How Do I Learn Buddhism

The Nowadays — Dec four, 2016

Harvard Has a Free Online Grade on Buddhism That You lot Can Take Right At present

Harvard University offers a free course on Buddhist scriptures.

If you wanted to learn more nearly Buddhism, but needed an easy and administrative resources, you are in luck. Harvard University made a keen course on the faith available online for gratuitous.

While the "Buddhism Through Its Scriptures" grade is no longer interactive and has been archived, all of its rich lecture and supplemental materials are available upon registration.

The course is taught past Professor Charles Hallisey from Harvard's Divinity Schoolhouse, who is also the Yehan Numata Senior Lecturer on Buddhist Literatures. His 2015 book highlights poems past get-go Buddhist women.

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The introductory grade is meant for both a complete novice and a more seasoned practitioner equally it goes over Buddhist teachings, selected readings and practices. Art and devotional acts are likewise considered.

The course is designed to take 4 weeks, asking for 6-10 hours per week of your attending.

Professor Hallisey is interested in presenting the course to people of "diverse backgrounds" in social club to "interact constructively around topics that likewise ofttimes split up usa". His philosophy is to not impart the "right" interpretation of Buddhist scriptures just rather to keep and foster an open up-mindedness, allowing for different perspectives, which Buddhists themselves oft take even on their primary documents.

While in that location is no one central Buddhist text like the Bible or Koran, in that location are Buddhist writings like the Pali catechism, the writings of the Japanese Zen Master Dogen, or the collection of meditation topics Mumonkan that are explored by Hallisey.

He further addresses his arroyo to teaching the grade on Buddhism this fashion in his syllabus:

"When we plow to the Buddhist heritages for aid in answering some questions that we bring to the study of Buddhist scriptures, we open ourselves to the possibility of not but learning about Buddhism, but also learning from Buddhism. This openness to learning from Buddhists is not in the sense of saying that a Buddhist interpretation is automatically the "right" estimation. Rather, it is to see that Buddhists themselves have idea about many of the same questions that we bring to Buddhist scriptures, and many of the same questions that we accept nearly ourselves, as persons, and about this world in which we find ourselves. "

Ready to offset your journey into Buddhism? Register hither.

Cover photo: Buddhist monks meditate at the thou of Borobudur temple, built between 750 and 842 AD, June 1, 2007 in Magelang, Fundamental Coffee province, Indonesia. (Photo by Dimas Ardian/Getty Images)