By Jeff Glenn
President of the Pariyatti Board

This is an exciting time for Pariyatti, its supporters and its staff, as interest in the teachings of the Buddha continues to grow and technology makes available new venues for the dissemination of these teachings. I would like to briefly address the Pariyatti mission and what lies on the horizon for Pariyatti. The current mission statement is:

These three components of the mission address three subtly different but complimentary initiatives.

Disseminating the Words of the Buddha

Many readers will know that the word 'pariyatti' is a Pali word which translates as the theoretical teaching of the Buddha. The core of the Pali Canon consists of the Tipitika, the words uttered directly by the Buddha, believed by most scholars to have been committed to writing in 29 B.C. at the Fourth Council in Sri Lanka. In the subsequent centuries, commentaries and sub-commentaries arose to elaborate and expound on the teachings of the Buddha. A significant flowering of post commentarial writings arose beginning in the late 1800's with the founding of the Pali Text Society and the translations of many works by Maha-theras (Sr. Bhikkhu elders) from Burma and Sri Lanka. The Sixth Council, held in the 1950's, lead to an additional flurry of wonderfully inspirational writings celebrating the 2,500th anniversary of the teachings of the Buddha. In the more recent decades, publishers such as the Buddhist Publication Society, the Vipassana Research Institute, and Pariyatti have continued to add valuable literary classics to this body of writings.

In accordance with our mission to disseminate the Words of the Buddha, Pariyatti makes available the entire cumulative corpus of these works. Increasingly, with the advent of modern technology, many of these teachings are taking alternate forms such as audio-books, e-books, CD's, CD-ROM's, DVD's, and downloadable media. The catalog of products continues to grow with the addition of newly written works as well as the re-publication of timeless classics.

Providing Sustenance for the Seeker's Journey

The second component of the Pariyatti mission statement is a bit broader in scope. By providing sustenance for the seeker's path, the organization seeks to expand the awareness of the teachings of the Buddha. By making the teaching of the Buddha available in a simple and easy to understand format to any and all who would seek an inner calm, Pariyatti is providing sustenance along the path of meditation and peace to those that might not otherwise have access to these teachings.

Current programs to fulfill this aspect of the mission include the donation of books and other inspirational materials to prisons, universities, monasteries, and temples. Daily e-mails of the Words of the Buddha are currently delivered to thousands of seekers. Additionally, in 2005, Pariyatti began offering Podcasts via the internet on a monthly basis. The program for these podcasts continues to expand and positive feedback has come in from throughout the world.

Illuminate the Meditator's path

The Buddha differentiated between 'pariyatti', meaning theoretical knowledge, and 'patipatti', the experiential application of the Buddha's teachings. For those who are actively seeking patipatti (and ultimately, 'pativeda', the realization of ultimate reality through meditation), Pariyatti offers tools for inspiration and elucidation.

This is perhaps the aspect of the Pariyatti mission with the most potential for growth in the coming years. The recent publication of the Gem Set in Gold was the culmination of over a decade of work and will be an invaluable resource to any serious student of the Dhamma. Students of Vipassana as taught by S.N. Goenka will find many resources to assist them, and will illuminate the path as they develop their meditation practice. Additionally, Pariyatti is investigating the feasibility of offering Pali language instruction -- either in a residential setting or via remote interactive instruction. The Treasures of Pariyatti project has recently been announced; this is a project to preserve classic, out-of-print works of literature related to the teaching of the Buddha through electronic re-publication.

Each of these three components of the Pariyatti mission unify a community of individuals that share an interest in the teaching of the Buddha. You are all invited to join in at whatever level of community you wish. If you would like to get more involved with the fulfillment of the mission of Pariyatti, please contact us and join in as a volunteer. If you are supportive of the mission, but have limited availability, please consider becoming a Pariyatti Supporter. This is an exciting time in the Buddha Sasana, and we are confident that all participants will find inspiration from their involvement with Pariyatti.