In this immersive online program, we will study the Pali Canon not only as ancient Buddhist literature, but as a living resource for practice. Through selected texts and meditations, we will explore how these teachings have been preserved, translated, interpreted, and realized in direct experience.
September 29 - November 24, 2026
First Round Applications:
Accepted until August 10, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Late Applications:
Accepted until September 9, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
8 weeks
8-10 hours per week
Regular mindfulness practice and familiarity with early Buddhist teachings recommended.
You may find it most beneficial, useful, and enjoyable if you have a committed Buddhist meditation practice.
Participants will join weekly Whole Group Sessions, which include talks, demonstrations, discussions, and meditation, as well as one weekly small-group Cohort Meeting for reflection, discussion, and integration.
Between the weekly meetings, participants will engage with readings, reflections, and meditation to sustain and deepen their understanding and practice.
In this immersive online program, we will approach the Pali Canon not only as ancient Buddhist literature, but as a living resource for understanding, reflection, and practice. We’ll explore the three baskets of the Canon, with special attention to the suttas, the discourses attributed to the Buddha and his disciples, while also briefly introducing the Vinaya, Abhidhamma, and later commentaries.
Through selected readings, guided meditations, discussion, and practical demonstrations of how to navigate the Canon, we’ll encounter its many forms: verse, dialogue, debate, narrative, meditation instruction, and analysis. Together, we’ll explore how these teachings have been preserved, transmitted, interpreted, and brought alive through practice.
Program Format:
The course will meet weekly in 90-minute Whole Group Zoom sessions that bring the Pali Canon to life through talks, practice guidance, presentations, and experiential learning. We will explore online textual resources, view palm-leaf manuscript examples, listen to chanting, and engage with selected passages together.
Between sessions, participants will continue with assigned readings, hands-on textual explorations, meditation practices, and attend a 90-minute facilitated Cohort Meeting for reflection, discussion, and integration.
Cohort Meetings:
Cohorts of about 13 participants will meet weekly on Zoom for 90 minutes with one of the guiding teachers.
These smaller groups are designed to support participants’ engagement with the course in a more personal and connected way, through reflection, practice sharing, discussion, and questions.
In addition, each cohort will have an online forum for weekly written reflections. Participation in both formats is required.
Timeline:
Applications Open:
June 29, 2026
First Round Applications:
Accepted until August 10, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Acceptance Notification:
August 14, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Waitlist Acceptance Notification:
August 25, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Late Applications:
Accepted until September 9, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Course Orientation Session:
Week of September 20, 2026
Program Dates:
September 29 – November 24, 2026
Exploring the Riches of the Pali Canon includes eight Whole Group Zoom meetings from September 29 through November 24, 2026. There will be no Whole Group Meeting on October 27, 2026. Whole Group Meetings take place on Tuesdays from 3:30-5:00 PM PT / 6:30-8:00 PM ET.
The program also includes a Course Orientation Session with BCBS staff during the week of September 20, 2026.
| Date and Time | Focus |
| Sept 29 6:30-8:00 PM ET | Entering the Living Stream of the Teachings: A first orientation to the Pali Canon, its collections, and how to locate a sutta |
| Oct 6 6:30-8:00 PM ET | Savoring the Flavors of the Texts: Learning the character of the four primary Nikāyas in support of study and practice and an introduction on how to use some of SuttaCentral’s study tools |
| Oct 13 6:30-8:00 PM ET | Birthing the Canon: Exploring the beginnings of the Canon and additional study tools at SuttaCentral |
| Oct 20 6:30-8:00 PM ET | Radiating Forth: Exploring the wider textual traditions, including the commentaries and parallels and their implications for our modern day explorations. |
| Oct 27 6:30-8:00 PM ET | No Meetings this Week |
| Nov 3 6:30-8:00 PM ET | Reverberating Across the Ages: Tracing the Canon’s journey through history, technology, Abhidhamma, and paracanonical texts; and feeling their resonance here and now |
| Nov 10 6:30-8:00 PM ET | Awakening Voices: A study of canonical verse, awakened voices, and representations of women; and savoring the possibilities for modern day practitioners |
| Nov 17 6:30-8:00 PM ET | Finding Meaning in Translation: Exploring the Pali language, pronunciation, the interpretive choices behind translation and their relevance in our practice |
| Nov 24 6:30-8:00 PM ET | Living the Dharma in our Times: Exploring contemporary approaches to the Canon and how the teachings come alive in our own practice |
This program requires considerable commitment from participants. We require attendance at two weekly virtual meetings, each lasting 90 minutes, as well as completion of reading assignments and written reflections. The required time commitment is about 8-10 hours per week.
Weekly individual participation includes:
This program follows the Buddha’s teaching that ethical conduct is the foundation for practice. Participation is supported by a shared commitment to respect and non-harming, guiding both our communication with others and our personal relationship to practice.
Applications Open:
June 29, 2026
First Round Applications:
Accepted until August 10, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Acceptance Notification:
August 14, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Waitlist Acceptance Notification:
August 25, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Late Applications:
Accepted until September 9, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
Course Orientation Session:
Week of September 20, 2026
Program Dates:
September 29 – November 24, 2026
Participants may find it most beneficial, useful, and enjoyable if they have a committed Buddhist meditation practice, regular mindfulness practice, and some familiarity with early Buddhist teachings.
BCBS keeps prices as affordable as possible and offers Tier Pricing and Financial Assistance options to keep programs accessible.
Tier Pricing: You may choose a tier and pay according to your means. Tier 1 covers the actual cost of the program. Tiers 2 and 3 are subsidized rates made possible through the generosity of donors. The Benefactor rate enables you to offer additional, tax-deductible support to BCBS and fellow program participants. Please select the highest tier that fits your budget to help BCBS keep programs accessible. Click the tab below for additional financial assistance options.
Teacher Dāna: Program fees do not include compensation for the teachers. In keeping with the tradition of freely offering the Buddhadharma, Ying, Diana, Kim, and David are teaching this course in a spirit of generosity. Participants will have an opportunity to join in this practice of generosity by offering dāna in support of the teachers.
We understand that personal circumstances may require you to cancel your registration. In these cases, please contact us right away. If you cancel before the program starts, you are eligible for a full refund minus a $100 administrative fee. Registration fees are nonrefundable after the program starts.
Ying Chen has practiced at Insight Meditation Center with Gil Fronsdal since 2005. She has practiced Naturally Arising Practice with Phillip Moffitt and Dana DePalma. She completed four-year Dharma Teacher training at Insight Retreat Center and is a graduate of the Sati Center Chaplaincy and IMC Dharma Leader programs.
Diana Clark is a Dharma teacher grounded in many years of meditation practice, including extensive time in silent retreat. A former adjunct professor at the Institute of Buddhist Studies, she taught Theravāda Buddhism and brings experiential depth and scholarly understanding to her teaching. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry.
Kim Allen is a teacher and author whose work brings classical Dharma into modern lay life. A longtime student at Insight Meditation Center, she has sat three cumulative years of retreat and serves on the board of the Sati Center. Her education includes a Ph.D. in physics and a master’s degree in environmental sustainability.
David Lorey has practiced meditation since the 1970s and is especially interested in integrating tranquility and insight practices with study of the Pāli Canon. A student of Gil Fronsdal’s, he currently serves as president of the board of Insight Meditation Center and occasionally co-teaches retreats in Spanish at Insight Retreat Center.