Resources — Pāli for Practice

Backstory

Some years ago in John Kelly’s Pāli Reading Group, we read the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. Being well familiar with this discourse in English and with a growing confidence in Pāli, I eagerly anticipated recognizing a few now-familiar Pāli words. But some of the Pāli words were not what I expected them to be. These surprises led to new ways of thinking about the instructions and how to practice. 

From this, an impulse naturally arose to share these words in the peer-led online sangha, Dharmachanics. The ‘Pāli for Practice’ series kicked off with a deep dive into those Pāli words that had surprised me, and then continued in later sessions looking at various aspects of the sutta such as the hindrances, precepts, and more.

A few months into the series, I began Sanskrit studies with James Whelan of the London Buddhist Society. This opened my eyes to the richness of, as James describes, ‘the inner life’ of these words, not only in Pāli but also the related Sanskrit.

Many thanks to Ron Serrano, the driving force behind Dharmachanics,  who records and posts the sessions.

As my understanding continues to evolve, so too do the presentations. How I present the material now varies somewhat from when these videos were recorded. Yet the videos still provide useful information, which you may find helpful for your practice.

I’m happy to share ‘Pāli for Practice’ with your sangha in a live virtual session.