Disseminating the words of the Buddha, providing sustenance for the seeker's journey, and illuminating the meditator's path. January 13, 2011 Happy New Year and New Decade! Thank you! Pariyatti wraps up our Fall Fundraising Campaign with success and gratitude. We came only $5000 short of reaching our goal! This means we can continue to offer Dhamma materials to organizations and people all around the world. A heartfelt thank you to our supporters. And, if by chance some of you wanted to donate but just forgot due to the hustle and bustle of life, you still can! Click here to donate. A NEW RESOURCE - Pariyatti Puzzles and Trivia Pariyatti Puzzles If you like solving puzzles then you'll love that 2011 kicks off our monthly Pariyatti Puzzles. Each puzzle will focus on Pāli words, Dhamma theory as well as historical facts and figures. It will be a wonderfully informal way to strengthen your pariyatti! Click here to try this month's Crossword Puzzle! You can do each puzzle right online or download it and print it out.
You'll also be able to use the Pāli keyboard for entering in special characters (a.k.a. diacriticals) or use the "Input Alphabet" window that's part of the crossword. Here's a How-To video to show you how to do the crossword online using the Pāli keyboard and Input Alphabet. Pariyatti Trivia - Beat the Gong Videos What was the name of Siddhatha Gotama's son? Who was the historical king that help spread the Dhamma 250 years after the Buddha? If the six senses give rise to contact then what causes the six sense to exist? Can you say that in Pāli? Who doesn't want to know more, especially about something we care so much aboutthe Dhamma! The new Beat the Gong trivia videos are a relaxed and fun way to test your knowledge. Don't get discouraged if you don't know all the answers. That's why Pariyatti is also a Resource Center and Book Store! We'll recommend materials you can study to sharpen your knowledge of the Pāli language, important Dhamma theories as well historical dates and names. You can try the first round of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced videos by clicking Beat the Gong. Can you beat the gong? Click here to test your pariyatti ability! After you've mastered these, sit tight because we'll be back with more videos in February that will test your knowledge of Pāli!
The eshelf You all are by now aware of the many pdf ebooks that Pariyatti has been releasing and making available to the world. It's exciting to hear from someone calling from the other side of the planet, thrilled to be able to finally read the material on her iphone! What a joy! We hope you have a chance to enjoy reading the ebooks as well. NEW ebook RELEASE Letters from the Dhamma Brothers - Meditation Behind Bars Letters from 15 inmates at an Alabama maximum-security prison share the struggles and successes in their lives behind bars after undergoing a ten-day Vipassana retreat inside. Their efforts to keep meditating and to apply what they have learned to daily life in a harsh prison culture offer inspiration and insight. Buy and download it now. Also available as downloadable ebooks: Approaching the Dhamma - 11 essays by scholars in Buddhist Studies Karma and Chaos by Dr. Paul Fleischman, M.D. The Life of the Buddha by Bhikkhu Ñ!ṇamoli El Arte de Vivir - (The Art of Living - Spanish) by William Hart The Art of Living (Farsi) The Noble Eightfold Path - The Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi Realizing Change by Ian Hetherington Cultivating Inner Peace by Dr. Paul Fleischman, M.D. On Living Life Well by John Ross Carter Along the Path by Kory Goldberg and Michelle De"cary An Ancient Path by Dr. Paul Fleischman, M.D. The Buddha's Path to Deliverance by Nyanatiloka Thera In Hope of Nibbana - The Ethics of Theravada Buddhism by Dr. Winston L. King Reader Book Reviews The Seeker's Library If you're like me then you may also have felt uncertain how to approach the multi-volume work known as the Tipiṭaka. With all those divisions and subdivisions of subdivisions, where to start? Not to render myself completely overwhelmed and ignorant, I at least knew the Tipiṭaka is divided into three main parts: vinaya (rules for monks and nuns), suttanta (discourses) and abhidhamma (detailed analysis). I wanted to go deeper though and learn where specific sections and passages are located that I've been exposed to at vipassana courses. Where is the
Mah!satipaṭṭhana Sutta located? How about the stories of Kis! Gotam" and Paṭ!c!r! or the J!taka tales? Where exactly does the Buddha expound on past Buddhas, the moral precepts, the wheel of dependent origination or even on the basic three we hear about again and again: s"la, sam!dhi and paññ!? Enter Essence of Tipiṭaka. I found this book helped answer many questions in a very approachable, clear and concise way yet with still enough detail to rouse my curiosity and enthusiasm about reading the actual Tipiṭaka. I can honestly say I feel less overwhelmed about what's where and that many of the anecdotes and theories I've been listening to and practicing in my meditation are closer at hand. After reading Essence of Tipiṭaka I really look forward to going back and rereading parts of the Tipiṭaka that have been translated in English by Bhikkhu Bodhi and others. I highly recommended this book if you're interested in a clear and easy-to-follow guided tour of the Tipiṭaka. Essence of Tipi!aka -Reader Review The Poet's Pen I prefer the word "sitting" to "meditating." Meditating may be seen as another thing we do, an activity, a practice, an engagement. It might be a hobby or a game. Sitting is non-active, it is a non-practice. It is accepting, open, observant, free from judgement. It is an occasion to be mindful of reality, within and without us and to be at peace with that reality. It is the ultimate act of courage: to not run away. We do not seek escape. We sit. ************ Follow the leader who seeks not followers. Heed the advice of one who offers none. Obey strictly the teachings of he who speaks highly of other paths. Respect the guru whose self portrait is absent from the walls. Make offerings to one who charges not for any teaching.
Bow to one who asks you to refrain from such displays. Surrender to the teacher who asks that you question everything he says and does. And love the teacher who seeks only that you show your devotion by walking the path. poems from The Moon Appears When the Water Is Still by Ian McCrorie I love this book! It's a great boost when I'm feeling sluggish to go sit or I just want to touch base with why I meditate. These poems have a simplistic yet poignant way of reminding me what it's all about. In my opinion, a book like this is best read a little at a time and in any order that suits the reader. My preference is to open up anywhere in the book, read a poem and let the words sink in - and then go sit! If you're interested in an inspiring work that resonates like a meditation gong and sings like a shakuhachi flute The Moon Appears When the Water is Still is for you! The Child's Library -Reader Review Insightful books by children's author Etan Boritzer After reading these books I couldn't help feel
there isn't a better way to begin to understand Love, Beauty, and Peace than to ask questions. That is exactly how Etan Boritzer cleverly approaches these seemingly nebulous concepts. "What does love look like? Is it pink or blue... Is it warm and fuzzy like a puppy dog?" Or, "How do we know what is really beautiful? If we get our hair all nice and clean and combed, is our hair then really beautiful?" What I love most about that inquisitive approach is that it welcomes a child to discover the meanings on her/his Etan Boritzer own rather than being told by an adult. Even more What Is Love? attractive is that Etan's questions beg answers from the senses - which is a more complete experience of life - rather than just the analytical brain. Having taught young school children, I'm familiar with traditional teacher-centered approaches and student-lead, discovery-oriented approaches. Etan's books venture well into the latter and ultimately prove more meaningful, personal, and fruitful for children (and frankly, adults, too!). The only heads-up I'd mention is that the books use a very conversational, free-flowing writing style. That style, while feeling comfortable and inviting of discussion, seems to lack some of the musicality and clever word-play that I enjoy in creative writing for children. That isn't a deal-breaker for me by any means! I highly recommend these books! They feel like perfect tools for coaxing a young mind to become aware, reflective, and introspective about profound aspects of life. -Reader Review (Click on the books or book titles to buy them!) What Is Beautiful? What Is Peace? The Look Out! We're restocking our BPS inventory so check out the bookstore in February for new or reprinted BPS titles! January 19th will be the 40th anniversary of Sayagyi U Ba Khin's demise. To learn more about Sayagyi U Ba Khin click here.
Sayagyi U Ba Khin click here. New Beat the Gong - P!li Trivia videos will be ready in February! Old Students of S.N. Goenka's vipassana - If you're a Spanish speaker or know of old students who are, we have Para Beneficio De Muchos (For the Benefit of Many) in the old student section of our bookstore. Volunteers Needed If you are looking for other ways to give to help spread the Dhamma, we are always looking for volunteers for various jobs. We can especially use help in the following areas: Translators for all languages are welcome (especially looking for Spanish, French and Mandarin translators) Book reviewers to do informal reviews of Pariyatti's books, DVDs, etc.. Send them to publisher@pariyatti.org. A Spoon Full of Inspiration!...Let us be able, upright, straight, And meek and gentle and not proud; Contented, easy to support, Unbusy, frugal, and serene; In faculties, prudent and modest, Ungrasping among families; And let us do no slightest thing That other wise ones might deplore. Sutta Nip!ta, 1:8 To all our Dhamma friends, family, and neighbors, may you all have much success during the new year and new decade! P A R I Y A T T I