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Access to Insight's
Dhamma Transcription Project

Contents [go to top]

The goal [go to top]

The goal of this project is twofold:

Here's how it works. I am always on the lookout for high-quality free Dhamma books, articles, and translations — especially those that are difficult to find in print. If I find a book that seems especially suitable for distribution on Access to Insight, I contact the copyright holder (usually the author or publisher) and request permission for the book to be transcribed and distributed on-line. If the copyright holder grants permission, a volunteer transcriber may then proceed with the transcription. (If the transcriber does not own a copy of the book, I can provide him or her with a photocopy.) After typing or scanning the book into digital form (i.e., text, in the form of a word-processor file), the transcriber then sends it to me via e-mail as a file attachment. I then carry out the final proofreading and formatting and release the book on Access to Insight.

Access to Insight only distributes books for which the copyright holder explicitly grants permission for free on-line distribution.

How you can help [go to top]

Transcribing a book [go to top]

Here is the general procedure for transcribing a book:

1. Choose a book.
From the list below, choose a book, and let me know which one you'd like to transcribe. If you do not own a copy of the book, please send me your postal mailing address, and I will send you a photocopy of the book (yours to keep). I'm happy to send it to you anywhere in the world. If you do own a copy of the book, please let me know which edition you have. If this is your first transcription for Access to Insight, please choose something relatively short so you can get the hang of it (Bodhi Leaf Publications are good starters).
2. Transcribe it.
Use your favorite word-processing program to type in the book (feel free to use a scanner, if that's helpful). Don't spend a lot of time making the layout and formatting look pretty; just type in the basic text, keeping just the minimum necessary formatting details (italics, footnotes, headers, etc.). If there are a lot of Pali words, please follow the Velthuis convention when typing them in. Spell-checking and proofreading is, of course, gratefully appreciated.

Please take your time to enjoy the process and to give yourself a chance to learn a little Dhamma as you transcribe. Although there are no hard and fast deadlines for this project, if you think you may need more than a couple of months to complete the transcription, or you if you run into unexpected delays along the way, please drop me a note to let me know. If at any point you run out of steam, or you're just not enjoying transcribing the particular book you chose, that's perfectly fine — just let me know and, if possible, send me whatever you have completed. Any little bit that you complete is valuable and greatly appreciated.

3. Send me the file.
Send me the file by e-mail. Please let me know to what extent you'd like to be credited with your work. Although I think it's good to give transcribers explicit credit for their good work (e.g., "Transcribed from the print edition by Susan Q. Scribe"), some transcribers prefer to remain anonymous ("Transcribed from the print edition by a volunteer"). I guarantee your privacy; I never include e-mail addresses or other contact information in the credits.
4. Be patient.
It usually takes me a month or two to finish proofreading and formatting the book before I actually release it on Access to Insight. You can follow the progress of your transcription as it moves through the proofreading/formatting stage.
5. Anumodana!
This Pali word is difficult to translate into English, but it means something along the lines of "May the fruits of your skillful action be of benefit to all beings everywhere!" You can think of it as a Buddhist way of saying "Thank you for the good you have done." [For more on this, see "Anumodana" in Lay Buddhist Practice by Bhikkhu Khantipalo.]

Books under consideration [go up]

I am currently reviewing these books to assess their suitability for ATI.

Awaiting reply [go up]

I have contacted the publishers and/or authors of these books for permission to transcribe and distribute them on ATI. I await their reply.

Books in search of a transcriber [go up]

The books listed below are ready to be transcribed. If you'd like to transcribe one of them, please read Transcribing a book, above.

Please note that although I've indicated the relative difficulty you may expect in transcribing these books, even the "easy" ones pose challenges. For one thing, these books were typeset by hand and printed in Asia very inexpensively, with the result that the print fades in and out and they can sometimes be a little hard to read. Transcribing one of these books is not simply a matter of zipping it through a scanner and then doing a light touch-up with Microsoft Word. This is especially true for books containing Pali text — the Pali diacritics will bring even the cleverest OCR software to its knees. Depending on its length, you can expect to spend many hours on a given book.

Sutta translations [go up]

Anguttara Nikaya: An Anthology (III) (Nyanaponika) [BPS Wheel No. 238/240]
Summary: An anthology of sutta translations from the Books of the Eights, Nines, Tens, and Elevens. 86 pages.
Difficulty: hard (extensive footnotes, some Pali text, and a detailed index)
Blessed One's City of Dhamma [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 130]
Summary: Chapter 5 from The Questions of King Milinda: An Abridgement of the Milindapañha, edited by N.K.G. Mendis. In this passage Ven. Nagasena develops a magnificent series of similes to convince Milinda that, even though the Buddha died long ago, his legacy lives on, unwavering. 27 small pages.
Difficulty: medium (some footnotes)
Buddhist Stories from the Dhammapada Commentary (I) (Khantipalo) [BPS Wheel No. 287/9]
Summary: Associated with the verses of the Dhammapada is an extensive body of classical Pali commentary that gives the context behind each of the verses. These background stories are often very colorful and rich with Dhamma teachings in their own right. 101 pages.
Difficulty: medium (some footnotes)
Buddhist Stories from the Dhammapada Commentary (II) (Khantipalo) [BPS Wheel No. 324/5]
Summary: Continuation of the anthology. 170 pages.
Difficulty: medium (some footnotes)
Life's Highest Blessings (Dr. R.L. Soni) [BPS Wheel No. 254]
Summary: A translation of the Maha-mangala Sutta, the Buddha's discourse on the causes of true happiness, along with extensive commentary. Also includes the Pali text and a word-by-word translation for Pali students. 93 pages.
Difficulty: hard (extensive Pali text, footnotes)
On the No-self Characteristic (Dr. KNG Mendis) [BPS Wheel No. 268]
Summary: A translation of the Buddha's second discourse (Anatta-lakkhana Sutta), along with a helpful Introduction. 19 pages.
Difficulty: hard (extensive Pali passages)
Samyutta Anthology I (Ireland) [BPS Wheel No. 107]
Summary: An anthology of sutta translations. 94 pages.
Difficulty: hard (extensive footnotes and some Pali text)
Samyutta Anthology II (Ñanananda) [BPS Wheel No. 183]
Summary: An anthology of sutta translations. 119 pages.
Difficulty: hard (extensive footnotes and some Pali text)

Biography [go up]

Ananda: The Guardian of the Dhamma (Hellmuth Hecker) [BPS Wheel No. 273/274]
Summary: Another volume in the "Lives of the Disciples" series. A biographical sketch of the life of Ven. Ananda, the Buddha's long-time and closest personal attendant. 75 pages.
Difficulty: medium (footnotes and some Pali text)
Women in Early Buddhist Literature (Horner) [BPS Wheel No. 030]
Summary: In this lecture delivered to a Sri Lankan women's group, Horner explores the social and spiritual lives of women in India during the time of the Buddha. Citing numerous examples from the Pali Canon, she demonstrates that, despite their traditional domestic roles, women enjoyed considerable freedom, respect, and honor. 22 pages.
Difficulty: easy-medium (occasional Pali text)

Booklets for newcomers [go up]

Positive Response: How to Meet Evil with Good (Acharya Buddharakkhita) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 109]
Summary: Included among the Buddha's many teachings are instructions on how to respond skillfully to provocative people and situations. This short sampler of suttas (plus a passage from the Visuddhimagga) offers practical techniques for overcoming resentment and the impulse to blind reactivity. 35 small pages.
Difficulty: easy

History [go up]

Buddhism in Sri Lanka (H.R. Perera) [BPS Wheel No. 100]
Summary: An excellent introduction to the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, where Theravada Buddhism has flourished for over two millennia. 91 pages.
Difficulty: medium (some Pali text)
Buddhism in Thailand (Kusalasaya) [BPS Wheel No. 085]
Summary: An overview of the history of Buddhism in Thailand. 30 pages.
Difficulty: easy-medium (some Pali text)

Buddhist life [go up]

Blessings of Pindapata (Khantipalo) [BPS Wheel No. 073]
Summary: Pindapata is the daily alms-round by which ascetic Theravadan monks and nuns wander from house to house, accepting whatever offerings of food are placed in their bowls by laypeople. This short book explores the significance of the alms-round as one of the key activities that defines the life of the Buddhist monastic and his or her relationship to the lay community. 26 pages.
Difficulty: easy-medium (occasional Pali text)
Buddhist Layman (various authors) [BPS Wheel No. 294]
Summary: Four essays by contemporary Buddhist scholars and writers on the challenges of life as a Buddhist layperson. Essays included are: "Principles of Lay Buddhism" (by R. Bogoda); "Right Livelihood: the Noble Eightfold Path in the Working Life" (Susan Elbaum Jootla); "Having Taken the First Steps" and "Detachment" (M. O'C. Walshe). 75 pages.
Difficulty: medium (some footnotes, some Pali text)
The Buddhist Monks' Discipline (Khantipalo) [BPS Wheel No. 130]
Summary: An introduction for laypeople to the Vinaya, the Buddhist monks' code of discipline. This is a useful guide for laypeople who are uncertain how to be supportive of monks and how to conduct themselves in the their presence. 52 pages.
Difficulty: medium (some footnotes, some Pali text)

Essays on Buddhist doctrine [go up]

Buddhism and Sex (Walshe) [BPS Wheel No. 225]
Summary: This short essay explores the significance and meaning of death from the Theravada Buddhist perspective. 26 pages.
Difficulty: easy-medium (occasional Pali text)
Karma and Rebirth (Nyanatiloka) [BPS Wheel No. 009]
Summary: A scholarly introduction to the related concepts of karma and rebirth. 23 pages.
Difficulty: medium-hard (some Pali text)
The Paccekabuddha: A Buddhist Ascetic (Kloppenborg) [BPS Wheel No. 305/7]
Summary: The paccekkabuddha is an important but often neglected figure in the Buddhist tradition, second only to the Buddha in his wisdom and spitiual power. This is an exhaustive and meticulously researched scholarly study of the paccekkabuddha, based on passages from the Tipitaka and the Commentaries. Includes a translation of the "Rhinoceros Horn" sutta (Khaggivisana Sutta) from the Sutta Nipata.
Difficulty: medium (some Pali text)
Psychology of Emotions in Buddhist Perspective (Padmasiri deSilva) [BPS Wheel No. 237]
Summary:
Difficulty: hard (footnotes, Pali text)
Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Piyadassi) [BPS Wheel No. 001]
Summary: An introduction to the seven factors of enlightenment (mindfulness, investigation, energy, rapture, calm, concentration, and equanimity) based on the suttas and their commentaries.
Difficulty: hard (footnotes, Pali text)
Three Basic Facts of Existence I: Impermanence (Nyanaponika, ed.) [BPS Wheel No. 186]
Summary: Five introductory essays on the notion of impermanence (anicca), ranging in style from scholarly ("Aniccam: The Buddhist Theory of Impermanence" by Ñanajivako) to experiential ("A Walk in the Woods" by Khantipalo). 73 pages.
Difficulty: hard (footnotes, extensive Pali text)
Three Basic Facts of Existence II: Suffering (Nyanaponika, ed.) [BPS Wheel No. 191]
Summary: Eight introductory essays on the notion of suffering (dukkha). 100 pages.
Difficulty: hard (footnotes, extensive Pali text)
Three Basic Facts of Existence III: Egolessness (Nyanaponika, ed.) [BPS Wheel No. 202]
Summary: Twelve introductory essays on the notion of not-self (anatta). 102 pages.
Difficulty: hard (footnotes, extensive Pali text)

Transcriptions in Progress [go up]

These books are currently being transcribed by volunteers.

HTML formatting in progress [go up]

I am currently proofreading and formatting these books for release on ATI. The books are generally processed "first-in, first-out": newly transcribed titles are added at the bottom of the list and gradually work their way upwards as I finish the ones at the top.

  1. Jataka Tales of the Buddha IV (Kawasaki) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 144] [PDF]
  2. Of Mindsets and Monkeypots (Ontl) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 131] [DNET: TXT]
  3. Healing of the Bull (Karunaratna) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 140] [Old ATI HTML]
  4. Prisoners of Karma (Karunaratna) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 125] [DNET: TXT]
  5. The Walking Meditation (Karunaratna) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 113]
  6. Treatise on the Paramis (Dhammapala) [BPS Wheel No. 409] [BPS: Word]
  7. BPS Newsletter Cover Essays, Nos. 39-44 (Bhikkhu Bodhi) [V06: Word]
  8. Young People's Life of the Buddha (Silacara) [Singapore Buddhist Med Centre] [DNET: TXT]
  9. Self-made Private Prison (Lily deSilva) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 120] [V07 2007.07.07; Word]
  10. Radical Therapy: Buddhist Precepts in the Modern World (Lily deSilva) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 123] [V03 2005.07.13; Word]
  11. Two Dialogues on Dhamma (Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano) [BPS Wheel No. 363] [V05 2005.07.14; Word]
  12. Jataka Tales of the Buddha V (Kawasaki) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 158] [KVK 2005.07.14; Word]
  13. Detachment & Compassion in Early Buddhism (Harris) [BPS Bodhi Leaf No. 141] [BPS 2005.07.16; Word]
  14. The Buddha's Encounters with Mara (Guruge) [BPS Wheel No. 419] [BPS 2005.07.16: Word]
  15. Vangisa: An Early Buddhist Poet (Ireland) [BPS Wheel No. 417] [BPS 2005.07.16: Word]
  16. Be an Island unto Yourself (Khema) [V01 2005.07.19; Word]
  17. Buddhism and Death (Walshe) [BPS Wheel No. 261] [V04 2005.07.19; Word]

Recent releases [go up]

These transcriptions were recently released on ATI.

Revised: Saturday 2005-07-23
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