It has long been Thay’s aspiration for the DTO to offer our Dharma Studies Course online. The technology developed during the pandemic has encouraged us to move the BSI class online.
In 2022-2023 all our sanghas combined and jointly ran the course as one combined online sangha. It was an amazing success! Based on what we learned, we refined our approach and officially opened our virtual doors to all students for the 2023-2024 class. We had a wonderful response, and the ensuing year was great with a highly motivated group of students, mentors, and other friends on the path.
We are now in our second year of online Buddhist studies and the classes are underway. We’ll be covering the Buddha’s teachings on meditation practices, based on the Anapanasati, Satipatthana Sutras, and other works. You can see the curriculum’s book list here.
The Dharma Teacher Order (DTO) created the Buddhadharma Studies Institute (BSI) as an outreach effort to spread the Dharma and ease suffering in the West. The application process opens in June. The biweekly Saturday classes run from September to April. The academic year concludes with the in-person April retreat . The course curriculum runs in a four-year cycle, but no year is a prerequisite for another, so you can start your four years of studies at the beginning of any academic year.
This is a student led program. During the year, presentations related to the current reading are offered by the students. Presenters are supported and guided by book mentors who are DTO ordained teachers and priests. Following the presentations there are discussions (both in Zoom and on Canvas) with the participation of students, teachers, and Dharma friends.
Please visit bsi.DharmaTeacherOrder.org for more information!
