LONDON BUDDHIST VIHARA - SUNDAY DHAMMA CLASSES SYLLABUS

Class 2 : Beginners - ages 7 - 10 Yrs.- Buddhism

Syllabus:
Life of Buddha –Triple Gem, Buddhist Stories
The Five precepts – Learning the meanings and practise reciting
Stanzas – Worshipping Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and Parents


Covering subjects:

The Buddha
1. Birth of the Prince
2. Prince’s Kindness
3. Education
4. Marriage
5. Four Signs
6. Renunciation
7. Enlightenment
8. First Sermon
9. Preaching
10. Passing away

The Dhamma
1. Do Not do Bad - The Five precepts
2. Do Good
3. Keep your mind clean

The Sangha

Personalities
1. Rahula, Yasodara
2. Maha Maya, King Suddhodana, Maha Prajapathi Gotami
3. Channa, Kantaka

Buddhist Stories
1. No Killing
2. No stealing
3. No Lying
4. Respecting Teachers
5. Helping each other
6. Making good friends
7. Not to be selfish
8. Not to fight with each other
9. Clean mind

Stanzas
1. Ithi peso bagawa……… Paying respect to the Buddha
2. Swak-katho bagawa……Paying respect to the Dhamma
3. Supatipanno bagawtho…..Paying respect to the Sangha
4. Dasamase Urekatva…….Worshipping mother
5. Uddhikaro alingitva……..Worshipping father

TEXT BOOK – KEY STAGE 1

Class 3: Introductory Class - Buddhism- Continuation of Class 2


Syllabus: Continuation of Class 2 Syllabus

Life of Buddha – The Birth and struggle for Enlightenment to Parinibbana
Stanzas – Offering Flowers, incenses and lighting lamps
Buddhist Festivals, Stories, and Symbols in Buddhism
Disciples of Buddha – Ananda , Moggallana, Sariputta etc.

Covering Subjects:

·        The Buddha
1. The Birth of the Prince
2. Childhood of the Prince
3. Youth and Education of the Prince
4. The Four sights
5. Renunciation
6. The quest
7. Enlightenment
8. Chief Monks and Chief Nuns
9. Outstanding lay Followers
10. The Buddha’s Last days

·        The Dhamma
1. The First Noble Truth – Suffering
2. The Second Noble Truth – The cause of Suffering
3. The Third Noble Truth - The end of suffering
4. The Forth Noble Truth - Path leading to the end of suffering

·        Stanza
1. Pujemi buddan…….. Offering Flowers
2. Wanna ganha………Offering Flowers
3. Ganda Sambara…… Offering Incence
4. Gana sarappa………..Offering Lights

·        Buddhist Festivals:
1.Vesak Celebrations
2.Pososn Celebrations
3.Esala Celebrations
4.Sangamittha Day

·        Buddhist Stories
1. Kisa Gotami - The First Noble Truth
2. The monkey trap – The second Noble Truth
3. A Happy Monk – The Third Noble Truth
4. Raft - The Fourth Noble Truth
5. You cannot dirty the sky - Right Speech
6. The brave Quail – The First Precept
7. A Fly and an elephant - The fifth Precept
8. A layman who violates the five precepts – The importance of keeping to the precepts.
9. The elephant Nalagiri - Loving Kindness

·        Symbols in Buddhism
2. The Dharma Wheel 1. Lotus Flower 2. The Dhamma Wheel 3.Buddhist Flag
4. Bodhi tree 5. Stupa 6. Buddhist Shrines & Images.

TEXT BOOK : KEY STAGE 2

SYLLABUS - JUNIOR PART 2

Essential Text Book : Guide to the Study of Theravada Buddhism - Book 2

Reference Books: 1. A Manual of Buddhism 2. The Dhammapada
3. A Manual of Abhidhamma 4. The Mirror of the Dhamma

Paper 1 - Dhamma

The syllabus of Junior Part 1 and the following. The six special knowledges of the Buddha.(Shad-asadharana Nana), and 10 Powers of a Buddha (Dasa-Tatagata Bala) The names of books of the Vinaya Pitaka, the main divisions and their commentaries, etc.
Important events in the life of the Buddha from Birth up to the end of the first 20 years after Enlightenment, with special reference of the following.
(1) The first sermon
(2) Ordination of Yasa and his friends
(3) Commencement of missionary activities
(4) The chief disciples,
(5) Establishment of the Bhikkhuni Order
(6) Buddha’s visits to Sri Lanka, etc. Buddha’s lay patrons, - Anathapindika, Bimbisara, Visakha, Kosala, etc.
Lives of Ven. Ananda, Sariputta, Moggalana, and Maha Kassapa, Bhikkhis Khema, Uppalavana etc.
Six Theravada Buddhist Councils and first writing of The Tipitaka. The Four Noble Truthswith details of the 8-Fold Path, 4 sublime states – Brahma vihara
The10 perfections - Dasa parami with a Jataka Story to illustrate each Parami.
Dhammapada stanzas Nos. 12, 33, 41, 43, 50, 53, 60, 61, 82, 85, 109 and 204 with their meanings.

Paper II - Abhidhamma

Syllabus of Junior part 1 plus clear understanding of the fifty two (52) Cetasikas (Mental Factors) and their classifications. The composition of each citta, - Sangahanaya and the identification of cittas in which a particular cetasika will be found. - Sampayoganaya (see chapter 2)
Nibbana, the definition, qualities, aspects, etc. (See chapter 6 end).

SYLLABUS - SENIOR PART 1


Essential Text Books : Guide to the Study of Theravada Buddhism - Book 3
The Buddha and his teachings, Dhammapada and A Manual of Abhidhamma by Ven. Narada Thera


Paper I - DHAMMA

Important Events in the Life of the Buddha from Enlightenment to Parinibbana,
Kamma and Vipaka, Proof of Rebirth, and 5 Natural laws – Panca Niyama Dhamma,
Nivarana (Hindrances), Dasa Sanyojana (Ten Fetters),
General Knowledge of 40 objects of meditation in samatha Bhavana and the results,
Social ethics of Buddhism based on Parabhava, Sigalovada and Vyagghapajja Suttas.

Dhammapada Stanzas- 19, 24, 35, 54, 56, 62, 63, 76, 80, 94, 99, 100, 104, 105, 129. They should memorized and the meaning of the stanzas known.

Paper II - ABHIDHAMMA

Analysis of the 28 kinds of qualities of matter – rupa samuddesa. Their classification into 8 categories etc, - rupa vibhago. Formation of matter – rupa samutthana, Grouping – rupa kalapa, Occurrence of matter, in different plances, time and class of beings – Rupa Pavattikkamo. (See Chapter 6)

Classificatin of citta according to Feeling – Vedana, Roots – Hetu, and Functions – Kicca. (See chapter 3 –Miscellanceous Section)

SYLLABUS - SENIOR PART 2

Essential Text Books : The Buddha and his teachings, Dhammapada and A Manual of Abhidhamma by
Ven. Narada Thera

Paper I – Dhamma (The syllabus of Senior Part 1 and the following)

37 Bodhipakkhiya dhamma – 37 Constituents of Enlightenment. 4 stages on the path to Nibbana, Paticca samuppada – Dependent Origination, 3 signata – Tilakkhana, Meaning of the verses in Ratana Sutta, and a summery of Dhammachakka Pavattana Sutt. Contribution made to the Buddha Sasana by H. S Olcott, and his associates.

Dhammapada Stanzas. 64, 65, 67, 68, 81, 90, 92, 97, 103, 112, 113, 121, 122, 127, 145 with their meanings.

Paper II - Abhidhamma

Senior part 1 syllabus plus Classification of citta according to Door – Dvara, Objects – Arammana, and Bases – Vattu (See chapter 3) Analyses of Thought processes – Citta vithi, throught sense doors and mind door, according to individuals and places – Puggla & Bhumi Bhedo, and death proximate thought process – maranasanna citta vithi (See chapters 4) and Process freed (chapter-5)

SYLLABUS - SENIOR PART 2

Essential Text Books : The Buddha and his teachings, Dhammapada and A Manual of Abhidhamma by
Ven. Narada Thera

Paper I – Dhamma (The syllabus of Senior levels and the following)

A summery of the Maha Satipatthana sutta and Culla-kamma Vibhanga Sutta,

A general knowledge of Vipassana Bhavana, (Insighat Meditation), 7 stages to Purity - (Satta Visuddhi), Uniqueness of the Buddha and His teachings. Differences between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.

Dhammapada stanzas - 75, 89, 123, 146, 202, 216, 239, 240, 276, 277, 338, 365, 366, They should be memorized and the meaning of the stanzas known.

Paper 2 - Abhidhamma

Syllabuses aof Seniour Levels plus

Abhidhamma Categories (Chapter7)

The law of Dependent arising, Paticcasamuppada and the Law of Causal Relations - Patthana - The 24 conditions, Uddesa and Trirasiya - Chaper 8.

Pali - There will be a few optional questions in Pali at the end of the Abhidhamma paper