Dhammastudies

Dhammastudies aims to make available the core teachings of the Buddha to those who want to further their understanding of what the Dhamma is. It is very easy to become stuck, to reach a plateau in a particular tradition or practice without really questioning your own understanding. 

The heart of this course will be: 

What do the things the Buddha is describing actually mean, and how does the correct understanding of them free us from mental suffering?

Rather than trying to avoid thinking about the burden of existence by focusing on and trying to become absorbed in a meditation object, we believe that some thinking is required in order to understand the Dhamma properly. But the thinking that is required is a special kind of thinking that is:

1. reflexive, not objective.
2. descriptive, not explanatory.
3. concerned with the structure of experience, not focused on a specific object. 

This phenomenological style of thinking is the approach we will take in order to make sense of the core teachings from the Pāli Suttas. Drawing upon years of experience in practice and a deep understanding of the Pāli Suttas and Abhidhamma, the teachers at Dhammastudies have designed this course to fulfil a gap felt by many who seek to learn more about the Dhamma. Our work will be to find how to make sense of these texts in a way that supports right understanding. You will also be given the opportunity to discuss your own understanding of the meaning of these teachings.