Download Sri Lanka international Buddhist Academy ( SIBA)

Sri Lanka international Buddhist Academy ( SIBA) Department of Buddhist Studies
in cooperation with Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center ( DSMC)
“Certificate in Sutta Study and Introduction to Pali”
Course Overview
Many people in Modern Western societies do not have proper guidance to understand the real depth
and usefulness of the Buddhist teachings. With the expectation of fulfilling such inadequacies, this
Certificate in “Sutta Study and Basic Introduction to Pali” has been designed to lead students who
have a dedicated enthusiasm toward achieving a clear understanding of what the Buddha was doing,
how he taught it through his many discourses which survive today, and how this information can
alleviate our suffering in the daily life of this modern world. In this course, daily evening talks are
given from selected suttas from the Majjhima Nikaya, the Samyutta Nikaya, and extracted verses from
the Dhammapada and other textural sources. These are provided to help us harness the skills of
listening, reading, understanding, comprehending, and summarizing many key points of the teaching.
In a daytime class we will be discussing and paraphrasing relevant points in the texts and identifying
usable information to help us alleviate suffering in our own daily lives. We will be introduced to most
commonly heard Pali words and phrases with proper pronunciations and learn basic chanting in
support of the teaching. In every class, the instructor’s guidance is necessary to help point out
doctrinal, ethical, and social points found in the suttas to enhance our knowledge and help us discover
how these texts were gathered together and preserved over the past 2600 years. We will point out
the very valuable and applicable nature of this teaching relevant to our modern age. The student will
be listening to Sutta talks directly, learning supporting Pali words and pronunciations, participating in
Q&A discussions about specific points and joining together to memorize one sutta in English by the
end of the course. There will be a text book for sutta reading and individual handouts used and some
power point presentations for the class as well.
Aims
To uncover the interwoven nature of the early Buddhist teachings and reweave them into a single
cloth once again that will enable students to be more easily conversant in the subject of Early
Buddhist Teachings, Meditation, and Pali. They will become familiar with the basics of Pali, the
circumstances, construction, and direct purpose of over 20 suttas taught thereby discovering the very
rational attitude of the Buddha towards men/women in the world. With this foundation, the student
will become able to study early Buddhism more easily in the future and identify it in some contrast to
various doctrinal points found in other religions. Most noted will be a better understanding of the
effect on society of the Buddha’s primary teachings of compassion, intelligence, humanity, tolerance,
rationality, equanimity, and conflict resolution.
Objectives
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to,
1. Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts and principles in the
area of study.
2. Express some practical conclusions concerning the value of sutta study in conjunction with the
management and personal reduction of suffering in daily life.
3. Express some clear conclusions about the basic theories in the area of sutta study
4. Understand , communicate, and discuss the results of these studies to others in a reliable
fashion.
5. Demonstrate skills in reading, understanding and analyzing the format the Buddha used for his
teaching method and Dhamma Discourses .
6. Become familiar with the principle characters in the early texts who studied with the Buddha in
the beginning.
7. Be able to recite one primary sutta containing the main points and guidelines of the Buddha’s
teaching.
8. Present a short report on the most valuable qualities you found usable for your own life by
going through this course.
Daily Schedule for the Course
5:30 – 7 AM
Puja –Precepts- Morning Sitting – Venerable Kusula
7-8 AM
Breakfast and work period
8-9 AM
Study time
9-11 AM
PALI CLASS - Venerable Kusula
11 AM – 1 PM Lunch Meal- Rest- Study
1-3 PM
SUTTA CLASS- Venerable Khema
3-5 PM
Study
5-5:30 PM
CHANTING – Led by Venerable Kusula
5:30- 6 PM
Tea Time
6- 7:30 PM
DHAMMA TALK/ Q & A session– Venerable Vimalaramsi
7:30 – 10 PM
Study- Meditation and Rest
( Each person should edit this section to your desired specs. notation )
Instructors for this course:
-
Most Venerable “Bhante” Vimalaramsi Mahathera, Founder, Abbot, and Spiritual Teacher of
DSMC- Will present all evening Dhamma talks and contribute to analysis of suttas in class
-
Venerable Kusula Mahathera- Professor of Pali from Sri Lankan international Buddhist
Academy.
Will present Basic Introduction to Pali words and phrases most used in Buddhist practice.
-
Venerable Khema- 14 years study and practice, Junior Lecturer at SIBA, Structural format
study of the suttas, analysis of their use for modern life.
-
Mr. David Johnson- will present the Historical aspects of the formation of the Canon and give
a class on the History of the Buddhist councils
Skills and Equipment Needed
Proficient in English for listening and reading assignments
Books, charts, and handouts will be provided.
A computer or notebook is needed for writing assignments and notes.