OK, I've made a little list... It's just off the top of my head and lots of items are not that important, but in case we get bored LOL.
It's a bit messy, has no particular order, probably typo's, but the first items are maybe good to start with, to get to know some basics. How about:
- a disclaimer (Something to explain what the aim is of the threads. That the focus is purely what the Buddha said (for as far as possible, that is. There are suttas that might have been put in there by others.)
Sentence from Chuck would be nice to put in there: "Anyone that considers themselves Buddhist ought to have a basic understanding of the underlying terminology, principles and skills even if they choose to view and/or apply them differently." Explanation that these topics by no means mean that everything else is wrong, but that it would be nice to see what the Buddha actually said and meant.)
- Who was the buddha (life story, four heavenly messengers), ascetism, awakening)
- 4 noble truths (and why the Buddha considered this as all important (" I teach suffering and the end of suffering and nothing more")
- noble eightfold path and division in virtue, concentration and wisdom (and why virtue is important). Explanations on all eight factors and clarification of what 'Right' means in this context. I'm sure topics like Right Speech are very interesting to talk about more deeply?
- What did he mean with 'dukkha', is 'suffering' an accurate translation?
- Are all kinds of desire bad?
- The three characteristics and why they are crucial
Annicca
Dukkha
Anatta not-self (which will not be an easy task, explaining this in simple terms.)
- What is the Pali Canon and what does the tipitaka mean.What are the Chinese agamas. Explanation about how the pali canon is divided in suttas, rules for the monks and nuns and the Abidhamma).and when they were created. And why Pali?
- What are the Visuddimagga and the Vimuttimaggha, are they from the buddha too?
- Meditation:
Vipassana, concentration, jhanas, access concentration (explanation about not something the Buddha used, as are nimittas), satipatthana, anapanasati, kasinas, contemplation on death, walking and lying down meditation, etc.
- factors of enlightenment
- Dependent origination (dependent co-arising), causes and conditions
- What are defilements, taints, ...
- Explanation precepts (5, 8, 10, etc)
- What are mental formations, volitional formations, ...
- what did the buddha meant with 'letting go' and renunciation?
- Monks, nuns and lay followers: different rules for different people (maybe a topic explaining sex forbidden for monastics, but sex in a wholesome way for the lay followers? And the link between sex and good versus bad desires?)
- differences schools buddhism
- difference between rebirth and reincarnation; samsara; kamma
- 4 stages of enlightenment (also explaining the ten fetters).
- 31 realms of existence
- the six senses
- the five aggregates
- paramis
- brahma viharas (loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity)
- bases of power
- elaborate discussions on anger and other topics, as Chuck said: "I think it would also be interesting to take a subject like 'anger' say and look broadly at how that is treated over say 20 or 30 suttas. I have done this with a number of topics and find it really brings out a much better sense of how that quality is worked with in the practice."
- Maybe a separate thread with all kinds of general, interesting links to texts and podcasts, so that one doesn't need to open each thread (where we'll put the links containing information on that particular subject).
- maybe a 'top 10' with an overview of very important suttas, well known suttas as well as suttas who don't get the attention they deserve?
- maybe lesser known subjects, like samvega?
- maybe a topic about death, such as using it as a meditation subject, little explanation about 'charnel grounds' . And maybe a little something about dying as a buddhist. What the buddha said about the moment of death.
- maybe a little list of ' modern' people who were likely enlightened to a high degree, like Dipa Ma?
- a little topic about the important days for buddhists, like Wesak (Vesak), importance of the moon? I'm not sure if the Buddha himself talked about that, I seem to remember he said that certain things like visiting the place of enlightenment were important for your kamma, or something.
- 'fun' facts like the bodhi tree?
I think we could work on this for years