Virtual, Online Classes

The online classes will be held using Zoom on Saturdays and Sundays.

2025 Course Schedule

Classes will be held on Saturdays and Sundays

The part-time course is divided into three terms:


First Term: January 5th - March 30th  


Second Term: May 3rd - July 6th


Third Term: August 2nd - October 11th

Themes for Reflection

Trying to approach the study of the Buddha’s words can be a daunting undertaking, especially for those not acquainted with the texts. ‘Where do I even begin?’ is a common question. Having spent years studying the texts in detail and applying them in practice, the teachers at Dhammastudies have selected some of the major themes in the Pāli canon. Our aim is to find the right way of interpreting the meaning of these selected texts, in order to provide the necessary conditions for the arising of right view.

Why abhidhamma?

The word abhidhamma brings up different ideas and opinions for different people. Those who completely dismiss it do so because they take the word ‘abhidhamma’ to represent the texts in the Abhidhamma-piṭaka, which are clearly a later development.  

However, the word ‘abhidhamma’ does appear in the suttas in a particular kind of context. Sometimes it is taken to mean ‘talk about the Dhamma’; but it is more than that. It is a mode of inquiry into the Buddha’s teaching through asking questions and getting clear about the meaning. The aim of this practice of discussing and questioning is to further (abhi) one’s understanding of the Dhamma. This practice is ‘abhidhamma'.

The abhidhamma as a mode of questioning one’s understanding is founded upon the suttas. In the Dhammastudies abhidhamma sessions the source material is mainly drawn from the suttas. However, other canonical texts will also be explored, especially when discussing some of the later development of ideas not found in the suttas.

The sutta sessions will focus exclusively on the collections of the ‘early texts’ from the Sutta-piṭaka.

Dhamma Discussions

The opportunity to talk about the Dhamma is an element of the course. Surprisingly, discussing your own understanding of the Dhamma is not a common practice in many meditation centres and monasteries. This may be, in part, because it is difficult to do so without taking one’s views personally and getting into emotionally charged conflicts. This course provides the chance to practise discussing your understanding in a safe, friendly and non-judgmental environment.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. identify some of the most important conceptual themes contained in the early Buddhist texts.

2. explore your own understanding of these concepts.

3. analyse some key texts that describe how the Buddha understood these concepts.

4. consider different ways of translating and interpreting these texts.

5. interpret the meaning of the early Buddhist texts from a phenomenological perspective (that is, by relating them to how you understand the nature of this experience you find yourself in right now).

6. identify a number of concepts in the later Buddhist literature that aren't found in the early texts.

Self Study

On this course, there will be no written assignments or examinations. Instead, every week there will be questions relating to the Dhamma which you will be asked to reflect upon. This is a chance for you to cultivate your own understanding of what the Buddha is describing. 

Course Content

    1. Welcome Session: Sunday 5th January

    2. 2025 Course Schedule

    3. Coursebook

    4. Group 1 Video

    5. Group 2 Video

    1. Sutta Class 1.1: Saturday 11th January

    2. Abhidhamma Class 1.1: Sunday 12th January

    3. Session Materials

    4. Sutta Class 1.1: Group 1 Video

    5. Sutta Class 1.1: Group 2 Video

    6. Abhidhamma Class 1.1: Group 1 Video

    7. Abhidhamma Class 1.1: Group 2 Video

    1. Sutta Class 1.2: Saturday 18th January

    2. Abhidhamma Class 1.2: Sunday 19th January

    3. Session materials

    4. Sutta Class 1.2: Group 1 Video

    5. Sutta Class 1.2: Group 2 Video

    6. Abhidhamma Class 1.2: Group 1 Video

    7. Abhidhamma Class 1.2: Group 2 Video

    1. Sutta Class 1.3 and 1.4

    2. Abhidhamma Class 1.3 and 1.4

    3. Session Materials

    4. Sutta Class 1.3: Group 1 Video

    5. Sutta Class 1.3: Group 2 Video

    6. Abhidhamma Class 1.3: Group 1 Video

    7. Abhidhamma Class 1.3: Group 2 Video

    8. Questions for Reflection

    9. Sutta Class 1.4: Group 1 Video

    10. Sutta Class 1.4: Group 2 Video

    11. Abhidhamma Class 1.4: Group 1 Video

    12. Abhidhamma Class 1.4: Group 2 Video

    1. Sutta Class 1.5 and 1.6

    2. Abhidhamma Class 1.5 and 1.6

    3. Session Materials

    4. Questions for Reflection

    5. Sutta Class 1.5: Group 1 Video

    6. Sutta Class 1.5: Group 2 Video

    7. Abhidhamma Class 1.5: Group 1 Video

    8. Abhidhamma Class 1.5: Group 2 Video

    9. Sutta Class 1.6: Group 1 Video

    10. Sutta Class 1.6 Group 2 Video

    11. Abhidhamma Class 1.6: Group 1 Video

    12. Abhidhamma Class 1.6: Group 2 Video

    1. Sutta Class 1.7 and 1.8

    2. Abhidhamma Class 1.7 and 1.8

    3. Session Materials

    4. Questions for Reflection

    5. Sutta Class 1.7: Group 1 Video

    6. Sutta Class 1.7: Group 2 Video

    7. Abhidhamma Class 1.7: Group 1 Video

    8. Abhidhamma Class 1.7: Group 2 Video

    9. Sutta Class 1.8: Group 1 Video

    10. Sutta Class 1.8: Group 2 Video

    11. Abhidhamma Class 1.8: Group 1 Video

    12. Abhidhamma Class 1.8: Group 2 Video

About this course

  • Free
  • 115 lessons
  • 64 hours of video content

Instructors

Main Instructor & Co-Founder Bhante Akiñcano

Before going forth, Akiñcano (Nick Dwyer) was a lecturer in Applied Linguistics at the University of Brighton, UK. During that time he began practising vipassanā meditation. He gave up his job to begin monastic training in the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah and entered the bhikkhusaṅgha in 2014. In 2019 he moved to Sri Lanka and now lives alone in Bundala National Park. He is the author of "Making Sense of Dhamma: The Pāli Suttas Workbook" (2024, Dhammastudies) and "With the Right Understanding: Phenomenological Explorations of the Pāli Suttas" (2019, Path Press Publications). He has also had articles published in "Philosophy East and West" and "Asian Philosophy".

Main Instructor & Co-Founder Oliver Tanner

Oliver is from the United Kingdom but now lives in Sri Lanka. After coming in contact with the Dhamma in 2003, he spent 14 years attending many vipassanā meditation retreats. After this period of intensive, technique focused practice, he decided to move to Myanmar to study the words of the Buddha contained in the Pāli texts. He completed a three year Bachelor’s degree in Buddhist studies at the International Theravāda Buddhist University in Yangon, Myanmar, in 2017. After this, he moved to Sri Lanka to continue his in-depth studies of the Buddha's teaching. He completed his Master’s degree in 2019 and PhD in 2024 in Buddhist Philosophy at the Post Graduate Institute of Pāli and Buddhist Studies - University of Kelaniya, Colombo. Oliver was also invited to become a visiting lecturer at the Institute, where he now works.

How to Apply and Enrol?

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