Thanks very much to you both, Profs. Gombrich and Wynne! While I do think it is for the best to structure a course like this around reading comprehension rather than speaking, my first introduction to Sanskrit, years ago now, under Dr. Vajracharya at UW Madison, was taught largely as a spoken language. Later on we transitioned to another person who taught as a written language. When learning it as a spoken language the progress was much slower but on the other hand surer. I can still recall some of what Dr. Vajracharya taught us many years ago, but the later material is largely lost to me. On the other hand I'm sure that if I had kept up with study of the language it would not have mattered. One small point with the video is that particularly with Prof. Gombrich the camera was back-focused on the books rather than on the subject. I am sure you noticed this but in case you did not there may be a camera setting that can be tweaked in future.
Dear Doug's Secular Dharma, teaching Pali as a spoken language may make sense for the purpose of communicating in it - say, as a lingua franca in a monastery where monastics with different native languages live together - but it makes no sense for those who want to be able to read the Pali canon. This is what the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies - with Prof Gombrich and Dr Wynne as main teachers - specializes in. And this is what the Online Pali Course is going to enable its participants to do: read and understand the Pali canon. The camera focus problems were not due to wrong settings but the equipment itself. We hope to be able to use a better camera in the future. :-)
Thanks very much for your quick reply, OCBS! As I say, I do agree with Prof. Gombrich's reasoning regarding learning Pāli, it makes good sense given that this is a language used exclusively for reading and translation. My best to you all.
I’m absolutely thrilled and in joyous anticipation to register to your online Pali course. Thank you so much Prof. Gombrich for lingering a while longer on “this side of the mountain”. Such a wonderful and meaningful initiative!
Thanks a lot; those kind words are much appreciated. The course awaits you on ocbs-courses.org; we look forward to welcoming you to our community of Pali learners.
Professor, I am very glad to find this video. I am learning Roman pāḷi in a monastery right now almost every day. The teachers are elder monks who use to teach Thai Pāḷi and Burmese Pāḷi with each traditional ways. When they have to teach Roman Pāḷi, there's a bit confusion. I am not Thai or Burmese. So, Thank you so much, Sir.
Thank you very much, Kesa Loma! We are glad to hear that you benefit from the Pali Online Course. If the monastery you are located at is interested in further cooperations with the OCBS, please get in touch! Supporting monasteries - especially in their education of novices, nuns and monks - is a big part of our mission.
Wonderful Thank You! Big Fan of your wonderful work "What the Buddha Thought" - wonderful on Anata (I do have a self - but it is constantly changing - much easier to grasp) and My intuitive tendency to embrace the cosmos with love and compassion (Boundless) Sutta 13: DN - many many other wonderful concepts in this book. Looking forward to your course - May you and your wonderful wife experience happiness and awakening!
This is very useful. May I just add to Doug's Dharma comment (below) that for many practising Buddhists in South-east Asia, the study of Pāli is also for the purpose of chanting and not just reading. In fact, I hazard to guess that those who are not scholars of Buddhism study Pāli in order to understand the daily chanting. Thank you for sharing this course.
I have a master's degree in Civil Engineering and after 5 years I decided to change my career being a Web Developer, why am I watching this video at 1 at night?
Dear thubten longtok, That is not a problem at all. Our Pāli Level 1 course does not require any previous knowledge of Pāli and you don't have to be enrolled at any university. You can get access to our course here: www.ocbs-courses.org/catalogue/pali-level-1/
Hardcore paali course. Really good! Thank you, Richard.
Thanks very much to you both, Profs. Gombrich and Wynne! While I do think it is for the best to structure a course like this around reading comprehension rather than speaking, my first introduction to Sanskrit, years ago now, under Dr. Vajracharya at UW Madison, was taught largely as a spoken language. Later on we transitioned to another person who taught as a written language. When learning it as a spoken language the progress was much slower but on the other hand surer. I can still recall some of what Dr. Vajracharya taught us many years ago, but the later material is largely lost to me. On the other hand I'm sure that if I had kept up with study of the language it would not have mattered.
One small point with the video is that particularly with Prof. Gombrich the camera was back-focused on the books rather than on the subject. I am sure you noticed this but in case you did not there may be a camera setting that can be tweaked in future.
Dear Doug's Secular Dharma, teaching Pali as a spoken language may make sense for the purpose of communicating in it - say, as a lingua franca in a monastery where monastics with different native languages live together - but it makes no sense for those who want to be able to read the Pali canon. This is what the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies - with Prof Gombrich and Dr Wynne as main teachers - specializes in. And this is what the Online Pali Course is going to enable its participants to do: read and understand the Pali canon.
The camera focus problems were not due to wrong settings but the equipment itself. We hope to be able to use a better camera in the future. :-)
Thanks very much for your quick reply, OCBS! As I say, I do agree with Prof. Gombrich's reasoning regarding learning Pāli, it makes good sense given that this is a language used exclusively for reading and translation. My best to you all.
Fantastic!!! This sounds exactly what I always wanted! Thank you again, and best greetings from Sweden
Thank you so very much. I studied Thai Pali for 5 years at temples in Thailand. Very happy in deeds to see you here, Sir.
Thank you! 5 years; you'll surely be very good in Pali by now.
I’m absolutely thrilled and in joyous anticipation to register to your online Pali course. Thank you so much Prof. Gombrich for lingering a while longer on “this side of the mountain”. Such a wonderful and meaningful initiative!
Thanks a lot; those kind words are much appreciated. The course awaits you on ocbs-courses.org; we look forward to welcoming you to our community of Pali learners.
Professor, I am very glad to find this video.
I am learning Roman pāḷi in a monastery right now almost every day. The teachers are elder monks who use to teach Thai Pāḷi and Burmese Pāḷi with each traditional ways. When they have to teach Roman Pāḷi, there's a bit confusion. I am not Thai or Burmese. So, Thank you so much, Sir.
And thank you so much for your wonderful life time work for the Buddhasasana. Sādhu.
Thank you very much, Kesa Loma! We are glad to hear that you benefit from the Pali Online Course. If the monastery you are located at is interested in further cooperations with the OCBS, please get in touch! Supporting monasteries - especially in their education of novices, nuns and monks - is a big part of our mission.
Wonderful Thank You! Big Fan of your wonderful work "What the Buddha Thought" - wonderful on Anata (I do have a self - but it is constantly changing - much easier to grasp) and My intuitive tendency to embrace the cosmos with love and compassion (Boundless) Sutta 13: DN - many many other wonderful concepts in this book. Looking forward to your course - May you and your wonderful wife experience happiness and awakening!
This is very useful. May I just add to Doug's Dharma comment (below) that for many practising Buddhists in South-east Asia, the study of Pāli is also for the purpose of chanting and not just reading. In fact, I hazard to guess that those who are not scholars of Buddhism study Pāli in order to understand the daily chanting. Thank you for sharing this course.
Thank you for mentioning this. This is indeed a very important motivation for many Buddhists to study Pali.
Thanks sir. We need to learn Pali language to understand budhism...I hv subscribed the channel...Lot of thanks ....best wishes.
Thank you!
Great initiative! Thanks a lot, Sir!
Thank you!
So so thanks!very interested in pali.
Sir thank you so much i am sri lankan . I am study buddhist philosophy . I am university student from sri lanka
Which textbook are you using? Should I buy it?
is the course still going on? kind regards and best wishes to you.
What are your thoughts on the Singapore stone? Is it Pali such as the venerable James Prinsep surmised?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR
I have a master's degree in Civil Engineering and after 5 years I decided to change my career being a Web Developer, why am I watching this video at 1 at night?
Because engineering tells us how. Buddhism tells us why. Happy web developing!
Thank you very Much 🙏
Thank you so much for your videos on pali
Thank you! We are glad the videos are of value to you.
Have you referred buddha and his dhamma by Dr ambedkar
thanks sir
I would like to join this couse
We would love to have you in our community! You find everything on ocbs-courses.org!
Thank you
You are welcome, Ankita
Thank you Professors.
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu...
Can i leran pali from you through offline mode ?
I'm not sure what you mean by that. Could you clarify?
p.s. And we also study Pāli to learn correct pronunciation.
I m interest in pali but I didn't admission for pali .
Dear thubten longtok,
That is not a problem at all. Our Pāli Level 1 course does not require any previous knowledge of Pāli and you don't have to be enrolled at any university. You can get access to our course here:
www.ocbs-courses.org/catalogue/pali-level-1/