Jodo Shinshu) <http://www.aloha.net/~rtbloom/shinran/> (Shin Buddhist Network) <http://www.well.com/user/shinshu/SBRC/> (Shin Buddhist Resource Center) <http://www.well.com/user/shinshu/enmanji.html> (Enmanji Buddhist Temple, Sebastopol California) Nichiren <http://www.pacifier.com/~neilmike/> (Nichiren Shu) <http://www.concentric.net/~fufufuse/hokkekai.html> (Hokke Kai Intl) <http://www.primenet.com/~martman/ns.html> (Nichiren Shoshu) <http://www.sgi-usa.org/Ichinet/> (Soka Gakkai International) Karma@cybernetics.com (email for alt.religion.buddhism.nichiren FAQ) Tendai <http://quietmountain.com/dharmacenters/buddhadendo/TENDAI.HTM> Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (Sangharakshita) <http://www.fwbo.org/> <http://web.mit.edu/benbr/www/FWBOHOME.HTM> Theravada <http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/freeport/sigs/religion/buddhism/menu> (NCF Buddhism Home Page in Ottawa) <http://rampages.onramp.net/~vip/> (Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka) tbm@usa.net (email for info on Theravada Buddhist Ministries) Vajrayana <http://faraday.clas.virginia.edu/~wam7c/> (Asynchronous School of Buddhist Dialectics) <http://www.comet.chv.va.us/ligmincha/> (Ligmincha Institute - Bon and Dzogchen) <http://www.dzogchen.org/> (Dzogchen Foundation/Lama Surya Das) <http://www.nyingma.org/> (Nyingma Centers) <http://144.92.74.130/> (Karma Kagyu home page) <http://www.maui.net/~tsurphu/karmapa/> (Tsurphu Foundation -- the other Karma Kagyu home page) <http://www.shambhala.org/> (Shambhala Community home page - Trungpa Rinpoche) <http://www.ism.net/~swd/osel.html> (Osel Shen Phen Ling -- Missoula MT -- mandala screensaver for DOS) Zen <ftp://ftp.portal.com/pub/ss/Usenet/FAQs/> (alt.zen FAQ) <http://sunsite.unc.edu/zen/> (zen@sunsite - includes faq for alt.zen) <http://www.well.com/user/btanaka/dw.html> (DharmaWeb) <http://oac11.hsc.uth.tmc.edu/zen/index.html> (Chogye Zen home page) <http://www.dongguk.ac.kr:80/DGU/College/Kyongju/Budcul/Budweb/> (Dongguk University Buddhist Web Page) <http://www.well.com/user/devaraja/index.html> (Zen Hospice Project) <http://www.iijnet.or.jp/iriz/irizhtml/irizhome.htm> (International Research Institute for Zen at Hanazono U., Kyoto) <http://www.kwanumzen.com/> (Kwan Um school of Zen) ------------------------------ Subject: 5.04 Other sites of possible interest alt.buddha.short.fat.guy - here, have a cigar <http://student-www.uchicago.edu/users/chulbe/absfg/absfg.html> El Dupree's Tex-Mex Cantina and Sports Bar home page Asian Art <http://webart.com/asianart/> <http://www.lotusstudio.com/dama-art.htm> Asian WWW resources <http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVLPages/WhatsNewWWW/asian-www-news.html> China -- some online resources <http://www.urz.uni-heidelberg.de/subject/hd/fak8/sin/> (the country) <http://herb.biol.uregina.ca/liu/> (the language) Classical Chinese and Chinese Buddhist dictionaries and other stuff <http://www2.gol.com/users/acmuller/index.html> Dictionaries mainly intended for translators, and thus organized by radical. However, with a lot of patience it can be used to find Chinese equivalents for Buddhist terms in other languages. Many other useful things at this site. Council on East Asian Libraries (CEAL) <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~felsing/ceal/welcome.html> Has a list of East Asian Internet resources by country. Fonts <http://faraday.clas.virginia.edu/~wam7c/fp/font_hp.html> <http://babel.uoregon.edu/Yamada/guides.html> (Klingon fonts!) <gopher://gopher.cc.columbia.edu:71/00/clioplus/scholarly/SouthAsia /Teaching/ILM/fonts.ilm> (should be all on one line) <ftp://coombs.anu.edu.au/coombspapers/otherarchives/asian-studies-archives/> especially the asian-computing/ and tibetan-archive/ subdirectories. In particular, the asian-computing/ subdirectory contains WPSKRIT2.EXE, a self-extracting ZIP file with bit-mapped HP Laserjet-compatible Times Roman fonts w/diacritics for Sanskrit and Japanese, and drivers for Word Perfect 5.0, 5.1 and 6.0 (warmest thanks to Jamie Hubbard for making this resource freely available on the Net). Human Languages Page <http://www.willamette.edu/~tjones/Language-Page.html> International Institute for Asian Studies <http://iias.leidenuniv.nl/> (Web page is in English) <gopher://oasis.leidenuniv.nl/> (gopher menu is in Dutch) Internet -- some online resources <http://scwww.ucs.indiana.edu/NetRsc/usenet.html> (not for the faint of heart) Japanese-English and Japanese-German dictionaries for various platforms <ftp://ftp.monash.edu.au/pub/nihongo/> There's a lot of interesting stuff at this site. Read the INDEX file first (it's annotated) to get a feel for what's available. Japanese-language Internet usage issues (FAQ) <http://cswww2.essex.ac.uk/users/whean/japanese/pcfaq.html> Japanese Translation <http://www.realtime.net/~adamrice/> (Honyaku home page) Mac newsreader that supports killfiles (freeware) <http://www.ese.ogi.edu/pub/network/newswatcher/>. Philosophy -- some online resources <ftp://ftp.cc.monash.edu.au/pub/library/guides/phlguide.txt> Various things in Sanskrit, mostly non-Buddhist (e.g. the Mahabharata) <ftp://bombay.oriental.cam.ac.uk/pub/john> <ftp://ccftp.kyoto-su.ac.jp/pub/doc/sanskrit> <ftp://ftp.bcc.ac.uk/pub/users/ucgadkw/indology> Usually no indices -- you'll have to feel your way around based on filenames, which tend to be fairly informative. Tibet <http://www.manymedia.com/tibet/index.html> (Free Tibet home page) Tibetan dictionary for DOS <ftp://ftp.niif.spb.su/tibet/software/dos/t.arj> Be patient; this FTP site (in St. Petersburg!) allows only 5 anonymous users at a time. Issue the following FTP commands to download the two dictionary-related files: binary get t.arj ascii get t.readme Read t.readme before doing anything else. To un-archive t.arj, get a copy of ARJ242B.EXE from <ftp://ftp.pht.com/pub/msdos/arcutils/> or another site. This is a self-extracting version of the ARJ archive utility; just type ARJ242B and it will set itself up (it is preferable to do this in a separate subdirectory). The dictionary *must* be installed in a directory named \T (note that this directory is 'off the root' -- you will need to create \T if a directory of that name does not yet exist, and you may need to move files if you already have a directory named \T). Type arj e c:\t\t.arj \t *.* to extract the complete set of dictionary files (this assumes that you are installing the dictionary in c:). Note: this dictionary is shareware, *not* freeware; if you plan to use it, Jim Valby asks for a contribution of $15. His address is in the t.readme file. ------------------------------ Subject: 5.05 Mailing lists A few mailing lists have "live" moderators who handle subscriptions; in these cases, one usually sends a short email request to join the list. Most lists with subscription addresses ending in -request are of this type. More often, subscriptions are "automated" by programs like listserv or majordomo. In these cases, it is usually necessary to send an email message with a special syntax in order to subscribe. Typically, listserv wants you to provide a name, while majordomo wants you to provide a designated address for email. Most of the "automated" list processors will send you a summary of available commands in response to the message help Please remember that messages to "automated" list processors should normally be placed in the body of the text, not in the email subject line. Exceptions, if any, will be noted below. In the instructions below, "your_firstname your_lastname" should be replaced with your own first name and last name. For example, if I wanted to subscribe to the Jodo Shinshu forum I would send the command sub a-shinshu-forum John Kahila to listserv@netcom.com. Similarly, "your_email_address" should be replaced with your own email address. For example, if I wanted to subscribe to Universal Zendo I would send the command sub zendo jkahila@world.std.com to majordomo@traveller.com. NOTE! If you decide to stop reading a mailing list, *please* do not send the "unsubscribe" request to the list itself unless you are sure that that is the normal procedure. Normally the correct procedure is to send the request to the list processor (in the case of listserv or majordomo) or to the -request address or other address for the list moderator (in the case of "live" moderators). The message normally looks a lot like a subscription request, except with "unsub" in place of "sub". Bodhi News - Buddhism Study Group at Urbana-Champaign To subscribe, send a short message to bodhi@uiuc.edu. Buddha-L - An academic Buddhism discussion group To subscribe, send the command: sub buddha-l your_firstname your_lastname to listserv@ulkyvm.louisville.edu. Buddhist - An academic Buddhism discussion group To subscribe, send the command: sub buddhist your_firstname your_lastname to listserv@vm1.mcgill.ca. buddhist-philosophy - For general discussions of Buddhist philosophy To subscribe, send the command: sub buddhist-philosophy your_firstname your_lastname to listserv@think.net. DailyZen - A daily dose of Zen wisdom To subscribe, send a message with your full name to mAmund@iac.net. Include the word "DailyZen" in your subject line. Dharma-talk - Forum for discussions, information, announcements To subscribe, send the command: sub dharma-talk your_email_address to majordomo@saigon.com. Indology - An academic discussion group on early Indian language etc. To subscribe, send the command: sub indology your_firstname your_lastname to listserv@liverpool.ac.uk. Insight - A practice-oriented vipassana list To subscribe, send the command: sub insight to majordomo@world.std.com. Jodo Shinshu To subscribe, send the command: sub a-shinshu-forum your_firstname your_lastname to listserv@netcom.com. Shingon/Mikkyo To subscribe, send a short email message to axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au (Iain Sinclair). Familiarity with mikkyo (Japanese vajrayana) is a prerequisite for joining the list. Tibet-L To subscribe, send the command: sub tibet-l your_firstname your_lastname to listserv@iubvm.ucs.indiana.edu. Transpersonal Psychology - dialogue between Eastern and Western paradigms To subscribe, send the command: sub transpsych-L your_firstname your_lastname to listserv@newciv.org. Universal Zendo To subscribe, send the command: sub zendo your_email_address to majordomo@traveller.com. World Tibet News To subscribe, send the command: sub wtn your_firstname your_lastname to listserv@vm1.mcgill.ca. Zen To subscribe, send the command: sub zen your_firstname your_lastname to listserv@think.net. ZenBuddhism-L To subscribe, send the command: sub zenbuddhism-l your_email_address to majordomo@coombs.anu.edu.au. ------------------------------ Subject: 5.06 Electronic journals Electronic Journal of Korean Buddhist Studies <http://www2.gol.com/users/acmuller/korbud.htm> Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies & International Journal of Tantric Studies <http://www.shore.net/~india/> Forest Sangha Newsletter (Ajahn Sumedho) <http://www-ipg.umds.ac.uk/~crr/newsletter.html> GASSHO - Electronic Journal of DharmaNet International <http://sunsite.unc.edu/dharma/News/gassho.html> This is a general Buddhist journal -- not dedicated to a specific practice Journal not currently offered in electronic format; site has back copies Journal of Buddhist Ethics To subscribe to the Journal Abstract, send e-mail to jbe-ed@psu.edu specifying "JBE Subscription" in the Subject Line (NOT Mail Body!). Still Point (online newsletter of Dharma Rain Zen Center) <http://www.teleport.com/~ldotm/STILLPOINT.html> Winds (online newsletter of the Shin Buddhist Resource Center) <http://www.well.com/user/shinshu/SBRC/library/winds/> ------------------------------ Subject: 5.07 Newsgroups There are many USENET newsgroups that deal with political, religious, interfaith, philosophical and other topics that a reader of t.r.b. could conceivably be interested in. Here is just a small selection, with the newsgroup's self-description where known, chosen from the list of newsgroups offered by the FAQ maintainers's Internet service provider (the list of groups available from your own ISP may be different): Some more or less Buddhist newsgroups: alt.philosophy.zen Meditating on how the alt.* namespace works. alt.religion.buddhism.nichiren Nichiren believers unite. alt.religion.nichiren.shoshu.news (some sites carry as a.r.buddhism.n.s.n.) alt.religion.buddhism.tibetan The teachings of Buddha as studied in Tibet. alt.zen It is. and of course talk.religion.buddhism All aspects of Buddhism as religion and philosophy. Some geographically specialized Buddhist newsgroups: nctu.club.buddhism (in Taiwan) tnn.religion.buddhism.shinshu (Japanese Jodo Shinshu NG available at some US sites) tw.bbs.soc.religion.buddhism (in Taiwan) Some groups that are not specifically (or at least not exclusively) Buddhist, but that might be of interest: alt.buddha.short.fat.guy Religion. And not religion. Both. Neither. alt.magick.tyagi Magick as revealed by Mordred Nagasiva. alt.meditation General discussion of meditation. alt.philosophy.taoism All aspects of Taoism. soc.culture.china About China and Chinese culture. soc.culture.japan Everything Japanese, except the Japanese language. soc.culture.korean Discussions about Korea & things Korean. soc.culture.laos Cultural and Social Aspects of Laos. soc.culture.nepal Discussion of people and things in & from Nepal. soc.culture.sri-lanka Things & people from Sri Lanka. soc.culture.taiwan Discussion about things Taiwanese. soc.culture.thai Thai people and their culture. soc.culture.vietnamese Issues and discussions of Vietnamese culture. soc.religion.eastern Discussions of Eastern religions. (Moderated) soc.religion.gnosis Gnosis, marifat, jnana & direct sacred experience. (Moderated) talk.politics.tibet The politics of Tibet and the Tibetan people. talk.religion.misc Religious, ethical, & moral implications. talk.religion.newage Esoteric and minority religions & philosophies. If you can't find a group on your local system, you may still be able to find a publically accessible news server. (Try the MSU gopher.) If you want to have a newsgroup carried on your local system, talk to the news adminstrator for the local system. Do not email the FAQ maintainer; he can't help. ------------------------------ Subject: 5.08 A random selection of books General: Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines, by Nyanatiloka (3rd revised and enlarged edition). Colombo: Frewin (1972). An edition is also published by AMS Press (1983). A Net-accessible version is currently being contemplated; more info when available. Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. [note spelling] Government of Sri Lanka: various years. An ongoing scholarly project, started about 40 years ago and still not finished (due mostly to resource constraints one suspects). The editorial vision of the project has changed somewhat over the years, so the first volumes are microscopically detailed (v.1, A-Aoki Bunkyo) while recent ones are not (v.5, Earth-Japan). Hard to find in the U.S., but well worth the effort; a large library might have a copy. Orderable from Sri Lanka (send an email note to the FAQ maintainer if you want the address to order from). A very good reference for many obscure topics starting with A-J. :-) Entering the Stream: An Introduction to the Buddha and his Teachings, ed. by Samuel Bercholz and Sherab Chodzin Kohn. London: Rider (1994). This is the companion volume to the film "Little Buddha." A superb anthology of short writings from a number of different viewpoints. Very accessible to those who have only a casual interest in Buddhism, while also containing much of value for serious students of the teaching. Freedom in Exile, The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama, by Tenzin Gyatso. New York: Harper Collins, 1990. ISBN 0-0603-9116-2. How the Swans Came to the Lake: a narrative history of Buddhism in America, by Rick Fields (3rd edition, revised and updated). Boston: Shambhala (1992). ISBN 0-8777-3583-2. An excellent and highly readable account of the transmission of Buddhist teachings to the West (with particular attention to the USA). Mindfulness in Plain English, by Henepola Gunaratana. Boston: Wisdom (1993). ISBN 0-8617-1064-9 (paperbound). Old Path, White Clouds: the life story of the Buddha, by Thich Nhat Hanh. London: Rider (1991). ISBN 0-7126-5417-8. Editions also published by Random House and Parallax Press (Berkeley). A biography of the founder of Buddhism, written in modern language by a Vietnamese monk who is a long-time activist for peace and human rights. A favorite book of many of us here in talk.religion.buddhism. A Path With Heart, by Jack Kornfield. London: Rider (1994). ISBN 0-7126-7430-6. A warm and compassionate book on developing meditative awareness in the midst of everyday life. A Survey of Buddhism: Its Doctrines and Methods through the Ages, by Sangharakshita (6th edition). London: Tharpa (1987). A rich and wide-ranging study written by someone who is familiar with all of the major schools (as well as the Western intellectual tradition). What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola Rahula. A beautifully clear introduction to Buddhist doctrine, written by a Sri Lankan scholar. Very intelligible, even to non-Buddhists. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki. New York: Weatherhill (1970), reprinted in 1980. Also abridged and anthologized in _Entering the Stream_. Scripture translations and related materials: The Middle Length Discourses of The Buddha (Majjhima Nikaya), trans. by Bkikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi. Boston: Wisdom Publications (1995). ISBN 0-8617-1072-X. Those living in Asia can get the Asian Edition from the Buddhist Publication Society in Sri Lanka. The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), by Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa, trans. by Nyanamoli (3rd edition). Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society (1975). An edition is also published by Shambhala. This is still probably the best meditation text ever written for someone who wants a comprehensive overview of orthodox Buddhist meditation techniques. (Warning: this book is not a casual read.) The FAQ maintainer suggests starting with Vol. 2, unless you want to be an expert on kasina disks. The Sutta-Nipata, trans. by H. Saddhatissa. Richmond, Surrey (UK): Curzon Press (1994). ISBN 0-7007-0181-8. A modern English translation of the discourses contained in one of the more influential sections of the "Miscellaneous Collection" (Khuddaka Nikaya) of the Pali Canon. A great improvement on earlier translations. Thus Have I Heard: The Long Discourses of The Buddha (Digha Nikaya), trans. by Maurice Walshe. London: Wisdom Publications (1987). ISBN 0-8617-1030-4. Special topics: Buddhism After Patriarchy: a feminist history, analysis and reconstruction of Buddhism, by Rita M. Gross. Albany: SUNY Press, 1993. ISBN 0-79141-404-3. Buddhism, Sexuality and Gender (Jose Ignacio Cabezon, ed.). Albany: SUNY Press, 1992. ISBN 0-79140-758-6 (paperbound). This is the only source we are aware of that examines Buddhist scripture in detail for evidence of the attitudes of different early writers on these topics. A Buddhist Critique of the Christian Concept of God, by Gunapala Dharmasiri. Antioch, California (USA): Golden Leaves Publishing Co. (1988). ISBN 0-9423-5300-5. A careful analysis of Christian theology from the standpoint of Buddhist philosophy, written by a philosopher. A very good book, but also fairly demanding in what it expects readers to know already about both theology and philosophy; not for everybody. Transformations of Consciousness: Conventional and Contemplative Perspectives on Development, by Ken Wilber, Jack Engler and Daniel P. Brown. Boston: Shambhala (1986). ISBN 0-87773-309-0. Not about Buddhism per se, but has a very interesting treatment of meditation and spirituality from the perspective of Transpersonal Psychology. Includes descriptions of psychological studies of transformative effects of long-term meditation. Madame Blavatsky's Baboon: A History of the Mystics, Mediums and Misfits Who Brought Spiritualism to America, by Peter Washington. New York: Schocken Books (1995). ISBN 0-8052-1024-5. Not about Buddhism, but contains a lot of fascinating history related to personalities who are identified (rightly or wrongly) with the New Age movement, such as Blavatsky, Besant, Leadbeater, Krishnamurti, Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, Steiner and others. Many of these names come up in t.r.b. from time to time -- and as a bonus, the book is a good read. ------------------------------ Subject: 5.09 Bookstores, etc. Buddhist Book Service P.O. Box 9677 Washington, DC 20016 Phone 01-946-7560, or 202-832-9393 The Buddhist Bookstore (good source for Jodo Shinshu) 1710 Octavia Street San Francisco, CA 94109 Phone 415-776-7877 Buddhist Publication Society (mainly Theravada) P.O. Box 61 54, Sangharaja Mawatha Kandy, Sri Lanka Pali Text Society 73 Lime Walk Headington Oxford OX3 7AD England Phone +44-1865-742125 Fax +44-1865-750079 PTS is "the" source for critical texts and translations of many works in the Theravada canon. U.S. distributor: Wisdom Publications. Shambhala Sun: Creating Enlightened Society (bimonthly) 1345 Spruce St. or: 1585 Barrington St, Suite 300 Boulder, CO 80302-4886 Halifax, Nova Scotia USA Canada B3J 1Z8 email: shambsun@ra.isisnet.com Phone: 902-422-8404 Fax: 902-423-2750 Snow Lion Publications <http://www.well.com/user/snowlion/> South Asia Books P.O. Box 502 Columbia MO 65205 Phone 314-474-0116 Fax 314-474-8124 Tricycle: The Buddhist Review <http://www.well.com/user/tricycle/> tricycle@echonyc.com Vihara Book Service (good source for Theravada) 5017-16th St. NW Washington DC 20011 Phone 202-723-0773 Ajit Wettasinghe has created a text file version of the VBS book list. If you would like a copy, send an email message to ajitw@aol.com. Wisdom Publications (good source for Vajrayana) 361 Newbury Street Boston, MA 02115 Phone 800-274-4050, 617-536-2305, FAX 617-536-1897 U.S. distributors for Pali Text Society ------------------------------ Subject: 5.10 Bulletin Boards, etc. Access To Insight Pepperell, MA 1-508-433-5847 John.Bullitt@metta.ci.net Bodhi-Line phone service A telephone information service providing information about Buddhist centers in New York area, including centers' locations, schedules of classes and meditation sessions, and a list of books, tapes and other materials. All services offered by the Bodhi- Line are free of charge. Just dial (212) 677-9354. For more information about Bodhi-Line, contact Michael Wick at Buddhist Information Service of New York, 331 E 5th Street, New York, NY 10003. Tel: (212) 777-3745. Fax & voice mail: (212) 677-9354. The Bodhi Tree Boise, ID 1-208-327-9916 Body Dharma Online Berkeley, CA 1-510-234-9431 Barry Kapke, sysop dharma@netcom.com Mount Kailas Cambridge, MA 1-508-921-0482 Tiger Team Buddhist Information Network 1920 Francisco, Suite 112 Berkeley, CA 94709 gary.ray@tigerteam.org ------------------------------ Subject: 5.11 Meditation Centers California Vipassana Center P.O.Box 1167, North Fork, CA 93643 Telephone (209) 877-4386 Fax (209) 877-4387 Cambridge Insight Meditation Center 331 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Phone (24hr info): (617) 491-5070 Northwest Vipassana Center c/o Scott Corley 17045 - 33rd Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98155 Telephone (206) 367-9336 Southwest Vipassana Meditation Center c/o Cathryn Lacey P.O.Box 190248, Dallas, TX 75219 Telephone (214) 521-5258 Vipassana Support Institute 4070 Albright Los Angles CA 90066 310 915-1943 Vipassana Meditation Center P.O.Box 24, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 Telephone (413) 625-2160 Fax (413) 625-2170 Washington Buddhist Vihara Ven. Dhammasiri 5017-16th St. NW Washington DC 20011 Phone 202-723-0773 Zen Center of Los Angeles 923 S. Normandie Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90006-1301 ------------------------------ Subject: 5.12 Overlapping interests Gay/Lesbian: International Buddhist Meditation Center in Los Angeles sponsors various services. Email nunk123@aol.com for info. Maitri Dorje is an association of Gay & Lesbian Buddhists and practitioners of other meditation traditions in NYC. Email Bill <wcwgc@cunyvm.cuny.edu> for info. Women: There are conferences on Women and Buddhism, on both BodhiNet and DharmaNet. For info on BodhiNet (and Tiger Team Network), send email to gary.ray@tigerteam.org. For info on DharmaNet, send email to dharma@netcom.com (Barry Kapke). Buddhists in 12-step programs: The email address previously provided appears not to be valid at the moment; we are looking for an alternative. If you are on AOL, see the folder AA and Buddhism. If anyone knows of other resources appropriate for listing here, please send email to the FAQ maintainer. ------------------------------ Subject: 5.13 Cults and other forms of abuse <http://www.virtumall.com/mindcontrol/> (Steve Hassan's cult page) <http://www.ex-cult.org/> (page maintained in collaboration with the newsgroup alt.support.ex-cult) <http://www.algonet.se/~teodor/Cults/welcome.html> (good set of links) <http://www.dzogchen.org/wbtc/openletter.html> (open letter from 22 Western teachers in collaboration with HHDL)
(*) Buddhism: Intro & Suggestions for newcomers to talk.religion.buddhism (part 1/3) (*) Buddhism: Common questions about Buddhism & glossary (part 2/3) (*) Buddhism: Resources of possible interest to Buddhists (part 3/3)