Lion's Roar

Studying Buddhism online: Where to go?

by |

barryboyce-2009Among the questions raised by readers of our post “Going It Alone: What’s Your Experience as an Unaffiliated Buddhist?” was where to find helpful resources about Buddhism on the web. Here Barry Boyce, senior editor of the Shambhala Sun, introduces (with links) some of the ones you shouldn’t miss.

Check them out — and add your own favorites and suggestions in a comment — after the jump.

Although Buddhist teachings have been available on the internet for more than a decade, e-dharma resources have expanded dramatically over the last few years. “Along with the explosion of MySpace, then Facebook, now Twitter,” says Waylon Lewis, editor of the mindful living website elephantjournal.com, “the volume of Buddhist knowledge, history, and teachings online—and the students connecting with these new e-resources—may well trump the accumulated teachings and readership of Western dharma books over the last fifty years.”

Here’s a sampling of sites that allow people to study Buddhism in the virtual realm:

  • The BuddhaNet online Buddhist study guide has a library of material for viewing or downloading, and offers a basic guide to Buddhism, a course for primary and secondary school students, and a graduated course of study covering all major traditions.
  • The FPMT Online Learning Center presents the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition’s acclaimed Discovering Buddhism course through text, audio, and video, complete with discussion forums and quizzes.
  • Ashoka: The eDharma University presents a diverse catalog of multimedia teachings by some of today’s most prominent teachers.
  • Shambhala Online offers interactive webcast courses in which students can ask questions, using tools like web cams and chat.
  • Sundays at 10 a.m. Mountain Time, The Link, at Mangala Shri Bhuti, offers teachings via web conference by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and other senior teachers, with podcasts available shortly after.
  • Unfettered Mind offers a growing catalog of Ken McLeod’s courses and talks, including questions and answers, via iTunes podcasts.
  • Access to Insight presents a scrupulously organized body of readings on Theravada Buddhism, and on the related site, suttareadings.net, audio files of prominent teachers reciting key sutras from the Pali canon.
  • San Francisco Zen Center offers a growing body of online courses and dharma talks in mp3 format, as well as a Dharma Talks blog at suzukiroshi.sfzc.org that is gradually presenting all the transcripts and audio recordings of talks given by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi—in the order in which they were given.

This list represents only some of the resources available to you online. Have a favorite you don’t see here? Be sure to leave it in a comment.

Comments

  1. I wrote a post called Virtual Dharma and have some additional free resources on my blog under resources

    Additionally, you listed some great resources but on aspect that is gaining momentum are online meditative retreats. Offered at Wild Fox Zen blog and Treeleaf Zendo.

  3. It is also very helpful to interact with those on twitter with numerous lists out there.

    Two of my favorite are

    http://twitter.com/DhammaLinks/twangha
    http://twitter.com/MindDeep/twangha

    and of course my own

    http://twitter.com/ZenDirtZenDust/isangha

    These lists are great resources to starting an online conversation with a large and diverse group of practitioners. I exist in an area devoid of temples, zendos or Dharma centers with only two small practicing sanghas (4-12 people at most) so these online resources have really broadened my practice.

    I hit a podcast from San Fransisco Zen Center every morning before meditation and I have picked up some great tips and advise from twitter…a few heated conversations as well…

    Cheers,
    John

  8. This is my absolute favourite Buddhist podcast, http://www.imcw.org/audio/TBPodcasts.xml. Just newly discovered and I'm still catching up but I'm really enjoying listening to these; Tara Brach's dharma talks recorded live at the Insight Meditiation Center of Washington. Topical, down to earth and thorough with a beautiful story telling quality and hallelujah, a sense of humour… a bit like Pema Chodron in style… just a bit.

  14. And . . . Nitartha Institute has live on line classes streamed from Seattle (Nitartha Scholars Series) and from this year's Nitartha Summer Institute in Bellingham, Washington. Students can take live on line streaming video classes with The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen, and Dr. Karl Brunnholzl. Nitartha also offers Advanced Madhyamaka courses taught by Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen and streamed from Boulder Colorado. Check out the Nitartha web site:
    http://www.nitarthainstitute.org. If you have any questions, contact: [email protected]

  15. Serious as opposed to not serious?

    It is a seminary and has a number of students. It is not large but has been going for a couple of years now.

    Is there a specific question that you are looking for an answer on?

  17. Hi Shambhala Sun Readers,

    The Rangjung Yeshe Institute based out of Kathmandu, Nepal offers textual-based online study programs balancing traditional Tibetan and modern Western academic approaches to education. Check out our course offerings this semester at http://www.shedra.org/study-online

    All the best for your studies!