New weekly course format
Introducing Sanskrit with James Whelan
Sanskrit and Pali for Buddhists talk given by James Whelan 31st August 2022
Wednesdays at 1.45pm:
These classes are free and open to non-members but registration is required and attendance is at the teacher’s discretion.
Join us on Zoom
James Whelan continues to offer Sanskrit teaching by Zoom through the Buddhist Society on Wednesdays from 22nd May at 1.45pm in term time.
INTRODUCING SANSKRIT BY JAMES WHELAN
Wednesdays at 1.45pm – 3pm Online only
These classes are free and open to non-members but registration is required and attendance is at the teacher’s discretion..
Following on from the interest in Ringu Tulku Rinpoche’s excellent teachings on Shantideva’sBodhisattva’s Way of Life (Bodhicaryāvatāra), in these classes we will be going through sections of the Bodhicaryāvatāra.
This course is suitable for those who wish to benefit by having the direct flavour of the Sanskrit original without having already gone through the entire language-learning process.
Students will be going straight into the authentic Sanskrit text, and will be taken through it methodically word by word, with a detailed analysis of the vocabulary, and grammatical explanations sufficient to make sense of the material. The essence of this teaching system is learning by exposure and repetition, with questions and discussion from the students actively encouraged.
Shāntideva’sBodhicaryāvatāra
James has prepared an annotated edition, with the original text (in Devanagari with romanised transliteration), translation, sentence breakdown, with vocabulary and grammar notes. This will be available to all students who register. Although the primary focus of the classes will be the Bodhicaryāvatāra, advance questions on any aspect of Sanskrit – especially the language and usages of the Buddhist works – will be welcomed and, where appropriate, will be dealt with in the class. There are also YouTube videos of the material being studied in the class, which will serve multiple purposes: advance preparation, revision, the repetition so vital for language learning, and catching up for those who may have to miss a class. They will also serve as a “taster”.
Links will be provided for study materials available on the internet, including Macdonell’s Sanskrit Grammar for Students, and the Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
For formal grammar study, James has prepared a series of YouTube videos based on Thomas Egenes Introduction to Sanskrit.
Links to all of the study materials, including the annotated version of the Bodhicaryāvatāra and the grammar lessons, will be found in James’s Study Resources Guide, which will be available to all who register.
About the Teacher:
James Whelan has been a practising Buddhist since his undergraduate days in the 1960s. He started learning Sanskrit and Pali in late 1965, and has maintained his interest and studies since then. He qualified as a language teacher in 1970, before entering the law in 1973. In addition to his main work as a lawyer, he has been a professional legal translator since 1977.
