Frequently Asked Questions
Texts and Collection
Kindly email us at [email protected] or leave a comment in the CBETA Forum.
For many years, revision suggestions submitted by contributors, as well as feedback published in journals, academic papers, and other media, have been invaluable resources for the continuous improvement of the CBETA Buddhist corpus.
In the spirit of openness and transparency, these contributions are recorded in CBETA-associated databases and web pages. We credit contributors by attribution and specify the exact modifications made to the text, punctuation, or data format.
In accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act, if any contributor prefers not to have their information publicly displayed, please notify us at any time. We will fully respect your wishes and keep your details confidential.
In August 2024, we established the CBETA Advisory Committee, appointing experts and scholars from various fields to set up a review system for adding future modern texts to the collection.
Book recommendations and lists submitted by readers are carefully recorded and presented to the Advisory Committee for deliberation. However, due to the substantial volume of texts awaiting review, alongside CBETA’s limited manpower and resources, proposals are generally processed in the order received. Consequently, we are unable to provide a definitive timeline for their addition to the corpus.
CBETA is a provider of electronic Buddhist texts—specifically, a digitally driven, continuously revised “electronic Buddhist text corpus” rather than a single, static, authoritative “electronic Tripiṭaka.” Therefore, we do not view our collection solely from the perspective of “canonical inclusion.”
Furthermore, CBETA does not make value judgments regarding the authenticity of the texts themselves, nor do we evaluate the relative merits or hierarchies of different sectarian doctrines. Our readership encompasses both Buddhists and the wider community, including academic researchers and followers of other faiths.
In terms of circulation and utility, digital Buddhist texts offer greater convenience than traditional print editions. However, when it comes to matters of lineage transmission and spiritual practice, we respectfully advise readers to return to the foundational teachings of the Buddha for discernment, and to seek guidance from qualified spiritual mentors.
For details, see “CBETA’s Position on Apocryphal Texts Included in Its Collection and Academic Discussions on Apocryphal Texts.” (in Chinese)
Regarding the licensing of materials in our collection, take the Taishō Tripiṭaka as an example: the authorization granted to CBETA covers distribution strictly via digital media—such as the internet and CD-ROMs—and does not include print publication rights. The copyright for this compilation remains entirely with its original publisher, Daizo Publishing Co., Ltd. (大藏出版株式會社).
For older historical texts or materials whose copyright has expired, print distribution may, in principle, be permissible. However, licensing terms vary by text. If you intend to print, publish, or otherwise reuse any materials, we recommend verifying the specific rights directly with the original publisher or copyright holder.
For more details regarding the copyright policies of the CBETA Electronic Buddhist Text Archive, please refer to the Copyright Page.
Donations and Sponsorship
Please notify CBETA to cancel the automatic deductions on your original card. Otherwise, the system will continue to send you a failed payment notification once a month.
Customer Service: (02) 2383-2182 ext. 12
Email: [email protected]
Afterward, please set up a new recurring donation in the system. Deductions will then be processed monthly based on your selected start date.
A virtual account is a unique payment number generated for each specific donation, allowing you to transfer funds via an ATM or online banking.
Please note: Virtual accounts cannot be used for over-the-counter (in-person) bank transfers. You must complete the transaction using either an ATM or online banking.! For detailed step-by-step instructions, please refer to: ATM Virtual Account Instructions (in Chinese).
We use the NetiCRM system, which utilizes SSL-encrypted connections and ensures that your credit card information is never stored on our servers, effectively preventing fraud. Please make your donation with complete peace of mind.
For more details, please visit the NetiCRM Security Page (in Chinese).
If you would like to stop your recurring donation, please notify us by phone or email. We will then process the [Stop Authorization] update in our system.
We issue official receipts for all donations. You may use these receipts to claim tax deductions when filing your annual income tax return.
E-books
If you download the ZIP file containing all PDFs at once, you will find a file named “filelist_2025R1.txt” after unzipping. This file serves as the master table of contents, structured as follows (only in Chinese):
經號 , 冊數 , 卷數 , 經名 , 作譯者
=====================================================
A1057 , 091 , 2 , 新譯大方廣佛華嚴經音義 , 唐 慧菀述 A1267 , 097-098 , 17 , 大唐開元釋教廣品歷章 , 唐 玄逸撰
A1490 , 110 , 2 , 天聖釋教總錄 , 宋 惟淨等編修
That is,
Text no., Volume no., Fascicle(s), Text title , Author/Translator
=====================================================
A1057 , 091 , 2 , Newly Translated Glossary to the Avataṃsaka Sūtra , Tang Huiwan (compiled)
A1267, 097-098 , 17 , Expanded Chapters on the Catalog of Buddhist Teachings in the Kaiyuan Reign , Tang Xuanyi (written)
A1490 , 110 , 2 , Comprehensive Catalog of Buddhist Teachings of the Tiansheng Era , Song Weijing et al. (compiled and revised)
Initially, we used a combination of letters and numbers before trying to switch to actual text titles. However, because text titles are written in Chinese characters, they often caused compatibility issues across different operating systems—resulting in garbled text, file paths that were too long, or errors reading rare Unicode and composed characters (Gaiji).
To ensure maximum compatibility for most users, we reverted to using text no. as filenames. We also provide a cross-reference table for anyone who needs to map the numbers back to the titles.
The content varies slightly across the formats. Kindly refer to the linked page (in Chinese) for details.
Currently, CBETA’s DOCX e-books include volumes 1–55 and 85 of the Taishō Tripiṭaka, licensed by Daizo Shuppansha in Japan. DOCX conversion is still in progress, and more Buddhist texts beyond the Taishō Tripiṭaka will be provided in the future.
In addition to completing the format conversion for the licensed Taishō Tripiṭaka content mentioned above, our team is also working to improve the display of Siddhaṃ script, hoping to provide users with clearer and more virtually appealing DOCX e-books.
Previously, some readers suggested adding the ODT format to avoid compatibility issues between different versions of Word. Hence, volunteer Brother Huang Xunqing, who assists with file conversion, is evaluating the feasibility of this option and we look forward to providing an even better user experience in the coming updates.
