Buddhism - General Information

 

• BuddhaNet: Buddhist Information and Education Network - Offers an online Buddhist magazine, a comprehensive worldwide directory of Buddhist centers, a library of ebooks, and an extensive database of articles on Buddhism, including insight meditation, metta meditation, history, culture, and academic studies.
• Allspirit Selected Buddhist Writings - A selection of Buddhist writings from Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Sumedho, Joseph Goldstein, and Dogen. Also Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path.
• BBC World Service - Guide to Buddhism with online audio.
• Buddhist Information of North America - Free e-texts, books, lectures, and teachings. Links to individual schools of Buddhism.
• Cyberkaya - An interactive Dharma Journal. It has been a meeting place for Dharma practitioners who may work independent of the organizations and schools of institutional Buddhism. It is no longer being updated but the archive of work is made available.
• Dharma The Cat - Cartoons for Buddhists, and each has commentary from people different faiths.
• E-Sangha Buddhism Portal - Features directory, discussion forum, gallery, sutras and weblog.
• Family Dharma Connections - Devoted to Buddhist families with children and others interested in sharing Dharma and Buddhism with children. Covers divorce, parenting, and short reviews of books about parenting from a Buddhist point of view.
• Individual Answers to Your Questions About Buddhism - Confidential answers to your questions by the volunteer members of Allexperts.com.
• Instructions for Daily Dharma Practice - A non-sectarian program geared to American Buddhists to be used as part of one's daily Buddhist practice.
• Kalavinka Dharma World - Informational website which includes a non-sectarian Buddhist journal (Kalavinka Dharma Notes) and translations of stories and teachings. Translations include sections from Lotus Sutra, Nagarjuna, Master Chih-I, Master Han-shan De-ching, and Master Hsuan Hua. Also included is a bookstore (associated with Amazon) with titles usefully sorted into different categories. There is also a selection of photographs from a pilgrimage to the holy places of India.
• Kamat's Potpourri on Buddhism - Wide ranging topics from a biography of Buddha to Tibetan Buddhist refugees in India.
• Sasana: A Refuge for the Skeptical Buddhist - A Buddhist community with respect for tradition, but that does not blindly accept the baggage of the centuries.

What Is Buddhism?

• About Buddhists - An introduction from a New Kadampa Buddhism perspective to Buddhist religion, philosophy, teachings, meditation, and practice.
• B is for Buddhism - Information for beginners.
• Basic Buddhist Beliefs
• Basic Points Unifying Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism - Approved by the World Buddhist Sangha Council in 1966.
• Buddhism 2001 - Introduction to Buddhist philosophy and practice.
• Buddhism As A Religion - Is Buddhism a religion? An extensive analysis of Buddhism and its religious and non-religious aspects.
• Common American Misconceptions About Buddhism - Reincarnation, prayer, and paganism.
• Dharma & Nirvana - Introduction to Buddhist principles
• Essentials of Buddhism - Lists out the core teachings of Buddhism. Also provides selected links to other sites and book recommendations.
• The Four Noble Truths - Basic exposition done in a graphically lyrical style.
• The Four Noble Truths - Explanation of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.
• Fundamental Buddhism Explained - Explicit explanation of fundamental Buddhism based on the Pali Canon, recognized by Buddhist scholars as the oldest surviving written record of what the Buddha said and taught.
• The History and Philosophy of Buddhism - A simple, yet comprehensive, non-sectarian introduction to Buddhist history, philosophy and culture.
• An Introduction to Buddhism - To do no evil; To cultivate good; To purify one's mind: This is the teaching of the Buddhas. --The Dhammapada
• An Overview of Buddhism - A brief introduction to Buddhism. How Buddhists perceive the world, the four main teachings of the Buddha, the Buddhist view of the self, the relationship between this self and the various ways in which it responds to the world, the Buddhist path and the final goal.
• 12 Principles of Buddhism - By Christmas Humphreys, founder and president of the Buddhist Society of London. These principles express a common ground for all schools of Buddhism and have been approved by the leading sects throughout the world as a basis for World Buddhism.
• Questions & Answers on Buddhism - Answers to common questions about Buddhism.
• Resources for the Study of Buddhism - Site contains links to both general Buddhist resources and specialized materials on Zen, Chinese Buddhism, Yogacara Buddhism, and various Buddhist scriptures (sutras/suttas).
• Searching for Buddha - Provides a simple introduction to Buddhism, answering the most common questions by curious people.
• SoYouWanna convert to Buddhism? - A light-hearted overview of what it means to be a Buddhist. Written from a relatively objective perspective by the editors of SoYouWanna.com.
• Very Brief Overview of Buddhism - Buddhism does not believe in God. In Buddhist teaching, there is no aggressive promotion of Buddhism or strong rejection of other religions.
• What Buddhists Believe - Online version of a book by K.Sri Dhammananda giving an extensive explanation of basic Buddhist thought from a Theravadan Buddhist perspective.
• What Is Buddhism? - Excellent introduction to Buddhism provided by Mahidol University, Thailand.
• The Word Of The Buddha - Online version of the classic introduction to Buddhism published in 1906 by the Buddhist Publication Society. The book covers the basic principles of Buddhism, selected from the five great collections of discourses which form the Sutta-Pitaka.

Science and Buddhism

• Buddhism and the Brain - An examination of the neuroscience behind Buddhist meditation and insight. Includes an introduction to the neuroscience necessary to understand the essay.
• Mind and Life Institute - Fostering creative dialogue and collaborative research between Buddhism and Western science, including conferences between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Western scientists.
• Time and Impermanence in Middle Way Buddhism and Modern Physics
• Toward a Buddhist Philosophy of Science - An essay examining science, technology, and related topics from a Buddhist perspective.

Women in Buddhism

• Women Active in Buddhism - A comprehensive collection of links and resources on contemporary Buddhist women, including: teachers, activists, scholars, nuns, lay practitioners, teachings, special events, projects, organisations, bibliographic and contact information.
• Bhikkhuni-samyutta - Discourses of the Ancient Nuns.
• Bibliography on Women and Buddhism
• Buddhist Women - An account of some famous women who figure promi- nently in the early Buddhist texts is given. Women were not a negligible factor in the ancient Buddhist community of India.
• Buddhist Women at the Time of The Buddha - A collection of stories.
• Chinese Bhiksunis in the Ch'an Tradition - The spirit of essential Mahayana Buddhist doctrines assumes equality between male and female, although in the mundane world the position of Buddhist women is lower than that of Buddhist men. The Chinese Ch'an Buddhist tradition, following the egalitarian teaching of One-Mind of enlightenment, advocates non-discriminating, universal Buddhahood accessible to every sentient being, whether male or female. Nevertheless, women's status and spiritual capacities have not been upheld as highly in Buddhist history as they have by the Chinese Ch'an School.
• Man and Woman in the Teachings of the Buddha - According to the teachings of the Buddha, there exists no practical difference between the sexes. Man and woman are equal in their dependence upon each other and in their clinging which must be overcome (Angutara-Nikaya I,1). Man and woman are equal in the rights and duties of their partnership, as the Buddha described it for lay followers in the famous sermon to Singalako (Digha-nikayaNo.31). In particular, adultery is as unwholesome for men as it is for women. The third precept (sila) is the same whether one is a man or a women. By Dr. Hellmuth Hecker.
• The Place of Women in Buddhism - Covers: "The Pre-Buddhist Position of Women", "Women and the Buddha's Path", "The Secular Position of Women", "The Order of Bhikkhunis" and "Role of Women in Early Buddhism".
• Sakyadhita International - The International Association of Buddhist Women - "Sakyadhita" means "Daughters of the Buddha." Its objectives include creating a network of communications for Buddhist women throughout the world, educating women as teachers of Buddhadharma, providing improved facilities for women to study and practice the teachings
• Sky Dancer - Buddhism for feminists - This is a web site dedicated to feminist interpretations of Buddhist philosophy and practice. Includes articles, essays and a bibliography.
• Zen, Women, and Buddhism - Articles and links to other pages about female Buddhists and Buddhism from the female perspective.

 Buddhism and Other Religions

• Hinduism and Buddshim A comparative study of the two major religions of Indian origin
• Apollonius the Nazarene by Dr. R. W. Bernard, Part 8 - On Apollonius meeting Buddhist monks, a history.
• Buddhism and Islam - A description of Buddhism from an Islamic perspective.
• Buddhist Gnosticism, the System of Basilides - From the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland for 1902.
• Order of Nazorean Essenes - A Buddhist Branch of Original Christianity - An effort to show the connections between Eastern Christianity, Gnosticism, Manichaeanism, and Buddhism.
• Christian-Buddhist Yahoo Group - A forum primarily for Christian Buddhists who need to be in dialog with others who are like-minded.
• Do Buddhists go to Heaven? - A talk by Kusala bhikshu contrasting Buddhist and Christian concepts of heaven.
• Is Shin Buddhism the same as Christianity? - An analysis of the similarities and differences between Pure Land Buddhism and Christianity, by Rev. Philipp Karl Eidmann.
• A Journey Into Buddhism, By Elizabeth J. Harris - Personal story of a Christian's exploration of Buddhism, during an extended stay in Sri Lanka to help in developing a BBC program on religion.
• Krishna Buddha and Wittoba - Comparative study of Buddha and Jesus Christ.
• One-Eighty - A Christian's journey into Buddhist meditation. Articles on prayer, worship, and communion as they relate to meditation.
• The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Christianity and Buddhism - An analysis of this parable which appears in the scriptures of both religions.
• Jesus Through Buddhist Eyes - The bodhisattva from Nazareth.
• Meetingbrook Dogen & Francis Hermitage - Offers side-by-side practice and study of Zen Meditation and Christian Contemplative Prayer.
• Meetingbrook Hermitage - A quiet place for practice and study of Christian contemplative prayer and Zen meditation.
• Monastic Interreligious Dialogue - MID was established by the Benedictine Confederation in 1978 to assume a leadership role in the dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism by developing conversations, encounters, and mututal exchange between monastics of different religions.
• Seven Thunders - Incorporated in 1992 as a non-profit Ecumenical religious corporation. The purpose of the organization is to encourage and support ourselves and others on the Way of deepening awareness and realizing Life. For direction and guidance toward realizing this purpose we look to teachers from the Christian contemplative tradition as interpreted by Fr. Willigis Jaeger, OSB, and from the Zen Buddhist tradition of the Diamond Sangha.
• Seven Thunders - An ecumenical religious organization based on the Christian contemplative tradition as interpreted by Fr. Willigis Jaeger, OSB, and from the Zen Buddhist tradition of the Diamond Sangha. Sitting groups in Lafayette, Port Angles, and Corvalis, Oregon.
• What Is Zen Buddhism? - An analysis of Christianity and Zen, by Ming Zhen Shakya, a Ch'an Priest.
• Zazen and Christianity - Talk given by Yamada Roshi. "Zen is not a religion, in the same sense that Christianity is a religion. Therefore, there is no reason why Christianity and zazen cannot co-exist. Almost all Buddhist sects can be called religions. Zazen, however, is quite different in this respect. Quite simply, it is the core of all Buddhist sects."
• The (Zen) Rule of The White Robed Monks of St. Benedict - An expression of the similarities between Zen and Christianity.

Glossaries

• Glossary of Pali & Buddhist Terms - Glossary that covers many Pali words and technical Buddhist terms.
• Buddhism A to Z - Compiled by Ron Epstein, Ph.D.
• Buddhism Glossary - On the website of a university Buddhist study and practise group.
• Dharma Dictionary : Tibetan-English-Dictionary of Buddhist Teaching & Practice - An ongoing project involved in compiling Buddhist terminology and translation terms to bridge the Tibetan and English languages. Begun in 1979, it has slowly grown to a database of approx 5 megabytes with 65,000 entries.
• Dukkha - An extensive discussion of "dukkha", a central term in Buddhism which is not directly translatable into English.
• Glossary of Shin Buddhist Terms - Glossary of Shin Buddhist terms, from The Collected Works of Shinran.
• Glossary of Terms - Adapted from the "talk.religion.buddhism" FAQ.
• Glossary of Zen Terms - A glossary of Zen as used by the Kwan Um School of Zen.
• Sesshin Glossary - Definitions of terms used at Zen retreats.
• Zen Dictionary - A Japanese Zen dictionary of over 150 commonly used terms.

Internet Services

• Buddhist Pen Pal - Page for finding Buddhist pen pals worldwide. Free service for sending electronic greeting cards. Also wallpapers, and a screensaver to download.
• Buddhist Reading Circle - Reading and discussion group with a planned reading list, and a chapter a week up for discussion on a bulletin board.
• Digital International Buddhism Organization - Offering a free domain, http://your-group.buddhism.org, and unlimited free space for the group homepage and free homepage space and domain name, country-code.buddhism.org/~ID, for the personal homepage.
• Buddhism Forum Frigate - Discussion forum and email chat devoted to all aspects of Buddhism.
• Buddhism Groups @ Yahoo - An extensive collection of forums about Buddhism.
• Buddhist Parents - A forum for Western Buddhists in which to discuss parenting issues and the application of Buddha-dharma to everyday life - our own and those of our children. A place to share experiences, challenges, learnings, stories.
• Christian-Buddhist Yahoo Group - A forum primarily for Christian Buddhists who need to be in dialog with others who are like-minded.
• DharmaNews - Singapore-based international Buddhist discussion and news.
• Shambhala Forum on Meditation and Buddhism - Active bulletin board for discussions of Buddhism.

Directories

• Buddhism at About.com - Comprehensive resource for all types of information regarding Buddhism. Original articles, reader forum, chat room and hundreds of organized links to additional resources.
• The Buddhist Directory - A comprehensive list of sites for those interested in Buddhism. This site should be of particular interest to Canadian Buddhists
• Buddhist Links - A listing of links related to Buddhism.
• E-Sangha Directory - Hundreds of organized links to Buddhist websites & resources.

Lineages

• Advayavada Buddhism Information Center - Amsterdam - Information about Advayavada Buddhism, with Questions and Answers section.
• Buddhist Yogi C. M. Chen - The Vajrayana Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism teachings of Buddhist Yogi C. M. Chen (Yogi Chen) and his disciple Dr. Yutang Lin.
• Fo Guang Shan Monastery - English index of these pages for the Fokuangshan (or Fo Guang Shan) school.
• For Shang Buddhism - Articles by Master Lee, head of For Shang, on speculations between Science and Buddhism.
• HÜMÜH: The Jeweled Path of Living Wisdom - A Buddhist sect that also embraces the teachings of Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Mohammadism, among others. HÜMÜH contains the diamond or pure form teachings of all spirituality. They are transcendental in nature and open the individual practitioners Wisdom Eye, a state of being that leads to complete Enlightenment.
• International Buddhist Progress Society - Chinese sect promoting Humanistic Buddhism.
• Jen Chen Buddhism - Jen Chen is a phonetical translation from Mandarin , meaning Humanity Vehicle. The term 'vehicle' in Buddhism is analogous to a conveyance of deliverance for sentient beings. The Buddha taught Five Vehicles of Buddhism. World Jen Chen Buddhism is dedicated to the promotion of the Humanity Vehicle Buddhsim. (The other four vehicles are Deva, Sravaka, Pratyeka-Buddha and Bodhisattva Vehicles.) World Jen Chen Buddhism was founded by Venerable Master Shen-Kai and it aims to purify the human mind and promote a bliss culture for humanity.
• Jin-Gang-Dhyana - Chinese Esoteric Buddhist sect.
• Kubose Dharma Legacy - An approach based on the most basic Buddhist principles that pervade all Buddhist thought.  Rooted in the original teachings of Gautama Buddha, the Way of Oneness comes from the Japanese Mahayana tradition, reflecting both Shin and Zen Buddhist teachings.  Takes an open, eclectic approach concentrating on individual spiritual growth.
• True Buddha School Net - Chinese Tantric Buddhist sect.

Web Rings

• Association of Buddhism
• Dharma Link Webring - Dharma Circle, the ring of sites with content of or linked to Buddhism, Hinduism and related spirituality teachings, and their implementation in real life.
• The Indras.Net WebRing - A network of independent WWW sites created by members of the Soka Gakkai.
• Jodo Ring - A webring dedicated to Pure Land Buddhism.
• Lotus Sutra Net - Webring for sites which honor the Buddha Dharma in its many varied forms.
• Ring of Vajras - A ring of websites with emphasis placed upon Tibetan Buddhism, the preservation of Tibetan culture, and the current illegal occupation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China.
• Theravadan Buddhist Webring
• Virtual Tibet WebRing - A collection of sites on Tibetan Buddhism.
• ZenWeb - Web ring for Zen Buddhism sites.