Teaching Theravada to College Students

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
jhana.achariya

Re: Teaching Theravada to College Students

Post by jhana.achariya »

Raga Mala

Dhamma studied and taught in the right way adheres to the principle of cause & effect and applies this principle to the two sides of suffering and freedom from suffering.

These dhammas result in suffering. These dhammas result in freedom from suffering. This is dhamma studied and taught in the right way.

With metta

:sage:
User avatar
Raga Mala
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:28 pm
Location: Anchorage, AK, USA

Re: Teaching Theravada to College Students

Post by Raga Mala »

Here's my working outline for now:
THERAVADA BUDDHISM INTRO FALL ‘09
SESSION ONE, OCT 19TH, “INTRODUCING THE THERAVADA”
I. What does Thera-vada mean?


II. Distinguishing Theravada from Mahayana
A. Historically

B. Modern World

C. Terminology
1. “Hinayana”

2. “Nikaya Schools”
D. Similarities and inter-relation Mahayana and Theravada

III. The Canon
A. History of the Pali Canon
1. The First Council/Oral Preservation

2. Transmission to Sri Lanka/Saved in Writing

B. Organization of the Canon
1. Vinaya Pitaka

2. Sutta Pitaka
a. Digha Nikaya

b. Majjhima Nikaya

c. Samyutta Nikaya

d. Anguttara Nikaya

e. Khuddaka Nikaya

3. Abhidhamma Pitaka

IV. Essential Concept: Dana-Sila-Bhavana
A. Dana - Generosity

B. Sila - Virtue (Five Precepts)

C. Bhavana – Meditative Development
1. Samadhi

2. Vipassana






SESSION TWO, OCT 21st, “THE THREE THREES”
I. The Three Refuges
A. Buddha

B. Dhamma

C. Sangha
1. Bhiikhu-sangha

2. Ariyan-sangha

II. The Three Marks of Conditioned Existence
A. Dukkha

B. Anicca

C. Anatta

III. The Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha
A. The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta

B. The Anatta-lukkhana Sutta

C. The Aditta-pariyaya Sutta
"It is easier to shout 'STOP!' than to do it." -Treebeard
Individual
Posts: 1970
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:19 am

Re: Teaching Theravada to College Students

Post by Individual »

Raga Mala wrote:Here's my working outline for now:
THERAVADA BUDDHISM INTRO FALL ‘09
SESSION ONE, OCT 19TH, “INTRODUCING THE THERAVADA”
I. What does Thera-vada mean?


II. Distinguishing Theravada from Mahayana
A. Historically

B. Modern World

C. Terminology
1. “Hinayana”

2. “Nikaya Schools”
D. Similarities and inter-relation Mahayana and Theravada

III. The Canon
A. History of the Pali Canon
1. The First Council/Oral Preservation

2. Transmission to Sri Lanka/Saved in Writing

B. Organization of the Canon
1. Vinaya Pitaka

2. Sutta Pitaka
a. Digha Nikaya

b. Majjhima Nikaya

c. Samyutta Nikaya

d. Anguttara Nikaya

e. Khuddaka Nikaya

3. Abhidhamma Pitaka

IV. Essential Concept: Dana-Sila-Bhavana
A. Dana - Generosity

B. Sila - Virtue (Five Precepts)

C. Bhavana – Meditative Development
1. Samadhi

2. Vipassana






SESSION TWO, OCT 21st, “THE THREE THREES”
I. The Three Refuges
A. Buddha

B. Dhamma

C. Sangha
1. Bhiikhu-sangha

2. Ariyan-sangha

II. The Three Marks of Conditioned Existence
A. Dukkha

B. Anicca

C. Anatta

III. The Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha
A. The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta

B. The Anatta-lukkhana Sutta

C. The Aditta-pariyaya Sutta
Where do the Four Noble Truths fit in there?
The best things in life aren't things.

The Diamond Sutra
User avatar
Raga Mala
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:28 pm
Location: Anchorage, AK, USA

Re: Teaching Theravada to College Students

Post by Raga Mala »

Individual wrote: Where do the Four Noble Truths fit in there?
As I tried to make clear, a general Buddhism overview is not my purpose--she will already have covered 4NT, and while they are important, I prefer to spend my limited time discussing what I am meant to discuss (i.e. the Theravada) rather than reviewing basic Buddhism material.
"It is easier to shout 'STOP!' than to do it." -Treebeard
User avatar
Raga Mala
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:28 pm
Location: Anchorage, AK, USA

Re: Teaching Theravada to College Students

Post by Raga Mala »

The Prof's notes on my proposed outline:

> THERAVADA BUDDHISM INTRO FALL ‘09
>
> SESSION ONE, OCT 19TH, “INTRODUCING THE THERAVADA”
>
> I. What does Thera-vada mean?
>
>
>
>
>
> II. Distinguishing Theravada from Mahayana
>
> A. Historically
>
>
>
> B. Modern World
>
>
>
> C. Terminology
>
> 1.
> “Hinayana”
>
>
>
> 2. “Nikaya
> Schools”
>
> D. Similarities
> and inter-relation Mahayana and Theravada
>
>
>
> III. The Canon
>
> A. History of the Pali Canon (GO 'LIGHT' ON THIS
MATERIAL ... SPECIFICALLY UNDERSCORE HOW THIS HISTORY WOULD BE
IMPORTANT FOR A GLOBAL CITIZEN OF TODAY TO KNOW .... AND IF IT'S NOT
CRITICAL, THEN PERHAPS FOREGO. EXPLORATION OF OTHER CONCEPTS SUCH AS
NATURE OF SELF --- PARTICULARLY 5 SKANDHAS-- AND NIRVANA MIGHT BE MORE
HELPFUL LONG-TERM.)

>
> 1.
> The First Council/Oral Preservation
>
>
>
> 2. Transmission to Sri
> Lanka/Saved in Writing
>
>
>
> B.
> Organization of the Canon (IT WILL BE USEFUL FOR THEM TO HEAR ABOUT
THE 3 BASKETS BUT THEN GO OVERVIEW. AGAIN, KEEP BEING GUIDED BY THE
PRINCIPAL OF LONG-TERM RELEVANCE. YOU CAN OVERTLY TELL THEM THAT I
WILL ASK ABOUT THE TERM "PITAKA" BUT WILL NOT BE HOLDING THEM
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPECIFIC NAMES.
WHEN ACTUALLY REVIEWING NAMES, I WOULD SUGGEST USING AN ACCESSIBLE
TRANSLATION .... CERTAINLY SAY THE 'REAL' NAME BUT THEIR HEADS WILL
SWIM IF YOU USE ONLY THE PALI NAME AS YOU PROCEED.)

>
> 1.
> Vinaya Pitaka
>
>
>
> 2.
> Sutta Pitaka
>
> a.
> Digha Nikaya
>
>
>
> b.
> Majjhima Nikaya
>
>
>
> c.
> Samyutta Nikaya
>
>
>
> d.
> Anguttara Nikaya
>
>
>
> e.
> Khuddaka Nikaya
>
>
>
> 3.
> Abhidhamma Pitaka
>
>
>
> IV. Essential Concept: Dana-Sila-Bhavana [ALL ARE ESSENTIAL??? BE
SELECTIVE. YOU MAY WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME ON THESE CONCEPTS AND LESS
ON THE TEXTS, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE PLACE OF TEXTS IN BUDDHISM ...
WHICH IN ITSELF MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO MENTION.]

>
> A. Dana
> - Generosity
>
>
>
> B. Sila
> - Virtue (Five Precepts)
>
>
>
> C.
> Bhavana – Meditative Development
>
> 1.
> Samadhi
>
>
>
> 2.
> Vipassana [THIS IS A TERM THAT GLOBAL CITIZENS SHOULD KNOW]

PERHAPS THE INTEREST WILL START TO WANE, BUT CURRENTLY STUDENTS ARE
STILL STRUGGLING WITH PERSONHOOD IN BUDDHISM ... SO WHAT CONSTITUTES
OUR SENSE OF SELF? HOW DOES ONE KNOW THAT HE KNOWS? BECAUSE THESE
ARE THE QUESTIONS, EXPLORATION MAY BE MORE VALUABLE THAN
MEMORIZATION. YOUR VOICE AND MANNERS WILL MESMERIZE AND LOTS OF INFO
WILL FLOW IN .... HOWEVER, IT MAY NOT HOLD UNLESS YOU ARE HAVING THEM
ACTIVELY WORK WITH, SEE THE RELEVANCE, 'PLAY' WITH THE IDEAS AND
CONCEPTS YOU ARE PRESENTING. IN THESE OUTLINES YOU HAVEN'T NOTED
PEDAGOGICAL HINTS .... AND YOU ARE A NATURAL TEACHER, SO I'M SURE SOME
WILL COME NATURALLY. BUT THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY NUDGE -- REMEMBER
ACTIVE EXPLORATION FOR RETENTION (A PRINCIPAL I MOUTH WELL BUT
PRACTICE LESS THAN I'D LIKE!!)

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> SESSION TWO, OCT 21st, “THE THREE THREES”

[THEY DO NEED TO KNOW THESE --- EVERYTHING YOU ARE COVERING HERE IS
ESSENTIAL!! THESE ARE CRITICAL TO BEING SOMEWHAT KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT
AND AT-LEAST-PARTIALLY GRASPING BUDDHISM. YOU CAN ALERT STUDENTS THAT
I SAID THIS!]

>
> I. The Three Refuges
>
> A.
> Buddha
>
>
>
> B.
> Dhamma
>
>
>
> C.
> Sangha
>
> 1.
> Bhiikhu-sangha
>
>
>
> 2.
> Ariyan-sangha
>
>
>
> II. The Three Marks of Conditioned Existence
>
> A.
> Dukkha
>
>
>
> B.
> Anicca
>
>
>
> C.
> Anatta
>
>
>
> III. The Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha
>
> A. The
> Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
>
>
>
> B. The
> Anatta-lukkhana Sutta
>
>
>
> C. The
> Aditta-pariyaya Sutta
"It is easier to shout 'STOP!' than to do it." -Treebeard
Post Reply