Beginning Wednesday, 6 April and lasting to the end of summer will be the Dharma Center’s Extensive study of the Lotus Sutra. If you would like to join us in exploration of this remarkable Buddhist text show up tomorrow night at 7pm. You can view the document below to find instructions for the study, what texts we will be using and where to find most of them as free pdf files. The goal of this class is not to deliver a detailed lecture on the Lotus Sutra, but to show you how to read, understand and study this document on your own. See you tomorrow night.
Lotus Sutra Group Study
Goals:
- Gain a General understanding of the Lotus Sutra through personal exploration and discussion with others
- Learn how to read, understand and study the Lotus Sutra
- Understand the key concepts of The Lotus Sutra
- Understand the importance of the Lotus sutra to RK practice
Course Materials:
- The Lotus Sutra (TLS)– Gene Reeves
- Stories of the Lotus Sutra (Stories) – Gene Reeves
- Guide to the Threefold Lotus sutra (Guide) – Nikkyo Niwano
- Buddhism for Today (BFT) – Nikkyo Niwano
- Dharma World Commentaries (DW Comm) – Nikkyo Niwano
- Sutra of Innumerable Meanings (SIM) – within TLS
Facilitators:
- Kris Ladusau, Reverend
- Ira Bryant, Dharma Teacher
- Kim Miller-Moffeit, Dharma Teacher
- Dave Rose, Dharma Teacher
- Kathy Spengler, Dharma Teacher
- Randy Shumate, Associate Dharma Teacher
- Roger Williams, Associate Dharma teacher
Notes:
- This is a group study of the Sutra, not a lecture driven course
- Facilitators are there to guide discussions, manage overall class direction and fill in additional information when needed
- Facilitators should solicit volunteers each week to give their own summaries of the chapters covered
- In all cases read the Chapters in the TLS before the class
- Time permitting read the Guide, then Stories, then BFT, in that order
- When Reading BFT, don’t worry about the detailed discussions of basic Buddhism and focus on the discussions of the Sutra itself
- BFT and Guide Chapters align with the TLS Chapters and should be read at the appropriate time for classes
- BFT and the Guide can be downloaded by using the ‘Publications’ button at the bottom of the RKOK website homepage
- The chapters in Stories often do not align with the TLS and are thus listed below at the appropriate time. Some chapters in TLS are not covered in Stories
Course Schedule: | |||
Date | Class | Read | Facilitator |
April | |||
6 | Introduction | TLS Pp vii-18
Stories – Forward & Introduction Guide – Preface BFT – preface and Introduction |
Kris/Kathy
This class is combination lecture/discussion |
13 | Structure and Key Concepts of the lotus Sutra | Stories – Chapters 1, 2 | Kris
lecture/discussion |
20 | Sutra of Innumerable Meanings | SIM Chapters 1, 2, 3
Guide – Part One BFT Pp3-23 |
Randy |
27 | Chapter 1 | Stories Chapter 3, 4 | Kathy |
May | ———- | ||
4 | Chapter 2 | Stories Chapter 5 | Roger |
11 | Chapter 3 | Stories Chapter 6 | Ira |
18 | Chapter 4
Chapter 5 |
Stories Chapter 7
Stories Chapter 8 |
Randy |
25 | Chapter 6
Chapter 7 |
Stories Chapter 9
Stories Chapter 10 |
Kathy |
June | ——— | ||
1 | Chapter 8
Chapter 9 |
Stories Chapter 11
Stories Chapter 12 |
Ira |
8 | Chapter 10
Chapter 11 |
Stories Chapter 13
Stories Chapter 14 |
Kathy |
15 | Chapter 12
Chapter 13 |
Stories Chapter 15, 16
Stories Chapter 17 |
Randy |
22 | Chapter 14
Chapter 15 |
Stories Chapter 18
Stories Chapter 19 |
Kathy |
29 | Chapter 16
Chapter 17 |
Stories Chapter 20
|
|
July | ——— | ||
6 | Chapter 18
Chapter 19 |
||
13 | Chapter 20
Chapter 21 |
Stories Chapter 21
Stories Chapter 22 |
Kim |
20 | Chapter 22
Chapter 23 |
Stories Chapter 23
Stories Chapter24 |
|
27 | Chapter 24
Chapter 25 |
Stories Chapter 25
Stories Chapter 26 |
|
August | ———- | ||
3 | Chapter 26
Chapter 27 |
Stories Chapter 27 |
|
10 | Chapter 28 | Stories Chapter 28 | |
17 | The Sutra of Contemplation of the Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva | Kim | |
24 | Women in the Lotus Sutra | Kris
lecture/discussion |
|
31 | Makeup/Course Critique | Rev Kris/Dave | |
7 | Makeup |
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