SV 201 | Readings in Sanskrit Treatises:
Bodhicaryāvatāra
16-week online course
taught by Luke Gibson
Course Overview
In introductory courses, students study short passages from original Sanskrit texts, working through them with the help of vocabulary lists and grammar notes. This foundation prepares them for our reading courses, where students undertake a semester-long, in-depth exploration of one of the great classics of Sanskrit literature, developing their ability to use dictionaries and reference works on Sanskrit grammar to move beyond guided exercises and begin reading Sanskrit texts with greater autonomy.
The texts selected for these courses feature a blend of Buddhist and Hindu sources, highlighting the complex and fruitful interplay at the heart of South Asia’s intellectual history. The readings will span a wide range of literary genres—from poetry and philosophical treatises to narrative works and sacred scriptures—offering students a broad sampling of Classical Sanskrit literature.
About the Reading
The Bodhicaryāvatāra holds a unique place in the history of Indian spiritual writings. Framed as the author’s private meditations on the bodhisattva’s path, it has been celebrated both for its poetic beauty and its poignant reflections on the human qualities cultivated by spiritual seekers on the path toward awakening. According to tradition, more than one hundred commentaries on this work were written in India, with many more composed by Tibetan scholars, making the Bodhicaryāvatāra one of the most widely studied texts of Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Though rooted in a Buddhist worldview, the Bodhicaryāvatāra regularly speaks to universal human concerns, offering timeless wisdom that resonates across cultural and religious boundaries. In this way, it shares common ground with other great classics, such as the Bhagavadgītā of Hinduism or the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Each of these texts provides a framework for navigating life’s challenges, encouraging the cultivation of inner peace and a concern for the well-being of others.
In this course, we will explore the Bodhicaryāvatāra’s 5th and 6th chapters. The 5th chapter discusses how to guard one’s mind from the influence of unwholesome states of mind through the cultivation of clear awareness (samprajanya) and mindfulness (smṛti), while the 6th chapter delves into the perfection (pāramitā) of forbearance (kṣānti), offering an antidote to the singularly destructive emotions of anger (krodha) and hatred (dveṣa). To deepen our understanding of Śāntideva’s pithy verses, we will frequently reference the Bodhicaryāvatāra Pañjikā, a detailed Sanskrit commentary written by the 10th-century scholar Prajñākaramati.
“For philology is that venerable art which exacts from its followers one thing above all—to step to one side, to leave themselves spare moments, to grow silent, to become slow—the leisurely art of the goldsmith applied to language: an art which must carry out slow, fine work, and attains nothing if not lento (slowly). For this very reason, philology is now more desirable than ever before; thus, it entices and enchants us the most, in the midst of an age of “work,” that is to say, of haste, of unseemly and immoderate hurry-skurry, which is intent upon “getting things done” at once, even every book, whether old or new. This art does not so easily get anything done: it teaches how to read well, that is to say, slowly, deeply, looking cautiously before and after, with reservations, with doors left open, with delicate fingers and eyes.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
The Dawn: Thoughts on the Prejudices of Morality
Course Features
-
Interactive Learning Environment
Students take turns sharing their understanding of the text—either through translation or grammatical explanation—before receiving feedback from the instructor. Participants are encouraged to ask questions freely and embrace making mistakes as an essential part of the learning process. A group chat allows students to engage with their peers and receive real-time feedback from the instructor between classes.
-
Mastering Sanskrit Syntax
With the instructor’s guidance, students strengthen their ability to analyze Sanskrit sentence structure—including compounds and idiomatic expressions—in a systematic fashion, understanding Sanskrit modes of expression from the inside out.
-
Bringing Sanskrit to Life
The course emphasizes reading and reciting Sanskrit aloud. Each class begins with students reciting the passages covered in the previous session. In reading courses focused on verse texts, students further develop their chanting skills while being introduced to new metrical patterns and traditional melodies for chanting.
-
Extensive Course Materials
Students receive printable PDF files of the course texts, formatted with generous line spacing to make note-taking easier. Participants are also introduced to a diverse range of dictionaries (including digital and online versions) and grammar reference books, alongside other valuable learning tools such as Anki (flashcard software) and high-quality recordings of each live session for review.
The Teacher
Luke Gibson has been teaching Sanskrit for over a decade. With a background in French, Mandarin, Classical Chinese, and Pāli as well as Sanskrit, his passion for language learning and pedagogy inspired him to develop his own Sanskrit textbook and launch the Śabda·vidyā Sanskrit Studio, an online platform designed to share his passion with a diverse global audience of Sanskrit enthusiasts. As a relatively young teacher, he retains a vivid understanding of the challenges faced by beginner students. His interests span early Buddhist (Pāli) texts, Mahāyāna philosophy, Advaita Vedānta, Sanskrit poetry (kāvya), as well as the transmission and adaptation of South Asian traditions in East Asia—particularly Chan/Zen Buddhism—and the West.
Audio sample from the teacher—from the opening verses of Śāntideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra:
na hi kiṃcid apūrvam atra vācyaṃ na ca saṃgranthanakauśalaṃ mamāsti |
ata eva na me parārthacintā svamano vāsayituṃ kṛtaṃ mayedam || 1.2 ||
mama tāvad anena yāti vṛddhiṃ kuśalaṃ bhāvayituṃ prasādavegaḥ |
atha matsamadhātur eva paśyed aparo ’py enam ato ’pi sārthako ’yam || 1.3 ||
“There is nothing in this work that has not already been said,
nor do I possess any special talent for writing.
I did not, therefore, compose it with the aim of benefiting others,
but simply as a means of seasoning (cultivating) my own mind.
In the act of writing it,
I have found my own resolve to cultivate what is wholesome strengthened.
But if someone with a disposition akin to mine should read it,
then perhaps it may still serve a meaningful purpose.”
Teaching Assistant
Xinqiang Wang (王昕嬙) graduated from Beijing Normal University in 2015 with a master’s degree in psychology. Driven by a deep interest in Buddhist teachings, languages, and history, she began studying Sanskrit with Luke in 2019 at the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts. She also studied Sanskrit at Hangzhou Buddhist Academy and took part in the Second Ancient Languages Summer Program organized by the Guangqi International Center for Scholars at Shanghai Normal University, where she earned a completion certificate and a scholarship. In recent years, her work has focused on teaching English and Sanskrit, providing mental health counseling, and leading mindfulness meditation workshops.
Course Information
-
Class Schedule: TBA.
-
Class Format: All sessions will be conducted live online via Zoom.
-
Teaching Material: Printable PDF prepared by the teacher, containing all course readings.
-
Language of Instruction: English.
-
Tuition: $260. Ordained monastics are eligible for a 30% discount.
-
Pre-requisites: A foundational knowledge of Sanskrit equivalent to one academic year of coursework is recommended.
-
Enrollment Limit: To create a more intimate, interactive learning experience, enrollment is capped at 25 students.
-
Contact: If you have any questions about the course, feel free to contact the TA or the teacher:
-
Teaching Assistant: info@sanskritstudio.com
-
Teacher: luke.gibson@sanskritstudio.com
How to Enroll
This course is not open for registration yet. If you’d like to be notified as soon as registration begins, please subscribe to our newsletter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Student Reviews
Banner image:
Avalokiteśvara, 12th century Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra manuscript, Bengal