Thank you for your continuing support in viewing the ninth issue of our Internet Magazine, "The Buddhist Door".

"Buddhism in a Nutshell" Part VII covers two topics: "the Bodhisattva and the Four Universal Vows" and "the Four Immeasurable Minds and the Four Ways of Persuation". In these two topics, we try to present a description on the compassion of a Bodhisattva towards all living beings.

A new section on "the Practice of Meditation" starts in this issue, with the introduction and three sub-sections.

"Buddha's Life" continues to the Part IX, covering the Buddha's death and the First and Second Buddhist Councils .

As a continuation to last issue's first sixteen chapters of the "Diamond Sutra", we present the rest of the thirty-two chapters of the English translation of the Sutra. This version of the Sutra was translated (from Kumarajiva's Chinese translation) by the Buddhist Text Translation Society of the Dharma Realm Buddhas Association.

There is also an article on the "Characteristics of Buddhism" from Reverend Tin Tak, the Abbess and Director of Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society.

Acknowledgement for the sources of some text and images : The images, titles as well as the text in the section of "Buddha's Life" are taken from "The Illustrated History of Buddhism" by The Young Men's Buddhist Association, Rangoon, reprinted by The Thervada Buddhist Society of America. The English translation of the Diamond Sutra is taken from "A General Explanation of the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra by Dhyana Master Hsuan Hua", published by the Dharma Realm Buddhas Association, Incorporated, San Francisco, California.

We hope that you enjoy this issue. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know. We look forward to seeing you again in September.