[dosakkhayo]

This thread comes from another thread. #40547

Lal said:

1. I think you are trying to learn Buddha Dhamma with a “top-down” approach, starting at suddhatthaka.

2. The main reason that you did that was you were not brought up in a Buddhist background. I remember that you mentioned it later on. Your situation is very similar to many Westerners. Of course, most of them do not try to understand suddhatthaka only because most English literature on Buddhism does not even mention suddhatthaka. You were exposed to such deeper analyses at the Korean Puredhamma website. Instead, most Westerners start with deep suttas translated word-by-word to English.

3. I learned about suddhatthaka AFTER I started the puredhamma.net website. I was raised in a Buddhist family in Sri Lanka, where Buddhism was taught at home and in primary school. We learned the basics of dasa akusala, kamma, kamma vipaka, rebirth process, suffering in the apayas, etc.
– That is the “bottom-up” approach.
– That approach is critically important. You realize the importance of “mind over matter.” All our actions and speech happen according to the way we think. Kammic energy is produced in our thoughts. We engage in speech and actions ACCORDING TO such thoughts.
– When we act or speak with a certain goal in mind (especially while engaging in dasa akusala), our minds release “an unseen energy” to the nama loka (vinnana dhatu). That energy can bring vipaka during a lifetime or grasp the next birth in a different realm.
– It is critical to understand such basics first.
– As I mentioned, I only recently got into the deeper aspects of that process (how such kammic energies get deposited in vinnana dhātu as dhammā, how they become suddhātthaka, etc.)

4. So, I am beginning to think that I am also guilty of focusing on the deeper aspects of Buddha Dhamma. When I started the website, I wrote mostly about the basic concepts. But many of the posts in the last few years have been on getting into deeper aspects.
– In a way, it is hard to avoid it also because some people have gone through the basics and are ready to understand the deeper aspects.
– Please do not misunderstand me. You have an excellent analytical mind capable of understanding deep concepts. However, one must understand the basics first. Even if Einstein started learning Buddha Dhamma, he would need to understand the basics first. Otherwise, the deeper stuff may not make any sense at some point.

5. In my previous post, I advised learning the Paticca Samuppada process. But even before that, one needs to understand the terms involved there. What do the terms avijja, sankhara, bhava, jati, etc., represent?
– I did a quick search on Wikipedia and found the following: “According to a 2005 government survey, a quarter of South Koreans are practicing Buddhist.[49] However, the actual number of Buddhists in South Korea is ambiguous as there is no exact or exclusive criterion by which Buddhists can be identified, unlike the Christian population. With Buddhism’s incorporation into traditional Korean culture, it is now considered a philosophy and cultural background rather than a formal religion. As a result, many people outside of the practicing population are deeply influenced by these traditions. Thus, when counting secular believers or those influenced by the faith while not following other religions, the number of Buddhists in South Korea is considered to be much larger.[50] Similarly, in officially atheist North Korea, while Buddhists officially account for 4.5% of the population, a much larger number (over 70%) of the population are influenced by Buddhist philosophies and customs.”
– It seems that many South Koreans may not have a Buddhist background (you stated that you are a Korean.) Buddhism has become a “philosophical endeavor” for many, it seems. Your writings and approach fit that.

6. I would like to hear your thoughts on the above. Each person is different, and it would help to get an idea of their background first.
– Of course, I cannot do that on a personal basis for everyone. But I believe many people (especially those from non-Buddhist backgrounds) are in your situation. Most of them struggle to read deep suttas (in English) that have been mechanically translated without providing explanations.
– They also need first to understand the basic concepts I mentioned in #3 above.
– So, we can continue this discussion with others in a similar situation as you are also getting into the discussion (I hope).
– That would help me decide what areas to pay attention to. Of course, I will continue writing on deeper aspects as well. My goal is to have a website that will exist many years after my death and serve people with varying backgrounds.

–
I’m not sure what to name this thread. If there is a more appropriate title, it’s good to change it.

–
I would like to deliver to everyone else what I got. From now, I’m starting to write a column that I planned before. I’ll write it down in Korean for now, but I plan on drawing it into comics. I expect an effect that can be intuitively understood when abstract concepts are presented as images. Also, I felt that modern people no longer try to read writings. Comics are way more accessible than them.

Back to the point, here is a question. Which approach(bottom-up, top-down, lokiya->lokottara, principle->application, teaching->practice, etc.) would be most appropriate? The issue to think about is that even if there is a better way, there are cases where I may not be able to implement it due to my limitations. Also, as lal pointed out, there is the question of how to deliver Dhamma to people from various backgrounds.

First of all, to give you my opinion, I think that the top-down approach is good. It has the advantage that people from various backgrounds can easily apply it because it can expand from the universal principle. Also, It has the advantage of a relatively small amount of learning. It’s like if someone understands multiplication, they don’t have to memorize the number of cases of all multiplication.

However, it has a major disadvantage: if one misunderstands the universal principle, one can draw a completely wrong conclusion. And if the principle deals with something too general, people who did not learn enough can misunderstand it too easily. Therefore, the capacity of the recipient is crucial in this method.

I would like to hear other people’s opinions too. I am going to decide after reviewing various measures as much as possible. I can put together them. So, please give me a suggestion freely. Thank you.

[Lal]

I think the title you selected is good.

Top-down and bottom-up approaches can mean different things in different situations. So let me explain what I had in mind regarding learning/practicing Buddha Dhamma.

1. Top-down approach is to start with Abhidhammic analysis, the theoretical framework. One could learn about the world in terms of its building blocks: citta, cetasika, and rupa.
– One would learn about 81 (121) types of citta, 54 types of cetasika, and 28 types of rupa.
– How the fundamental units of rupa (suddhatthaka) arise in javana citta, and how some incorporate kammic energy to create the basis of life: hadaya vatthu and a set of pasada rupa (version of namarupa).
– When a purified mind stops making such “life-creating” namarupa, one attains Arahanthood.
– One may be able to grasp that lobha, dosa, and moha (and the mundane versions of alobha, adosa, and amoha) are the main defilements that can give rise to such namarupa.

2. Bottom-up approach is to start with learning about dasa akusala, kamma, kamma vipaka, rebirth, etc. I started learning those even before starting school. In Sri Lanka, those concepts are taught from primary school through high school. In addition, we used to go temple often and listen to discourses by bhikkhus, making offerings to them regularly (the local community sustains temples).
– That approach is a combination of learning and practice. We were taught to obey the five precepts and took the eight precepts on “Poya days.”
– One could proceed to Arahanthood that way. The “Abhidhamma analysis” (as we call Abhidhamma today) was not there during the time of the Buddha. As I have explained, Buddha taught Ven. Sariputta the framework of that analysis, and Ven. Sariputta only got started on it with his students. That analysis was finalized only by the Second Buddhist Council held 200 years after the Parinibbana of the Buddha.
– See “Abhidhamma – Introduction” for details.

3. I don’t think one can proceed to Arahanthood strictly by approach #1. That is what I was trying to say.
– Of course, one is likely to start “practicing” (i.e., living by five/eight precepts first and then making that a deeper practice via comprehending the Noble Truths/Paticca Samuppada/Tilakkhana) when it becomes clear of the importance of “living by Dhamma” as one learns Abhidhamma.

4. I think a combination of #1 and #2 would be the best if one can tackle it. That may be Dosakkhayo’s approach.
– It is impossible for me or anyone else (unless it is Buddha) to recommend a specific way. Each person needs to find their way.
– Furthermore, I have no idea about anyone’s state of understanding. I can see that some people are likely to have made progress, and I am delighted. When I started the website, I was unsure whether there would be much interest. I thought that my efforts would not have gone to waste even if one person attained the Sotapanna stage. So, it makes me happy to see many people are making progress.

5. I think hojanyun (Ja-nyun Kim) and Tobias Große are doing a great service through their Korean and German puredhamma websites. Seng Kiat has been involved from the beginning and has done much work to maintain the English website. Many people contribute by commenting on the forum. I hope we all can try our best to spread the correct teachings of the Buddha. Of course, we should give priority to making progress ourselves.

P.S.
6. There is another angle to this. We all have been exposed to Buddha Dhamma (by many previous Buddhas) in this rebirth process with no discernible beginning. Thus, some people have practiced in previous lives and have achieved a significant level of progress. It could be easier for them to “catch up” without much effort.
– A similar situation is there in the cultivation of jhanas. It is relatively easy for some people to attain anariya jhanas. I have discussed that.

P.P.S.
7. Dosakkhayo wrote: “I would like to deliver to everyone else what I got. From now, I’m starting to write a column that I planned before. I’ll write it down in Korean for now, but I plan on drawing it into comics.”
– That sentence didn’t register in my mind while reading your comment earlier.
– That is an extremely bad idea. Buddha Dhamma is to be treated with respect. I don’t want to have any association with this kind of stuff.

[dosakkhayo]

7. Dosakkhayo wrote: “I would like to deliver to everyone else what I got. From now, I’m starting to write a column that I planned before. I’ll write it down in Korean for now, but I plan on drawing it into comics.”
– That sentence didn’t register in my mind while reading your comment earlier.
– That is an extremely bad idea. Buddha Dhamma is to be treated with respect. I don’t want to have any association with this kind of stuff.

–
I fully understand your concern. A cartoon is a format that usually deals with funny, comic stories. I chose the wrong word. In Korean, these words(cartoon, comics, graphic novel, etc.) are all grouped into one word. What I wanted to say was a graphic essay.
– I am going to treat Buddha’s teachings with sincere respect. I can guarantee this. If you are still worried, then I will make a manuscript and send it to you. If there is a problem with it in your view, I will discard it without hesitation. Because I don’t want to treat Dhamma carelessly and improperly too.

– I would like to show you how I’m going to draw it. There is a book: “Genome Express: A Spectacular Voyage into the World of Genome“. It’s my role model of work. I would really appreciate it if you could review this just once. I hope my sincerity will be accepted.

[Lal]

We have to be very careful about initiating “new” approaches. The Mahayanists tried that 2000 years ago, leading to disastrous outcomes. That led to the disappearance of all types of Buddhism in India. The effects are still felt in many other countries.
– Of course, you are not talking about changing foundational aspects. But still, we need to be careful that “new approaches” do not lead to unexpected consequences.
– I would be happy to look at your drawings.
– I also like to hear from others in the forum. I can also be contacted at: [email protected].

[dosakkhayo]

Lal said: “We have to be very careful about initiating “new” approaches.”

I agree. I seriously pondered for a year about how the contamination of the Buddha Dhamma occurs. I was particularly concerned about the case of Mahayana. I thought desperately not to make a second Mahayana. Mahayana can not even be considered Buddhism!

We know that anicca, dukkha, and anatta are the truth. But some people don’t recognize the dangers of this world. They want to choose to continue rebirth rather. So instead of looking at the world as it is, they need to create a system that approves ‘discrepancies between reality and perception’ and ‘internal contradictions.’

In this system, they focus on understanding nature’s ‘components’ rather than the ‘law’ of nature. They don’t value knowing what they need to know, but they value knowing things that don’t matter. It is how the reversal of value occurs.

Speaking English does not imply knowing every existing word in the dictionary, though they solely concentrate on quantitative knowledge. In this manner, devaluation of the core concepts and appreciation(revaluation) of peripheral concepts occur. At this point, a fundamental crack occurs.

In the genuine Dhamma, each concept gets the treatment of actual status(importance). So even if one doesn’t know the concept of bodhisatta, one can be a sotapanna. Because the important thing is to understand Tilakkhana/Paticca Samuppada/Four noble truths. But in the wrong teaching, peripheral concepts are favored. So the deformation of the contour(map) of value occurs. It has a completely different terrain of meaning. Rather than a plate shift, it works in a way that Mount Everest suddenly falls off and the Mariana Trench becomes shallow prices.

So what we have to be careful about, at least considering the case of Mahayana, is that we have to earnestly discriminate between what’s important and what’s not. We should focus on knowing what we need to know, not trying to know everything about nature. Also, we should keep trying to contemplate the dangers of the rebirth process. In short, we should do bhāvānāya bahuleekathaya.

P.S. To deform Dhamma can happen in other ways. It can be caused by a completely incorrect interpretation too. Such as the case that Anapanasati turned into breath meditation. But the solution is always the same. In either case, one must try to verify the Dhamma properly oneself. That’s when the truth becomes clear. Without this effort, it becomes blurred and obscured.

[dosakkhayo]

They want to choose to continue rebirth rather.
=> They want to choose to continue rebirth rather than to stop.

Rather than a plate shift, it works in a way that Mount Everest suddenly falls off and the Mariana Trench becomes shallow prices.
=> Mariana Trench becomes shallow water.

[Lal]

OK. You have put my mind at ease.

[cubibobi]

Just want to share something related to this topic. Very recently, someone asked me to guide him in learning Dhamma. After some thought I decided to get started with him with this section as the framework:

Three Levels of Practice

We are working through the “Moral Living and Fundamentals” section.

He is new to Buddha Dhamma, or at least to true Buddha Dhamma, so this seems a suitable way to get started. More importantly, however, it was because how I approached it myself — first getting on the mundane path and gradually transitioning to the noble path.

After all, it’s best to guide people through what we actually did.

Best,
Lang

[Lal]

Thank you, Lang. You are doing a great service to that person.

I worry about this issue. Someone who may not have much exposure to Buddha Dhamma/Buddhism may be confused when first clicking on this website. Many posts are on advanced concepts.
– Furthermore, the website is getting big and taking time to load. Seng Kiat and I have been looking for ways to speed up the site.
– Another idea that came to my mind yesterday is whether we should start another website for beginners. I own the puredhamma.info registration.
– Some posts, including the “Moral Living and Fundamentals” section, can be moved to that new website.
– Furthermore, WordPress websites are a bit difficult to manage. It could be a good idea to start the new website on the new platform, Ghost CMS. I did some research yesterday (YouTube is a great resource for that), and the Ghost platform seems simple and easy to manage.
– Comments/suggestions are appreciated.

[dosakkhayo]

“Another idea that came to my mind yesterday is whether we should start another website for beginners.”

l am with you on it deeply. In fact, I was trying to bring it up first. I thought a lot about what I could give people who first came across this site. I felt that we should think of three things.

1. They need some motivation to move on to learning more profound concepts.

One gets more motivation when one sees that one’s effort gives good consequences. So I hope this new site will cover content that more directly shows the connection between life experiences and concepts. Perhaps the site’s prospective readers are quite hard to know how tremendous it is to have all of asava removed. So I think it would be good to express it in a different way. For example, I think it can be expressed that “You will be able to make sure that you never get the problem wrong again, which you have habitually repeatedly.”
– I am trying to be able to speak English like a native speaker. But it is likely to take quite a long time. I hope there is someone who could help me with polishing my writing.

2. The number of posts on the new site should be small.

Because if the number of posts is too high, readers will be overwhelmed. Therefore, it should focus on the significance of the core concept. The posts have to deal with what changes when one learns Dhamma and how it actually changes one’s life. It would be better to focus on simple but powerful changes. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. So I think I could help lal on this point later.

3. They should be able to focus on more important concepts by the new site.

They don’t have to jump into everything about Buddhism from the beginning. It is better to repeatedly focus on key information that can bring about meaningful change.

These criteria are also considered when I write the column. And what I learned while making this was that I could get a sense of the effort for us in Lal’s writing. As I read your article, I felt some differences from any other Buddhist publications. In your writing, I saw expressions that only those who actually understood the concept could write. It was a completely different type of writing from the existing Buddhist books that repeated what was previously written like a parrot. Only those who really want to tell the reader something can write such a thing. These were the driving force behind my steady reading of all the posts on Pure Dhamma. Once again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank lal for your service.

I also have a selection of some posts that are good for beginners to see. I’ll organize it and upload it here tomorrow.

[Lal]

Thank you for your suggestions, Dosakkhayo.

“I am trying to be able to speak English like a native speaker. But it is likely to take quite a long time. I hope there is someone who could help me with polishing my writing.”

Your writing is good and getting better. I see worse writing from some English speakers.
– There are mainly two ways to improve writing skills: (i) write frequently, (ii) read English texts (books, websites, etc.)
– If you have English-speaking friends, conversing in English with them frequently will help with speaking.

Looking forward to reading your essay.

[LayDhammaFollower]

Lal, I have few suggestions About the problem of beginner overwhelmed with vast number of posts on website.

You can simply add pre-requisite on each post. i.e. concept that should be understood before reading that particular post. Which you have already done in number of advance posts.

Another way this problem might be tackled is by assigning level to each post with tag. i.e. level 1, level 2 etc.

Level 1 means no prerequisites required for reading that post. Which basically means it is for beginner.

Level 2 means someone who has understood level 1 foundation.

So on and so forth.

For fast website, one solution I know is implementing free CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORK (aka CDN) system for website.

I don’t have deep technical knowledge about running a website or optimising performance. But, this (implementation of CDN) is something I did when I had website.

Article about what is CDN?

Link to Google CDN service, with 90 days Trial, 300$ free credit.

Link to another forever free reliable fast CDN service.

Lal, I am extremely grateful to you for being so considerate about readers of this website. Especially about the point that you want site to be well and good after your death for many years.

Wishing you long life and short saṁsāra.

[Lal]

Thank you for the suggestions, LayDhammaFollower.

Yes. Some kind of classification could be helpful.

We have been using CDN for a long time. It is just that when a website has over 700 posts, it takes time to load the menu.
– Another possibility is to have only the main sections listed on the menu on the home page. Then the reader can select a section of interest.

I believe the load time is still not too bad. It would be useful to get input from you all on whether it is too slow, acceptable, or fast enough. Usually, mobile devices are slower than desktop or laptop computers.

[LayDhammaFollower]

Hello, Lal.

Load time for website is between “acceptable” and “fast enough”, In Gujarat, India.

Others can comment about website performance at their geographical location.

I performed few free website performance test, they all say that menu with lot of elements is slowing down website.

So, It might be good idea to list only main sections in menu. Then readers can test the result of this implementation.

[Lal]

Thank you, LayDhammaFollower.

We can keep the main menu if the website loading is acceptable/fast enough.
– But we will keep thinking/working on other possible improvements (two websites, arranging menus in order of difficulty, etc).

If anyone finds loading too slow, please comment here or email me at [email protected].
– Please mention the device (desktop or mobile).

Occasionally, the website could be slow due to a temporary issue (normally lasting less than 30 minutes). Please disregard those.

[Tobi]

Ayubowan…Lal

I find your website outstanding and you can immediately see from the structure that you have a very high understanding of the Dhamma. The loading time of the website is ok.

Related to
I worry about this issue. Someone who may not have much exposure to Buddha Dhamma/Buddhism may be confused when first clicking on this website. Many posts are on advanced concepts.
– Furthermore, the website is getting big and taking time to load. Seng Kiat and I have been looking for ways to speed up the site.
– Another idea that came to my mind yesterday is whether we should start another website for beginners. I own the puredhamma.info registration.
– Some posts, including the “Moral Living and Fundamentals” section, can be moved to that new website.
– Furthermore, WordPress websites are a bit difficult to manage. It could be a good idea to start the new website on the new platform, Ghost CMS. I did some research yesterday (YouTube is a great resource for that), and the Ghost platform seems simple and easy to manage.
– Comments/suggestions are appreciated.

But I still had some thoughts.

I’ve worked a lot with CMS Joomla, it’s fast mostly OSS and well structured with a good back-end and lots of extensions.
But WordPress isn’t bad either, just a matter of taste.

The provider and the server system are always important for the speed, whether it is old or new, or Apache etc.
You would have to talk to the provider if there are still parking options.
The provider can usually help there.

Then, of course, place pictures as small as possible at the start of loading and the important things in the “head”, header area of ​​the home page. Delete unnecessary plugins/extensions, and update them regularly.
If the CMS has a caching feature it should be enabled, or some other type of compression (e.g. GZIP).

I was wondering:
How do you think the Buddha would have created a website?
????????

After starting the website, a cookie query with the option to set it to Beginners, Sōtapanna, Anāgāmi and Monks maybe.

This cookie query then changes the directory structure/folder structure as necessary for the desired degree of progress and as desired by the surfer.

(I might not use the term beginner but something that motivates to start learning in stages.)
With this cookie circuit, you have several websites on one web page, so to speak.
Extensive user rights management (ACL) is therefore important
The cookie position with a popup maybe and an additional button somewhere on the home page.
The right template (website) for the end device, such as mobile smartphone, tablet, etc.
So the CMS has to make a query in the background and, if necessary, change the template/website or overwrite it with the mobile page.

1. A classification as is customary in
Home // Forum // Members Area // Video………………………………Search function

The Practice of the Dhamma // Abhidhamma // Dhamma and Science // Meditation // Tables and Summaries

Something like that, that’s just an example of a directory structure/folder structure

I hope it is a small suggestion, if you have many ideas to choose from, you can choose the best one, as you know.

Greetings from Tobi-Wan Kenobi or just Tobi

May the best be found for all Dhamma friends

[Lal]

Ayubowan…Tobi
(“Ayubowan” in the Sinhala language means “long life to you.”)

Thank you for all your suggestions.

Regarding the technical stuff, we know them and have done our best. But thanks for pointing them out. The need to use plugins is good and bad.

“I was wondering: How do you think the Buddha would have created a website?”
– I don’t think he would get involved in such tasks. There would be many lay people doing such tasks in the time of a Buddha.

“After starting the website, a cookie query with the option to set it to Beginners, Sōtapanna, Anāgāmi and Monks maybe.”
– Yes. That would be equivalent to displaying a few appropriate sub-menus on the home page.

“1. A classification as is customary in
Home // Forum // Members Area // Video………………………………Search function
The Practice of the Dhamma // Abhidhamma // Dhamma and Science // Meditation // Tables and Summaries
Something like that, that’s just an example of a directory structure/folder structure.”

– I think each post page has breadcrumbs showing exactly that.
If breadcrumbs do not show up on pages, please let me know.
For example, “Home » Historical Background » Key Problems with Mahāyāna Teachings” should show up on top of the post “Key Problems with Mahāyāna Teachings.”
– Breadcrumbs indicate the root sections and subsections for a given post.
– P.S. Thanks to Dosakkhayo for the suggestion to revise that post. I have re-written that old post.

P.S. I have been making some adjustments to the menu bar. While doing a few other changes, I also included a “slider” to adjust the level of “Dark Mode.” But I think the “on/off Half Moon” at the bottom of the page may be better. The slider would not show up on Mobile.

[Lal]

Seng Kiat Ng has created a free website with the “Pure Dhamma ebook published as web pages”:

“Pure Dhamma: A Quest to Recover Buddha’s True Teachings”

As you may know, Seng Kiat maintains an eBook in pdf format, which is updated regularly as posts are updated:
“Pure Dhamma Essays in Book Format”
– It can be read with eBook readers like the Kindle.

Much merits to Seng Kiat and his family for all his efforts!

[LayDhammaFollower]

Hello, lal and seng kiat.

This Website containing book is very good initiative.

Also, that website is also very very fast.

Thank you seng kiat for all your efforts.

[Jorg]

My loading speed can be slowish at times. However, that could also be due to my usage of different VPN servers.
Right now, it’s looking fine.

Having another website sounds like a great idea. Even more so if there’s one site purely focused on foundations and/or core principles. These, of course, could also be divided more clearly if there’s more “space.”
I’d have to think about it a bit more. Maybe I could provide some more useful input then.

@dosakkhayo Your writing is pretty solid. The suggestions Lal gave are pretty good regarding writing.
If you still wish to improve further, perhaps I could be of service. Also, if you ever need a conversational partner, we’re practically in the same time zone. In case, just let me know in the chat and we’ll figure something out.

[Lal]

Jorg wrote: “Maybe I could provide some more useful input then.”

Please do. Thanks for the other comments too.
– Yes. VPN can additionally slow down website loading.

[dosakkhayo]

@Lal
“– There are mainly two ways to improve writing skills: (i) write frequently, (ii) read English texts (books, websites, etc.)”

Okay. I’m doing it this way. Thank you for your advice.

@Jorg
“If you still wish to improve further, perhaps I could be of service. Also, if you ever need a conversational partner, we’re practically in the same time zone. In case, just let me know in the chat and we’ll figure something out.”

Thank you for your suggestion. I am willing to learn English with/under you and others.

–
I wrote: “I also have a selection of some posts that are good for beginners to see. I’ll organize it and upload it here tomorrow.”

I am looking at the future of Pure Dhamma in the medium to longer term. Also, I keep picking out what is post better for beginners. In the process, the list continues to change, so I will upload it after confirmed to some extent.

[Jorg]

Regarding the (possibly new) website and classifications or separation of different components of Buddha Dhamma, there are many ways to do it. However, the following things came to mind:

1.)
Terms like “beginner”/”advanced” may appear straightforward, but people who are very eager may more easily skip some essentials. They are either drawn to “advanced” stuff or don’t want to identify as a “beginner.” This applies only to certain types of people but we all know this can be pretty common. Especially people with a higher intellect.

2.)
I just used the word “essentials.” I was thinking a word such as this could help in the organization of things.
First, I know it wouldn’t be easy to sequence things in a specific order because that depends on where one is on the path. However, foundational posts could technically be grouped together. Don’t take the following literally, just a quick example:
Essentials #1 would contain posts about the basics of dhamma, e.g., miccha ditthi, dasa akusala, etc.
Essentials #2 would contain introductions to tilakkhana, PS.
Essentials #3 … and so on.
Numbering posts individually would be too complicated (and time-consuming) so this would be a bit easier to implement I reckon.
I used numbers but words or letters could also be used. The point is that one should be/get familiar with certain sections before moving ahead. That could strengthen one’s foundation and increase one’s ability to comprehend deeper stuff as one moves along.
References could always be made between sections.
In the main menu of a section, an emphasis could be made not to proceed unless one is familiar with “section so and so.”

I could work it out some more if this sounds useful in any way. Cause this is just the first thing that came to mind. I realize that it requires effort considering the vastness and depth of the content, though I see it as realistic nonetheless.
If it doesn’t sound useful, I’ll try and change my perspective.

@dosakkhayo If you need any help, feel free to contact me at juirtleatmsndotcom

[dosakkhayo]

@Jorg
Thank you. However, members of the Korean Pure Dhamma Forum will have a meeting on the 22nd. And I’m going to make a presentation there. So I think I have no time to contact you. If you don’t mind, could I contact you after that?

[Jorg]

@dosakkhayo It’s all up to you. Anytime, no worries :)

[dosakkhayo]

While wondering about the instructional model of Dhamma, I came up with the more compact Dhamma for people without any background knowledge of Buddha Dhamma. I pondered what the curriculum would be like if there were no misconceptions. And here is what I thought.

Understanding and applying concepts should go together in one step. To do that, I would like to introduce the General Form Explanation. It uses the superset – subset mechanism. A superset is a general approach so people can access the meaning of learning Dhamma. And the logic in the superset applies in the subset, which is a more detailed approach. As a result, the connection of concepts is more standing forth.

For example, majjhima patipada is a subset of how to solve problems or not to repeat a mistake. So, the General Form Explanation of the given concept is one-to-many correspondence. This way, we can explain one dhamma concept in many ways, leading people to learn more aspects and piece them together to create a whole picture. Therefore, it would be good to configure the same concept repeatedly.

Onto our next subject, I organized the learning concepts according to the amount of information. The first is Tilakkhana, the second is Ariya Sacca, and the third is Paticca Samuppada. Since we need to understand these three things correctly, I aim to provide only the necessary information to attain the sotapanna stage.

I also made it possible to apply what we learned earlier to the new learning concept. This calls the transfer of learning. Therefore the starting point has little information, so readers have less burden. The amount of education will increase cumulatively. On the one hand, it plans to distribute the amount of learning appropriately according to the amount a person can digest at once.

Lastly, it would be better to reduce the amount of text as much as possible. The website’s goal is to provide sufficient information to become a Sotapanna. So the details which are not essential or less critical should be replaced by a link to the existing site. If there is no misconception about bhava and jati, there is no need to give many details about gandabba. Reducing the percentage of explanations for gandabba on the new website would be better. But understanding manomaya kaya is critical. So we should not subtract it entirely.

+) Recently, I got to know a good painter in the Korean Pure Dhamma Community. He said he would help me with the graphic novel work, so I think I can show you the drawing earlier than I thought. Much merits to him for his work!

[Lal]

First of all, Dosakkhayo, we are glad to hear that you are working well with the Korean Pure Dhamma Community. I can sense the high level of interest in the community.

I think those are fresh ideas that can be and should be tested out. We need to use all the tools available to bring back the true teachings of the Buddha.

The following are some thoughts cam to my mind, without thinking much about it.

There are two supersets.
1. This world of 31 realms with recurring and incessant rebirth process, where physical sukha/dukkha and mind-made somanassa/domanassa vedana exist. The level of sukha is optimum in the highest Deva realm, and the level of somanassa (or the absence of domanassa) maximum in the highest Brahma realm. On the other hand, any given living being spends most of the time in the lower realms (apayas) with unbearable dukkha/domanassa during the time when the realms in the kama loka exist. LayDhammaFollower’s recent chart explains that well: “Vedanā Vibhanga”
2. The second superset is Nibbana. A lifestream makes a transition from “this world” to Nibbana at Parinibbana.

The two supersets are “mutually exclusive” meaning there is no direct overlap. There are no words to describe Nibbana in terms of terminology available to use in “this world.” But the Buddha emphasized that dukkha/domanassa is completely absent in Nibbana.

Furthermore, one can sense the definite decrease in dukkha/domanassa as one makes the transition from “this world” to Nibbana in four steps (eight stages). After the Sotapanna stage, the possibility of rebirths in the apayas will go away, and so on. A living Arahant would only have “vipaka vedana” that can bring both sukha and dukha until Parinibbana (death of the physical body).
– Thus even though the two supersets do not overlap directly, a Buddha figures out how to make that transition while in “this world.”
– That requires understanding how this world sustains itself with the akusala-mula Paticca Samuppada process. Only a Buddha can figure out how to go backward on that process with the kusala-mula PS and stop that cyclical forward akusala-mula process.

Anyway, Those are some thoughts that came to my mind as I was reading your post.
– I am sure we will be able to make suggestions as we see details of your approach.
– But don’t deviate from your approach if it does not address those at the outset.

May the Blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all in your efforts!

[Lal]

LayDhammaFollower has the following chart to be shared with Dosakkhayo and others on the forum:

“Loka and Nibbana – LayDhammaFollower”

Much merits to LayDhammaFollower for his efforts!

[LayDhammaFollower]

Thank you for sharing th chart, Lal.

@dosakkhayo

I was working on document, which might be relevant to what you want to do.

It is not yet complete or finalized.

There is lot of improvement that can be done, content wise, in that table “loka and nibbanā”.

Core purpose of document was to distinguish worldviews of “Loka/anariya/saṁsāra and lokottara/ariya/nibbanā”.

[Lal]

I went through LayDhammaFollower’s chart posted above and filled the slot that was open with “Kusala-mula
saṅkhāra (puñña abhisaṅkhāra with comprehension of Noble Truths).”

The same link above points to the revised chart.

P.S. @Dosakkhayo: The “ultimate two supersets” I commented on may not be what you had in mind. I was also thinking about whether that approach could be “too deep” for beginners. Please proceed the way you planned.

[LayDhammaFollower]

Thank you lal.

Lal said,

The “ultimate two supersets” I commented on may not be what you had in mind. I was also thinking about whether that approach could be “too deep” for beginners. Please proceed the way you planned.

True. Not really useful to share the document with absolute beginners.

I really created the document for use of ariyas for their quick reference to various concepts, firstly for their own contemplation, secondly at the time of teaching someone, they can teach 4NT using document in various ways.

[dosakkhayo]

I’ve already taught my friend the way(General Form Explanation) for almost three years. I have been interested in becoming a good teacher even before I met Dhamma. In particular, during a year when I taught Pure Dhamma, he developed dramatically. So it is reliable up to a point, at least for me. What I need is more empirical data on it. So let us take a long-term view of it. I want to prepare it by engaging mainly in the Korean PD community.

– Anyway, to apply GFE here, I must express what I think in English, so I need to get used to English. I didn’t feel the need for English until I met Pure Dhamma, so I’m used to thinking in the way of the Korean language. When writing, I feel uncomfortable because I can’t express it well in English compared to my actual ability. Jorg said he could help me. So I am looking for a topic that can help with English composition.

– While refining the GFE, the description’s overall structure continues to change better. So I can’t give you a detailed explanation until I enter the completion stage to some extent. I’m spending a lot of energy thinking about it. I was devastated by how little I knew. So I’m reading ethics books (Eudemian Ethics and Nicomachean ethics) in Korean because I want to find out which method of explanation is the best. I know I don’t need to learn moral laws other than Buddha Dhamma. I’m just seeking a better way to explain it.

But I know all I can do is do as much as I can. The more Pure Dhamma becomes known, the more Sotapannas who can help me will appear in the future. I’m trying to do what I can with trust in them.

–
+) If I write using Obsidian, I don’t have to think about what to say first. It just came to my mind. I can’t believe the answer was just around the corner, and I haven’t seen it so far.

[Lal]

Yes. Whatever way you want to try is fine. Then we may be able to make suggestions.

[Author]

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