9 – 23 July | Led by Śraddhāpa
The ideal method of studying Buddhism would be to read in the original language a number of carefully selected texts belonging to the Pāli, Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian, or Japanese canonical Buddhist literature.
– Sangharakshita, A Survey of Buddhism
Offered by the Triratna Scholars Network, this project helps participants develop a working knowledge of Sanskrit and Pali and to go deeper into Dharma study by engaging with Buddhist texts in their original language.
The teaching will focus on practical skills that can be used right away, and students will start reading actual Buddhist texts from the very first lesson. There will be two different classes to choose from – one for complete beginners and one for those who have some experience.
Sraddhapa offers online Sanskrit classes that will allow you to cover the basics in an online course first, then join the intermediate class at the summer school. These classes also provide the opportunity for participants to continue studying Sanskrit and Pali after attending the summer school. See www.sraddhapa.com/sanskrit for more information.
Each day participants will join shared morning meditation, attend three hours of classes and have free time for individual study and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. In the evenings we will recite the Sevenfold Puja in Santideva’s original Sanskrit.
Sraddhapa has over a decade of experience as a language teacher, has a Master’s degree in Sanskrit and is currently studying for a PhD in Buddhist Studies at the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts in Taiwan, specialising in Sanskrit Prajnaparamita literature.
It is possible to attend the summer school for the first intensive taster weekend, for nine days, or for the whole two weeks. If you have basic familiarity with either Pali or Sanskrit, you can join for just the last five days, where the classes will be focusing on Pali texts.
The options: