If you wish to deepen your understanding of the Buddha’s actual teachings, pay heed. Starting Jan. 19, the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies will offer a free online course on the Majjhima Nikāya, the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha. Registration deadline is Jan. 12 through the center’s website here. You can also take the courses as a graduate-level class for academic credit for $300. The weekly course runs through April. Here is more about it from the Sati website:
The Middle Length Discourses (Majjhima Nikāya) might be the most important collection of the Buddha’s teachings. They contain many of the central teachings, practices, and stories from the earliest period of Buddhism in India. A careful study of this collection is an indispensable foundation for the study and practice of Buddhism.
The course consists of weekly readings of suttas from the Middle Length Discourses plus study guides written by Gil Fronsdal. These study guides function as the “lectures” for the class, helping to bring the richness of this early literature alive. Participants will have access to a Google Drive where the study guides will be located and may participate in video study-discussions and teacher Q&A audio/video sessions.
The course is organized around ten themes found in Middle Length Discourses:
- Faith and The Path
- The Buddha
- Karma
- Effort and Training
- Happiness, Sensuality, and Renunciation
- Mindfulness
- Concentration
- Wisdom
- Attainments
- Nirvana