Vow 22 is our online, in depth study Pureland Buddhism course.
Lessons include written and audio teachings by Dharmavidya David Brazier, Founder of the Amida School, and you’ll be guided through the course by a personal tutor.
Topics covered include: Contemplation and Worship. Ancestors of the Pureland Tradition, Pureland Buddhism in Everyday Life, Contemplation & Worship, and Buddhist Psychology.
Richard Ollier, the main course leader writes:
Vow 22 aims to provide its students with a comprehensive grounding in the history, philosophy and practice of Pureland Buddhism, and, in particular, the work of the founder of the Amida Order, Dharmavidya David Brazier.
Although the course is delivered from a distinctly Pureland perspective, we welcome students of all persuasions (Buddhist and non-Buddhist) who are genuinely interested in discovering more about this particular form of Buddhism. Indeed, students who are not Pureland Buddhists often make an especially enriching contribution to the course through their assignments.
It is suitable for those who simply wish to widen and deepen their knowledge of a form of Buddhism which has a long tradition in Asia, but which is a relative newcomer in Europe, as well as for people acting as Buddhist chaplains, or pursuing ministry in various forms. It is particularly pertinent for ordained members of the Amida Order, but it should be noted that it does not qualify people for ordination.
After two preliminary assignments, the course consists of thirteen modules, out of which students can choose to take any ten. Many students, do not, however, take the full ten modules: they simply select modules which particularly interest them, or which have particular relevance for them at a certain juncture in their lives. There is no ‘one way’ of pursuing Vow 22 – we provide a course from which students can select the learning they need. It is a course for all abilities: the range of assignments we offer in each module means that there is usually ‘something for everyone’.
Students do not have to write traditional ‘essays’ in response to assignments (though they can certainly do so if they wish), and can produce creative work (poems, diagrams) and small pieces of research if these kind of response meet their needs. We work in a spirit of inclusion, and value student enthusiasm! We aim to comment in reasonable detail on each assignment submitted to us, but we do not ‘grade’ assignments: we are interested in helping people educate themselves, not in ‘assessing’ them. Students can work at their own pace through the modules – we realise that people often have busy work and family lives, and have to fit studying in around these. We are especially interested in assisting students to reflect constructively on their own ‘religious lives’.
Vow 22 costs £200 GBP for the full course, or £20 per module. Students often pay on a module-by-module basis, though they can pay for the full course all at once if they so desire. Payment can be taken in any currency via Paypal.
Once I have been notified by the course administrator that registration has been made by a student and that payment has been received, I will then share the two (free) Preliminary Modules with them on Dropbox
Our suggested first module is Characteristics of the Amida School, although you can choose to begin anywhere.
Students then email me their assignment answers, and I email my comments back to them.
Modules marked * demand considerable background knowledge and should probably be tackled later rather than sooner in a person’s Vow 22 ‘career’. Whenever a registered student wishes to start a new module, he or she should email me, and, once I have received notification of payment from the administrator, I will once again share the module with them on Dropbox. Students can email me at richardollier@hotmail.co.uk if they require advice on module choice.
Currently, the available modules are:
Preliminary Assignments
Suggested first module:
Characteristics of the Amida School
Contemplation and Worship.
Ancestors of the Pureland Tradition Part One
Ancestors of the Pureland Tradition Part Two
Pureland Buddhism in Everyday Life
The Larger Pureland Sutra
Key Pureland Texts
The Lotus Sutra
Introduction to Buddhist Psychology
*Introduction to Buddhist Theology
*The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra
Ojo Retreat
Ministry as Profession.
Further information about module content is available on request.
If this course sounds ‘your cup of tea’, we very much look forward to hearing from you!
Book now
Please choose full course or single module. If you are choosing a single module, please enter the name of the module. If you would like to use a different email address to your PayPal email address, please enter that too. Any questions? Email Richard Ollier.
Payment can be taken in all currencies, and will be converted by Paypal.