Ask the Dharma
Ask Novice Santi, the site’s AI guide, about Buddhism — a teaching, a text, how two traditions differ — and get an answer drawn from this site’s own pages, with a numbered link to each page it used. Or tell it what is on your mind — anger at small things, a loss, a decision you keep circling — and receive a short reflection with one small practice to try, in the spirit of the everyday-life guides, not as advice or therapy.
How to use it well
Be concrete: “I snapped at my daughter and now I feel ashamed” gets a more useful reflection than “anger”, and “How do Zen and Theravāda differ on meditation?” a better answer than “meditation”. Ask a follow-up if the first answer leaves something open. Read what comes back slowly, open the numbered links to see each passage in its page, and take any practice it suggests as an experiment rather than an instruction. Then go further on the pages it points to — on anger, grief, anxiety or letting go — where every teaching is traced to its source. For a wordless version of the same pause, try The Second Arrow.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ask the Dharma?
A chat that answers questions about Buddhism from this site's own pages, with a numbered link to each page it draws on. You can also describe what you are facing and receive a short reflection drawn from Buddhist teaching, with one small practice to try. It is for reflection, not medical or psychological advice.
Is this therapy or counselling?
No. It does not diagnose, treat or replace professional care. If you are struggling, please speak to a doctor or a licensed mental-health professional; if you may be in danger, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line now.
What happens if I write about wanting to harm myself?
The tool will not offer a teaching. It replies with real routes to help: your local emergency number, findahelpline.com, and the helplines named in the wellbeing note on this page. That check runs on every message, before anything else.
Is what I type stored?
Not by us. Each message, with the earlier turns of the conversation, goes to our server and on to Anthropic's API to write the answer; we keep no copy and record only token counts. The conversation stays in your browser tab and is gone when you close it. Anthropic deletes API data within 30 days unless it is flagged for a policy violation; see our privacy page.
Are the teachings it quotes real?
It answers from passages of this site's pages, which trace each claim to a named text, and it is told to quote only words that appear in those passages. Each answer links the pages it used, so you can read the passage in context. Its replies are not checked by a person first, so treat an answer as a pointer into the sourced pages, not as scripture.
Who is Novice Santi?
The guide who answers your questions here: a child novice monk created for this site, whose name is the Pāli word for peace. He is an AI character, not a real monk, teacher or person, and he has no life story, teacher or attainments of his own. Everything he tells you comes from this site's pages, with a link to each one.
Which AI model does it use?
Claude Haiku 5.5, made by Anthropic. It was chosen because the answers come from this site's own pages rather than from the model's memory, so a fast, low-cost model can do the job well and keep the tool free. Our use of AI page explains where else AI is and is not used on this site.
Where the helpline numbers come from
- findahelpline.com — the international directory the tool points to first, and the only route it offers that works in every country
- Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) — 1767, 24 hours, or WhatsApp 9151 1767
- Samaritans (UK and Ireland) — 116 123, free to call
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (United States) — call or text 988