China Buddhism Encyclopedia Online Website Project Www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com
About CBE Author and main coordinator of the project Vello Vaartnou Project launched in December 2012 Project is developed using wikimedia software, wholly focusing on Buddhism related topics. Currently has over 60,000 English articles and 4000+ in Chinese. When conducting search of Buddhist words and terms on google, CBE is often one of the top results.
CBE structure Structure by main topics includes 42 main categories, allowing to directly access the category of interest. The project also presents all data in alphabetic order allowing another unique approach to the data.
Sub-categories Each main category has tens of sub-categories, with sometimes up to hundreds of sub-categories, allowing very precise allocation of articles under main and subcategories.
Hyperlinking terms and concepts
Academic approach When compared to traditional Buddhist texts and teachings, the CBE has from the very beginning approached Buddhism from an academic perspective. Traditional and original Buddhist texts are included, however if and where possible, academic explanations and references are given providing an invaluable resource for the majority of the population that are unaware of how to interpret Buddhist texts, in part through learning about the history and context of these valuable works Academic learning is predominant in the modern era and if Buddhism wants to effectively reach out to as many engaged people as possible, its core teachings need to be adapted to match the capabilities and preferences of the majority.
Chinese, English & multi linguistic Buddhism Encyclopedia Currently the majority of the CBE has been developed in English, a smaller version of the encyclopedia already exists in simplified Chinese Putonghua( 中文 ). The software used for the development of the CBE makes it easy to integrate multiple languages and cross linking relevant articles between different languages. Besides English, the priority of the project is developing it in Chinese language as a resource for Chinese speakers to study more about Buddhism, for English speakers to study Buddhism concepts in Chinese and more importantly, as a platform of collaboration between English background and Chinese Buddhists..
Other languages? Besides Chinese & English, the CBE already has bulk edits from Tibetan and Sanskrit terminology, and in near future, the CBE envisions to be developed in multiple other languages such as Japanese, Mongolian, Thai, Tibetan, Burmese, Korean and other languages. This will of course depend on effective collaboration with specialists and teams from various countries.
Covering all traditions and linages of Buddhism without preference or distinction The CBE does not emphasize or promote any tradition of Buddhism over another. The encyclopedia includes but is not limited to the following backgrounds and disciplines: Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana Country specific (China, Japan, Mongolia,, Tibet, Vietnam, Thailand, etc.) Contemporary (neo-buddhism, media and news, opinions, spiritualism, etc.). Academic and scientific approach.
Why is the project named as the China Buddhism Encyclopedia? The current name The China Buddhism Encyclopedia, originates from the idea of the project initiator to further bridge Buddhism studies between the two most popular languages, Chinese and English. It is also relevant, that China has become increasingly supportive towards Buddhism studies and has great potential as a Buddhist country to develop and spread Buddhism globally. However because the project will be further developed in languages beyond English and Chinese, the author of the project considers changing the name to World Buddhism Encyclopedia, however in order to do so, 3 or more languages should be properly integrated in the CBE and made publicly accessible, which we expect to happen in the near future.
Are there other similar projects? What is the difference between CBE? There are numerous online Buddhist directories and Buddhist websites using wikimedia software such as: Rangjung Yeshe Wiki (http://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/main_page) Access to Insights (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/) Online Pali Tiptaka (http://www.palicanon.org/) Buddhanet.com (http://www.buddhanet.net/) These are a few websites that are comparable with the CBE in terms of being voluminous and easily found when conducting online research.
CBE strives for articles that present material in balanced and impartial manner and avoids advocacy of any specific form of Buddhism. CBE has as many links in every article as possible, enabling readers to find explanations instantly and continuously acquire new information. All articles are illustrated. CBE has a huge number of illustrations that illustrate and explain texts as well make it easier and more engaging to read. Many similar resources have a tendency towards a specific tradition or lineage (Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism, etc.) as the CBE from the very beginning has a focus on Buddhism from a very broad perspective and does not exclude any traditions or Buddhism related information CBE is also more all inclusive in adding nearly all aspects of Buddhism.
Sourcing content for the CBE Online sources (websites, blogs, databases) Books, magazines, journals, encyclopedias Contributions by organizations and individuals Materials developed by the CBE team All materials are references, majority of the source content providers are contacted and they allow to use the content. If told to by the source content provider, article is removed.
Determining the quality... Now: mostly by Vello Vaartnou, who has spent approximately 40 years of his life (currently 64 years of age) studying and practicing Buddhism. In future: By a international teams of experts, each who is dedicated to one or many areas of Buddhism studies.
Data comparison Makes it possible to compare various resources and views on the same topic, which allows to see the differences how the same word/concept is presented over time, often presenting very different and even conflicting information.
Integration of new technologies to enhance Buddhist studies. The CBE project is developed using the WIKIMEDIA software, however several other Technologies are currently being developed to further improve the CBE project such as: 3-D videos and learning materials about Buddhism materials Mapping of Buddhism locations to create comprehensive Buddhism maps
Preserving Buddhism & promotion of Buddhism to the youth
Visitors of the CBE Since the start of the project in late 2012, there have been visitors from 155 countries, with the top visiting countries listed below. USA India Singapore UK Malaysia Australia Canada Indonesia China Germany Thailand Japan Russia Most read articles The CBE provides a great overview of what topics and articles that the are most read by the visitors from broad spectrum of backgrounds. The below is a list three top most read articles in August, 2015. 1)What does a Peacock Feather Symbolize? 2)The Great Compassion Mantra 3)Buddhists Gods & Goddesses
About the author and the team
Conclusion The Chinese Buddhism Encyclopedia has become a valuable Buddhism online resources of study merely within the past 3 years. In coming years, the CBE main emphasis is developing an effective international multi lingual team so Buddhism in many languages could be integrated into single source and cross linked. Current focus: developing the speed of English site editing assembling of the Chinese team, consisting of people with high degree of Buddhism expertise and a larger team of editors and researchers. Adding useful and effective technologies to the existing framework. Developing networks and partnerships in beyond English and Chinese speaking countries. The most difficult stage of the project, which has been laying the foundation, is now completed and the CBE is entering into new phase of expansion and development.
Thank You! 谢谢