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 lower right 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 and enter a username and an email address and submit.

2.It will say that it will send you a link and then display a “WORDPRESS” screen. CLOSE that screen. Do not do anything with that screen.

3.You will get an email to that address within minutes. Open your email browser and click on the link that was sent to you.The link in that email WILL EXPIRE within a certain time, so you need to use it before it expires. (If you don’t see an email within minutes, check you “Junk” folder).

4.If you don’t get an email within 5 minutes, send me an email and I can setup a temporary password for you. It is easy to do and you can then reset to anew password. This is the easiest way.

5.It will ask to enter the username that you selected earlier and you also need to choose a password. Once you hit enter, you may get another “WORDPRESS” screen. CLOSE that screen. Do not do anything with that screen.

6.Enter the Forum and login with that username/password at the “Forum Login” box.

When first registered, one will receive an email with a link to setup your own password. One needs to use that link within 15 minutes or so (I am guessing, I don’t know exactly how much time is allowed), because that link expires. Check you Junk folder if you do not see an email within minutes.

▪If it does not work within a few tries, DO NOT keep trying. After 5 tries or so, the system will lock you out and then it becomes more difficult. Please send me an email at lal@puredhamma.net, and I can help you.

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 person would be able to read the posts by others 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 also to open up 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 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 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 there are newer threads at the bottom).

▪If one just types in the default window, then 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 then one needs to refer to the comment that he/she is 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 at the website starts at a base level with initial posts and move 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 at this site as well as at other sites, and users can add more information to it.

▪This forum will also give an opportunity for others with different opinions to express their viewpoints (i.e., how they interpret a given Sutta or a verse in the Dhammapada, etc). 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 come to agreement 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 merely following some set precepts or blindly following a “guru.” One needs to engage in stimulating discussions with oneself first (contemplation), and also with others. It is an intellectual process.

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

▪In my own experience, I know that when trying to answer a question posed by another person — who is looking at the issue from a totally different point of view — forces me to look at the issue 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”), true meanings of key concepts (eg., anicca, anatta, viññāṇa) have been uncovered.

▪We need to maintain this momentum and make it easier for the 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.