I recently bought this Ayya Khema Ebook Bundle.
I bought the bundle for my own interest in the first place but after reading in them I would now like to share them with my friend, who is just starting out on the Buddhist Path.
Can I share the books I bought with my friend or should I buy the Ebook bundle again in order to share it?
Thank you for your time.
As you know this is a controversial topic which has been discussed before, e.g. here: Does illegal downloading or viewing of copyright material violate the second precept?
One answer (the accepted answer) to that topic says that "copyright is an artificial right" and isn't theft.
I think a safe or safer answer would be that if you keep to the terms (copyright agreement) under which you acquired your copy, then you're OK.
It's not clear what the copyright terms are for Wisdom Publication's Digital Editions. Perhaps it's in some fine print of the copy you received? There may be a copyright notice?
One tennet that's usually accepted for physical books is the First-sale doctrine. IMO someone selling books implicitly agrees to the First-sale doctrine. I'm not a lawyer but I think the First-sale doctrine says that you can't copy the book, but you can sell or lend your copy of the book to someone else.
If that's a valid analogy (and I think it has been used for copyrighted software), then the answer would be that you can give or lend your copy to someone else. And/or you can lend them the hardware on which your copy is stored. But you can't make a new copy. So yes you can give your friend your copy, if you delete your own copy. Or if you want two copies (one for your friend and another for you to keep) then you should buy a second copy from the copyright holder.
I suggest this answer regardless of what type of copyrighted material it is (i.e. regardless of the fact that you're asking about paid Dhamma material).
I doubt sharing things is a transgression of the 2nd precept; otherwise how could we practise generosity?
I would be more concerned about the kamma of selling the Dhamma for money since the Pali suttas state the Dhamma should be taught with "benevolence" & given (freely) as a "gift".
And what, monks, is the power of benevolence? There are four ways of benevolence; by gifts, by friendly speech, by helpful acts and by bestowal of equity. This is the best of gifts: the gift of Dhamma.
If you can afford to, by all means support the author and Wisdom Publications by buying the bundle a second time.
As westerners we tend to look at money issues from the perspective of buying, but if you look at it from the perspective of 'offering' or 'donation' the topic changes considerably:
All through Buddhist history people have offered dharma-teachers donations - shelter, food etc. In our time money makes more sense. It's an unfortunate truth that life costs money - even if you're Sangha. So it makes sense that the donation is 'scripted' to a specific amount.
Since you would have asked the question in a different way if you could not afford to pay, I would say: by all means pay. It is a practice of generosity - both to the author / compiler / publisher AND to your friend.
Ayya Khema was a dealer of Dhamma. Althought she stole Dhamma, was not shy to found printhouses and commercial retreat centers, was one of the main misleader and introduced Business of monastic in Europe, following other Sri Lanka originated Monks ans BPS, its not good to do the same, and take and use what is not given. Some had found how ever into Dhamma in line with Dhamma and you might find here, Ayya Khema.
It's neither legal not any wholesome or neuter deed to take or make, what is not given. And if associating with bad friend, who lead you and advice you to have no shame, you suffer a long time. (How can one not even stick to basics teach such as Vipassana...)
You people are not aware of how less goodnessis left and of how less dhammadana accures in this world, used to steal and buy Dhamma. That's really foolish and crazy and great poorness is really already right. You can walk the way of demanding nd claiming this or that and do you "social", "communist" revolution of those out of any merits. But there you are and from there it goes more and more down, having upanissaya and maintaining it to bad friend.
[Note: This is a gift of Dhamma, not meant for commercial use or other wordily gain.]
