Access to Insight
Encyclopedia
Access to Insight is a popular Theravada
Buddhist website
providing access to a huge collection of translated texts from the Tipitaka, as well as contemporary materials published by the Buddhist Publication Society
and many teachers from the Thai Forest Tradition
.
Access to Insight began in 1993 as a bulletin board system
run by John Bullitt with support from the Barre Insight Meditation Center. Originally, Access to Insight was one of several publishers of the results of the DharmaNet Dharma Book Transcription Project. As the internet grew in popularity compared to bulletin board services, ATI began to transition to a web-based format. In March 1995 the website became ATI's primary electronic presence; the BBS service was discontinued before the end of the year. In 1998, Access to Insight published a CD version of the website entitled A Handful of Leaves.
All of the materials available on the ATI website are provided for free distribution. They remain protected by copyright, but can be copied and distributed provided that the user does not modify the text or charge a fee.
ATI offers a wide-ranging selection of texts from the Tipitaka, with an emphasis on conveying the fundamental ideas of the Buddha's teaching, and teachings which have direct applicability to daily lay life. The majority of the canonical texts are drawn from the Sutta Pitaka
, with a smaller selection of works dealing with the Vinaya Pitaka
, and little or nothing from the Abhidhamma Pitaka
and the commentaries. In addition to texts from the Pali Canon
, ATI includes a large collection of published works from the Buddhist Publication Society
, as well as a variety of teachings that were translated from Thai
by the Western-born Thanissaro Bhikkhu
, abbot of the Metta Forest Monastery near San Diego, California
.
The collection at Access to Insight continues to grow, with additional translations and books being contributed by a number of monks and lay scholars. Currently, the materials available at Access to Insight include over 900 sutta texts and several hundred books and articles. Most texts are available as both HTML
and plain text. You can download the whole site in a zip file.
In the spring of 2005, John Bullitt began The Dhamma Transcription Project, which formalizes transcription procedures that he had been following over the past few years. The basic aim of the project is to transcribe into digital form high-quality free Dhamma books that have been previously published, but which are out of print or otherwise hard to find, and to distribute those transcriptions freely via the Internet. Volunteers transcribe these works, chosen from a list posted on the web site.
In February 2006 a sister website SuttaReadings.net was born. This website offers a library of free audio recordings of English translations of Pali suttas, selected and read aloud by respected Dhamma teachers within the Theravada Buddhist tradition. The suttas in this library were hand-picked by the teachers themselves, which means that, although the collection may be small, it contains some of the most important suttas in the entire Pali Canon.
, although he does not have Internet access, proclaims it as a valuable resource, and Bhikku Bodhi's acclaimed translation of the Pali Canon also recommends it . It has been cited in the Journal of Buddhist EthicsAvoiding Unintended Harm to the Environment and the Buddhist Ethic of Intention. Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Multi-Ethnic Children's Literature and Cross-Cultural Research.
It is also cited in several standard textbooks used in teaching Buddhism.
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
Buddhist website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
providing access to a huge collection of translated texts from the Tipitaka, as well as contemporary materials published by the Buddhist Publication Society
Buddhist Publication Society
The Buddhist Publication Society is a charity whose goal is to explain and spread the doctrine of the Buddha. It was founded in Sri Lanka in 1958 by two Sri Lankan Buddhist laymen, A.S. Karunaratna and Richard Abeyasekera, and a European-born Buddhist monk, Nyanaponika Thera...
and many teachers from the Thai Forest Tradition
Thai Forest Tradition
The Thai Forest Tradition is a tradition of Buddhist monasticism within Thai Theravada Buddhism. Practitioners inhabit remote wilderness and forest dwellings as spiritual practice training grounds. Maha Nikaya and Dhammayuttika Nikaya are the two major monastic orders in Thailand that have forest...
.
Access to Insight began in 1993 as a bulletin board system
Bulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
run by John Bullitt with support from the Barre Insight Meditation Center. Originally, Access to Insight was one of several publishers of the results of the DharmaNet Dharma Book Transcription Project. As the internet grew in popularity compared to bulletin board services, ATI began to transition to a web-based format. In March 1995 the website became ATI's primary electronic presence; the BBS service was discontinued before the end of the year. In 1998, Access to Insight published a CD version of the website entitled A Handful of Leaves.
All of the materials available on the ATI website are provided for free distribution. They remain protected by copyright, but can be copied and distributed provided that the user does not modify the text or charge a fee.
ATI offers a wide-ranging selection of texts from the Tipitaka, with an emphasis on conveying the fundamental ideas of the Buddha's teaching, and teachings which have direct applicability to daily lay life. The majority of the canonical texts are drawn from the Sutta Pitaka
Sutta Pitaka
The Sutta Pitaka is the second of the three divisions of the Tipitaka or Pali Canon, the Pali collection of Buddhist writings, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism...
, with a smaller selection of works dealing with the Vinaya Pitaka
Vinaya Pitaka
The ' is a Buddhist scripture, one of the three parts that make up the Tripitaka. Its primary subject matter is the monastic rules for monks and nuns...
, and little or nothing from the Abhidhamma Pitaka
Abhidhamma Pitaka
The Abhidhamma Pitaka is the last of the three pitakas constituting the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism....
and the commentaries. In addition to texts from the Pali Canon
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
, ATI includes a large collection of published works from the Buddhist Publication Society
Buddhist Publication Society
The Buddhist Publication Society is a charity whose goal is to explain and spread the doctrine of the Buddha. It was founded in Sri Lanka in 1958 by two Sri Lankan Buddhist laymen, A.S. Karunaratna and Richard Abeyasekera, and a European-born Buddhist monk, Nyanaponika Thera...
, as well as a variety of teachings that were translated from Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
by the Western-born Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, also known as Ajaan Geoff, is an American Buddhist monk of the Dhammayut Order , Thai forest kammatthana tradition. He is currently the abbot of Metta Forest Monastery in San Diego County. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu is a notably skilled and prolific translator of the Pāli Canon...
, abbot of the Metta Forest Monastery near San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
.
The collection at Access to Insight continues to grow, with additional translations and books being contributed by a number of monks and lay scholars. Currently, the materials available at Access to Insight include over 900 sutta texts and several hundred books and articles. Most texts are available as both HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
and plain text. You can download the whole site in a zip file.
In the spring of 2005, John Bullitt began The Dhamma Transcription Project, which formalizes transcription procedures that he had been following over the past few years. The basic aim of the project is to transcribe into digital form high-quality free Dhamma books that have been previously published, but which are out of print or otherwise hard to find, and to distribute those transcriptions freely via the Internet. Volunteers transcribe these works, chosen from a list posted on the web site.
In February 2006 a sister website SuttaReadings.net was born. This website offers a library of free audio recordings of English translations of Pali suttas, selected and read aloud by respected Dhamma teachers within the Theravada Buddhist tradition. The suttas in this library were hand-picked by the teachers themselves, which means that, although the collection may be small, it contains some of the most important suttas in the entire Pali Canon.
Use in Buddhist community
Access to Insight is well known to US students of Buddhism and around the world. For example, Thanissaro BhikkhuThanissaro Bhikkhu
Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, also known as Ajaan Geoff, is an American Buddhist monk of the Dhammayut Order , Thai forest kammatthana tradition. He is currently the abbot of Metta Forest Monastery in San Diego County. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu is a notably skilled and prolific translator of the Pāli Canon...
, although he does not have Internet access, proclaims it as a valuable resource, and Bhikku Bodhi's acclaimed translation of the Pali Canon also recommends it . It has been cited in the Journal of Buddhist EthicsAvoiding Unintended Harm to the Environment and the Buddhist Ethic of Intention. Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Multi-Ethnic Children's Literature and Cross-Cultural Research.
It is also cited in several standard textbooks used in teaching Buddhism.