Diamond Sutra Syllabus

Advanced Studies: Summer/ Fall 2019

Course Description:

This class is designed as an advanced studies class for Wy’East Zen Center. The idea behind it is to offer interested sangha members an opportunity to take up study with more depth that can be achieved in a Wednesday evening talk/ class. The class will be structured as a series, meeting approximately every two weeks. One meeting a month will be in-person, the other may be held via Zoom conference. The class will combine academic study, reflection, meditation, and discussion as modes of exploring the topic of the class.

Texts:

Conze, Edward (trans.). 2001. Buddhist Wisdom: The Diamond Sutra and The Heart Sutra. New York, NY: Vintage Books.

Red Pine (trans.). 2001. The Diamond Sutra: text and commentaries. Berkeley,CA: Counterpoint Publications

Outcomes:

  1. Students will be able to locate the Diamond Sutra in the history of the Buddhist tradition.

  2. Students will be able to articulate their working definitions of emptiness by both written and verbal expressions.

  3. Students will learn how to relate to Diamond Sutra teachings by engaging in discussion, recitation, meditation, and analysis.

Schedule:

The reading schedule is for Red Pine’s The Diamond Sutra. Conze’s translation provides useful definitions that are more technical in nature. For each reading in Red Pine’s translation, the equivalent subject matter in Conze’s translation is encouraged.

  1. 6/23/2019 – Class 1: Chapters 1 – 4 p. 39 – 99 (in person)

  2. 7/7/2019 – Class 2: Chapters 5 – 8 p. 101 – 156 (zoom)

  3. 7/21/2019 – Class 3: Chapters 9 – 12 p. 157 – 204 (in person)

  4. 8/4/2019 – Class 4: Chapters 13 – 16 p. 204 – 281 (zoom)

  5. 8/18/2019 – Class 5: Chapters 17 – 20 p. 283 – 326 (in person)

  6. 9/1/2019 – Class 6: Chapters 21 – 24 p. 327 – 367 (zoom)

  7. 9/15/2019 – Class 7: Chapters 25 – 28 p. 369 – 399 (in person)

  8. 9/29/2019 – Class 8: Chapters 29 – 32 p. 401 – 435 (zoom)

  • In-person meetings will be held at the Sandy Public Library Community Room on one Sunday/month from 3:00-4:30 pm

  • Videoconference meetings will be held monthly via Zoom.  Zoom is easy to use - simply click "Join A Meeting".  The meeting ID is: 532-862-4733  

Expectations:

Students are expected to keep up with the readings; to engage with the text through reading and reflection; to write a > 1 page reflection paper ahead of each class regarding their thoughts about the readings, any questions, challenges, uncertainties, and how the study of this text is affecting their practice and worldview.

Reflection papers can be submitted to Jyoshin via email as a .pdf or .docx document. These papers are solely for your benefit. They help Jyoshin assess what might need to be covered in greater depth. There will be no grades given for this class or any sort of pass/fail designation.

Questions?