Virtue is an indispensable foundation of Buddhist practice. The precepts offer guidelines for the intentional development of compassion, concentration, mindfulness, and wisdom. By practicing deeply with the precepts we refine our intentional actions, reflect upon kamma, cultivate personal discipline, and nurture harmony in our relationships. By refining the five precepts, we can restrain the forces of greed and hatred, end the craving and selfishness that causes suffering, and dwell with the joy that comes from a clear, balanced, and kind mind.
This online program is intended for experienced meditators who are committed to purifying their mind by undertaking and refining the five training precepts.
The style of this course differs slightly from the usual Bodhi Courses format. This course on the precepts is designed as a monthly discussion group of dedicated practitioners; it will include both teacher led and peer led discussions each month. Topics and teachings are included, but personal participation and discussion is the central feature of this program. Participants are expected to work with practical experiments and reflective writing to expose and understand potentially harmful patterns, expand the range of skillful responses, and cultivate wise actions. Confidentiality and respectful supportive communication is required.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants in this course will
- deepen their appreciation of the ethical basis of the Buddhist teachings
- diligently apply the 5 precepts in daily interactions and worldly situations
- identify habitual tendencies that weaken the commitment to restraint
- strengthen the capacity for restraint
- consider the consequences of ethical breaches on the liberating potential of dhamma practice
- experience the rapture and joy that comes with blamelessness
- practice listening non-judgmentally to dhamma friends as we work together to strengthen precept practice
WHAT TO EXPECT
This online course includes:
- recorded lectures
- reading assignments
- sutta study
- guided meditations
- peer led discussion forums
- online video meetings with Shaila Catherine
ONLINE MEETING DATES LISTED BELOW ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
7 Teacher Led Sessions: Sundays | 9–11AM Pacific Time | Apr 26, May 31, June 21, Jul 26, Aug 23, Sep 20, Oct 25.
An additional 6 Moderator Led Sessions will included; specific dates will be announced within the course.
PREREQUISITE FOR ENROLLMENT
There are no prerequisites to attend this course; however, it is designed with the assumption that participants will already have an established mindfulness meditation practice. It is geared toward meditators who are already familiar with Bodhi Courses and/or teachings given by Shaila Catherine, and have attended prior retreats.
Shaila is offering this course in place of her annual Sustaining Deep Practice mentoring program and it will nurture the development of practice between retreats. This course is designed for serious and advanced meditators. We are excited to work closely with experienced meditators who value the fundamentals of dhamma training.
Please refer to the FAQ tab for more information.
Co-sponsored by Insight Meditation South Bay and Bodhi Courses.
Course materials will be included as downloadable pdfs, audio recordings, and links within our online Bodhi Classroom.
The course is entirely online, and includes recorded lectures and guided meditation instructions, readings, sutta study, discussion forums, a library of resources, and optional live audio or video conferences with Shaila Catherine.
Bodhi Courses is planned and designed for people with busy schedules and every-day demands. The self-paced learning modules offer flexibility for completing assignments. Internet access is needed, but if you have a mobile device or internet access while traveling, your participation can continue without interruption. Audio talks are streamed, not downloadable.
Yes, both. Shaila Catherine will offer several opportunities for optional live audio conferences. These sessions are optional and open to all class participants, and recordings are later made available within the course. These large group conference calls may include reflections on the lesson topic, questions and answers about applying course topics to your meditation practice, or the study of a sutta. Practical questions and comments related to meditation and the course materials are invited. However, Shaila is not available outside these large group calls for individual inquiries or practice guidance.
Students will also interact through the written discussion forums. Shaila reviews the written forums to draw out themes for the audio conferences, but she will rarely add a post directly. The written forums are intended to be a space for peer-to-peer discussions; they are moderated by a team of wise, skilled discussion leaders who help guide the forum discussions toward in-depth and practical explorations of the course themes.
A computer with dependable internet access and a browser, and standard (freely available) software for listening to audio files and viewing PDF documents.
A mobile app for Moodle courseware is also available for those who prefer to access the course via a mobile device.
No. The course is hosted on Moodle, which is courseware widely used by schools, universities, and various learning programs worldwide. Moodle is compatible with both PC and Mac. Moodle is browser-based, requiring no downloads or installations. For mobile devices, the Moodle moblie app is available for (free) download.
Optional live audio or video conferences with Shaila Catherine may be accessed by either computer or phone. Details will be provided in the course.
The registration fee covers participation in the course, but does not include books. Additional donations (dana) for the teacher are welcome and encouraged.
Donations may be offered through our Teacher Support Page.
Registration fees are non-refundable. In the case of cancellations that occur at least 14 days prior to the course start date, Bodhi Courses will credit the amount above half the low end of the sliding scale towards a future course. Voucher credits expire in one year.
Contact: bcregistration
The assignments will likely require about 3 hours per week, depending on your level of interest and inquiry. Each learning module will span 7-14 days, and during that designated period, you may work at your own pace. Daily meditation practice is strongly encouraged.
The sliding scale registration fee is the only payment made to Bodhi Courses. In addition you will need to purchase the required course book(s) from your favorite book supplier or borrow from a library.
Our lectures and guided meditations are streamed, not downloadable. Depending upon the service contract with your internet provider you may incur data charges to listen to the lectures.
We design our recorded lectures, guided meditations, and conference calls to function within the context of a structured course, and therefore we do not make them available for downloading or use outside the course. We envision this to be a classroom experience that is limited in time to the specified course period. We do not offer permanent access or personal possession of the talks, guided meditations, or recordings.
We do, however, provide the following support for enrolled participants: during each 2-3 month course period, the completed course modules remain available and students can review material from earlier modules throughout the duration of the course. We also keep our courses available for a few weeks after the closing date. The number of weeks varies and depends upon how much time our volunteers need to prepare for the next Bodhi Course. Usually the material is available for 3-4 weeks after the course ends, and we announce the final date within the course. This extension offers extra time for students to review the material or catch up if they fell behind. After this period for review, the material will no longer be available and access to the course will be denied.
COST: Sliding Scale $360 – $760
Please consider offering generously within your means. The lower end of the scale is intended for those with very limited means. If additional scholarship assistance is needed, please contact us. The deadline for scholarship applications is 14 days prior to the date registration closes.
MEET THE TEACHER
Shaila Catherine
Shaila Catherine
