Old News Archive: August 2005

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2005-08-31 — New translations from the Samyutta Nikaya

Ahara Sutta (SN 12.11) — Nutriment {S ii 11; CDB i 540} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha explains how the teachings on the four nutriments (ahara) fits in with dependent co-arising.
Phagguna Sutta (SN 12.12) — To Phagguna {S ii 13; CDB i 541} [Thanissaro]. Some questions, by presupposing the existence of an abiding "self," are fundamentally invalid. The Buddha shows how to re-frame these questions in a way that conduces to liberation.
Acela Sutta (SN 12.17) — To the Clothless Ascetic {S ii 18; CDB i 545} [Thanissaro]. A perplexed ascetic asks the Buddha: "Is dukkha created by the self? By other? By both? By neither?" The Buddha's answers at first baffle, then inspire, Kassapa, who eventually gains Awakening.
Assutava Sutta (SN 12.61) — Uninstructed {S ii 94; CDB i 595} [Thanissaro]. With a striking simile, the Buddha points out the folly of taking this fickle mind to be "self."
Sadhammapatirupaka Sutta (SN 16.13) — A Counterfeit of the True Dhamma {S ii 223; CDB i 680} [Thanissaro]. The Buddha issues a warning: a society that fails to show respect for these five things contributes to the eventual decline and disappearance of the Dhamma.
Kumma Sutta (SN 17.3) — The Turtle {S ii 227; CDB i 683} [Thanissaro]. Fame and status: like walking around with a harpoon stuck in your back.

2005-08-26 — A message from Wisdom Publications:

Wisdom Publications is pleased to announce its new paperback anthology in the award-winning "Teachings of the Buddha" discourses series:

In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon
Edited and introduced by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Foreword by the Dalai Lama
496 pages, 6"x 9", ISBN 0-86171-491-1, US$18.95

Initially conceived in response to requests from professors, this collection organizes the wealth of the Pali Nikayas within a single inexpensive volume that is ideal for course adoption. The ten thematic chapters, each with a clear and thoughtful introduction by Bhikkhu Bodhi, make the vast and ancient discourses accessible as never before.

In the Buddha's Words is now in print. If you would like to receive a PDF file of the detailed table of contents, prefaces, and introduction, simply email wisdom@wisdompubs.org with the exact words "send pdf" in the subject heading. The file you will receive can be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

2005-08-19 — Ways you can help Access to Insight

"How can I help Access to Insight?" is a new FAQ that outlines some very practical ways that you can help ATI become an even better resource.
If you are a good typist or proofreader and would like to help transcribe printed books for free Internet distribution via ATI, perhaps you'd like to get involved with Access to Insight's Dhamma Transcription Project.
Would you like to lend a hand in solving some of ATI's ongoing technical challenges? Check out Access to Insight :: Queries & Comments , Access to Insight's new web log. The idea is simple: I post queries there concerning ATI; you respond with a helpful comment. Your comments are readable by everyone else. You can respond to someone else's comment. We pool our knowledge and expertise, with the ultimate aim of better serving the Dhamma, through ATI.
Queries range from the general (e.g., "Do you have a copy of this book that I might borrow?") to the technical ("Should ATI upgrade from HTML 4.01 to XHTML?"). A few of the queries now open for discussion:
- Do you have a copy of Little Dust in Our Eyes by Ayya Khema?
- Do you have access to Pagemaker on a Macintosh computer?
- How does ATI look on a PDA?
- Should ATI be governed by a Creative Commons copyright?
- A standard Tipitaka file/directory hierarchy?
- An offline search engine for ATI?
Like this "What's New" page, Queries & Comments offers an RSS feed so you can easily keep up to date with what's going on there.

2005-08-13 — Eight essays by Bhikkhu Bodhi

These are the last in Bhikkhu Bodhi's series of regular cover essays that appeared in the Buddhist Publication Society's Newsletter until 2001. Each one is a gem of scholarship, clarity, and insight.

Lifestyles and Spiritual Progress (No. 39; 1998) On the relative merits of monastic life and lay life.
A Tribute to Two Monks (No. 40; 1998) Reflections on the passing of two great 20^th century scholar-monks.
Better Than a Hundred Years (No. 41; 1999) Length of life vs. quality of life.
Two Paths to Knowledge (No. 42; 1999) On applying religion and science for the benefit of self and others.
Anicca Vata Sankhara (No. 43; 1999) On sankhara (formations, fabrications, etc.)
Navigating the New Millennium (No. 44; 2000) Reflections on the turn of the 21^st century.
Two Styles of Insight Meditation (No. 45; 2000) On teaching meditation in its full context.
Does Rebirth Make Sense? (Nos. 46-47; 2000-2001) Rebirth as an intelligent and intelligible concept that gives meaning to life.

2005-08-08 — If you use the Firefox web browser...

Now you can quickly search Access to Insight while you surf the web. A new Firefox plugin is available to let you search Access to Insight directly from the browser's mini search window./li>

2005-08-05 — New PDF version

Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Ajaan Dune Atulo is now available in a handsome printable PDF version.

2005-08-04 — New transcription

Of Mindsets and Monkeypots
by Petr Karel Ontl (BPS Bodhi Leaves Publication No. 131; 1993; 32k/10pp.). Three short essays on elementary Buddhist practice: "Of Mindsets and Monkeypots" (on letting go); "Does the Dhamma Still Hold True?" (on the relevance of Dhamma practice in the modern age); "In Search of Happiness" (on how to seek a true and lasting happiness).