New Clothes, same old Buddha

I've changed the layout for those more into visual searches.
Nothing new to post.
Peace, Leaf

Over the weekend BT got hit with 7 more take down notices. Its become apparent that Blogger is far from a stable platform to host this material so rather than appease the dissenting voices I have decided to release the XML code for this blog for all to use. So if and when the blog does go down people will still have a copy and the ability to start it some where new. If people wish to mirror this blog or start something new I will post links to all provided they are not starting new sites for profit.

My intention for starting this blog was to bring together all the torrents tracking Buddhist material into one easy access archive. It was not born of malicious intent or trying to break precepts. However, in the four years since starting this blog I know now that this blog does more good than it harms and its not users, bloggers and uploaders that must change its Publishers and systems. Especially when it comes to the Dharma.
Yes its a wrong to give that which is not freely given, but it is a bigger crime to deny those who do not have the means to purchase said teachings.

Just because we have access to the Internet does not mean we are all rich. Just because this blog exists does not make us all thieves or non-Buddhists. I dont call myself a Buddhist anymore than Buddha would. Fundamentalists that blindly follow precepts are as deluded as anyone.(IMO, flame away...)

Contrary to what others think I do not upload all this material.
Some people email me saying they are sharing this on Demonoid or The Pirate Bay or have uplaoded it to a site like Rapidshare. For a while there where some other contributor's helping the posts on Buddha Torrents, its more than possible they were also responsible for uploading the material as well. But I didn't ask.

It's no grand mystery as to where all this material comes from. Avax is where I find most of the material. I generally do a key word search for topics like: Buddhism, Zen, Mindfulness, etc. From there I simply copy the info into a blog post and voila: Copyright Infringement.

 Buddha Torrents has grown in popularly such that it ranks higher than Shambahla and other publishers for there own material and thats what they would really like to go away.
And indeed one day it will. This blog will disappear, but they are completely fooling themselves into thinking it will ever end. In a Capitalist society you evolve or die, in a sharing and open society you make due with what you have for the benefit of all.

So without getting to candid and insulting, which usually happens when I personally blog, I will conclude.

I will continue sporadic posting until they finally shut it down. Hopefully others will run with the dharma torch.

Peace, Leaf Dharma

XML Download

Deleting Buddha Torrents?

Greeting and peace all.
Buddha Torrents has recently come under pressure from Blogger as well as Publishers to close its doors and cease postings and delete the blog. I have mixed feelings on this and know that the majority of people that use this blog would say no, however if you feel it should continue or should not I would invite you to comment below.
If you use Buddha Torrents and have never left a comment now would be the time!
If you dont use Buddha Torrents now would also be your time!

Below is the original letter received.

Hi there

I see that you are responsible for posting many Buddhist books up on the web via buddhisttorrents.blogspot.com and other avenues.  I am sure your intention is really good – its so wonderful to be able to make so many precious teachings available to people. 

However, what you are going is actually really harmful in a number of ways and I wanted to bring these to your attention for your consideration.  I am not trying to engage in a philosophic debate or anything, I just want to paint the whole picture for you.

Authors, publishers, and booksellers who create, produce, and make these books available are not getting rich off of these, but their enumeration is what makes it possible to continue putting these books out there.  We are not producing any Tom Clancy or Danielle Steele novels here.  If the economics of producing our types of books breaks down, far fewer will be made – that is just a reality, and frankly it is already happening due to the changing economics with bookstores closing and Amazon becoming the gorilla that it is.   So making these available to people for free ultimately does a lot of harm.   For example, one of our authors donates all her proceeds to her monastic practice center to ensure that it can continue in the future.  This is one of many, many examples.  Many of our authors barely make enough to do what they do.

It is a difficult time for publishers of all books these days – many will not survive the next few years, and those that will are struggling to find new ways of revenue to enable their employees to do what they love, which is making these books.  Having free downloads undermines this.

As for those people who do not have enough money to afford these books, we do make them available for libraries to have.  Additionally Shambhala, and I assume Wisdom, Snow Lion and others, donate many books to worthy causes – each year we send them to prisons, military personnel, and other organizations.

So I respectfully request that you please stop your activity in this area, remove links to these files that enable others to take what is not given.  I know your heart is in the right place, and you could be doing so much to help people connect with this meaningful activity.  Become a reviewer!  Blog about these books!  We’ll send you reviewer copies for free. 

Thanks for your consideration,

Shambhala Publications

Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche chronicles the life of the writer, poet, and meditation master Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Tibet's most revered 20th-century Buddhist teachers. Known as the teacher of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Royal Family of Bhutan, his life and teachings were an inspiration to all who encountered him. Two of his admirers are Richard Gere and Lou Reed, who provide the narration for his dangerous journey out of China and the subsequent spread of his influence around the world.

Brilliant Moon was filmed in Tibet, India, Bhutan, the United States and Nepal, and uses animation, rare archival footage, and photos, along with new interviews with some of Tibet's great teachers, to tell Khyentse Rinpoche's moving life story, from birth to death to rebirth.

Written and directed by Neten Chokling (Milarepa movie), a student of Khyentse Rinpoche, and filmed in Tibet, India, Bhutan, Nepal and the United States, Brilliant Moon uses animation, previously unseen archival footage and photos along with new interviews of Tibet's great teachers, to tell Khyentse Rinpoche's moving life story, from birth to death to rebirth. This is an intimate, moving and revelatory look at a transcendent spiritual being.

TPB

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