Buddhism: Researching the Religion of the Buddha
For nearly 500 years after his death, the Buddha's teachings were passed through generations of the monastic community by oral tradition. In the late first century BCE they were first written down in a collection known as the Pali Canon. Since then a variety of additional texts and translations have appeared as a means for disseminating his ancient wisdom. Now in the 21st century we have the benefit of a new medium; the Internet is a resource utilized by lay practitioners and monastics alike for bringing the religion of Buddhism to the world.
Expand All Guide SectionsThe Buddhist Faith
One of the oldest enduring Eastern religions, Buddhism was founded in India during the sixth ... read more »
The Different Forms of Buddhism
During Buddhism's 2,500 year history, several thriving sects have emerged, each with a unique take ... read more »
Finding Buddhist Scriptures
Whether you're looking for the Pali Canon, Zen parables and koans, Mahayana text, or scholarly books on the subject of Buddhism, there's a large quantity of original Buddhist scripture freely available on the Internet.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The Buddhist Society has overviews of the different scripture sets, including the Pali Canon, Sanskrit Canon, Mahayana texts, Tantric texts, and the Tibetan and Mongolian Canon. Find them by clicking the "Scriptures" link on the left side of the page.
- Much Buddhist scripture exists in the public domain, so you can often find it online. It's common to find a combination of the original Pali or Sanskrit text, but many Web sites also host English translations of popular scriptures.
Dulcinea's Picks
For overviews of Buddhist scripture ...
Sacred-Texts
has a large holding of Buddhist scripture and scholarly books and essays from the public domain. This is probably the best selection available on the Web, as it includes such renowned pieces as the Zen classic, The Gateless Gate, by Ekai, and Dwight Goddard's A Buddhist Bible. It has texts from nearly all Buddhist sects, most of which can be found in their entirety, and in English translations. Take advantage of this great resource.
BuddhaNet
's "Sutras" page summarizes the significance of ancient Buddhist texts, while also providing actual scriptures and writing. Go to "Buddhist Scriptures" for an introductory essay on the topic. Check here for links to free PDF versions of texts and teachings of the Theravadin and Mahayana Sutras. At the "Buddhist File Library" you'll find links to many texts from different kinds of Buddhism. Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, Zen, and Chan writings are available.
Ancient Buddhist Texts
has esoteric texts that have been translated into English and includes a link to the works in their original form. This extensive range of texts and studies is the work of one scholar. The works are separated into themes to facilitate finding scriptures on specific topics.
For the Pali Canon ...
The Ida B. Wells Memorial Sutra Library
has translated texts from the Pali Canon. The works are listed in alphabetical order, which makes finding a specific text very easy. There is also a section for "Sutra Links from the Sanskrit."
Nibbana.com
has an English version of the Pali Canon translated by Burmese scholars and available for free viewing, along with various suttas and discourses. This site is comprehensive but incredibly difficult to navigate, given the complex structure of the Canon.
The Pali Text Society
is a U.K. publisher that aims "to foster and promote the study of Pali texts." They publish English translations and ancillary works related to the study of Pali texts. On the Web site you can purchase any of its publications.
For the Sanskrit Canon ...
The Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon Web site
, a joint project of the University of the West in Los Angeles and Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods in Nepal, has made free access to the Sanskrit version of the Canon available online.
Practicing Buddhism
Many prominent Buddhist organizations host sites with information aimed at helping you further your ... read more »
Buddhist Products
Whether you're looking for a statue of the Buddha to serve as inspiration in your practice, a book ... read more »
Connecting with the Buddhist Community
Buddhism has a large, vibrant community of online practitioners. Cyberspace abounds with Buddhist ... read more »
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