Pali

Dear Dr. McDaniel,

Thank you for your letter to the Pali Study group.  I for one appreciate your
input on the Pali Study list very much, and I hope to have future contact with
your writings on Laos and Pali as they are very informative and written in a
humble, self-effacing style.

As for studying Pali, I have found these e-mail lists to be terribly inefficient
for anything but the most simple enquiries (for which of course they seem to be
quite helpful).  It seems too easy to stray from the study at hand, and actual
moderation is too difficult, if not impossible.  I have been moved to subscribe
to the e-sangha's Pali language forum, as the bulletin board style layout works
really well both to focus one's energies and for moderation purposes.
Unfortunately, aside from Ven. Dhammanando, Ven. Pesala, and a few other
devouts, very few people have taken more than a passing notice of the board.  As
the study of the pali language is of greatest importance for Buddhists and
Buddhist scholars (not to mention its indirect benefits to the rest of the
world), I think this is a shame.

So, not to detract from the membership on this list, as it seems most helpful
for what it IS able to accomplish, I would like to express the wish that at
least some of the people on this list take the time to join the e-sangha pali
forum as well, in order to provide help and collaboration in the study of the
pali language.  The forum is here (application for membership is painless and
without cost, but necessary to post your own messages or replies):

http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showforum=50

I hope this post is not considered inappropriate.

Best wishes,

Yuttadhammo

<bcc: Alan McClure, E-Sangha Pali Moderator, for further comment>