An Introduction To Buddhism
Teaching, History & Practice
An Introduction to Buddhism – Teaching, history and practice
The teachings of Buddhism begin with the background of life, nature and the role of the Buddha. Followed by, in this first part, the Buddhist teachings, which include two schools of thought, Theravada and Mahayana.
History of Buddhism, the second part of this course, embraces the early developments in Buddhism, the later history and spread of Buddhism. Early developments in Buddhism include the early Sangha, Abhidhamma, early schools and their doctrines. Moreover, the history and spread of Buddhism in India and Asia will be introduced.
Thirdly, Buddhist practice raises the knowledge of devotion, ethics, the Sangha, meditation and cultivation of experience-based wisdom. In this section, approaches of meditation such as samatha and vipassana, pure land visualizations, tantric visualizations and Zen meditation are the subjects to be brought out.
Through these three aspects of Buddhism, this course essentially gives an overview of understanding, practicing and realizing Dhamma.
About《An Introduction To Buddhism》
class ： around 8 classes
The first class will be start on 2022-10-22 Saturday 4.30pm
Welcome to join a trial lesson！
Saturday 2：00pm – 3：30pm
*Every 3th & 4th Saturday Every month*
Language：English
Zoom Online Class
Contents
List of illustrations
List of tables
Preface to the Second Edition, and Acknowledgements
A Note on Language and Pronunciation
List of abbreviations
Introduction
1 .The Buddha and his Indian Context
-Background to the life of the Buddha
-The life of the Buddha
-The nature and role of the Buddha
-The nature and style of the Buddha’s teaching
2 .Early Buddhist Teachings: Rebirth and Karma
-Rebirth and cosmology
-Karma
-Belief in rebirth and karma
3 . Early Buddhist Teachings: The Four True Realities for the Spiritually Ennobled
-The First True Reality for the Spiritually Ennobled: the painful
-The Second True Reality for the Spiritually Ennobled: the origin of the
painful
-The Third True Reality for the Spiritually Ennobled: the cessation of the painful – Nirvána
-The Fourth True Reality for the Spiritually Ennobled: the Path to the
cessation of the painful
4 .Early Developments in Buddhism
-The early Sargha
-The Abhidhamma
-The early schools and their doctrines
-The three aspirations, Jätakas and Avadänas
-Emperor Asoka and Buddhism
-Devotion and symbolism in early Buddhism
-The rise of the Mahäyäna
5. Mahayana Philosophies: The Varieties of Emptiness
-The Perfection of Wisdom literature and the Mädhyamika school
-The Yogicára school
-Tathägata-garbha thought
-The Avatamsaka Sütra and the Huavan School
-A comparative overview of Mahäyâna philosophies and their ideas of
’emptiness’
6. Mahäyäna Holy Beings, and Tantric Buddhism
-The path of the Bodhisattua
-Mahäyana Buddhology: expansion with regard to the number, location, life-span and nature of Buddhas
-The Mahäyäna pantheon
-The tantric perspective
7. The Later History and Spread of Buddhism
-India and Central Asia
-Lanka
-South-east Asia excluding Vietnam
-The lands of Northern Buddhism
-China
-Vietnam and Korea
-Japan
-Overview and comparative reflections
8. Buddhist Practice: Devotion
-Focuses and locations of devotional acts
-Bowing, offerings and chanting
-The refuges
-Attitudes to images
-Protective chanting
-Some Mahäyana focuses of devotion
-Pilgrimage
-Festivals
9. Buddhist Practice: Ethics
-The role and basis of ethics in Buddhism
-Giving
-Keeping the precepts
-Lovingkindness and compassion
-Care for the dying and the dead
-The ethics of social relationships
10. Buddhist Practice: The Sangha
-The role of monasticism
-The monastic code of discipline
-Patterns and types of ordination
-Nuns
-The economic base of the monastic life
-Study and meditation
-Communal life
-Relations with the laity
11. Buddhist Practice: Meditation and Cultivation of Experience-Based Wisdom
-The approach to meditation
-Qualities to be developed by meditation
-Approaches beginning with samatha in Southern Buddhism
-The contributions of samatha and vipassand meditation in Southern
—Buddhism
-Approaches beginning with wipassand in Southern Buddhism
-The classical path of Samatha and vipasyand in Northern and Eastern
—Buddhism
-Pure Land visualizations
-Tantric visualizations
-Tantric techniques of spontaneity
-Zen meditation
12. The Modern History of Buddhism in Asia
-Southern Buddhism
-Eastern Buddhism
-Northern Buddhism
13. Buddhism Beyond Asia
-The early influence of Buddhism through literature, philosophy and psychology
-The Theosophical Society: a bridge between East and West
Scholarship
-The internet, films and music
-Immigration
-Categories of Buddhists, and their characteristics and numbers Buddhist missions and organizations
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Contents
Appendix I: Canons of Scriptures
Appendix Il: Web Resources
Bibliography
Index
The course is running now, please contact the person in charge to join one trial class.