The earliest written teachings of the historical Buddha were written in the Pali language, a language similar to the one the Buddha spoke. Although the Mahayana sutras and texts often reference the Pali sutras (or suttas, in Pali), we are then hearing someone's interpretation of the Buddha's words. I find it instructive to go back to the originals to see the richness that sometimes gets lost when we summarize the teachings. There are thousands of Pali sutras, so this course will just be a beginning intro. I have chosen sutras that I feel are particularly interesting, useful, or foundational for the teachings and expressions of the Dharma that came later.
The earliest written teachings of the historical Buddha were written in the Pali language, a language similar to the one the Buddha spoke. Although the Mahayana sutras and texts often reference the Pali sutras (or suttas, in Pali), we are then hearing someone's interpretation of the Buddha's words. I find it instructive to go back to the originals to see the richness that sometimes gets lost when we summarize the teachings. There are thousands of Pali sutras, so this course will just be a beginning intro. I have chosen sutras that I feel are particularly interesting, useful, or foundational for the teachings and expressions of the Dharma that came later.
Core reading materials are provided in-course.