Disponible en español
The internet is filled with a wealth of information on Buddhism. Often it can be quite bewildering and overwhelming in trying to determine reliable and good sites for information on Buddhism, for translations of classical Buddhist texts, for Dharma teachings and media-files for practice support. The sites below are some of our favorites and the best part is they are all offered freely. Do check them out by clicking on the name of the resource (your browser will open a new window).
DDIS Dharma Downloads Here you will find texts you can use. They have been prepared with care both in terms of the content as well as the layout. These PDF files are designed to print out as booklets that are A5 sized (5.5” x 8”). Please adjust accordingly when printing. Some guidelines in terms of usage of these texts:
1) Please only download the texts that you have received instructions from Dr. Lye on how to practice them.
2) These texts are meant for your personal use. Do not circulate these texts either in electronic or printed form. If others are interested in practicing them, please refer them to this site.
84,000 Translating the Words of the Buddha An ambitious project that aims to translate all of the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone, free of charge. 84000’s primary focus will be the Tibetan texts included in the two divisions of the Tibetan Buddhist canon known as the Kangyur (the translated “words of the Buddha”) and Tengyur (the translated treatises by Indian Buddhist masters). It currently already has a very impressive “reading room” where a number of translated texts are published.
Bodhisvara The entire Indian Buddhist classic, Bodhicaryāvatāra by Śāntideva beautifully chanted in Sanskrit. This site is dedicated to producing high-quality, recorded chants and recitations of Sanskrit Buddhist texts. More projects on recording different Sanskrit Buddhist classics have been added since the Bodhicaryāvatāra.
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai A Buddhist organization founded in Japan, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai is an on-going project for translating the sutras found in the Chinese Buddhist canon as well as key texts from the East Asian Buddhist traditions into English.
Dhamma Talks A wealth of translations of texts from the Pali Canon used by Theravada Buddhists. Also contains translations of teachings of many contemporary Thai forest teachers, and study-guides and essays by Venerable Thanissaro Bhikkhu who runs the site.
Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon The Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon (DSBC) is an ambitious project to preserve the original intellectual and spiritual heritage of Buddhism through digitization and organization of these texts into a complete and comprehensive Sanskrit Buddhist Canon that may be freely accessed online. This project is undertaken by University of the West in California, a university grounded in the Chinese Buddhist tradition of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order of Taiwan.
Drikung Kagyu This is the official website for the Drikung Kagyu Lineage and is maintained by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche’s main activity center in Dehradun, India.
Himalayan Art Resources Originally founded by the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation in 1997, this resource is currently one of the most extensive collections of Himalayan art. The website has over 60,000 images from hundreds of public and private collections throughout the world. It’s easy to stay for hours when you arrive here—be warned!
Lotsawa House Probably one of the best resources for reliable and readable translations of Tibetan Buddhist texts, in particular those from the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions. They also have translations of works by Indian Buddhist masters preserved in the Tibetan language. They currently offer more than 1000 texts in nine different languages, including the original Tibetan.
Sutta Central This impressive resource is specially focussed on the scriptures of early Buddhism, before the rise of explicit sectarians differences and hosts texts in over thirty languages. Texts include the Pali canon of the Theravāda school, which we have in both modern translations and the original Pali. Sutta Central also provides the early Āgama texts from the Taishō edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon, as well as references for the Tibetan Kangyur, Sanskrit, and other languages, which are much smaller in number than the Pali and Chinese collections.
Urban Dharma Urban Dharma North Carolina is a Buddhist center founded by Dr. Lye in 2012 in the mountain-town of Asheville, North Carolina where Dr. Lye lives.
Credits (Banner): Photo by Oliver Hihn on Unsplash