Good postings all and from each viewpoint correct.
The problem is that some poor people do not have the strength of personality to ask that someone buy a book for them.
Some do not have a computer or easy internet access.
Some have never heard of the Library of Congress.
Some have never heard of Dharma Wheel or internet support groups.
Not everyone has these possibilities that we enjoy and take for granted.
From the viewpoint of the Theravada this issue is solved by there being huge amounts of free / low cost Dhamma publications available from many, many sources.
These publications are provided by sponsors who want to make the Dharma available because they feel that this is part of their practice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmavihara
https://www.google.com/search?q=free+dh ... 8&oe=utf-8
There are over a million sources.
But this doesn't address the issue of whether a Mahayana / Vajrayana / Dzogchen, publisher / translator has the Dharma responsibility to provide for the poor.
My sense is that they do.
So it is suggested that there might be a two tier system of publishing.
1. A very high production value / high cost way of publishing that funds the translator's expenses, supports the large Buddhist publishing houses and supplies archival copies to the Library of Congress.
2. A no-frills, low production value / low cost way of publishing that can make Mahayana / Vajrayana / Dzogchen material available to the poor or disadvantaged, at low or no cost.
