What Is BuddhaNet and What Does It Offer?

Updated

BuddhaNet (buddhanet.net) is a worldwide Buddhist information and education network. It is a long-running English-language website that gathers study guides, scriptures, teachings, ebooks, audio, artwork, and a global directory of Buddhist organizations into one place. It is most useful if you want free, text-based introductory material on Buddhism, a directory to find Buddhist groups by region, or downloadable resources for personal study. The site covers multiple traditions, including Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan Buddhism, so it works as a broad starting point rather than a single-tradition resource.

Main sections of the site

The navigation reflects how the content is organized:

Section What it contains
Buddhist Studies A main studies hub, a Basic Buddhism Guide, an Online Study Guide, and a CD-Rom for schools
Buddhist Scriptures Scriptural texts
Buddhist Teachings Teachings organized by topic
The Buddhist World History and culture material
World Directory A directory of Buddhist groups by region, plus a Masters/Organisations listing and a form to send or update your info
eBooks General Buddhism, Buddhist Meditation, Theravada Teachings, Mahayana Teachings, History and Art, and children's books
Resources / File Library Artwork files (General, Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan), audio files, study materials, Palm Pilot files, TomeRaider files, and Pali fonts for Mac/PC
Features BuddhaZine, Place of Enlightenment, Buddhist Books, Online Therapy and Meditation, Buddhist Computer Art, photo documentaries, art and architecture, Treasury of Truth, Women in Buddhism, a kids page, magazine articles, crossword puzzles, Buddhist comics, and multimedia
Monastery Bodhi Tree Monastery information, plus About Bodhi Tree and More About Buddhanet

Who it is for

  • Beginners: the Basic Buddhism Guide and Online Study Guide are the natural entry points if you are new to the subject.
  • Students and teachers: the school CD-Rom material and structured study guides suit classroom or coursework use.
  • Practitioners: the meditation ebooks, audio files, and the Insight Meditation and Loving Kindness Meditation pages support practice.
  • Anyone looking for a local group: the World Directory is organized by region — The Americas, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, and Africa/Middle East — with a separate Masters/Organisations list.

What you can actually do there

  • Read introductory and structured study material on Buddhism.
  • Download ebooks across several traditions, including children's titles.
  • Download audio, artwork, and study files, plus Pali fonts if you work with Pali text.
  • Browse BuddhaZine, the site's online magazine, and read magazine articles.
  • Find Buddhist groups and organizations by region, or submit/update a listing.
  • Follow Buddhist news through the site's news section.

Practical notes before you visit

  • The content is primarily in English.
  • The site spans multiple Buddhist traditions rather than promoting one, so expect a survey-style range instead of a single lineage's curriculum.
  • Some material is packaged for older formats (Palm Pilot, TomeRaider, CD-Rom for schools), which may need extra steps to open on current devices.
  • The site also links to an e-store for at least one title, The Vipassana Retreat by Ven. Pannyavaro, who is described as the resident teaching monk of Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery and the webmaster of BuddhaNet.net. No pricing details are given in the site material reviewed here, so check the store page directly if cost matters to you.

Bottom line

BuddhaNet is worth visiting if you want a free, broad, English-language library of Buddhist study material, downloadable ebooks and audio, and a regional directory for finding Buddhist groups. If you need a single tradition's complete course or current pricing on paid items, treat it as a starting point and follow the specific links from there.