Are you looking for a specific policy/FAQ?
You can find it in the index, located on the sidebar (desktop) and by tapping the index icon (bottom right) on handheld devices.
How is this forum different from other Buddhist discussion groups?
This forum is focused on discussing the meaning, translation, interpretations and historical context of the Early Buddhist Texts (EBTs). We seek to explore how these teachings evolved and relate to later traditions, and try to understand how their wisdom may be applied to present day modern world issues such as climate, society, political systems, economics etc. Other texts and traditions may be drawn upon for purposes of comparison and elucidation, but are not the prime focus of this forum.
EBT? What’s that?
The Early Buddhist Texts (EBT) are some of the earliest Buddhist teachings and form the core upon which later traditions have been built. They have been defined as:
“Texts spoken by the historical Buddha and his contemporary disciples. These are the bulk of the Suttas in the main four Pali Nikāyas and parallel Āgama literature in Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit, and other Indian dialects; the Pātimokkhas and some Vinaya material from the Khandhakas; a small portion of the Khuddaka Nikāya, consisting of significant parts of the Sutta Nipāta, Udāna, Itivuttaka, Dhammapada, and Thera- and Therī Gāthā.”
From: The Authenticity of the early Buddhist Texts, Bhikkhu Sujato & Bhikkhu Brahmali, 2015.
Our mother site SuttaCentral.net hosts translations of such texts in over thirty languages! For more information, please read the detailed introduction to the EBT on SuttaCentral.
I’d like to share my translations.
Sure! We have a separate category ‘Translations’ on the forum for budding translators. It’s a good way to get feedback on your efforts and to collaborate with like minded individuals across the world.
If, on the other hand, you would like to publish your translations on SuttaCentral, please post in the Translations category tagging Bhante @sujato and Ayya @sabbamitta and discuss your ideas with them. You may also consult this guide for translators which gives some basic information about working with Bilara, the SuttaCentral translation app. Once an agreement is made with Bhante Sujato about your project, fellow translators, for example Ayya @Sabbamitta will help you, if questions arise.
Please keep in mind we only accept translations created entirely by humans. No AI tools are to be used including speech to text, except for accessibility purposes.
What if I find some content on site offensive?
The texts we are discussing are over 2500 years old and may contain material which can be interpreted as patriarchal, misogynist, sexist or offensive. Please bear in mind that these are ancient, traditional views which may clash with modern sensibilities. Due discretion is advised when posting and discussing such content. Offensive material will be immediately deleted wherever found. That said, moderators don’t preview new posts in any way; the moderators and site operators take no responsibility for any content posted by the community.
I found some content which is undoubtedly offensive to any reasonable person. What should I do?
Just flag it. If enough flags accrue, action will be taken, either automatically or by moderator intervention. If you like, you can also send a PM to @moderators, mentioning what you find offensive in the content.
Why don’t you allow discussion of personal practice, personal problems or diet and medical issues?
This forum is not a support group. Moderators cannot ensure that your personal revelations will be well received by the community. It is not possible to render meaningful assistance on such issues through the modality of an anonymous Internet forum! If it is really necessary to discuss such topics, it should be done with reference to generalities, such as would be found in a book or in a Dhamma talk. Alternatively, those interested in such conversation can use the Personal Message (PM) feature to discuss among themselves.
Why can’t I tell others about my attainments?
Whether you are a monastic or layperson, please do not make personal claims of path attainments, meditative attainments or supernatural powers on this forum. This could appear to be boasting. Those who are faithful have no need for proof, those who have no faith will not believe you.
What is your AI policy?
AI generated content and tools are not allowed anywhere on this forum or on SuttaCentral. You may only use AI tools for genuine accessibility purposes.
- All proposals and discussion regarding the use of AI and its ethics must be confined to the Watercooler category. These conversations should be of high-quality and not just contain links to AI content.
- Links to sites with predominantly AI generated content will only be tolerated within the Watercooler.
- AI generated translations should not be linked.
My English is not very good, can I use a translation tool or have a discussion in another language?
You may only use a translation tool to provide feedback or discuss non-English translations which are hosted on SuttaCentral.
If you use a translation engine, such as GoogleTranslate, please post in your native language and in English and name the engine you used.
Can I have a discussion in another language?
The principal language of this forum is English. It should be used for all discussions.
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If you are commenting on a non-English translation hosted on SuttaCentral, you may post your feedback in the relevant language.
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For all non-English text quoted on this forum, please provide an English language translation.
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English language translations should be done by humans, except for users providing feedback on a SuttaCentral hosted non-English translation. In this case a translation engine may be used.
If you use a translation engine, such as GoogleTranslate, please post in both your native language and in English, and also name the engine you used.
Can I use the Forum to gather support for XYZ cause?
Please do not post content soliciting donations, directly or indirectly asking for financial or material assistance for any country, cause, organization or person without the express prior written permission of the Moderators/ Site Admin.
I know about an interesting book/ Dhamma course/ Retreat. Can I post information about it on the Forum?
Public announcements concerning upcoming Dhamma courses, retreats or newly published Buddhist books etc are permitted in Events or #watercooler
I have a copy of an interesting book/ other media which I would like to share with others. Can I post the file/ link on the forum?
Only if it doesn’t breach copyright!! Copyright is a complex issue which differs from country to country. Normally short quotes and the like are fine, but full texts and other material can only be posted with the proper licensing permission. Make sure that the terms of any license are clear, either by including them in the post, or providing a link. In general, it is fine to post content which has been marked by the author as ‘for free distribution’. If on the other hand there is any doubt about the licensing or copyright of the content, you are better off just citing the title/author/publisher. Readers can usually find such content online themselves if they wish. You should not post descriptions of, links to, or methods for stealing copyrighted intellectual property (text, software, video, audio, images), or for breaking any other law. The moderators reserve the right to delete any suspect material or links on sight.
I believe that my Teacher is truly enlightened. Can I share his Teachings on the Forum?
Within the bounds of reason, yes. Do keep in mind that there are a large number of very good teachers out there. There are also teachers whose teachings are considered controversial by some. While you have faith, others might not. Proselytizing for any particular sect/ teacher is not allowed on the forum. We suggest that you share a small excerpt of their teaching and relate it to some sutta passages.
But, But, But… I know about these secret teachings and I want to share them with everyone! They have been hidden for so long!
How likely is that? Generally such views blithely reject well-established facts. Ideas that there are ‘Secret Teachings’, ‘Hidden Manuscripts’, ‘conspiracies of the clergy’ etc always turn out to be delusional on close examination. Such views seem like an innocuous theory, but they often aim at creating a nationalist, sectarian fundamentalism.
Anyone advocating extremist or conspiracy theory views will be warned, and if they persist, banned. Examples of such views include ‘The Buddha was born in Sri Lanka’, ‘Anicca doesn’t mean impermanence’, ‘The original Pali manuscripts at Aluvihara exist’, ‘Chinese texts are all Mahayana’, ‘Mahayana texts are fake’ etc. We treat views that go against mainstream science such as ‘Climate change is not real’, ‘COVID is just the flu’ etc, in exactly the same way.
I’m so angry! I want to expose the wrong doing of that Teacher, those Monastics and their Tradition.
While we understand your situation, we regret that this forum is not the place to express your angst. Every Teacher and Tradition has their plus and minus points. The approach that is best for one person may feel unduly restrictive to another. If you feel that there was some genuine wrongdoing, you should contact the appropriate authorities. Please do not level unsubstantiated allegations against any Teacher, Monastic or Tradition on this forum.
How do you use this forum software?
There are some helpful guides here. Otherwise, just ask.
(By the way, the word “Discourse” is actually the name of the software platform that we are using for this forum. It also happens to be the same word that we usually use to translate “sutta” into English. This might be just a coincidence, but we’ve been very impressed with how the developers of Discourse want to create what they call Civilized Discourse, which is pretty much what the Buddha called Right Speech.)
How do I get help?
If you have a question about the Guidelines or need any sort of help, please contact the moderators
- by sending a Personal Message to @moderators, or
- by mentioning @moderators in any public thread.
PMs sent directly to one moderator’s username regarding forum issues are automatically shared with the entire Mod Team, unless marked as Private/ Personal.
How do I delete my content?
Previously contributed content forms part of a public archive indexed by Search engines and hence cannot be deleted.
How do I close my account?
To terminate your account, simply turn off notifications and discontinue posting.
I’m actually rather embarrassed by some of the things I posted in the past. I would like a fresh start.
You can have your username changed or suspended or your past content anonymized. Please contact the moderators who will assist on a case by case basis.
Are Personal Messages (PMs) private?
Kind of. PM stands for Personal Message (not private message). They are direct, personal, conversations between yourself and the people listed in the message. PM conversations can be accessed by site administrators if the need arises. This generally does not occur. If you would like to have a truly private conversation we suggest moving to email or an encrypted messaging service.
What do the moderators do?
The moderators’ primary duty is to maintain a safe, kind environment for all users and they must use their discretion to this end. This may, for example, entail:
- Encouraging Right Speech within a thread
- Pulling people up when their speech is unkind
- Redirecting a thread that has deviated significantly from its original post
- Editing or deleting content
- Closing a thread
- Closing an account where it is suspected a user has created a second account in order to distort discussion.
The moderators will not disclose the details of discussions had with you in private to other users. In turn, as all private moderation will be kept private, please don’t ask us to tell you how we’ve moderated others.
How does moderation work?
If you write something which does not abide by the Guidelines or FAQ you will be flagged. All users can flag. Flags by moderators and ex-moderators will hide your post immediately, until the moderation process is complete. If your post is hidden, please be patient and kind with the moderators.
If issues cannot be resolved through dialogue with the moderators, or the issue is more serious, you may receive an official warning. This is a yellow coloured personal message that contains the words “official warning”. If you receive three official warnings you will be suspended from the forum for one month. If you receive two more official warnings after a suspension has been lifted, you will be permanently banned.
Official messages by the moderators are highlighted in staff-coloured boxes, which currently appear as yellow or green on your screen and will show like one of these:
Who are the moderators?
The [Forum is moderated]Frequently asked questions (FAQ)) by a small band of unpaid volunteers, who are responsible to, and overseen by Forum Management. Current moderators will have a shield next to their profile image.
The mods live in different time zones and have personal responsibilities outside the Forum. While they try hard to provide 24⁄7 coverage, there may be short delays in responding to even routine matters and, as decisions are made by group consensus, it will take a few days to reach decisions on some issues.
My post got flagged! What should I do/not do?
If your post gets flagged, do take the time to understand why the community has found your post objectionable. Most flags occur because the poster has not understood their audience. Imagine yourself in the Park or the Mall on a lovely evening. Your audience might consist of some working people, some young professionals, a few grouchy professor types, retired folks and the odd monastic. Would what you have to say be suitable? That is how it is online too! There are very real people behind the computer screens. If in doubt, you can contact @moderators by PM for advice. Please also see the Sutta Central Guide to Flagging.
The moderators want to be as fair to you as possible. Responding well to admonition is regarded as a basic sign of integrity in Dhamma communication. If you respond with anger, insults or by attacking anyone at all, in the public threads or by PM, expect to find yourself permanently banned.
The Moderators deleted my content. How dare they!
The Moderators are empowered to do their best to keep the forum functioning smoothly. They may do this in a variety of ways, including
- editing titles, tags or contents
- removing content
- hiding posts
- moving posts to a new topic
- imposing restrictions on the frequency of posting to particular threads
- temporarily or permanently closing threads
- or any other modality deemed prudent by the Moderator Team.
The moderators’ primary duty is to maintain a safe, kind environment for all users and they must use their discretion to this end. They want to be as fair to you as possible, but keep in mind that they are often acting on behalf of other users who have raised flags or submitted grievances and they need to balance everyone’s interest.
What do I do if I think a moderation decision is unfair?
If you feel a decision is unfair, please represent your side of things in a friendly, constructive manner. The moderators want to be as fair to you as possible, but keep in mind that they are often acting on behalf of other users who have raised flags and need to balance everyone’s interest.
If you feel like you are unable to resolve an issue with the moderators you may contact the Forum Management. Please be extra patient as this is not a moderation team and they only meet semi-regularly. This will not get your issue resolved quickly and is for serious cases only. Trivial cases will be dismissed.
If you feel a particular decision was unfair, you can represent your side of things in a friendly, constructive manner to @moderators. Decisions in such cases are made by group consensus and it will usually take a few days to reach a final decision on a particular issue. Please do not send repeated messages asking for immediate action. Abusing the moderators or criticizing moderator actions on the forum will not be tolerated.
Responding well to admonition is regarded as a basic sign of integrity in Dhamma communication. If you respond with anger, insults or by attacking the admonisher, other users, the site, or those running it, expect to find yourself permanently banned.
I complained to the moderators about another forum user. I would like to know what action was taken.
All moderation is kept private. The moderators will not disclose the details of discussions had with you in private to other users. In turn, please don’t ask us to tell you how we’ve moderated others.
What will get me suspended or banned?
Extremist views are not permitted on this forum.
- Anyone advocating hateful views will be banned without warning.
- Anyone advocating non-hateful extremist views will be warned, and if they persist, banned.
- engaging in spamming, sock puppeting, trolling, sealioning, gaslighting, gish galloping, dogpiling, doxing, or other inappropriate online strategies will get you immediately banned.
| Type of Behaviour expressing | Likely Action |
|---|---|
| hateful views – spamming – sock-puppeting – a | immediate permanent suspension |
| advocating an extremist view after one warning | immediate permanent suspension |
| expressing anger towards, insulting or attacking users or staff – persistent arguing with the mods about an admonition – receiving two warnings after returning from a suspension – abusing the PM feature. | permanent suspension |
| a third warning – arguing with the mods about an admonition | temporary suspension |
| an action that contravenes the Guidelines & these FAQs that hasn’t been resolved through discussion with the Mods | warning |
| an action that contravenes the Guidelines & these FAQs | Message on behalf of the Mod Team |
| An indication that you don’t understand something in the Guidelines or these FAQs | Message from a moderator |
What is a hateful or extremist view?
Generally they refer to views that blithely reject well-established facts. The views themselves may or may not be hateful, but they are always delusional. Such views seem like an innocuous theory, but they often aim at creating a nationalist, sectarian fundamentalism.
It is not possible to define these with precision, so it will be decided on a case by case basis, with consultation if necessary.
We are concerned primarily with Buddhist extremist views, but other forms of anti-reality extremism are included, such as climate change denial.
Examples of hateful views include but are not limited to:
- patriarchal,
- misogynist,
- sexist,
- bioessentialist,
- xenophobic,
- transphobic,
- TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist),
- homophobic,
- racist,
- anti-Semitic, or pro-Nazi views
- or any other kind of hateful views.
Expressing any such view will receive immediate moderation and is likely to get you banned, even if such advocacy is couched in terms of ‘discussing the texts’ or ‘maintaining tradition’. Do keep in mind that the forum viewership is diverse, consisting of monastics as well as laypeople. Don’t post content which you would hesitate to talk about in a public place, in the presence of your family and friends, or infront of a monastic. Don’t post anything obscene or sexually explicit.
Examples of non-hateful extremist views include:
- The Buddha was born in Sri Lanka
- Anicca doesn’t mean impermanence
- The original Pali manuscripts at Aluvihara exist
- Pali fundamentalism (eg Chinese texts are all Mahayana, etc.)
- Radical nationalist agendas or sectarian fundamentalism.
Advocating in favour of such a view, after a warning, will result in a permanent ban. If it is a hateful view, however, there will be no warning. Asking about or generally discussing such views is a grey area. Someone may innocently want to simply clarify what such a view is about, or what the issue is. So that is fine. But asking such questions or suggestions can be a way of trolling used to escape the ban. Experienced trolls will say things like, “I wonder if it could be true that …” “We can’t know for sure that …”. If anyone persists in raising such issues in this kind of leading manner after being warned, they will be banned.
Are there any specific websites or groups which cannot be linked to?
Linking to any site which contains obscene, violent, pornographic, misogynistic or extremist (link up) content is not welcome
. This includes but is not limited to :
- X (formerly Twitter)
- Truth Social
- Classical Theravada
- Ajahn Puññadhammo
- Waharaka, Puredhamma and related groups
- Jethavanarama
- Pannobhaso/ Nikaya Dhamma Society
- Jason Manu Rheaum
- Julius Evola
- Facebook groups: Humble Stature, the Buddhist Right, or Alt-right Buddhism
- Any website hosting AI generated translations.
This includes screenshots. Moderators will hide this content and either delete it or ask for a rewrite. Moderated posts will remain hidden until the issue is resolved.
Since the Buddha was the original ‘Aryan’, what is wrong with my espousing such traditional philosophy?
Remember that some words mean more than you think they do, or imply something worse than they say! Think before you post. Be civil. Don’t post anything that a reasonable person would consider offensive, abusive, or hate speech. Anyone advocating hateful views will be banned without warning. We have a zero tolerance approach to misogyny, sexism, homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, pro-Nazism… in short, any kind of -ism or any kind of speech espousing anger, hate or violence towards any group. Making insinuations against any particular group (eg women) in a way that seeks to deny their equal status, (even if couched in apparently polite terms or as espousing traditional views) is strictly forbidden. Likewise, extremist views that try to tie Buddhism to notions of national, cultural, racial and gender superiority are not allowed. Just flag it!
You mentioned inappropriate online strategies such as spamming, sock puppeting, trolling, sealioning, gaslighting, gish galloping, dogpiling, doxing etc. What are these?
We are referring to any behavior which could reasonably be construed as unsocial, unwelcome, insulting or as intentional harassment or bullying of any other forum user. Common examples of inappropriate online strategies are:
- Spamming: Posting commercial messages or links to drive traffic to commercial websites, no content posts, repetitive posts etc.
- Sockpuppeting: Making multiple accounts with different usernames for any purpose whatsoever without the prior permission of the Site admin/ Moderators. If multiple accounts are detected, all accounts of that user will be immediately suspended.
- Trolling: Making rude, inflammatory or emotionally upsetting statements so as to elicit strong emotional responses in others, steer the conversation off topic or disrupt the forum.
- Sealioning: Repeatedly asking the same questions, recurrently requesting evidence or inviting others to debate in bad faith with or without maintaining a pretense of civility and sincerity.
- Gaslighting: Presenting false information or a false narrative with the intention of having others question their own experience, perception or knowledge.
- Gish galloping : Derailing a conversation with a flood of falsehoods and tiny arguments that focus on nitpicking or minor unrelated details, each loaded with implied accusations.
- Dogpiling: Forming a formal or informal group on the forum to shame, harass, humiliate or discredit any other user or group.
- Doxxing: Attacking, harassing or unfairly targeting anyone, impersonating other people, or exposing their private information.
- Brigading: Bringing a group of users on to the forum to flood a thread with views of your group.
Internet harassment is a crime. The moderators are empowered to immediately suspend users who persist in such tactics.
I have received feedback that my post is ‘low-quality’. Can you help me understand how to improve the quality of my posts?
One should aim to make the forum a joyful place for discussion by improving the conversation in any way, however small. Your post should contain your own thoughts and observations and not just be a copy-paste of someone else’s content! If you are not sure your post adds something meaningful, reflect on what you want to say and how you want to say it. Feel free to browse through the site; you can always contribute later. It is good practice to back your writing up with references and citations wherever possible (i.e. say where your information comes from and provide a hyperlink, or the writer’s name, and the title of an article/book/journal as appropriate). You should definitely try to format your text for easy readability using the built-in formatting tools. A guide for new users is available here.
Should I open a new discussion or add to an old one?
Please use the search function to help you browse through existing topics here and spend some time reading these conversations before replying or starting your own. This way you’ll have a better chance of meeting others who share your interests. You are welcome to reply to old threads but please understand that some of the users have not visited the forum in many years. Your replies should add to the conversation, rather than debate old points.
What are ‘Categories’?
They are a method to group similar discussion topics. You should choose the appropriate category when starting a fresh discussion, as described in Categories - Discuss & Discover , or ask @moderators for assistance. For more details see the discussion at the end of this document.
Right speech vs Free speech… What’s the difference?
As a private Buddhist site, we practice Right speech rather than Free speech. For Buddhists, using Right Speech involves taking care to speak/write only what one believes to be true without gossiping and speaking/writing with kindness, relevance and patience. Buddhists do not subscribe totally to Free Speech as an ideal. Rather, Buddhists believe that speech and actions have consequences both for one’s own self as well as for others, and that we are responsible for the consequences of what we speak/write. So, while participating in this Forum please exercise due discretion in what you post.
My friends tell me I have a razor sharp wit. Surely no one could object to a few jokes or sarcasm?
As already described, Right Speech is defined in the Early Buddhist Texts as refraining from speech that is false, malicious, harsh or gossiping (AN 10.176). Why is the Buddha’s speech so persuasive? It’s because he always spoke clearly, kindly, and rationally. If you do the same, you’ll find that people will be much more open to your ideas. This forum draws participants from many different countries, many of whom count English as a second language and who have a wide range of sensitivity and vulnerability. It may be better to avoid sarcasm or jokes which can be misconstrued as a result of differences in cultural context.
What should I do if debate turns into disagreement? How can I avoid getting into an online quarrel?
Step away from discussions that become combative. Rigorous debate can be an important part of Dhamma inquiry and many debates are recorded in the Early Buddhist Texts. However, it’s even more important to recognize the difference between a debate and a quarrel. Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with what is being said. In general, if you have replied twice to another poster and they haven’t got your point, they likely won’t! It is better to let such discussions go. Agreeing to disagree or simply disagreeing silently and moving on are mature methods of handling such an impasse.
Yes, I understand Right Speech. But what if I deeply disagree with what someone has posted? Surely I should be able to let them know that what they are saying is wrong?
It’s fine if you do wish to respond to something by disagreeing with it: the Buddha said we should praise what should be praised, and criticize what should be criticized. But remember the advice of the Araṇavibhaṅga Sutta (MN 139): Criticize ideas, not people. Directing criticism at another poster’s character or motivations (an Ad hominem in modern parlance), their personality traits, their attitude, their way of life, choice of teachers, texts, method and place of worship, their personal approach to Buddhism or the type of practice they choose to follow is not permitted. Instead, try to analyze the issue logically and state your reasons calmly, preferably using references in support.
I don’t care! I’m going to tell that %$@#*% what’s what!!
Please remain calm and avoid name calling. Calling other posters by abusive epithets, accusing them of trolling or other bad behaviour, implying that other posters are Trolls, misogynist, sexist, homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic pro-Nazi, or hold any other hateful views is not permitted.
If a post leads you to suspect someone of harbouring extremist or hateful views, please do not take matters into your own hands by accusing them of hate or trying to cross-examine them in public. Instead, flag the post and leave a message to notify the moderators. We do not tolerate extremist views and will judge the merit of the flag in accordance with our guidelines.
Did you read what that person did/ posted? Surely they are going to burn in Hell forever. At the least they will be reborn as an animal.
Please avoid any direct or indirect references to Kammic retribution. Better to flag it and move on.
I’m impressed. How do you manage to keep the forum running?
The forum runs on the voluntary contributions of ordinary people such as You! Please see this page if you would like to make a donation, however small.
You’ve inspired me. I’d like to volunteer my services.
That’s great!
If you would like to volunteer as a Moderator, please PM @moderators.
If you would like to volunteer as a translator, please post a message in Translations explaining your proposal and tagging Bhante @sujato
If you would like to volunteer as a coder you can message Bhante @Sujato or join the conversation on our Github.
None of these FAQ address my query! What should I do?
PM @moderators with your query and we will get back to you with an answer!
In which category do I post my topic?
We have updated some of the ‘About’ descriptions of forum categories to help you decide where your post can go.
To locate a summary page that lists all the categories, click the main hamburger menu and click the ‘Categories (10 more)…’ link…:
it will take you to the main ‘Categories’ page. There you can see the list of ALL the forum topic categories.
On a desktop computer, under each category heading (eg ‘Discussion’) you will see a short description. On a mobile, only the category heading is displayed, clicking on the category heading will take you to the short description.
At the end of the short description, there is a “…read more” link.
If you click on “… read more”, you will arrive at the 'About the Category" post.
These longer ‘About’ posts can be very useful in helping you decide in which category your post will go. Please take some time to review the description.
You may also notice the little pin icon. We would encourage you to ‘pin’ it by clicking it so it looks like this (points down)
‘Pinning’ a post displays it at the top of the category and ensures it’s not ‘lost’ among the many posts in that section. If you do find that your ‘About’ post has gone ‘missing’, you can always go back to the main category page described above, find it and re-pin it.
Unless you’ve got a fantastic memory, having the ‘About’ post pinned on the top of the category pages can help you decide where you post no matter how long you’ve been using the forum.
Here are the ‘About’ descriptions for all the D&D categories
Discussion
This category is only for discussion directly related to the Early Buddhist Texts. Use it to develop your practice of Right Speech.
Learn how to engage, argue, support, concede, or persuade, all the time remembering that everyone else here is helping you to get Awakened! Discussion Topics should not be wiki-ed. Your comments are your own.
Q&A
Get answers for specific questions related to the EBTs. Keep this section for limited questions for which you can conceivably get a satisfactory answer.
Clarify the meaning of a phrase or an unfamiliar idea. Don’t ask open-ended questions or for opinions. Similarly, when providing answers, try to answer the question as directly as possible. Avoid lengthy explanations or personal opinions. Open a new topic if you want to ask a follow-up question.
The Watercooler
Post about anything you want to discuss, serious or light, that doesn’t fit elsewhere. Enjoy some discussion, friendly chat, or just hang out with Dhamma friends.
Use the Watercooler as a place to support each other and make connections, without getting personal or argumentative. So please keep in mind the forum Guidelines. General Dhamma themes fit here; discussion of specific early texts belongs in Discussion.
Meta
Discussion about SuttaCentral and this forum, its organization, how it works, and how we can improve it.
Events & Announcements
Events of interest to those interested in early Buddhist texts, and notices about people involved in teaching/studying them.
This includes notice of upcoming seminars, workshops, meetings (in-person or online), courses, book and related media launches. You may also include obituaries of Sangha members and lay followers who may be familiar to users of this forum. (All other announcements go in the Watercooler.)
Instructions on how to post an event or announcement in this category (several steps are involved) can be found here.
Translation Work
Translations of the EBTs, especially alternative versions or study projects, as well as discussion of passages that are difficult to translate.
Feel free to add your own sutta translations or any others to which you have the rights.
If you’re using someone else’s translation, make sure to include the correct reference and relevant copyright information. From time to time, we may take translations that have been added here and include them in our main site. We’ll assess: Do we have a translation of this sutta already? Is the translation of good quality? Is the proofing, spelling, and so on, well done? So the better you make your uploads, the more chance you have of contributing to the long term creation of a universal translation of the Early Buddhist Texts.
By adding texts here, you can make a start as a translator and get feedback to help you improve.
Essays
Essays and analysis that treat the whole sutta, usually by experienced teachers.
This follows the model used in the traditional Theravadin commentaries, where the meaning of each sutta is “discussed” (aṭṭhakathā).
You can add an Essay in the usual way, by inserting the text. However many essays are quite complex, so it may be easier to insert a pre-formatted file, such as PDF. You can upload a PDF as a commentary. You can also link to a PDF online; however, we’d prefer if they were uploaded, as then we can ensure that the links don’t get broken. We don’t accept proprietary formats such as .doc. If you want to include a .doc file, please convert it to PDF first.
Each separate Essay should start a new Topic. So don’t add a Essay as a reply to another Essay.
In many cases, Essays will be by well-known authors, and it’d be nice to have a way to view all the essays by a particular author. We can do this by adding the author of the Essay as a tag for the Topic, thus:
##The root teaching
tagged: mn1, mulapariyaya, en, piya tan
Finally, include only material for which there is appropriate copyright permission. Usually this will be detailed on the source site or file. If in doubt, contact the author or site manager; usually people are happy to help, so don’t be shy! Ensure that appropriate copyright notice is included in the post. Usually it can be placed at the bottom of the post.
Essays are not wiki-ed. Only the original poster can change them.
AV
Audio visual resources for EBTs, including readings, chanting, and sutta classes.
Create a new Topic for each resource. Make sure to mention in the post title the main information (speaker and so on), and in the body of the post, any other useful information. The simplest way to add AV material is to paste the link to the MP3 file, Youtube, and so on. The player should display automatically. In addition, you can upload your own files, although in that case others won’t be able to play them here. Instead they’ll have to download them.
Reading Guides
This category provides structured reading guides for the Early Buddhist Texts.
Wiki
These are collaborative articles by the Discuss & Discover community intended to explain fundamental terms and concepts found in the Early Buddhist Texts.
The primary purpose of the wiki category is to generate a set of articles in a simple, clear style, which can help someone, especially newcomers, get familiar with the concepts, culture, ideas, and terms. All articles are collaborative. You may edit anything, but be kind and generous in your choices. Don’t let us end up with the legalistic culture of Wikipedia! Favor writing that is clear, simple, and neutral in tone. Take care to write as well as you can. Review your writing, spellcheck, and ensure proper markup is used. If you’re not familiar with any of this, don’t worry, just ask for help. Unlike Wikipedia, favour original sources from the EBTs. Modern scholars, if they are included at all, should be secondary. But it is fine to have the article based purely on the EBTs.
Make an effort to include references to texts other than Pali. Always use standard SuttaCentral references. Include images or other resources wherever possible. Avoid controversies and lengthy discussions. Better to do that in the Discussion or Essay category as appropriate. Keep the focus on the meanings and usages found in the EBTs. Include context if necessary, but make sure the main sense is clear.
A wiki article may be started by anyone. No concept is too small or simple. It’s fine to do just a couple of simple paragraphs on a basic term or idea. Remember, most people have zero familiarity with the suttas, and any help we can give them will be appreciated. To start a wiki post, simply create a new topic in the wiki category. If it is accepted as an “official” wiki article, the user will be reassigned by an admin to “wiki”. From then on, anyone will still be able to edit the article, but it will no longer be attributed to you by name. Edit history for wiki articles, however, may always be seen by clicking the pencil icon at the top of the post.
Feedback
Corrections, suggestions, ideas, and complaints. Please be specific, and include the exact ID of the sutta or page, and a screenshot if possible and relevant.
Like all websites, we depend on your feedback so that we can improve. Don’t be shy to let us know if you have a problem, or if you’d like to congratulate us, too!
Designated threads for reporting content errors and typos, and for reporting bugs in SuttaCentral are pinned directly below.
Add to an existing thread or start a new one for other ideas and for everything to do with the Forum