The Buddha @ The Open Buddhist University

Who was the Buddha?

“Buddha” (properly speaking) refers, not to a single individual, but rather to a category of beings: those who have, through their own effort, attained complete enlightenment.

But, more typically, “the Buddha” refers to the Sakyan prince who, in the 5th century BCE Gangetic Plain, first rediscovered nibbāna and taught the way for attaining it.

Over 500 million people now worship the Buddha as their teacher, but the Buddha was no God. Indeed, it’s even said that a Buddha can only arise as a human—never as a deity (deva)— because only the human realm balances the misfortunes and mistakes of life which are necessary to motivate the practice, with the ease and discernment which allow it to ripen.

But while the Buddha was born a man, a man he did not remain. Through his superior striving and wisdom (over countless eons) he was able to transcend gender, caste, creed, identities, views, suffering and even death itself and to teach others how to transcend themselves too. We call such a teacher, “Buddha.”

Prerequisites

If you’re looking for a quick and inspiring biography of the Buddha, I recommend The Biography of Shakyamuni Buddha by Master Hsing Yun. This course goes beyond the basics to reading the primary sources themselves, and therefore requires some comfort reading the Early Buddhist Texts.

Course Materials

This syllabus has no associated lectures. It weaves together several, free books, mostly on the Pāli texts.

Textbooks

Main Anthology

The Life of the Buddha – Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli Thera (.pdf)

This classic, quirky anthology gives a good presentation of the Canonical account of the Buddha’s life. It will be the primary biography used in this course, and we will follow the book’s ordering of events.

Other Anthologies

To supplement Ñanamoli’s judicious selections from the Pāli Canon, we will use these anthologies to underline a couple themes I think worth dwelling on:

Teacher of the Devas – Susan E. Jootla (.pdf) (.epub)

To understand the Buddhist cosmology requires seeing the way the Gods and the Buddha related with one another.

Buddha, My Refuge – Laurence Khantipālo Mills (.pdf)

While it is important to mine the Pāli literature for historical and mythological details, it is also important to not lose sight of the Buddha’s extraordinary personal qualities, explained in this anthology through the nine characteristics of the Buddha.

Primary Texts

There’s one significant primary text in this course, but it isn’t an early text.

The Nidānakathā: Introduction to the Jātaka Stories (.pdf) (.epub)

This traditional Pāli commentary contains one of the first systematic biographies of the Buddha and formed the basis for many of the later hagiographies. While not necessarily a reliable source of information about the historical Buddha himself, it is of critical importance for understanding the myths and stories about the Buddha which persist today.

Academic Works

A number of articles and essays will be weaved in throughout the course. We’ll also be reading these two, free books:

Original Versions of Some Entries for the Encyclopedia of Buddhism – Peter Harvey (.pdf)

A collection of Encyclopedia articles introducing the Buddha from one of the English language’s best authors of rigorous introductions.

The Genesis of the Bodhisattva Ideal – Bhikkhu Anālayo (.pdf)

In this monograph, the renowned scholar of early Buddhism explores what the early literature can tell us about how the Buddha became the Buddha: a topic of extraordinary importance in later centuries.

The Course

I’ve sequenced the above books into an inter-woven, narrative arc which I (at least!) find compelling.

If I were to actually teach this course, I’d perhaps meet twice per week for 13 weeks. The readings below have been bunched together according to this hypothetical schedule, but for individual study you’re of course welcome to work through the readings as you like.

Introduction

[Entries - Peter Harvey] The Early Buddhist Concept of the Buddha
[Entries] Past and Future Buddhas
[E] Dates of the Buddha
[Nidanakatha: The Introduction to the Jatakas] The Introduction by T. W. Rhys Davids
[E] The Buddha’s Historical Context

Part 1: Becoming the Buddha

[Life of the Buddha] Birth and Childhood
DN 30 Lakkhaṇa Sutta: The Marks of a Great Man (.pdf)

This mythic text gives the 32 characteristics of Gotama’s body, which,legend has it, marked him for greatness at an early age. Note that some of the Suttas are not as early as others!
On the Origins of the 32 Marks of a Great Man – Nathan McGovern (.pdf)
Politics of the Buddha’s Genitals – Bhante Sujato (.pdf)
[E] The Buddha’s Family
“Gotama” was probably the clan of the Sakyan family priest – Bhante Sujato
Did the Buddha Really Have a Wife and Son? – Matthew Gindin (.pdf)
DN 14 Mahāpadāna Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Harvest of Deeds (.pdf)

This mythic sutta gives the story of the Buddha we may be familiar with… but attributes it to the Buddha Vipassī! It wasn’t until later that this story came to be normalized as true of all Buddhas: our own included.
Snp 3.1: Going Forth

(Bhante Sujato’s translation here is preferred to Ñanamoli’s below)
[Life] The Struggle for Enlightenment
[Bodhisattva Ideal - Analayo] Chapter 1: Gautama as a Bodhisattva
[Nidanakatha] The Middle Epoch
- Note especially any contrasts to the earlier texts.
[E] The Bodhisattva Career in the Theravada
[Bodhisattva] Chapter 2: Meeting the Previous Buddha
The Sumedhakathā in Pāli Literature and Its Relation to the Northern Buddhist Textual Tradition – Junko Matsumura (.pdf)
[Nidanakatha] The Distant Epoch
[Buddha, My Refuge] Introduction
The Food of Awakening – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika (.pdf)
The Shape of Victory: the Earth-Touching Gesture in Context – Doug Smith (.pdf)
[Life] After the Enlightenment
Epithets of the Buddha (.jpeg) (.jpeg)
The Meaning of the Word Tathāgata According to the Pāli Commentaries: Text and Introduction – Bhikkhu Bodhi (.pdf) (.pdf)
Tathāgata – Bhikkhu Anālayo (.pdf)
The Weary Buddha: Why the Buddha Nearly Couldn’t Be Bothered – David Webster (.pdf) (.pdf)
[Entries] Pratyeka-buddhas
[Entries] Optional: The Four Ennobling Truths
[Refuge] Arahaṁ
Mvu 94: From Uruvilvā to Ṛṣipatana (.pdf)
The Dharmacakrapravartana Sūtra (.pdf)
[Life] Spreading the Dhamma
[L] The Two Chief Disciples
[L] Anathapindika: Feeder of the Poor
[Nidanakatha] The Last Epoch
[Refuge] sammā-sambuddho
DN 28 Sampasādanīya Sutta: Inspiring Confidence (.pdf)

Part 2: Establishing the Religion

[Entries] Review: The Story of the Buddha
[Teacher of the Devas] Introduction: The Devas
[Life] Formation of the Order of Nuns
A Whisper in the Silence: Nuns Before Mahāpajāpatī – Liz Williams (.pdf) (.pdf)
Mahāpajāpatī’s Going Forth in the Madhyama-āgama – Bhikkhu Anālayo (.pdf)
Vijjācaraṇa: Knowledge and Conduct – Bhikkhu Anālayo (.pdf)
[Refuge] Vijjā-caraṇa-sampanno
Tevijja-Vacchagotta Sutta – Bhikkhu Anālayo (.pdf)
[L] The Quarrel at Kosambi
AN 6.43 Nāga Sutta: The Giant (.pdf)
[R] Sugato
[L] End of the First Twenty Years
MN 35: Cūḷasaccaka Sutta (.pdf)
[Teacher] Teaching the Devas
[R] Locavidū
[L] The Middle Period
[E] The Buddha’s Style of Teaching
[R] Anuttaro purisa-damma-sārathi
[L] The Person
MN 91: With Brahmāyu (.pdf)
The Buddha Was Bald – Eisel Mazard (.pdf)
AN 3.35 Hatthaka Sutta: With Hatthaka (.pdf)
[L] The Doctrine
[E] Anatman
[R] Satthā deva-manussānaṁ
[T] Devas Honor the Buddha
[L] Devadatta
[R] Buddho
[L] Old Age
[E] The Buddha and Cakravartins
Review: [T] Devas in the Buddha’s Career
[L] The Last Year
(Optionally) For a short lecture series on the Maha Parinibbana Sutta by Bhante Sujato, see parts one, two, three, and four on YouTube
Sūkaramaddava: The Buddha’s Last Meal – John D. Ireland (.pdf) (.pdf)
The Cause of the Buddha’s Death – Mettanando Bhikkhu and Oskar von Hinüber (.pdf)
[E] Relics of the Buddha
[R] Bhagava
[E] Early Symbols of the Buddha
[L] The First Council
[T] Liberation and Conclusion

Epilogue: The Far Future

[Bodhisattva] Maitreya

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Advanced Courses

The Majjhima Nikāya

Many stories from life in the early Sangha and the most complex teachings of the Canon, analyzed methodically by Bhikkhu Bodhi.

The Pāli Language: Level 1

An introduction to the language of the Buddha.

or feel free to check out any of our University's other fine offerings.

The Buddha

A Course Syllabus

Table of Contents