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Goal and Content of WikiVinaya

The goal of WikiVinaya is to create a free online resource of information on the Buddhist monastic discipline – 'Vinaya'.

The best known part of the Vinaya is the Pātimokkha in which the major rules are summarised; it is the part of the Vinaya which is recited every lunar fortnight on the Uposatha day. The two Buddhist monastic Orders (Saṅghas) - the Order of monks (bhikkhus) and the Order of nuns (bhikkhunīs) - each have a their own Pātimokkha. The Patimokkha is thus the 'essence' of the Vinaya, but WikiVinaya is to eventually cover not only the rules in the bhikkhu and bhikkhunī Pātimokkhas, but also the other information contained in the Vinaya Pitaka. More specifically, this refers to the chapters of the Khandhakas and Parivāra (and cognates). Since the current Vinaya-recensions also come with the traditional commentaries and manuals from later periods than the original canonical texts, this information will be added to the WikiVinaya as well. The articles in WikiVinaya may also make comments on current practices, and current understanding of Vinaya. WikiVinaya will also contain some synoptic examinations of topics that are spread out throughout the texts.

For more information see: wikivinaya:goal and content

Adding to the WikiVinaya

Since WikiVinaya is a wiki, the writing of all pages of the WikiVinaya is principally a community-effort, and the contents of these pages can be altered. Also this page, and any of the other pages. So feel free to change and add things. However, you need to create an account on WikiVinaya in order to be able to edit pages and make new pages.

More information for newcomers to wikis can be found at the welcome page for newcomers at wikipedia. WikiVinaya is not the same as Wikipedia, but it uses the same software as Wikipedia and mostly the same ethos. The two differences in ethos are:

• 1 We want a resource of information that is fundamentally sympathetic to the Vinaya and the ideal of the monastic Saṅgha as essential parts of Buddhist practice. Points of view that are fundamentally unsympathetic to these basic ideals may not be given a 'fair' representation.
• 2 We may overstep the boundary of providing dry 'facts' sometimes and say something inspiring! Also, 'original research', which is not allowed in Wikipedia because it is an encyclopedia, is allowed here. However, as in Wikipedia it should always be accompanied with reasons and references not as mere personal opinion.