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The Life of the Buddha in Indian Texts: Approaching Pāli and Reading Sanskrit

July 8-13, 2019 - Department of Asian and North African Studies

Ca' Foscari University of Venice

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What Buddhist Texts Summer School Is All About

The course aims to introduce students to the study of Buddhism through a direct approach to the literary Indian sources. As a first approach, what could be better than to start from the very beginning? The underlying theme of the course, indeed, will be the narrations of the life of the founder, that is the one who will be called by his followers with the epithet of Buddha “the Awakened One”.

Testa del Buddha tra le radici nel parco

The first days of the course is aimed at introducing students to the study and reading of the Pāli language, a Middle Indo-Aryan literary language closely related to pre-classical Sanskrit. The Pāli language is unfortunately still poorly studied (not only in Italy but also abroad), although it gives access to the only Buddhist canon in an Indian language that has come down to us in its entirety, namely the canon of the Theravāda school, called precisely Pāli canon. The objective of the first preparatory linguistic and grammatical lessons, by Dr. Andrea Drocco and Dr. Bryan De Notariis respectively, is to enable students to get introduced to the reading of a Pāli text concerning the life of the Buddha. These readings will be held by Professor Rupert Gethin, an internationally renowned Indologist and a leading scholar in Buddhist studies of the University of Bristol. Finally, Professor Marco Franceschini will read some selected passages from the Padyacūḍāmaṇi “The diadem of verses”, a Sanskrit poem that narrates the life of the Buddha from conception to achievement of enlightenment.

The Life of the Buddha in Indian Texts: Approaching Pāli and Reading Sanskrit

Grammar. Philology. Linguistics. Translation and comparative literature studies.

VENUE

Department of Asian and North African Studies

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

Ca’ Cappello – Calle del Magazen

20135 – Venice

LECTURERS

Dr. Bryan De Notariis (University of Turin)

Dr. Andrea Drocco (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)

Prof. Marco Franceschini (University of Bologna)

Prof. Rupert Gethin (University of Bristol, President of the Pali Text Society)

PREREQUISITES

A prior basic knowledge of the Sanskrit language is required for the participation at the Summer School.

LANGUAGES

The lessons will be in Italian and/or English. All lessons will be taught in English in case of the participation of international students. In case the participants will be only Italians, the lessons will be in Italian apart from those delivered by Prof. Rupert Gethin.

ADMISSION

Max 18 students.

The Summer School will only take place with a minimum of 8 students.

FEES

No fees are required.

Sponsors
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