On [this](https://tricycle.org/beginners/decks/pure-land/?continue=1) website, it is stated: > The Pure Land tradition is founded on **three sutras** and two commentaries: **the Sutra on Immeasurable Life**, also known as the Larger Pure Land Sutra; **the Amida Sutra**, also known as the Smaller Pure Land Sutra; and **the Contemplation Sutra**. The two commentaries are Vasubandhu’s Treatise on the Sutra of Immeasurable Life and Shandao’s Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra. Assuming someone acknowledges the Āgama and its form of the Pali canon, are the 3 sutras the only sutras that are, let's say "mandatory" for Pure Land Buddhism, while the rest of the Mahayana sutras are optional? Or are other sutras held as canonical and also "mandatory" to acknowledge and believe in?

As far as I'm aware, most forms of Vajrayana Buddhism (which is really only Tibetan and Shingon I think) are based on the Mahayana (Chinese?) canon and accept their sutras generally. Is there any form of Vajrayana which is based on the Pali canon?

I came across an excerpt of Thích Nhất Hạnh from his book *No Mud, No Lotus*, in which he says that happiness must be nurtured in order to sustain (full text is here , the excerpt can also be found here ): > Happiness is impermanent, like everything else. In order for happiness to be extended and renewed, you have to learn how to feed your happiness. Nothing can survive without food, including happiness; your happiness can die if you don’t know how to nourish it. If you cut a flower but you don’t put it in some water, the flower will wilt in a few hours. Even if happiness is already manifesting, we have to continue to nourish it. Earlier in the book (here ), he relates this idea to the Buddha: > The Buddha said that nothing can survive without food. This is true, not just for the physical existence of living beings, but also for states of mind. This surprised me a bit, as I was under the impression that happiness *emerges* when one frees himself (even momentarily, e.g. during meditation) from suffering - and not that it should be pursued as a goal. I read (in Wikipedia ) that Thích Nhất Hạnh's teaching combines various sources, and I'd like to know if this idea - that happiness must be nurtured - can be traced to a certain Sutra, or just scattered texts, in the canon?

When it is said in dependent origination that "sankhara conditions consciousness", in what way and how does sankhara condition consciousness? And also, how is consciousness conditioning nama rupa? And then nama rupa conditions salayatana again how? Also, nama rupa -- I have heard many different descriptions of what it is, so i would be happy if someone could give the right meaning of nama rupa. Going back to "sankhara conditions consciousness", what consciousness are they refering to -- is it the pure consciousness or limited consciousness? And how can avidja or ignorance and sankhara come before consciousness in dependent origination (because i must first be conscious before i can have ignorance and do sankharas!)?

I have often heard that in many places in the *sutta*s where the Buddha says *Bhikkave*, (monks!), he really means to include the four *parisā* (assemblies), which includes lay male and lay female devotees. Therefore, it is said, that teaching applies to all. Where did this idea get legitimacy? Is there any mention in the canon itself? I can readily see why one would **wish** it were so (why would one ignore all the wisdom because it's not spoken directly to oneself) but that doesn't mean it **is** so. I'm also interested if this explanation is offered in Mahāyāna where the meaning of saṅgha itself is broader, as I understand. Also within Insight/Theravāda circles, is there a difference between the West and traditionally Buddhist countries like Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand in the reading of this word. Any historical insight into whether the West was influenced by the early arrival of Mahāyāna to its shores, for example. **Edit:** I am aware that it makes sense to view the teachings as applying to everybody. Please note that the question is more specific - **is there canonical support (in any canon) for this interpretation? Or some other historical information other than using our own logic.**

I would like to know if there exist a PDF version of Tripitaka which is compatible with an eBook reader(Kindle, Kobo alike)?

I can't use the _Path of Purification_ PDF version of AccessToInsight.org because ... 1. I want to restructure/retranslate Visuddhimagga into english. 2. I want to add the reference link in each word of Visuddhimagga to the source in tipitaka. 3. I want to make the link **directly** to the expected page of Visuddhimagga and make the highlight to the expected text when I answer or make an article. ... so I want the computerised text version, to publish in HTML format on the internet. It requires a very long time to do a new translation of it all, because English is not my native language -- and I require a very long time as well to translate pāli even in my native language -- and so I think it would be faster and more effective to restructure from another's version/translation. Therefore: 1. Is there a free (i.e. [libre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratis_versus_libre) or [open](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source)) version of Visuddhimagga in a computerized text format? 2. Is there a computerised text version of the Budaedu's Visuddhimagga version ? Or can you tell me about obtaining permission (and the data) from a copyright holder? --- I'm principally looking for something like [a license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/) which allows: - Distribution and - Creating a derivative work ... and a corresponding text format which can be converted to e.g. HTML.

As I understand, there is an acknowledgement of the expected lifespan within the respective deva worlds, though this differs among traditions. I'm curious if there's any textual reference to devas' mortality. That is to say, can a deva's lifespan be cut short? I suspect that an asura or human with supernormal power could kill a deva (I believe there is reference to this in the vinaya regarding possession by yakshas). Is there any scriptural evidence to back this up? Many thanks.

Is there a sutta which answers where a nirvanaised consciousnesses is after death and comapres it to a fire going out? I thought there was, but can't find it. Sounds like Vacchagota mashed up with the fire sermon . I'm asking because I like the image, and it almost appears in some modernist poetry. Failing a sutta, any zen discourses. Failing that, anywhere in the canon. Failing that, any important Buddhist, living or dead. Failing that an academic.

I'm often interested in the history of Buddhist texts and, being a Theravadan, I'm not very familiar with the Mahayana texts. Please help to educate me in this manner.

Are the six sense faculties just the sense organs, sense objects, and sense consciousnesses, considered all together, that (conventionally) makes up a (conventional) person? Does it make any difference if we think about "ourselves" in terms of them, rather than any other scheme? What canonical literature talks about nirvana in terms of the six sense Indriyas?

From everywhere I've read and heard in the suttas they talk about the jhanas being needed for insight, but as I understand it the Visuddhimagga gives the option of dry insight not requiring the jhanas. Does anyone know what canonical source Buddhagosa was basing this on?

What is rhys david dictionary's license for now? > Pali-English. Dictionary. EDITED BY. T. W. RHYS DAVIDS F.B.A. D.Sc. > Ph.D. LL.D. D.Litt and WILLIAM STEDE Ph.D. Personal scientific use > only. [1921-1925]

And as a follow up, what institutions are charged with expanding the list of canonical works, if any?

When were Buddhist suttas written? Does anybody know any source with a compiled list of suttas and their approximate date of writing?

We can easily find the Pali versions and their translations online. How about the Sanskrit versions?

If I understand correctly, the Buddha never wrote anything but some Buddhist texts quote him by describing meetings or situations where he was present. Is there a comprehensive list of all scripts where he is directly and textually quoted?

Does secular Buddhism have a set of texts that are particularly relevant to it. I can imagine that there are texts that won't have any relevance to secular Buddhists such as the twin miracles . But are texts that have particular resonance even insofar as developing in a set of texts that could almost be described as a canon (in the making maybe?)