Along the Path 2022 Pariyatti pilgrims sit down for the evening group sitting facing the Rambagh Stupa in Kushinagar, which marks the place where the body of the Buddha was cremated. |
Dear friends, We here at Pariyatti want to start off this newsletter with a heartfelt thank you! We wrapped up the 2022 year-end fundraising campaign with a lot of gratitude. All bank transfers, Paypal and credit card payments, and bank checks that we received since our last campaign update have been counted. All donations together totalled an amount of $91,090.29, well surpassing our goal of $75,000! We would like to acknowledge all our supporters for their generosity, and emphasize that we will make sure to use this dāna wisely. We never stop looking for ways to improve our efficiency while we continue making available Dhamma resources to people and organizations around the world. We look forward to serving you again throughout 2023. May you all experience peace and harmony, and may more and more people find inspiration to walk on the path! |
Wisdom Hardcover for the Indian Market |
The Long Discourses of the Buddha A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya |
In the December 30 newsletter we shared how we got to the agreement with Wisdom Publications to publish their series The Teachings of the Buddha for the Indian market, so that they would be available in the land of the Buddha for locally affordable prices. |
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The Long Discourses of the Buddha (India ED.) offers a complete translation of the Dīgha Nikāya, the long discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the Pali Canon. This collection consists of thirty-four longer-length suttas, or discourses. These suttas reveal the gentleness, compassion, power, and penetrating wisdom of the Buddha. Included are teachings on morality, concentration, wisdom, dependent origination, on the roots and causes of wrong views, and a long description of the Buddha's last days and passing away—along with a wealth of practical advice and insight for all those travelling along the spiritual path. |
Excerpt from thew Introduction: 4. The animal world. The animal kingdom, together with the human realm, constitutes the only realm of beings normally visible to human sight and therefore indisputably existing (Ajita Kesakambali, like any modern rationalist, disbelieved in all the rest). There are those today in the West who object strongly to the idea that the Buddha taught that we can be reborn as animals, though at first sight the evidence is all against them. However, since tiracchāna, normally meaning ‘animal’, is used in Sutta 1 in the compounds tiracchāna-kathā, tiracchāna-vijjā, meaning ‘low talk’, ‘base art’, it is just possible that as a ‘destination’ for humans tiracchāna-yoni can be taken as a low rebirth. Some confirmation is provided by the case of Khorakkhattiya (Sutta 24, verse 9 and n.244).
5. The human world. Rebirth as a human being is regarded as a great opportunity which should be seized, since it may not easily recur, and it is almost impossible to ‘enter the Stream’ and so start on the path to Nibbāna from any other condition (but see n.600). Beings in the states below the human are too miserable, fearful and benighted, and those above it are too happy to make the necessary effort. In the human world we encounter both joy and sorrow, often very evenly balanced, and it is also possible to attain to a state of equanimity which is favourable to progress. Nevertheless, most human beings are very much under the sway of sense-desires, as indeed are the inhabitants of the worlds immediately above this one. |
We love themed newsletters and thus we were pleased when we noticed this issue was coming along with an international flavor to it. It features valuable resources in various languages. |
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Now Available in Danish & Chinese (Traditional) |
Based on the lectures and writings of S.N. Goenka—and prepared under his direct guidance—The Art of Living shows how Vipassana, the meditation technique of examining the body, and with that, the mind, can be used to solve problems, develop unused potential, and lead a peaceful, productive life. The work includes stories by Goenkaji as well as answers to students' questions that convey a vivid sense of his teaching. S.N. Goenka's Vipassana courses have attracted thousands of people of every background. For more information www.dhamma.org. |
Pariyatti offers many resources in various languages. Volunteers continue to translate and dub books and videos for us into languages other than English. |
Video: Lithuanian Subtitles |
The classic documentary film Doing Time, Doing Vipassana takes viewers into India's largest prison, one of the toughest in the world, and documents the dramatic change in both inmates and guards brought about by the introduction of Vipassana meditation. It is thanks to volunteers who generously donated their time and skills that there are now subtitles in so many languages available. |
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If you live outside the USA and are looking to order print books, please check our list of non-US retailers. Ordering with them could save you in shipping costs. |
Our warehouse staff had their hands full after their return in January. Usually we ship though the entire month of December, but this year we were closed for about two weeks, so there were quite a few orders to ship after that. A trolley full of wisdom! |
The doors at out our Onalaska location are open on days courses end at the Northwest Vipassana Center Dhamma Kuñja just down the road. You are welcome to come by and browse our Vipassana and Theravada catalog, test meditation cushions and shawls, or just have a cup of tea and hang out with Dhamma friends. Upcoming dates : January 29, February 19, March 5
Opening hours : 7:30-10am (-ish) Address: 867 Larmon Rd, Onalaska, WA 98570, United States |
Many of the titles we publish are set up with Amazon's print-on-demand service, so you may be able to order those directly from Amazon in your country. |
Residential Pāli Workshops |
Upcoming Dates * Applications Now OPEN 4–12 March, 2023, Girona, Spain (🇪🇸 en español)
1–10 June, 2023, Temecula, California, USA 🇺🇸 |
Coming Soon: An Interview with Patrick Given-Wilson |
The event will start at 3pm Pacific Time (US)—which is 10am AEDT (AUS). A one-hour interview will be followed by a 30-minute Q&A (with selected questions from the audience that is present). |
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The Pariyatti pilgrimage program offers affordable and supportive travel to places connected with the teachings of the Buddha and Sangha. Pilgrims are expected to be serious Vipassana meditators seeking a meditation-focussed expedition rather than a vacation. Overall, participants report back that the experience is deeply beneficial to their meditation practice. |
Upcoming pilgrimage: March 4 - 25, 2023 |
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The caption for the image left as published in the last newsletter of 2022 was erroneous. Depicted is NOT the Sujata Shrine near Bodhgayā, but the Buddha's relics distribution site in Kushinagar. |
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NOTE: You will need the usual Old Student password to be able to stream or download the talk. |
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The Tathāgata
By Paul R. Fleischman Essay derived from a lecture given at the Faculty of Arts & Philosophy University of Ghent December 7, 2007. The famous American Nineteenth Century writer, Henry David Thoreau, said: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Thoreau described an exemplary alternative, by filling his moments and days with a sense of purpose. For several years he lived by himself in a small, hand-built cabin in the woods on the shore of Walden Pond, where he contemplated nature, read classic texts, and communed with local poets, writers, and woodsmen, and in general tried to elevate his thoughts, expand his feelings, and live the philosopher’s life. Continue reading... |
No FOMO
By Sara Winick-Herrington No Fear of Missing Out,
be aware of what’s happening within,
a constant flow of changing cells,
and morphing of the skin. |
Suññatā
By Samir Malhotra but, still left of self
idle penetralia
empty, harmony |
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There have been some issues with the Pariyatti Journal (PJ) mailing list. Subscribers might not have received notifications when new entries were posted. It looks like it's been resolved now! You can subscribe to the mailing list on the top right of the Pariyatti Journal home page (underneath the search bar). |
Donations: Either one-time or monthly pledge |
Pariyatti is a charitable, non-profit, educational support system for the Dhamma community. Pariyatti exists because of funds donated by supporters. |
FACT: Did you know that Pariyatti offers a significant number of books and media freely to monks, nuns, monasteries, meditation centers, and others through our Dana Distribution Fund?
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Would you like to receive a dose of inspiration each day? You can choose to have Daily Words of the Buddha, A Pāli Word a Day, and/or Daily Dhamma Verses (Dohas) sent to your inbox. These inspirational daily messages are also available via RSS feed and mobile app. Across the services there are various translations available: English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Brazilian-Portuguese, Italian, Serbo-Croatian, and Lithuanian. |
ālokite — looking straight ahead |
Pariyatti 867 Larmon Rd. Onalaska, WA 98570, USA |
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