Beginning on January 18 with a keynote lecture from John Peacock, Dave Smith is offering a 3-month practice and study program which will focus on the 32 dimensions of awakening that appear in the early Buddhist Pali tradition, the Theravada Abhidarma, and later schools of Buddhism alike. At its core, this is the “list of lists.” This is not just a list of helpful qualities but represents the process and structure of the entire Dharma as a path to liberation.
Click here to enroll in the course.
The 32 dimensions of awakening provide a traditional, organized framework for understanding the development of the awakened mind in both theory and application. While later traditions often treat these as a numerical list for chanting, this course emphasizes their original function: a comprehensive manual for meditative development and mental liberation as taught by the historical Buddha.
The work of scholar Rupert Gethin will be used as a study guide to get a clear and concise understanding of the practical and profound structure of these teachings. Gethin's work is a valuable academic resource for understanding this fundamental list, providing a deep look at the evolution of early Buddhist psychological analysis and theory of the path.
The program is suitable for students at any level of practice.
This course provides a technical and practical immersion into the 32 Bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamma as the essential framework for liberation in Early Buddhism. You will learn to move beyond rote lists to understand these factors as an ecology of practices . By anchoring the study of the Pali texts, you will gain the ability to synthesize these qualities into a unified practice, learning to "arouse" specific factors to counteract the hindrances and align your life’s energy with the original roadmap of awakening, nibbana, and liberation.
The sets of teachings are: 32 qualities in total
1). Four great efforts
2). Four foundations of mindfulness
3). Five spiritual faculties
4). Four means of accomplishment
5). Seven awakening factors
6). Eight fold path
Click here to enroll in the course.
