Course Overview

The course will cover the basics of Pali grammar, phonology, syntax, and vocabulary building.

We will use a Pali grammar textbook to ensure structured and thorough learning.

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Throughout our studies, however, grammar is not taught for its own sake,
but is always in the service of understanding the Buddha’s words and teachings. 
From the beginning, we will read excerpts and simple texts from the Buddha’s discourses.

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By the end of the course, participants should be able to read simple Pali texts independently with the help of a dictionary and be familiar with common grammatical structures and some key teachings found in the suttas.

 

Participants will also learn how to use online Pali readers, dictionaries, and other tools,
and receive a brief overview of the Pali Canon and how to navigate it.

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Group sizes are kept small to promote effective interaction and individualized support.

 

Study Material

We will primarily use the book A New Course in Reading Pali, which includes many short passages from the suttas in its exercises, supplemented by additional handouts and resources.

 

Course Duration

The course consists of approximately 30 weekly lessons, each lasting about one hour.

These 30 lessons will cover roughly half of the book. At that point, we can see if people are interested in continuing to complete the rest of the book.

 

Requirements

No previous knowledge of Pali or any other Indian language is required.

 

While it is understood that occasional absences may occur, participants are asked to
register only if they can attend most of the lessons and complete the course.

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Regular review of the material and preparation for each lesson is essential for successful progress.

 

Technical Details

The lessons will be conducted via Zoom.

Recordings will be made available for participants who miss a session or wish to review.

 

Timing

Please refer to the Registration section for the current course schedule offerings.

 

Charge

There is no charge for the course. The lessons are offered as a service.
Donations are welcome to support the continuation of the courses.

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Course Instructor

My name is Mor Ifrah, and I am from Israel. My love for Pali began a few years after encountering the Buddha’s teachings in a Vipassana meditation course as taught by
S.N. Goenka in 2013. I soon realized how powerful and valuable it is to read the suttas in their original language, as so much inevitably gets lost even in the best translations.
I also saw how the clarity and wisdom found in the suttas can support my practice and help me feel a little closer to the Buddha. 

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Since then, I have dedicated much of my time to studying and teaching Pali.
I began my Pali studies with a workshop by Pariyatti.org held in Israel in 2016 and continued with the Vipassana Research Institute Pali course in India the following year.
In 2018, I was fortunate to study privately for a few months with the Pali scholar Sean Kerr.
I consider the renowned scholar Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi my main Pali teacher,
with whom I have been studying regularly since 2019.
I have been leading online study sessions through Pariyatti.org since 2020,
as well as conducting a few residential workshops.