Sometimes in Dharma talks we hear teachers refer to a sutta passage, or to “what the Buddha said,” or to “the Pali Canon.” What are they referring to? How can we find these passages ourselves and how do we know the Buddha even said these things? In this program, we’ll explore the three “baskets" of the Pali Canon with particular attention to the books containing the suttas. We’ll spend some time reviewing how to navigate the suttas themselves as well as placing the Pali Canon into a broad timeline of social and textual history that includes the later commentaries and other Buddhist schools.
This program includes reading and discussing several texts, along with suggestions for ways to practice with texts as part of one’s spiritual path. Each session also includes meditation and small-group interactions. This program is suitable for people new to the Pali Canon as well as those more familiar with it.
The program is taught by four good friends and teachers who wish to share with others their love of studying the suttas and practicing together. They regularly teach study-and-practice programs together at the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies as well as teaching individually at the Insight Meditation Center and the Insight Retreat Center in California.
Program Format
This program fits our “study-and-practice” approach, which brings the study of Pali texts into meditation practice and daily life.
