The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryāvatāra)

Due to this text’s length and profundity, it is divided into two parts – OL TSTD 101 and OL TSTD 102.  OL BCA9, Chapter 9, is offered as a separate course for those who want to dive deeper into Śāntideva’s presentation of Madhyamaka philosophy and his refutation of the positions of non-Buddhist and other Buddhist schools of thought.

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OL TSTD 101: Part One

The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyāvatāra) is Śāntideva’s classic work on Mahāyāna philosophy. This text teaches the preciousness of bodhicitta, the awakened mind, and explains how to practice generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, and meditation while striving to recognize that awakened mind. Chapter Nine, the Wisdom Chapter, is both a refutation of the philosophical positions of other Indian philosophical schools of the time, and of Buddhist non-Madhyamaka (Middle Way) schools. In its entirety, this important text blends instruction in ethical conduct, meditation, and wisdom to show us how to follow the path of the Bodhisattva.

This online course assumes no prior knowledge of Buddhist philosophy, history, or practice. This text is taught over the span of two semesters: Part One covers the first half of the text up to chapter 6, verse 86 and Part Two, which requires separate registration, completes the text. The methodology of the course combines traditional Tibetan monastic word-for-word text commentary with a Western-style academic contextualization. This approach mirrors the courses offered in our on-site classrooms in Kathmandu.

As this is a beginning text, students can expect to average five to eight hours of listening and studying per week. Each part of the course takes one semester to complete. Course content is presented as video lectures given by Khenpo Jampa Donden and translated into English by Sophie Greenewalt. Supplementary materials were created by Mort Ostensen.

The self-study plus format, where students work at their own pace, is available year-round.

Students will navigate the course material via Moodle, an open source e-learning environment. Internet access is required for studying this course. Students will have access to this course in Moodle for one year from the date of their registration.

faqs

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OL TSTD 102: Part Two

The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyāvatāra) is Śāntideva’s classic work on Mahāyāna philosophy. This text teaches the preciousness of bodhicitta, the awakened mind, and explains how to practice generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, and meditation while striving to recognize that awakened mind. Chapter Nine, the Wisdom Chapter, is both a refutation of the philosophical positions of other Indian philosophical schools of the time, and of Buddhist non-Madhyamaka (Middle Way) schools. In its entirety, this important text blends instruction in ethical conduct, meditation, and wisdom to show us how to follow the path of the Bodhisattva.

This online course takes one semester to complete and covers the second half of the text starting from chapter 6 verse 87, including Chapter Nine. The prerequisite for registration in this course is successful completion of The Way of the Bodhisattva Part One. The methodology of the course combines traditional Tibetan monastic word-for-word text commentary with a Western-style academic contextualization. This approach mirrors the courses offered in our on-site classrooms in Kathmandu.

As this is a beginning text, students can expect to average five to eight hours of listening and studying per week. This part of the course takes one semester to complete. Course content is presented as video lectures given by Khenpo Jampa Donden and translated into English by Sophie Greenewalt. Supplementary materials were created by Mort Ostensen.

The self-study plus format, where students work at their own pace, is available year-round.

Students will navigate the course material via Moodle, an open source e-learning environment. Internet access is required for studying this course. Students will have access to this course in Moodle for one year from the date of their registration.

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OL BCA9: Wisdom – Chapter Nine of The Way of the Bodhisattva

This online course examines Chapter Nine of The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryāvatāra) by Śāntideva, which provides an overview and refutation of various Indian philosophical schools, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, in order to show the primacy of the Madhyamaka view.

The course begins with a short introduction to the first eight chapters of the text to set the context, and then examines Chapter Nine in detail. The methodology of our online courses combines traditional Tibetan monastic word-for-word text commentary with a Western-style academic contextualization. This approach mirrors the courses offered in our on-site classrooms in Kathmandu.

While there is no prerequisite for study in this course, this is a philosophically challenging text. Students should expect to average 10 to 12 hours of listening and studying per week. Course content is presented as video lectures given by Khenpo Jampa Donden and translated into English by Sophie Greenewalt. Supplementary materials were created by Mort Ostensen.

This course is only offered in the self-study plus format.

Students will navigate the course material via Moodle, an open source e-learning environment. Internet access is required for studying this course. Students will have access to this course in Moodle for one year from the date of their registration.