References > New / Revised Posts > Pure Dhamma Discussion Forum Guidelines

December 12, 2017; revised December 17, 2017; January 23, 2018; January 7, 2019

A link to the Forum is provided at the lowest row in the main menu.

1. In order to post questions or answers (i.e., to participate in discussions), one will need to register first. But anyone can read existing posts without registering.

To Register:

Click on the “Forum” at the very end of the main menu or FORUM to enter the Forum.

1.Click on the “Register” button (in red) at the LOGIN box, enter a username and an email address and submit.

2.You will get an email asking to verify your request. That email is sent manually, and thus it could take up to a day. Once you reply to it, your request will be accepted. Again, it is done manually, so it could take a few hours to a day.

3.Once approved, you will receive an email with instructions to log in. The link in that email WILL EXPIRE within a certain time, so you need to use it before it expires.

4.If you run into any issues, please email me (lal@puredhamma.net), and I can set up a temporary password for you. It is easy to do, and you can then reset to a new password.

2. If one forgets the password at a later time, a new password can be generated by clicking on the red “Lost Password” link at the Login box.

▪Even an unregistered user can read others’ posts on any topic. One needs to register to ask a question or to post a reply to another’s question.

▪Please respect the viewpoints of others. No one knows everything (except for a Buddha), and we should help each other in uncovering the truth.

3. Mr. Seng Kiat Ng from Singapore has kindly agreed to act as a moderator. He will be able to move topics to “better matching” forums and open new forums as necessary. He is doing this in addition to maintaining and updating the eBook; much merits to him and his family!

▪Within a forum, anyone who is registered can open a new topic. Please find the forum that seems to match; we can add more forums if needed.

▪Any question, even remotely connected to the Buddha Dhamma (Buddhism) is welcome. There are people of very different levels of exposure to Buddhism.

▪If you feel uncomfortable posting here initially, please send it to me at lal@puredhamma.net.

▪But I encourage everyone to participate because there will be people who can benefit from the information at different levels. Also, it is critical to comprehend basic concepts; otherwise, it will be difficult to make progress.

4. I can set the time one has to come back and edit a given post, and it is currently set at one hour. This allows one to think about one’s comment and change it, if needed. Please think carefully before making comments. It is not a good idea to write too many posts on the same issue. I try to write my response in a Word document and post it when I feel comfortable. Even then, I may have to come back and revise.

▪This is in no way to restrict discussions. We just need to try to make our points without repeating. I have seen online forums where people just go back and forth, “trying to push their views” without making any progress for themselves or helping others learn.

5. Replying to a question: If one hits the reply button, one can directly respond to a comment by that specific person (i.e., one’s comment will appear below that comment or that thread). Then a reader will need to scan to find the new comment (especially if newer threads are at the bottom).

▪If one just types in the default window, the comment will appear at the very end of the discussion as a new thread. Anyone will be able to see that as the latest comment, but one still needs to refer to the comment they are responding to.

▪You can figure this out by looking at the posts already there.

6. A discussion forum for the Pure Dhamma website is beneficial in several aspects:

▪I receive many good questions via email. When I reply to that email, only that person will get the information, and in many cases it could be of interest to so many others.

▪There could be “gaps” in a given section. A given section on the website starts at a base level with initial posts and moves to deeper stages with subsequent posts. If one has a question about a certain post, one could open a new topic with the post name.

▪I also plan to have some information access threads on topics like “Pāli Resources”. I will post some key tools available on this site and on other sites, and users can add more information to them.

▪This forum will also provide an opportunity for others with different opinions to express their viewpoints (e.g., how they interpret a given Sutta or a verse in the Dhammapada). In most cases, there can be more than one explanation.

▪Sometimes, each individual may have their own interpretation even if it looks incorrect to others. No one should expect others to agree with one’s viewpoint. It is up to each person to decide for him/herself.

▪Thoughtful, logical, and respectful discussions can be an important part of the learning process.

7. Following the Path is not following some set precepts or blindly following a “guru.” One needs to engage in stimulating self-reflection (contemplation) and with others. It is an intellectual process.

▪I hope this forum will be a “virtual community center” that helps people with different levels of exposure to Buddha Dhamma come together and grow together.

▪In my experience, when I try to answer a question posed by someone who is looking at the issue from a totally different point of view, it forces me to look at it from a different angle. I have learned many things over the past few years that way.

8. The Buddha was the greatest scientist to be born, and we are trying to recover those deep teachings that have been buried over many centuries. Thanks to my late Noble teacher, Waharaka Thero (“Parinibbāna of Waharaka Thero”), the true meanings of key concepts (eg., anicca, anatta, viññāṇa) have been uncovered.

▪We need to maintain this momentum and make it easier for future generations to access the pure and original teachings of the Buddha.

9. Finally, I keep the right to delete any posts that are not appropriate for the forum. I make such decisions based on the goal of this website (to teach Buddha’s original teachings per Tipiṭaka), and it will be for the benefit of the general audience.