Free online Pali language classes with James Whelan hosted by The Buddhist Society
About this Event

Wednesdays at 11:45am to 1pm in term time

Resumes Wednesday 22nd May at 11.45am GMT + 1hr
Sanskrit and Pali for Buddhists talk given by James Whelan 31st August 2022

These classes are free and open to non-members but registration is required and attendance is at the teacher's discretion

Free to attend but registration required -

In these classes we will be going through authentic original Pali texts, currently the Dhammapada and the Dhammacakkappavattanasutta. The students will be taken through them methodically word by word, with a detailed analysis of the vocabulary, and grammatical explanations. The essence of this teaching system is learning by exposure and repetition, with questions and discussion from the students actively encouraged.

James has prepared annotated editions of the class material, with the original, translation, sentence breakdown, vocabulary and grammar notes. This will be available to all students who register. Although the primary focus of the classes will be the texts being studied, advance questions on any aspect of Pali will be welcomed and, where appropriate, will be dealt with in the class. There will also be advance YouTube videos of the material being studied in the class, which will serve multiple purposes: advance preparation, revision, the repetition so vital for language learning, and catching up for those who may have to miss a class. They will also serve as a “taster”.

Links will be provided for study materials available on the internet, including the online searchable version of the Pali Text Society’s Pali-English Dictionary.

For formal grammar study, which students are encouraged to pursue on their own, James has prepared a series of YouTube videos based on Lily de Silva’s Pali Primer.

Links to all of the study materials, including the annotated version of the texts and the grammar lessons, will be found in James’s Study Resources Guide, which will be available to all who register.

James Whelan and has been a practising Buddhist since his undergraduate days in the 1960s. He started learning Sanskrit and Pali in late 1965, and has maintained his interest and studies since then. He qualified as a language teacher in 1970, before entering the law in 1973. In addition to his main work as a lawyer, he has been a professional legal translator since 1977.