Dear Pali group,

Perhaps many of you are-- like myself-- subscribing members of the
Buddhist Publication Society. This message is not an advertisement for
that organization, but simply a note for those of you who may not be
familiar with the BPS.

According to a latest pamphlet sent to members (“BPS News”), the
Society today has 5,000 members around the world. I quote: “Exactly 45
years ago, on New Year’s day in 1958, the Buddhist Publication Society
was born. The brainchild of a prominent Kandy lawyer, A.S. Karunaratne
and his friend, retired school master Richard Abeysekera, they invited
Ven. Nyanaponika, the German monk who was residing at the Forest
Hermitage at Udawattakelle, the forest behind the Sri Dalada Maligawa
[the Temple of the Tooth-- RS] to be the Society’s spiritual director
and editor. The objective of the Society was to publish Buddhist
literature in English mainly for distribution abroad.”

I’ve been a member for several years and always look forward to the
small brown package in the mail from Sri Lanka. It takes about three
months to reach me, for the BPS sends its regular mailings by sea and I
live on the West coast of the US, about as far away from that country as
one can get. (The postage on the last packet was 30 rupees, about 30¢
US.)

A member receives a packet twice a year (instead of the former three
times per year). Each packet contains the latest Wheel Publication, now
in an expanded format. This last one (Wheel # 450-452) is
“Pa.ticcasamuppaada (Dependant Origination): The road to liberation,” by
Ron Wijewantha. At 119 pp. it seems more like a small book than a
“booklet.”

Also in the packet is the 27-page booklet “Jataka Tales of the Buddha:
Part 5” (Bodhi Leaves # 158).

Finally, there is the first edition of “BPS News” (dated January 2003),
a glossy booklet which replaces the former newsletter. On the cover is a
picture of Bh. Bodhi walking in Udawattakelle reserve in Kandy. Inside
is an article by BB on Buddhism in China, and another article on
Buddhism in the US.

This is just the right amount of material to last me six months until
the next packet!

Membership is quite reasonable (check <http://www.bps.lk> or email
<bps@...> for rates).

Best wishes,

Rene