Theravada Buddhism Classes

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.

Theravada Buddhism Classes

Deprived of a systematic knowledge about early Buddhism, some get stuck in illusion, and some have many questions. Only a teacher who has learned Buddhism in a systematic way and practiced it for some time can help the curious learner and answer the questions.

Class attendance will be marked, and a certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course. College and university students are also encouraged to attend.

Students will get a copy of the syllabus on the first day of the class. This is a rare opportunity to learn all the fundamental teachings of Theravada Buddhism.

The course starts Saturday, January 13^th, and ends on Saturday, April 28^th. It is conducted in English and is free of charge.

Every Saturday 4:00pm – 6:00pm

This series is completed as of May 2018. please see the recordings and materials below.

Topics Outline

January

13th: Pre-Buddhist Indian religious thought Part I – Audio Recording
20th: Pre-Buddhist Indian religious thought Part II – Audio Recording | Six Contemporary Teachers Of The Time Of The Buddha
27th: Soul, Tilakkhana (Three marks of existence) and suññatā (absence of unchanging essence) – Audio Recording

February

03rd: Paticca-samuppāda (dependent origination) Part I | Audio Recording | Reference Materials
10th: Paticca-samuppāda (dependent origination) Part II | Audio Recording | Reference Materials
17th: Consciousness, Embryo, Punabbava (rebirth) and samsara | Audio Recording | Reference Materials
24th: Karma Part I | Audio Recording | Reference Materials

March

03rd: Karma Part II | Audio Recording | Reference Materials
10th: Catu-ariya-sacca (Fourfold Noble Truth) | Audio Recording
17th: Nirvana | Audio Recording
24th: Heaven and Hell | Audio Recording | Reference Materials – 31 Planes of Existence
31st: Bhāvanā (meditation) and its goal | Audio Recording | Reference Materials

April

07th: Saññā (perception) and yathā-bhūta-ñāna-dassana (knowledge and vision according to reality) | Audio Recording
21st: Debates on enlightenment among different Buddhist schools | Audio Recording
28th: Bodhisattva ideal in Theravada Buddhism | Audio Recording | Reference Materials – Bodhisattva Ideal in Theravada Buddhism

Our Teacher

Ven. Dedunupitiye Upananda Nayaka Thero

Bhante Upananda is a fully ordained Buddhist monk, originally from Sri Lanka. He holds Master’s Degrees in Religion, from the University of Cambridge, UK, and from Florida International University. He did his Bachelor’s Degree in Pali, which is the canonical language of Theravada Buddhism. Bhante is also a child, youth, and family guidance counselor, and an instructor in mindfulness meditation. He has taught Buddhism and World Religion in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, and in the United States. He also has vast experience in teaching mindfulness meditation at law enforcement agencies in the US.

Recommended supplementary material

Ven. Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught
For Theravada Buddhism
Ven. Polwatte Buddhadatta, New Pali Course
For Pali grammar
Rhys Davids, Pali-English Dictionary
For detailed etymology of Theravada Buddhist terms
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, The Path of Serenity and Insight
In the oldest scriptures of Theravada Buddhism much attention is given to the jhanas, high levels of meditative attainment distinguished by powerful concentration and purity of mind. Ven. Dr. Gunaratana examines these jhanas within the context of Buddhist teaching as a whole and particularly within the meditation disciplines taught by the Buddha. Beginning with the ethical foundation for meditation, the role of the teacher, the classical subjects of meditation, and the appropriateness of these subjects to individual practitioners, the author traces the practice of meditation to the higher reaches of realization. The eight stages of jhana are individually analyzed and explained in terms of their relation to one another and to the ultimate goal of the teaching.