Course Description
This course offers a dynamic introduction to Theravāda Buddhism, the only living Buddhist tradition that preserves and transmits the earliest strata of Buddhist thought in an unbroken lineage. As the sole surviving representative of the ancient schools often grouped under the label “Early Buddhism” or “Hīnayāna,” Theravāda occupies a unique position in the history of Buddhism. Its canonical texts, preserved in Pāli—an Indic language closely related to the language of the earliest teachings—provide unparalleled access to the doctrinal, philosophical, and contemplative foundations of the Buddhist tradition. Today, Theravāda remains a vibrant and influential form of Buddhism, practiced widely across South and Southeast Asia and increasingly studied and practiced worldwide. This course is designed to clarify common misconceptions by highlighting what makes Theravāda distinctive, and by carefully distinguishing it from Early Buddhism as a historical construct, from other ancient schools now lost, and from later Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna traditions.
The course runs for four weeks, each devoted to a core dimension of the Theravāda tradition.
Course Preview
Course Modules
Module 1 — History of Theravāda
Module 2 — Literature
Module 3 — Philosophy
Module 4 — Meditation
Students Will Receive:
- 4 Pre-recorded lectures (90 min each)
- 4 Live Q&A sessions on Zoom (90 min each)
- Recommended PDF readings
- 4 Multiple Choice quizzes
- Yogic Studies Certificate (PDF)
- Access to the private Community Forum
- 4 ACP Credits
- 12 Hours of CE credit with YA
Dr. Aleix Ruiz-Falqués
Head of the Department of Pali and Languages at the Shan State Buddhist University, Khyentse Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Buddhist Studies, and Lecturer of Pali at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Aleix Ruiz-Falqués teaches graduate courses in Pali language and literature in Taunggyi, Myanmar. Aleix completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 2016, under the supervision of Prof. Eivind Kahrs. His research focuses on traditional grammar and scholasticism in Pali, particularly in Myanmar. More broadly, he is interested in ancient Indian literature (kāvya) and philosophy or knowledge systems (śāstra).
After completing his PhD in 2015, Aleix worked for two years on Pali manuscripts in Thailand, and he spent one year doing independent research in India. In 2018, he moved to the Shan State in Myanmar, where his long-term project is to teach and learn the Pali and Burmese languages and literature in a traditional monastic setting. One of his long-term goals is to reveal and demystify the treasures of the Pali medieval tradition that explain how we still possess the ancient words of the Buddha today.
This course is eligible for 12 hours of Continued Education (CE) credits with Yoga Alliance
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