COURSES
Classes offered at the Dharma Farm
Spring 2024
Jamgon Kongtrul’s Treasury of Knowledge: the Two Truths I
Jules Levinson, Ph.D.
Cost $1,350
Jules Levinson will discuss the section on the two truths from a classic of the Tibetan nonsectarian (ris med) movement, Treasury of Knowledge (shes bya mdzod), by Jamgon Kongtrul (kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas. 1813–1899).
8 Classes: Wednesday 1.00pm-3:00pm PDT starting October 4, 2023:
October 4; October 11; October 25; November 1; November 8; November 15; November 29; December 6.
Course continues in Spring Semester: Jamgon Kongtrul’s Treasury of Knowledge: the Two Truths II
Jamgon Kongtrul's Treasury of Knowledge - Click here for details
Translating Classical Tibetan I
Craig Preston, J.D.
Cost: $750
M/Th 9:00-10:30
Prerequisite: Familiarity with the U-chen alphabet and pronunciation of syllables. Any prior study of Tibetan or Sanskrit will be helpful but not necessary.
Continues in Spring Semester: Translating Classical Tibetan II
Translating Classical Tibetan I is the first of two classes on translating the Classical Tibetan found in the Tibetan translations of Indian treatises translated from Sanskrit, and in the Tibetan philosophical works on those treatises.
8 Classes: Wednesday 1.00pm-3:00pm PDT starting October 4, 2023:
October 4; October 11; October 25; November 1; November 8; November 15; November 29; December 6.
Fall 2023
Jamgon Kongtrul’s Treasury of Knowledge: the Two Truths I
Jules Levinson, Ph.D.
Cost $400
Jules Levinson will discuss the section on the two truths from a classic of the Tibetan nonsectarian (ris med) movement, Treasury of Knowledge (shes bya mdzod), by Jamgon Kongtrul (kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas. 1813–1899).
8 Classes: Wednesday 1.00pm-3:00pm PDT starting October 4, 2023:
October 4; October 11; October 25; November 1; November 8; November 15; November 29; December 6.
Course continues in Spring Semester: Jamgon Kongtrul’s Treasury of Knowledge: the Two Truths II
Jamgon Kongtrul's Treasury of Knowledge - Click here for details
Translating Classical Tibetan I
Craig Preston, J.D.
Cost: $750
M/Th 9:00-10:30
Prerequisite: Familiarity with the U-chen alphabet and pronunciation of syllables. Any prior study of Tibetan or Sanskrit will be helpful but not necessary.
Continues in Spring Semester: Translating Classical Tibetan II
Translating Classical Tibetan I is the first of two classes on translating the Classical Tibetan found in the Tibetan translations of Indian treatises translated from Sanskrit, and in the Tibetan philosophical works on those treatises.
8 Classes: Wednesday 1.00pm-3:00pm PDT starting October 4, 2023:
October 4; October 11; October 25; November 1; November 8; November 15; November 29; December 6.
Summer 2023
Beginning Classical Tibetan Intensive
The sixty-four hour course over eight weeks covers all of first year Classical Tibetan.
Classes: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 9:00am-11:00am PDT
First four weeks: Monday June 5-Friday June 30
One week mid-course break July 3-July 6
Final four weeks: Monday July 10-Friday August 4
2023 Summer Intensive - Click here for details
Spring 2023
Second Year Classical Tibetan
Craig Preston
Texts:
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Georges B.J. Dreyfus
Recognizing Reality: Book 1, Part 1 Ontology
This is companion reading for the Collected Topics course.
Wednesday from 9:30 to 11am PST
Collected Topics on Valid Cognition: Small Path of Reasoning
Craig Preston
Texts:
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Pur-bu-jok Jam-ba-jya-tso (1825-1901)
The text we will be looking at is Pur-bu-jok’s Magical Key to the Path of Reasoning, written for the Thirteenth Dalai Lama at the beginning of his philosophical study. The text provides initial training in debate, the principal pedagogical technique of the Dalai Lama’s scholastic Ge-luk school. It also provides the basic ontology and epistemology for the study of Dharmakīrti’s Commentary on Valid Cognition, one of the five core texts for Ge-luk scholastic study.
Monday, Friday, 9:30 to 11am PST
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Select Fridays at noon
Sravasti Translation Committee
Bill Magee and Paul Hackett
Texts:
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Maitreya, Ornament for the Great Vehicle Sutras (mdo sde rgyan, mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra)
2022
Intermediate Classical Tibetan
Craig Preston and Jess Perry
Texts:
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Joe Wilson, Translating Buddhism From Tibetan
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Paul Hackett, Learning Classical Tibetan
Classical Tibetan
Craig Preston
Texts:
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Pur-bu-jok, Introductory Path of Reasoning From Collected Topics on Valid Cognition
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Magical Key to the Path of Reasoning (tshad ma’i gzhung don ‘byed pa’i bsdus grwa’i rnam bzhag rigs lam ‘phrul gyi lde mig). Evidence.
Grammar Nerds’ Reading Group
Shahar Tene
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Bertram Liyanage
The Nyāyābindu of Dharmakīrti
Sravasti Translation Committee
Bill Magee and Paul Hackett
Texts:
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Maitreya, Ornament for the Great Vehicle Sutras (mdo sde rgyan, mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra)
Advanced Reading
Craig Preston
Texts:
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Jam-yang-shay-pa’ Decisive Analysis of Chandrakīrti’s Supplement
Uncollected Topics: Ngag-dbang-bkra-shis’s Collected Topics
Craig Preston
Advanced topics in Tibetan Grammar
Craig Preston
Advanced Reading
Shahar Tene
2021
Introduction to Classical Tibetan
Jess Perry, Mikhael Landrieux, Shahar Tene, Andrew Hughes
Intermediate Classical Tibetan
Bill Magee
Texts:
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Translating Buddhism From Tibetan Joe Wilson,
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Paul Hackett, Learning Classical Tibetan
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Pur-bu-jok, Introductory Path of Reasoning From Collected Topics on Valid Cognition
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Magical Key to the Path of Reasoning (tshad ma’i gzhung don ‘byed pa’i bsdus grwa’i rnam bzhag rigs lam ‘phrul gyi lde mig). Evidence.
Intermediate Classical Tibetan II
Craig Preston and Jess Perry
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Tenets of Buddhist Schools in India
Intermediate Classical Tibetan III
Craig Preston and Jess Perry
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Tutor’s Collected Topics
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Bill Magee
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Tsong-kha-pa, The Essence of Eloquence (legs bshad snying po), Part II
Spoken Tibetan for Translators
Shahar Tene
Introduction to Sanskrit
Paul Hackett
Uncollected Topics
Craig Preston
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Bill Magee
Texts:
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Tsong-kha-pa, The Essence of Eloquence (legs bshad snying po), part III
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Bertram Liyanage
Texts:
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Madhyamaka Philosophy from Nāgārjuna to Candrakirti
Grammar Nerds’ Reading Group
Shahar Tene
Classical Tibetan
Bill Magee
Texts:
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Shantideva, Engaging in the Deeds of Bodhisattvas (dbu ma la ‘jug pa, bodhisattvacaryāvātara) Chapter One
Sravasti Translation Committee
Bill Magee and Paul Hackett
Texts:
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Ngawang Dragpa, “The Definitive Door to Practice Derived from [Tsong-kha-pa’s] Stages of the Path to Awakening: Distillation of All Eloquence (nyams len gyi rnam par nges pa legs gsungs kun gyi nying khu)
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Bill Magee
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Tsong-kha-pa, The Essence of Eloquence (legs bshad snying po), part IV
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Bertram Liyanage
Studies in Buddhist Logic and Scholarly Controversies in Buddhist Philosophy
Sravasti Translation Committee
Bill Magee and Paul Hackett
Texts:
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Maitreya, Ornament for the Great Vehicle Sutras (mdo sde rgyan, mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra)
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Bill Magee
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Tsong-kha-pa, The Essence of Eloquence (legs bshad snying po), Part V
2020
Intermediate Classical Tibetan, Section I
Craig Preston and Jess Perry
Texts:
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Joe Wilson, Translating Buddhism From Tibetan
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Paul Hackett, Learning Classical Tibetan
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Aku-lo-dro, Mirror Clarifying the Important Points of the Placement of Letters (yi ge thob thang nyer mkho rab sel me long)
Intermediate Classical Tibetan, Section II
Craig Preston and Jess Perry
Texts:
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Joe Wilson, Translating Buddhism From Tibetan
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Paul Hackett, Learning Classical Tibetan
Sravasti Translation Committee
Bill Magee and Paul Hackett
Texts:
-
Ngawang Dragpa, “The Definitive Door to Practice Derived from [Tsong-kha-pa’s] Stages of the Path to Awakening: Distillation of All Eloquence (nyams len gyi rnam par nges pa legs gsungs kun gyi nying khu)
Tibetan Grammar Review
Jess Perry
Texts:
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Joe Wilson, Translating Buddhism From Tibetan
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Bertram Liyanage
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A History of Buddhist Philosophical Trends in India
Dharma Farm Lecture Series
Bill Magee
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Tsong-kha-pa, The Essence of Eloquence (legs bshad snying po), Part I
Spoken Tibetan for Translators
Shahar Tene