Last Updated: 20th June 2008

Hi all, this is the new Useful Links thread because the previous one has expired. In order to keep this topic alive, forummers please share with us any interesting and useful links to Buddhist websites and materials.

General Info/Other Resources
http://www.buddhanet.net (General Buddhist Info and Resource)
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/main.htm (What Buddhists Believe)
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/mfneng/mind0.htm (Mindfulness in Plain English -- a good Beginner's guide to Buddhist Meditation and Mindful/Awareness Practise)
http://www.jenchen.org.sg/bdigest.htm (Jen Chen Buddhist Digest)
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/buddhaintro.html (An Introduction to Buddhism)
http://www.dzogchen.org/teachings/talks/index.htm (Lama Surya Das's dharma talks)
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/Buddhism.htm (Buddhism Fundamentals)
http://www.saigon.com/~anson/ebud/whatbudbeliev/main.htm (More Buddhist Resources)
http://www.dharma-haven.org/ (Dharma Haven - Tibetan tradition)
http://www.mountainman.com.au/buddha/ (Gospel of Buddha)
http://sped2work.tripod.com/resolve.html (Zen Article: RESOLVING THE MIND: Buddha's Enlightenment)
http://tibetanlama.com/ (Tibetan Buddhism and Resource Website)
http://www.dharmathecat.com/ (Philosophy with fur!)
http://beyondthenet.net/beyond_the_net.htm (Theravadin Dhamma and Resources)
http://www.sakyadhita.org/ (The International Association of Buddhist Women)
http://civet-cat.skandinaviskzencenter.org/ (Leaves from the Buddha's Grove)
http://www.urbandharma.org/sitemap.html (Urban Dharma)
http://www.buddhistinformation.com/ (General Buddhist Info)
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/beyond/beyond01.htm (Beyond Belief)
http://www.lamrim.com (Lam Rim)
http://www.dharma-media.org (Dharma File Sharing)
http://www.saigon.com/~anson/ebud/budtch/budteach00.htm#top (The Buddha and His Teachings)
http://home.netvigator.com/~vajrasattva/mandala/ (Flash slideshow of the Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutram Sand Mandala; background music & sound - Faye Wong chanting the Heart Sutra)
http://children.bfnn.org/cartoon/ (Buddhist cartoons on Life of Buddha, Buddhist Discourses, etc)
http://www.geocities.com/the_wanderling/awakening101.html (Awakening 101: Enlightenment; Samadhi, etc.)
http://www.buddhism.kalachakranet.org/tibet.html (General info for Tibetan Buddhism and Resources)
http://www.betterbuddha.com/Buddhism_Zen_and_Taoism.htm (General introduction to/comparison of different spirituality, 2 pages;Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, Dzogchen [Tibetan Buddhism], Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism)
http://www.geocities.com/ntwdavid (Life of Buddha - In Pictures)
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv (Worldwide Buddhist News)
http://www.purelandmusic.com (Buddhist Music)
http://www.maitreyaproject.com.sg/ (Project to build the World's Largest Maitreya Bodhisattva (aka the mi le fo/laughing buddha) Statue)
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chinsoo/ (Buddhist Holy Places)
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/ (Buddhist Society at Brown University)
http://www.buddhistcouncil.org/ (Buddhist Council)
http://www.geocities.com/sinweiy/ (Our Moderator Sinweiy's Personal Resource Website)

Buddhist Blogs
http://buddha-inside.us/ (Awakening the Buddha in us)
http://sbuddhistworkyouth.blogs.friendster.com/singapore_buddhist_youth_/ (Bohiruci's Blog)
http://wisdombliss.blogspot.com/ (Panna Padipa)
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/ (A blog by me, An Eternal Now, about true spiritual enlightenment)

Directory & Information of Singapore Dharma Centres
http://www.4ui.com/links/elocal.asp (Links of Dharma Centres)
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4886/links.htm (Links of Dharma Centres)
http://www.tipitaka.net/links/ (Worldwide Links of Dharma Centres)
http://www.buddha.sg/htm/general/temple.htm (Singapore Directory of Dharma Centres)

Buddhist Dictionaries
http://online.sfsu.edu/%7Erone/Buddhism/BuddhistDict/BDIntro.htm
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma2/dictionary/bdindex.html

Audio Dharma Talks (Downloadable)
http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-talks.htm (Mahayana; Theravada)
http://www.lamrim.com/index2.html (Lam Rim - Vajrayana)
http://www.bswa.org/audio/audio_by_author.php (Buddhist Society of Western Australia - Theravada)
http://www.dharma-media.org/ (Rime Buddhist Archive - Vajrayana)

Specific Sects/Traditions
Pureland Buddhism (Mahayana Buddhism)
http://www.nembutsu.info
http://www12.canvas.ne.jp/horai/
http://www.amtb.org
Ren Cheng (Human Vehicle Buddhism)
http://www.jenchen.org.sg
http://www.humanbliss.com.sg
http://www.rencheng.org.sg
http://www.bewithbuddha.org
Gelug Tradition (Tibetan Buddhism)
http://www.fpmtabc.org.sg
http://www.fpmt.org
http://www.maitreyaproject.org
Chinese Mahayana
http://www.manjushri.com
Zen Buddhism
http://www.chungtai.org.tw
http://www.ddm.org.tw
http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Teishos/Essentials_of_Chan_Practice.htm (The Essentials of Ch'an Practice)
Theravadin Buddhism
http://beyondthenet.net
http://www.dhammathai.org/indexeng.php

http://what-buddha-taught.net/

Dangerous Cults [claiming to be Buddhist]
http://buddhism.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=168488 (Cults not recognise in our forum - more complete list)
http://web.archive.org/web/20050225012358/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4886/cults.htm (A very resourceful website on Buddhist Cults but the lawyer of a controversial lama made yahoo pull the website down - so what's left is salvaged here)

Sutras
http://www.empty-universe.com/portal.htm (Comprehensive list of Scriptural resources from the Pali Nikaya)

http://mahajana.lap.hu/ (Comprehensive list of Scriptural resources from the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions)

http://www4.bayarea.net/~mtlee/ (Mahayana Buddhist Sutras in English)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-sutta.html (Pali (Theravadin) Canon of Suttas)
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/guide.htm (A comprehensive collection of Sutras and Commentaries from BOTH the Pali and Mahayana Canon)
www.alc.enta.net/kalama.htm (Kalama Sutra)
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/sutras.html (Sutras)
http://www.dharmamemphis.com/buddhism/mahayana_buddhist_sutras.htm (Mahayana Buddhist Sutras)
http://www.siddham.org/yuan_english/sutra/main_sutra.html (Mostly Mahayana Sutras)
http://www.huayenworld.org/hybfinal/HYB_Gandavyuha_set.htm (Huayen Sutra / The Flower Ornament Sutra / Avatamsaka Sutra)

Sites in Traditional Chinese
http://www.sun36.com/chinesebig5/buddhism/

Magazines & Publishers
http://www.shambhalasun.com/ (Shambhala Sun - A Buddhist Inspired Magazine)
http://www.ordinarymind.net/index.htm (Ordinary Mind - An Australian Buddhist Review)
http://www.lamayeshe.com/ (Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/index.html (Buddhist Publication Society [Sri Lanka])
http://www.tricycle.com/issues/tricycle/ (Tricycle)
http://taipei.tzuchi.org.tw/default/product/tzq1.htm (Tzu Chi English Quarterly)
http://www.inquiringmind.com/ (Inquiring Mind - a journal of the vipassana community)
http://www.mandalamagazine.org/ (Mandala Magazine)
http://www.bodhionline.org/ (Bodhi Online)
http://www.dharma.net/monstore/index.php?cPath=84_80&osCsid=12df22574e527f96be0f4e2ebc5a1318 (Mountain Record - The Zen Practitioners' Journal)
http://www.thebuddhadharma.com/ (Buddhadharma - The Practitioner's Quarterly)
http://www.shambhala.com/ (Shambhala Publications)
http://www.snowlionpub.com/ (Snow Lion Publications)
http://www.parallax.org/ (Parallax Press)
http://www.jenchen.org.sg/ (Look under "The Jen Chen Buddhist Digest"; free Jen Chen Buddhist Digest [Singapore])

Buddhist Forums in sgForums and Elsewhere
http://buddhism.sgforums.com (~ Buddhism: Wisdom Bliss ~)
http://meetbuddhist.sgforums.com (Buddhism: Compassionate Affinity)
http://SBMY.sgforums.com (Singapore Buddhist Mission)
http://Buddhabless.sgforums.com (Buddhism Ch'an, Mahamudra & Dzogchen)
http://Shinshu.sgforums.com (Jodo Shinshu Buddhism)

http://Amitabhaland.sgforums.com/ (Amitabhaland)
http://www.e-sangha.com (An International Buddhism Discussion Forum)
--------------
Thank you readers for all your generous contributions to this links page!

Please help the moderators by suggesting any interesting and useful links to Buddhist materials. It will be appreciated too, if you could report any broken links by replying to this topic with the bad URL

The link to the old post: http://buddhism.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=97719

The Meaning of the Mantra - Om Mani Padme Hum
http://www.dharma-haven.org/tibetan/meaning-of-om-mani-padme-hung.htm#Overview

Originally posted by paperflower:

The Meaning of the Mantra - Om Mani Padme Hum
http://www.dharma-haven.org/tibetan/meaning-of-om-mani-padme-hung.htm#Overview

Hi paperflower, thanks for the link

Buddhist Society at Brown University:
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/about.html

Practice:
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/practice.html

Sutras:
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/sutras.html

Dharma talks:
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/dharmatalks.html

others:
http://www.dharmamemphis.com/buddhism/mahayana_buddhist_sutras.htm

http://www.buddhistcouncil.org/

Originally posted by paperflower:

Buddhist Society at Brown University:
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/about.html

Practice:
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/practice.html

Sutras:
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/sutras.html

Dharma talks:
http://www.brown.edu/Students/Buddhism_Society/dharmatalks.html

others:
http://www.dharmamemphis.com/buddhism/mahayana_buddhist_sutras.htm

http://www.buddhistcouncil.org/

Thanks again for the valuable links

Finding the "right teacher"
by Lim Kooi Fong, The Buddhist News Network, Jan 14, 2004
http://www.buddhistnews.tv/current/thubten-chodron-140104.php

Ven. Thubten Chodron, on the Malaysian leg of her Asian tour, talks about an age old problem faced by practitioners: How does one find a teacher that is "suitable"? What does being suitable mean? And suitable for who? Lim Kooi Fong finds out in his hour long interview with the learned Venerable.

/\
ps: not sure want to copy out the text and paste it here or not. scare later they close the link.

Originally posted by sinweiy:

Finding the "right teacher"
by Lim Kooi Fong, The Buddhist News Network, Jan 14, 2004
http://www.buddhistnews.tv/current/thubten-chodron-140104.php

Ven. Thubten Chodron, on the Malaysian leg of her Asian tour, talks about an age old problem faced by practitioners: How does one find a teacher that is "suitable"? What does being suitable mean? And suitable for who? Lim Kooi Fong finds out in his hour long interview with the learned Venerable.

/\
ps: not sure want to copy out the text and paste it here or not. scare later they close the link.

Huh? why not?

Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
Huh? why not?[/b]

if u say so.

Finding the "right teacher"
by Lim Kooi Fong, The Buddhist News Network, Jan 14, 2004

Ven. Thubten Chodron, on the Malaysian leg of her Asian tour, talks about an age old problem faced by practitioners: How does one find a teacher that is "suitable"? What does being suitable mean? And suitable for who? Lim Kooi Fong finds out in his hour long interview with the learned Venerable.

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia -- Funny how enlightened moments announce their arrival. A sprinkling of morning dew hanging at the edge of a fresh, young sapling. A ray of gold bursting forth from behind grey weather. And a little kitten snuggling in the comfort of her mother's embrace.

Voices of enlightened masters teaches us that such moments arrive because our minds were ready to receive them. Images such as the above come and go day by day. And yet, many of us don't even pay an ounce of attention to them. But when the mind is ready, and the situation is there, the condition is then said to have arrived for a ripening of insight, or "spiritual uplift". But how and when do we know that we are ready? Who can we rely on to tell us so?

"Reliance on a teacher," says Ven. Thubten Chodron, "can be a kind of paradox."

"While a teacher's responsibility is to teach, more important as well is their responsibility to help students respond to them," she advises. "A student's obligation is to think about what has been taught, to assess and to analyze the worthiness of the teachings. They also need to show a genuine interest in the Dharma, and to be open minded, that is, not to hold onto preconceived ideas and concepts that impedes spiritual enquiry."

But how do we know if a teacher has actually "realized" the spiritual insight he or she claims to have?

To this, the venerable explains, "Some teachers may be able to dispense with deep teachings. We need not however, be overly concerned with whether the person has realized the teachings he or she is giving or not. If the explanation of the teachings is unsatisfactory, we need not expose the deficiency of the teacher because of the possibility of a misinterpretation. As long as the teachings does not contradict ethics, we should continue to have faith in his or her spiritual ability."

Ven. Chodron cautions however, that it is not right for students to speculate on the attainment of their teachers. "It's a like a cook, you know. A good cook would never say that he or she is a good cook. The judgment sits on the onus of those who eats the food." She further elaborated the metaphor by emphasizing that "in Tibetan Buddhism, it is forbidden to talk about one's attainment."

"However," the venerable continues, "if what the teacher says clearly cannot match the deed with words, then we have to be cautious. For instance, if a teachers talks about compassion, but gets angry ever so often, then we have to be aware of the manner which is contrary to the teaching."

"The spiritually health of a teacher-student's relationship is only useful when the mutual dependence of one another succeeds in positive mental engagement. What this means is that when students sincerely listens to the teachings and puts them into practice, some will find their life become more meaningful. As a result, their respect for the teacher increases," she explains.

Does that give rise to a possibility of the student being attached to the teacher, I enquired. And what if the teacher possesses charismatic tendencies? Won't that too affects the ability of the student to establish spiritually healthy and useful relationships with their mentors?

Ven. Chodron uses the term "idolatry attachment" to describe the danger when students get too close to their teacher. "The ability of a skilled spiritual master to unlock the "bodhicitta" in their students is no doubt something that is truly treasured," she emphasized. "You can say that most people expects this to be the end result of a master-apprentice affiliation. But this can only happen if the students can relate to the teachings in an uplifting way."

"The danger is," she warns, "when the students becomes so much attached to the teacher that instead of fermenting spiritual ties, the relationship degenerates into jealousy, with each student studiously looking out at who is getting more attention from the teacher."

"I spoke earlier of the need for students to have the ability to assess and to analyze situations," she reminded me. "Teachers too need such qualities to avoid falling into the charismatic trap. Newcomers to Buddhism, especially in the west, are often people who needs emotional support more than spiritual guidance. Some hope to fill this void by trying to look deeply within themselves, depending on someone to help them along the way. Others however, tries to fulfill their 'spiritual emptiness' by looking for someone or something to worship. They carry their idolatry tendencies, that is worshipping movie stars, politicians and sports celebrity into the religious realms," the venerable laments.

"By all means, students must remember that all the training they receive only has one ultimate aim, and that is to become an evolved individual which has the ability to help sentient beings. If their end goal is to be dedicated only to the teacher, and only to caring and helping the teacher, they inevitably fall into the 'guru devotion' dilemma. This is by all account," she warns, "a spiritual misnomer because the final destiny of a teacher-student relationship is the mutual spiritual enrichment of both parties."

Simply put, "both become better people."

The conversation thus far have put paid to the idea that all it needs to be enlightened is to have the "right touch" from a "right guru". To have expected half as much of such romanticized idea from this respected venerable would be like looking out for a flight of fancy. The bottom line remains that a useful, healthy, teacher-student relationship is very much a symbiosis. A skilful teacher is a learner most of the time, and a teacher only some of the time.

The pull and push factors in the emotional rollercoaster that plague most teacher-student relationship is only a phase where both side try to discover one another. During such a social and spiritual ride, the interesting thing they learn is, - ultimately, all that they discover are their true selves.

And while the morning dew drops need a sapling to cling on, and the ray of sunlight needs a pall of grey clouds to breakthrough, the magic is established only when the elements starts to leave one another. The enlightening glory arrives when the dew actually drops, and the ray of gold leaving behind the clouds and turns to basking the landscape with its light, awakening all its glorious colors.

As Ven. Thubten Chodron deftly describes it, "When a teacher reprimands a student, and the student returns with a serene look, you know that the spiritual bond is strong, and the practice is firm. The ego does not run away. But when the two do part, the world is better for it because now, there is one more to save sentient beings."

The dew has dropped, the sun is shining, and the student is transformed to be a teacher. And the enlightening cycle of life rolls on. BNN

/\

Thanks, sinweiy

Updated: Buddhist Forums in sgForums

Now we have a 6th Buddhist forum in sgForums by Sanath

Buddhist Perfection of Wisdom Treatise

http://nichirenscoffeehouse.net/dharmajim/sea-of-sound.html

[link removed]

AEN: sorry, perhaps you have not known but SGI/Soka Gakkai is not recognised in our forum. Please refer to http://buddhism.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=202797 and check Rules and Regulations. You may also wish to refer to the thread Nichiren Buddhism. Thanks.

One more.. I wonder is it in the list.. This is also from a Sgreans.. Quite nice and lots of informations.

http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/Buddhism.htm

Originally posted by rhan:

One more.. I wonder is it in the list.. This is also from a Sgreans.. Quite nice and lots of informations.

http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/Buddhism.htm

Ok, thanks

The Buddhist Alumni Association (in Traditional Chinese)

http://www.budyuen.com.hk/

Tks for all the info guys

Thanks so much for the links! They were really helpful and informative!

Added 5 new links:

General Info/Other Resources
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/buddhaintro.html (An Introduction to Buddhism)
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/mfneng/mind0.htm (Mindfulness in Plain English)

Buddhist Blogs (New Section)

http://wisdombliss.blogspot.com/ (Panna Padipa - Blogs of BWB & CA)
http://buddha-inside.us/ (Awakening the Buddha in us)
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/ (A blog by me, AEN, about true spiritual enlightenment)

http://www.dzogchen.org/teachings/talks/index.htm

http://sbuddhistworkyouth.blogs.friendster.com/singapore_buddhist_youth_/

Singapore Buddhist Youth Blogs -a friendster blog by me Bohiruci,updated twice a week on teachings for the Young at heart

http://americanbuddhist.net/node/4660

Thu, 2007-02-22 11:17 — ABN
Poor headline and slightly strange telling of the story, but this information is quite interesting. "Incorruptible bodies" are part of most religious traditions.
The Buryats are a Mongolian people numbering approximately 252,000 whose lands are located north of the Russian-Mongolian border near Lake Baikal. ABN
_________________

22/02/2007

Dead Buddhist Monk Is Alive

Exhumation of the body of Hambo Lama Itigelov took place September 10 th, 2002 on the territory of cemetery near the city of Ulan Ude (Russian Federation). He died and was buried in 1927 and the exhumation was performed in presence of relatives, officials, and specialists”.

This was the information that appeared in Russian mass media regarding Buryat Lama who was exhumed from the grave in the beginning of the 21 st century. The grave contained a wooden box and there was a sitting Buddhist lama in â "lotus" pose. His body was preserved as if it was mummified, however it was not. Soft muscles and skin, folding joints. The body was covered with silk clothes and fabric.

Hambo Lama Itigelov is a real person quite well known in Russian history. He stidied in Anninsky Datsan (Buddhist university in Buryatia, nowadays there are ruins only) and got degrees in medicine and philosophy (nature of emptiness), he created encyclopedia of pharmacology. In 1911 Itigelov became a Hambo Lama (the head of Buddhist church in Russia). During the period from 1913 till 1917 he participated in social actions of the Tsar, being invited to 300-year anniversary of Romanov’s house, opened the first Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg, and Nikolai II gave him St. Stanislav award on 19 th of March, 1917.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

http://www.bumbinorn.ru/2007/02/22/hambo_lama_48654.html

During the First World War Itigelov created and inspired the organization called “Buryat brothers”. He was helping the army with money, meals, clothes, medicaments, he also built a set of hospitals with lama doctors helping wounded soldiers. For that he got St. Anna award and others.

In 1926 Itigelov advised the Buddhist monks to leave Russia, since ‘the red teaching was coming’ (Itigelov himself never left Russia). In 1927, being 75, he told lamas to begin meditation, since he said he was preparing to die. Lamas did not want to perform this meditation because Itigelov was still alive. Thus, Itigelov began to meditate by himself, lamas joined him and soon he died.

Ititgelov left a testament where he asked to bury him as he was, sitting in lotus pose in the cedar box on traditional cemetery. It was done. There was also a statement, where he asked other monks to exhume him after several years. (This is the exciting point – this means he knew that his body would be preserved). This was done in 1955 and in 1973 by Buddhist monks but they were scared to tell everybody about this, since communist regime did not leave any space for religion in society. Only in 2002 the body was finally exhumed and transferred to Ivolginsky Datsan (a residence of today’s Hambo Lama) where it was closely examined by monks and, which is now more important, by scientists and pathologists. The official statement was issued about the body – very well preserved, without any signs of decay, whole muscles and inner tissue, soft joints and skin. The interesting thing is that the body was never embalmed or mummified.

Two years passed. Itigelov’s body is now kept open air, in contact with other people, without any temperature or humidity regimes. How Itigelov keeps this condition, nobody knows.

This is the ONLY KNOWN AND CONFIRMED CASE OF IMPERISHABLE BODY throughout the whole world. Embalming and mummifying is well known among different nations and peoples – Chili (Chinchora), Egypt mummies, Christian Saints, communist leaders and others. Some bodies were found in permafrost, however when they contacted with oxygen atmosphere they perished within several hours.

However, there are descriptions of such things in Buddhist texts, but there are no confirmed examples. Well, now there is.

Seems like the writer is not aware of other Holy Beings who have also achieved a high level of practice resulting in their bodies not decaying e.g. in Thailand etc.

For two years after the exhumation of Itigilov’s body it does not perish nor decay, no fungus, no negative things happen to it. Itigelov said before he died that he left a message to all peoples on Earth. This message contains no words. Now it is our turn to understand it.

Interesting stuff Thanks for sharing.

The Essentials of Ch'an Practice
http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Teishos/Essentials_of_Chan_Practice.htm

Huayen Sutra / The Flower Ornament Sutra / Avatamsaka Sutra
http://www.huayenworld.org/hybfinal/HYB_Gandavyuha_set.htm