COURSE

The Great Works & Writings Of Buddhism

Within this course, you will be taken through history. Starting from the very beginning of Buddhism when nothing was written down and it was all memorized to some of the more modern classics, this course attempts to give you a beginner's understanding of the whole of Buddhist writing. Through this course, you will be given the information and tools necessary to understand the width and breadth of the Buddhist Canon, while also gaining contextual, historical, and practical understanding behind each of the works which are discussed. All of this is wrapped up together while Silas attempts to relay it to you with as little pomp, circumstance, and over-intellectualism as possible.

Awakening Spiritual Presence Health & Happiness Wisdom Spirituality Spirituality Traditional Buddhism Religion

Meet your Teacher

Silas Day

Bentonville, AR, USA

Silas Day is an up and coming voice in the emerging discussion between the 2,500 year old tradition of Buddhism and modern day life. Silas has been passionately obsessed with the study of Buddhism and meditation for the past twelve years and been teaching for the past six.

19 Days

1.2k students

4.5 stars

8 min / day

Awakening

English

Lesson 1

Introduction & Buddhism Before Writing

Buddhism wasn’t always a tradition that wrote down its teachings. In fact, for several hundred years after the Buddha's death, the entirety of Buddhism was passed down through oral memorization. We will be looking at this period of Buddhism to begin!

Lesson 2

The Pali Canon

On day two, we will be looking at the Pali Canon from a very wide-angle view. What is the Pali Canon? Why was it eventually written down? What is its place in Buddhism through the millennia?

Lesson 3

The Dhammapada

Starting to hone down to individual texts on day three, we will be going over the Dhammapada, the most common and often first text that people will interact with in Buddhism.

Lesson 4

The Majjhima Nikaya

On day four, we will be approaching the second of the five nikayas, the Majjhima Nikaya, which is the most studied text of the Nikayas outside of the Monastic practice.

Lesson 5

The Sammyutta Nikaya

On day five, we will be studying the Samyutta Nikaya which is the third of the five Nikayas. The Sammyutta nikaya mostly acts as a repository for many small discourses of the Buddha's more esoteric teachings.

Lesson 6

The Digha Nikaya

On day six, we will be looking into the Digha Nikaya which is a collection of thirty-four early teachings covering several aspects of pre-sectarian Buddhist life and thought.

Lesson 7

The Anguttara Nikaya

On day seven, we will be studying the Anguttara Nikaya which is specifically written specialists within the monastic orders of the buddha

Lesson 8

The Khuddaka Nikaya

On day eight, we will be looking into the last of the five Nikayas, the Khuddaka Nikaya. It is somewhat of the “Miscellaneous” teachings of the Buddha and his close disciples.

Lesson 9

The Abhidhamma-Pitaka

On day nine, we will be looking into the Abhidhamma-Pitaka which is the incredibly esoteric teachings and analysis of reality by the early Buddhists and the Buddha. In many ways, it hovers on the edge of the arcane

Lesson 10

The Prajnaparamita Sutras

On day ten, we will begin to move away from early Buddhism and into the Sutras which came after beginning with the Prajnaparamita Sutra which expounds and approaches the ideas of Emptiness.

Lesson 11

The Heart Sutra

On day eleven, we will be looking at the shortest text of the entire course, The Heart Sutra. Which acts as a profound summary of an entire tradition of teaching and expression being able to do so in a single page.

Lesson 12

The Diamond Sutra

On day twelve, we will be looking at the so popular and often misunderstood Diamond Sutra which posits the idea at its core that something is what it is only because of what it is not.

Lesson 13

The Lotus Sutra

On day thirteen, we will be discussing the Lotus Sutra which focuses on skillfully doing whatever is needed to serve and compassionately care for others on the path to awakening.

Lesson 14

The Platform Sutra

On day fourteen, we will be looking at a Sutra taught by a man who could not read or write, the Platform Sutra. It acts as a prime text of the Chan tradition of Buddhism and shows the big differences in the northern and southern schools of Chinese Buddhism.

Lesson 15

The Avatamsaka Sutra

On day fifteen, we will be looking at the Avatamsaka Sutra which is among the longest of the Buddhist sutras acting as a compilation of topics from the path of the Bodhisattvas, jhanas, siddhis, and the interpenetration of the Dharma.

Lesson 16

The Ratnakuta Sutra

On day sixteen, we will be studying the Ratnakuta Sutra, or Heap of Jewels Sutra. It is a collection of forty-nine teachings that are included in both the Mahayana Chinese traditions and the Tibetan Vajrayana traditions.

Lesson 17

The Lankavatara Sutra

On day seventeen, we will be learning about the Lankavatara Sutra which describes the various tiers of consciousness in the individual from the most shallow levels to the deepest Buddha nature consciousness.

Lesson 18

The Pure Land Sutras

On day eighteen, we will actually be discussing two different Sutras: The Amitabha and the Aparimitayur which provide the doctrinal basis of the Pure Land school. They are also sometimes called the Sukhavati Sutras.

Lesson 19

Going Forward & Reflections

On the final day of this course, we will be reflecting back on the past nineteen days. Where do you go from here? What is expected? What can we do to best study these teachings? How can the study of the texts support us in our path through Buddhism? Along with closing thoughts.

4.5 (28)

Recent Reviews

Chad

January 15, 2025

Love your courses Silas more,more,more

Chris

December 1, 2023

Too much noise gate on the audio. Otherwise, very useful synopsis .

Asher

August 13, 2023

I want to assure you that I learned a lot from this course. I have taken many of your courses. As well, I have listened to many of your prerecorded talks, and guided meditations. I have even listened to some of those in which you have collaborated with other practitioners, teachers. I have enjoyed them all; and learned a lot and feel they have added to my practice, but also to the spiritual element of my life. Thank you!

Joy

May 31, 2023

🙏🙏🙏

Hadrian

February 23, 2023

Wow, so many beautiful incentives to see the dawn break on the walls of these Heavenly Palaces of Wisdom 💚 Thank you and may you always walk on warm sands! 🙏

Jay

February 19, 2023

Sublime Sutra’s, Superbly Delivered! Thank you 🙏

Anne

January 27, 2023

A fascinating and informative course. Silas explains the core of the scriptures and gives a overview of all of them. I knew about a couple from other meditation classes but never read them. This course has got me looking for the texts and wanting to study them further. Thank you so much for a informative and interesting course.

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