Our thanks to everyone who helped make Pariyatti's recent fundraising campaign a success. Donations of $84,000 helped us surpass our goal by $14,000! Pariyatti's services are indeed valued and supported.

We'll be able to go back to press with several books this year. First up: The Vision of Dhamma: Buddhist Writings of Nyanaponika Thera, essays on the Dhamma. The book will be available in April and can be preordered now.

The final podcast from S.N. Goenka's Meditation Now tour is a 94-minute, bilingual Dhamma talk in English and Mandarin, given August 4, 2002, at the Sheraton LaGuardia, New York. All of the talks from the tour are now available as podcasts.

Pariyatti's podcasts are a rich resource for Dhamma inspiration. Thanks to our volunteers who since October 2005 have managed to post 54 episodes through January 2010.

We now have the award-winning film The Dhamma Brothers back in stock. This film documents the introduction of a ten-day Vipassana meditation course into a maximum-security prison, and some of the participants (also available with the companion book, Letters from the Dhamma Brothers, at a discount). Jenny Phillips, author of the book and one of the film's producers, reports that PBS television stations in the United States will begin airing the film in April.

The Manual of Light (Alin-Kyan) and The Manual of the Path to Higher Knowledge (Vijjamagga Dipani) are two advanced expositions of the Buddha's teaching by the renowned Burmese scholar-monk and meditation master, the Venerable Ledi Sayadaw (1846-1923).

The expositions are intended for those who are familiar with the works of the Ledi Sayadaw. Topics include Dependent Origination, Kamma, Causality, Nibbana. An elucidation of the attributes of one who can attain higher knowledge is followed by a description of the method of attaining the three branches of higher knowledge of the Noble Ones: Higher knowledge of the truth of impermanence, of the truth of suffering, and of the truth of impersonality and conditionality. Next, ten items on how to observe these truths directly are enumerated and described systematically.

This volume from the Buddhist Publication Society (BPS) is the first time these works have appeared in English translation. Other titles by the Ledi Sayadaw from BPS include A Manual of the Excellent Man (Uttamapurisa Dipani); The Requisites of Enlightenment (Bodhipakkhiya Dipani); A Manual of Insight; Manual of Mindfulness; The Noble Eightfold Path and Its Factors Explained. (All are available at Pariyatti.org.)

New titles from BPS include Collected Wheel Publications, Wheel booklets 1 through 75, published together in five volumes, and the very inspiring The Life of Nyanatiloka Thera, a German-born scholar-monk who was the first European Buddhist monk.

Pariyatti's annual fundraising campaign is underway to raise $70,000. To date, challenge donations of $35,000 have been matched by gifts totalling $19,000. If you value our nonprofit services, please consider making a contribution now. Your support is essential. With a gift of $100 or more, you'll receive a discount of 20% off all titles for one year. Donations of any amount can be made online, by check, or by phone. We will send a receipt for your records; your donation is tax-deductible in accordance with U.S. tax regulations.

Do you wonder why Pariyatti needs financial support to continue operations? The book-selling side of Pariyatti is the most visible, but it is only one of the services we provide. We also publish, import, distribute (for Buddhist Publication Society, Pali Text Society, and Vipassana Research Institute), and keep more than 1,000 titles in stock. None of these activities is "profitable" in the conventional sense, but is no less worthwhile.

This month's podcast is an 82-minute talk by S.N. Goenka, followed by Q&A, given August 4, 2002, at the Helen Hills Hills Chapel at Smith College, Northampton, MA. This and previous podcasts can be seen, heard, and downloaded here.

A new book by Paul R. Fleischman, M.D. entitled An Ancient Path, is now available. Featured are public talks on Vipassana meditation given to medical professionals or academics in Europe and America in 2007. Dr. Fleischman practiced psychiatry for 30 years, is the author of several books and articles (including Karma and Chaos and Cultivating Inner Peace), and is a long-time Vipassana practitioner and teacher. 192 pages, $10.95

New from Pariyatti Press! Along the Path: The Meditator's Companion to the Buddha's Land is a comprehensive, practical, and inspiring guide for those traveling to the sacred sites of the Buddha's life. Charming drawings and detailed maps are provided throughout the book's 424 pages. This guide offers a rich anthology of deeply inspiring stories relating to each of the sites, detailed descriptions, insider information on what to see, and tips on transportation, accommodation, and local cuisine. Spirited narratives from experienced travelers are interspersed throughout the book. The first chapter covers the basics of planning your trip, arrival, and suggested intineraries for a pilgrimage; subsequent chapters are organized by region, beginning with The Middle Land, or Majjhima Desa. Authors Kory Goldberg and Michelle Decary draw on their abundant personal experiences and those of fellow practitioners on the path. Available from Pariyatti or local booksellers. ISBN 978-1-928706-56-4, $21.95

It's not too late to place your holiday orders online or by telephone (360.978.4998). We are shipping orders through Monday, December 21 and will resume again on January 4. You can place orders and make year-end donations via our website while we're doing inventory and spending time with family. Gift ideas include two newly published books, gift certificates, art cards, or a Pariyatti membership.

Best wishes from all of us at Pariyatti!
Luke  Carl  Eric  Jill  Julie

This month's podcast is a 14-minute video called Time to Breathe. Students of a primary school in the UK visit the Dhamma Dipa meditation center to learn to observe their respiration (anapana).  Includes interviews with children, their parents, and the teachers. This and previous podcasts can be seen, heard, or downloaded here.

A new book by Paul R. Fleischman, M.D. entitled An Ancient Path, is now available. Featured are public talks on Vipassana meditation given to medical professionals or academics in Europe and America in 2007. Dr. Fleischman practiced psychiatry for 30 years, is the author of several books and articles (including Karma and Chaos and Cultivating Inner Peace), and is a long-time Vipassana practitioner and teacher.

Pariyatti's fall fundraising campaign is underway to match challenge donations of $37,000 and raise an equal amount in support from others who value Pariyatti's uplifting mission. With a gift of $100 or more, members receive a discount of 20 percent off all titles. Donations of any amount can be made online, by check, or by phone. We will send a receipt for your records; your donation is tax-deductible in accordance with U.S. tax regulations.

These days, the Thanksgiving holiday may evoke thoughts of bargain-hunting more than its original purpose: generously giving, and sharing gratitude.

The Buddha always emphasized the importance of cultivating generosity through giving, usually speaking at length on this topic. Writes Bhikkhu Bodhi in Dāna: The Practice of Giving (BPS, Wheel 367/369), "Only after the audience had begun to appreciate this virtue would he introduce other aspects of his teaching." Giving is seen as "the foundation and seed of spiritual development." (pg.vi) Dāna (generosity) is the first of the ten pāramī (perfections) necessary to develop by aspirants to enlightenment.

Fulfilling the dāna pāramī is influenced by three primary factors. Most important is the volition of the donor, before, during, and after the act of generosity. The highest type of giving is associated with wisdom. It is said that giving lends to "pliancy of the mind, an essential asset in developing concentration and wisdom, the prime requisites of liberation." (pg. 3). The next factor is the purity of the recipient. The worthier the receiver, the greater benefits that will accrue to the donor. The third factor is the gift itself, whether material or immaterial. Dhammadāna, the gift of the noble teaching, is said by the Buddha to excel all other gifts. (Dhammapada 354) Those who expound the Teaching--monks and Dhamma teachers--practice the highest kind of generosity. Donating Dhamma books, or for the printing or translation of such works, is another way of giving the gift of Dhamma.

Susan Elbaum Jootla writes, "Gifts untainted by craving can only be made during a Buddha-sāsana, the period when the teachings of a Buddha are available. So when we give now, during such a time, we should do so with the aim of putting an end to craving. With the end of craving, suffering ceases, and that is liberation." (pg. 15)

Pariyatti's fall fundraising efforts are underway with a matching gift challenge to raise $35,000 and an equal amount in support from people who value Pariyatti's uplifting mission. With a gift of $100 or more, members receive a discount of 20 percent off all titles. Donations of any amount can be made online, by check or by phone. Your donation is tax deductible and we'll send a receipt for your records.

This month's podcast takes us to Kresge Auditorium in Boston, Mass., where S.N. Goenka discusses Vipassana meditation. This program is 79 minutes long, including the Q&A session that follows the talk. It was recorded July 31, 2002, near the end of his North American tour. This and previous podcasts can be heard or downloaded here.