This seminar offers a philosophical exploration of one of the oldest founding collections of the Buddhist tradition: the Discourses preserved in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pāli Canon (first century BCE). The Discourses address a wide range of theoretical and practical issues, such as: the nature of persons, human psychology, happiness and suffering, causation, theory of knowledge, phenomenology of experience, the method for investigating reality. The Discourses offer thus a unique and enjoyable point of entrance in the ancient Buddhist worldview.

In this seminar, we will focus in particular on six main topics:

• happiness and human psychology (sukha and the five khandhas);
• meditation as a method of investigation (samādhi and vipassanā);
• the three characteristics of reality and ‘non-Self’ (anicchā, dukkha, anattā);
• dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda);
• the four noble truths and philosophical disputes (ariyasaccāni and diṭṭḥi);
• emptiness (suññatā).

Each of these topics will be addressed in a devoted 3-hour meeting. Meetings will comprise a general overview of the topic, a reading-group-like session and further activities (e.g. presentations) proposed by participants. In general, we’ll focus on close reading of selected discourses (in English translation), discussion of relevant secondary literature and reflection on the philosophical implications, suggestions and insights that arise from the Discourses. Reading materials will be made available before each meeting.

Practicalities

Location: Faculty of Philosophy, Oude Boteringestraat 52, 9717 GL, Groningen.

Audience: all are welcome to attend, students in particular. No previous knowledge is required.

Credits: master students who attend most of the seminar (at least 5 meetings out of 6) and write a final essay (5000 words) can validate their participation for 5 ECTS (prior to approval by the Board of Examiners).

Calendar:

• October 2, Wednesday: 14:00-17:00, room ALPHA
• October 16, Wednesday: 14:00-17:00, room ALPHA
• October 23, Wednesday: 14:00-17:00, room ALPHA

(Related event: Nov. 6 – Symposium on Buddhist Meditation)

• November 15, Friday: 15:00-18:00, room ALPHA
• November 29, Friday: 15:00-18:00, room ALPHA
• December 13, Friday: 15:00-18:00, room ALPHA

Registration: please fill in the online form here.

Further information: for any questions please contact a.sangiacomo@rug.nl

Syllabus (available in PDF format here)

Primary Texts

The main body of the Discourses of the Buddha is preserved in four collections: the Long Discourses (Digha Nikaya – DN), the Middle-Length Discourses (Majjhima Nikaya – MN), the Connected Discourses (Samyutta Nikaya – SN) and the Numerical Discourses (Anguttara Nikaya – AN).

The best English translation currently available is published by Wisdom Publications and it’s done by Maurice Walshe (DN) and Bhikkhu Bodhi (MN, SN, and AN).

SuttaCentral (https://suttacentral.net/) is a free website that gives access to the original Pali texts and several English translations (often also those mentioned above). The website offers some introductory information about the Discourses, a dictionary, and different versions of the root texts preserved in other ancient collections (e.g. Chinese).

Note: the following primary readings (mostly from MN and SN) will be taken from the free online versions available on SuttaCentral. In preparation for each meeting, it is recommended to read the primary texts suggested. Secondary texts are suggestions for further reflection and are optional.

General readings

For a general orientation about different historical, cultural and intellectual aspects of Buddhism and its development:

Damien Keown, Buddhism. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: OUP, 2013.

Rupert Gethin, The Foundations of Buddhism, Oxford: OUP, 1998.

For a discussion of several key philosophical issues on which Buddhist philosophy can be made conversant with today’s analytic philosophy:

Jay L. Garfield, Engaging Buddhism. Why It Matters to Philosophy, Oxford: OUP, 2015,

An accessible and popular presentation of how several aspects of Buddhist practice can be interpreted from the point of view of contemporary evolutionary biology and psychology:

Robert Wright, Why Buddhism Is True. The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment, New York: Simon&Schster, 2017

A polemical pamphlet on the social, economical and moral implications of the practice of secularized ‘Mindfulness’ (MBSR) in today’s American culture and the issues it raises:

Ronald E. Purser, McMindfulness. How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality. London: Repeater, 2019.

For an overview of how actual Buddhist teachers (in the Theravada tradition) present and explain the Buddhist path and practice:

Jack Kornfield, Living Dharma. Teachings and Meditation Instructions from Twelve Theravada Masters, Boulder: Shambhala, 2010.

Ajahn Sumedho, The Sound of Silence. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2007.

Meeting 1 (October 2, Wednesday: 14:00-17:00, room ALPHA): happiness and human psychology (sukha and the five khandhas)

Primary texts

On pleasures, their gratification, danger and escape:

MN 13: The Great Discourse on the Mass of Suffering

https://suttacentral.net/mn13/en/bodhi

MN 14: The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering

https://suttacentral.net/mn14/en/sujato

On the five aggregates (Khandas):

SN 22.95 (3): A Lump of Foam

https://suttacentral.net/sn22.95/en/sujato

SN 22.82 (10): The Full-Moon Night

https://suttacentral.net/sn22.82/en/sujato

Secondary texts

Rupert Gethin, “The Five Khandas: Their Treatment in the Nikayas and Early Abhidharma”. Journal of Indian Philosophy 14, (1986): 35-53 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00165825

Sue Hamilton, Identity and Experience. The Constitution of the Human Being According to early Buddhism. Oxford: Luzac Oriental, 1996.

Meeting 2 (October 16, Wednesday: 14:00-17:00, room ALPHA): meditation as a method of investigation (samādhi and vipassanā)

Primary texts

On the complete gradual training:

MN 39: The Greater Discourse at Assapura

https://suttacentral.net/mn39/en/sujato

On the foundations of awareness (sati):

MN 10: The Foundations of Mindfulness

https://suttacentral.net/mn10/en/sujato

On the divine abodes and the immeasurable:

SN 41.7: With Godatta

https://suttacentral.net/sn41.7/en/sujato

An alternative overview of the gradual training, focused on the abandonment of the taints:

MN 2: All the Taints

https://suttacentral.net/mn2/en/bodhi

Secondary texts

Rupert Gethin, “On the Practice of Buddhist Meditation according to the Pali Nikayas and Exegetical Sources”.

Analayo, Satipatthana. The Direct Path to Realization. Birmingham: Windhorse, 2003.

Available here: PDF

Analayo, Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation, Cambridge: Windhorse, 2015. Available here: PDF

Peter Harvey, “Signless Meditation in Pali Buddhism.” The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 9, no. 1 (1986): 25-52.

Meeting 3 (October 23, Wednesday: 14:00-17:00, room ALPHA):the three characteristics of reality and ‘non-Self’ (aniccā, dukkha, anattā)

Primary texts

On the characteristics of non-self

SN 22.59 (7) The Characteristics of Nonself

https://suttacentral.net/sn22.59/en/bodhi

SN 12.17 (7) The Naked Ascetic Kassapa

https://suttacentral.net/sn12.17/en/bodhi

Beyond dualism:

SN 12.15 (5): Kaccanagotta

https://suttacentral.net/sn12.15/en/bodhi

Secondary texts

Peter Harvey, The Selfless Mind. Personality, Consciousness and Nirvana in Early Buddhism. London: Routledge 1995.

Meeting 4 (November 15, Friday: 15:00-18:00, room ALPHA): dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda)

Primary texts

Direct and Reverse exposition of dependent origination

MN 38: The Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving

https://suttacentral.net/mn38/en/bodhi

Analysis of the twelve links:

SN 12.2 (2): Analysis of Dependent Origination

https://suttacentral.net/sn12.2/en/bodhi

Secondary texts

Ajahn Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Under The Bodhi Tree. Buddha’s Original Vision of Dependent Co-arising, Somervilles: Wisdom Publications, 2017.

Meeting 5 (November 29, Friday: 15:00-18:00, room ALPHA): the four noble truths and philosophical disputes (ariyasaccāni and diṭṭḥi)

Primary texts

The four noble truths in the first discourse of the Buddha:

SN 56.11 (1): Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dhamma

https://suttacentral.net/sn56.11/en/bodhi

The pattern of the four noble truths intersects with dependent origination:

MN 9: Right View

https://suttacentral.net/mn9/en/bodhi

Wrong speculative views, their origin, danger and escape:

DN1: The All-Embracing Net of Views

https://suttacentral.net/dn1/en/bodhi

Secondary texts

Ajahn Sumedho, The Four Noble Truths, Book available for free distribution here:

https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The_Four_Noble_Truths_-_Ajahn_Sumedho.pdf

Bhikkhu Bodhi, The All-Embracing Net of Views, Kandi: Buddhist Publication Society, 2007³.

Meeting 6 (December 13, Friday: 15:00-18:00, room ALPHA): emptiness (suññatā)

Primary texts

Abiding in emptiness:

MN 121: The Shorter Discourse on Voidness

https://suttacentral.net/mn121/en/sujato

MN 122: The Greater Discourse on Voidness

https://suttacentral.net/mn122/en/sujato

Secondary texts

Analayo, Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation, Cambridge: Windhorse, 2015. (PDF)

Ajahn Amaro, Ajahn, Pessanno, The Island. An Anthology on the Buddha’s Teachings on Nibbana, 2013. Book available for free distribution here: https://www.amaravati.org/dhamma-books/the-island/