A Syllabus for the Study of Buddhism

Buddhism 101

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Times

What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is the religion founded by the Buddha in approximately the 5th century BCE in the Ganges River Valley. The Buddha's philosophy may be summed up as “every effect has a cause”. The Buddha then applied this philosophy to the problems at the heart of the human condition: mortality, anxiety, suffering and evil.

He discovered that the cause of our spiritual disease is our erroneous, subconscious assumption that we are at the center of the universe. And why not? Everything we hear, see, touch, smell, taste, feel or think happens to us! We are, in every moment, at the center of our own experience, so it's natural that we should think of ourselves as a real being at the center of things.

But this perspective, which the Buddha called “ignorance,” causes us to suffer when the things that we cling to or identify with (our body, our career, etc) inevitably decay and die. Being associated with what we don't like, being separated from what we like — trying to grasp, pin down and build a “self” out of the constantly changing, flowing things of the world is an inherently stressful project, no matter how it's conceived.

The religion the Buddha founded is thus the set of contemplations, practices, and yes, even rituals and beliefs, which have been designed to help the practitioner to overcome these “selfish” tendencies and to attain liberation from the tyranny of “me” and “mine.”

Prerequisites

This course assumes English language proficiency.

Time Commitment

This is a self-paced course, which is estimated to take about 6 weeks to complete. It is recommended to make a weekly commitment of two or three chapters from the textbook (pausing perhaps for an extra week on chapters 3-5 to accommodate the extra readings) to ensure that steady progress is made and momentum isn't lost. Ideally the course should be completed within 3 months.

Course Outline

1. Introduction

This work by Bhikkhu Bodhi gives a brief overview of the content for the class. If you're wondering if this is the right class for you, start here:

Next, we listen to a couple Dhamma talks by two of my own dear teachers, giving us an introduction to Buddhism. What do you notice about these talks? What surprises you? What's interesting? Jot down whatever observations and questions you have after listening, and as you go through the course we'll refer back to these notes.

2. Textbook

For those looking for a thorough, academic introduction to Buddhism, I recommend:

This textbook can be read alongside the course, providing the basic framing for the rest of the course. The class is arranged according to its outline and some of its topics — rituals, history, sects — will not be covered by the other works.

The textbook remains, however, optional, as the free materials below provide an excellent overview of the Buddha and his teachings all on their own. Feel free to just read the rest without the “connective tissue” of Harvey’s textbook, though total beginners to Buddhism might well be advised to give the textbook a chance, as its framing and contextualization will be helpful, if somewhat dry.

3. Who was the Buddha?

Readings parallel to Chapters 1–2 of Harvey:

The Biography of Shakyamuni Buddha - Ven Master Hsing Yun
A simple but powerful retelling of the Buddha's life story from a renowned modern master
A Secular Introduction to Buddhism - Doug Smith
The importance of belief in Karma is in trusting that our actions have consequences.
sn22.086.jgol.mp3
sn22.86 text on SuttaCentral
Who was the Buddha in his own words? In this story, he calls himself the “Tathagata” or “Truth-Arriver”, and he responds to a question on what will become of him after his death. The Buddha explains that he doesn't talk in such terms, as he has overcome all such notions as “I am the body” or “I am the mind” so how could such a question ever be answered? He ends the discourse by famously saying that all he teaches is suffering and the end of suffering, thus redirecting our attention from empty philosophical musings to the things that matter most.

4. What did the Buddha teach?

Readings parallel to Ch 3–5 of Harvey

The next part of the class tackles the teachings. As this section is the primary focus of this course, it is the longest.

The Miracle of Mindfulness - Thich Nhat Hanh.epub
The Miracle of Mindfulness - Thich Nhat Hanh.pdf
The emotional heart of this course, and one of my favorite books period. Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of “Buddhist Philosophy” proper, we first explore the emotional experience of the Buddhist path, catching a glimpse of its beauty through the eyes and words of one of the world's most celebrated Buddhist teachers.
Are we morally obligated to meditate? - Vox.pdf
An example of the many popular press articles reporting on the benefits of meditation
AN 8:53 Saṅkhitta Sutta | In Brief.pdf

In this early discourse from the Buddhist Canon, the Buddha contextualizes his teachings by listing the character traits that the practice should produce if practiced correctly.

Compare this list with the feeling you got from Thich Nhat Hanh and with the benefits described in the popular article above (and any other information you may have read). Do you notice any differences? Similarities? Does anything on this list surprise you? Are these three sources (the sutta, the monk and the media) saying the same thing in different words or has something been “lost in translation”?

This discourse is one of the few teachings in the canon (along with the teachings on mindfulness) which the Buddha declared as “categorical”: always applicable and useful in any situation. This sutta gives, better than any other, the overall direction of the teachings, and is a helpful rubric to refer back to.

Happiness - Ven Hong Ci
Ven Hong Ci invites us to get off the treadmill of pursuing sense pleasures, and to live fully in the present moment, thus tying together the threads from the above: renunciation, mindfulness and fulfilment.
What the Buddha Taught - Walpola Rahula
The main text for the doctrinal and philosophical content of this course, but don't worry: it is very well written. The class may breeze through or dwell on this book as short or as long as time and interest permits.

After finishing the above, it's now a good time to go back to your notes from the introduction and see how your understanding has changed. Have your questions been answered? Is anything that was surprising now obvious? Do any new questions arise for you?

5. The Mahayana and Buddhist History

Readings parallel to Chapter 6–7 of Harvey

SN 35238_ The Simile of the Vipers Bhikkhu Sujato.pdf
Gives some vivid imagery to illustrate the Buddhist outlook on life. The class might take a brief look at Buddhist artwork here and a skilled teacher might explain the relationship between art, metaphor and self-transformation across the Buddhist traditions. (I'll add such a lecture here if I can find a good one)

Mostly this text is included here to note that vivid metaphors have always been a part of Buddhism, even in the oldest texts of the Theravada Tradition.

These themes will return vividly at the end of chapter 11 for those reading Harvey.

6. The Practice of Buddhism

Readings parallel to Chapters 8–11

Coming down from the clouds, what do these teachings actually mean, and how do we practice them?

Karaniya Metta Sutta_ The Buddhas Words on Loving-Kindness.pdf

A beautiful Discourse, roughly equivalent to the (rightly) much celebrated passage on love in the Christian Bible, 1 Corinthians 13.

Notice, though, how the Buddha's description of love explicitly extends our compassionate circle of concern to all sentient beings.

Also, rather than framing the sermon as a description of what love is (“patient, kind” etc) notice how the Buddha instead describes love as a practice, giving us instructions on what “should be done.” This shift away from descriptive philosophy and towards ethical praxis is one of the hallmarks of Buddhism, especially in contrast with Western philosophy.

Also, consider reading this passage out loud, remembering that the Buddha's words were passed down primarily by oral recitation. How does reading it out loud change your experience of the text?

Loving Kindness Chant - Abhayagiri Monastery.mp3
Now, listen to it chanted in the traditional style by a group of monks in California.

What benefits do you see in chanting this way, as compared to simply reading the text?

On Love - Ajahn Jayasaro.pdf

Ajahn Jayasaro beautifully explains how we might apply Buddhist wisdom to an area of our lives we all care deeply about: our relationships.

While reading, I encourage you to really engage with this text. Think about your own relationships while you read. Is there any wisdom here you can take home with you?

Ideally, the chapter on meditation would be accompanied by in-person meditation instruction. I encourage the digital student to seek out a local meditation group at this point if you haven't done so already to get first-hand experience with this very important part of Buddhist practice if you haven’t already.

It's also a good time to revisit your questions from the introduction one more time. How has engaging with Buddhist practice changed your understanding of the doctrine? What do you make of Buddhism now?

7. Buddhism and Modernity

Readings parallel to Chapters 12–13

I supplement the final chapters in Harvey on the recent history of Buddhism with a few essays on the unique cultural challenges and opportunities which Western Buddhists now face:

Buddhism and Modernity - Douglas Powers.pdf
Individualism, science, freedom and morality — four contemporary conversations which Buddhism has much to contribute to
Buddhism and human flourishing - Peter Harvey.pdf
A defense of Buddhism in light of some Western critiques and an encouragement to try out one particular Eastern practice.
The Science Delusion (article) - Curtis White.pdf
A provocative essay on thinking more critically about our scientific, materialistic assumptions before we instinctively “reform” Buddhism to conform to them.

And Lastly,

The Buddha's own overview of “the good life” (and a traditional blessing chant). I would like to end the class by offering you this summary of every good blessing. May your life thus be blessed!

Further Reading

There are three courses you can take next to deepen your study of the triple gem:

  1. Buddha: The Early Texts: Dig deeper into the Buddha’s own words and learn how it is that we know them at all.
  2. Dhamma: The Function of Buddhism: A guide into the heart of Buddhist practice.
  3. Sangha: The Form(s) of Buddhism: Rituals, history, and what it means to be a Buddhist. All the topics we glossed over quickly in this course get their due in this sequel on the external manifestations of Buddhism.