Understanding Buddhism, Part 1: Foundations

This course introduces Buddhism from its origins in Vedic India through the pivotal period immediately following the historical Buddha in the first millennium BCE. We begin by exploring the fertile cultural soil that informed and was transformed by early Buddhism, including the concepts of karma, caste, selfhood, and the afterlife. From there, we trace the legendary life of the Buddha, and then dive deeply into the worldview, paradigms, and core elements of his early teachings, including the Middle Way, the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the concepts of impermanence and no-self. We next examine the practical development of the emergent Buddhist community, including the roles of mendicants, women, and lay followers, and what it means to become a Buddhist formally through taking refuge and adopting the ethical precepts. We conclude by examining the passing of the Buddha, the formation of the Buddhist canon, and the historical schisms that shaped the early tradition.