Buddhist Correspondence Course
& Self-Study Course
Introduction

The Correspondence Course & Self-Study Course ('Courses') for prisoners is sponsored and administered by the Buddhist Association of the United States (Chuang Yen Monastery). Both Courses cover the same material and differ only in the manner in which the student takes them.

The Course faculty consists of one the following:
- Members of the religious Sangha of BAUS
- Buddhist practitioners who have been approved by Rev. Thich Tri Hoang, based upon their understanding and practice of Buddhism.

The Courses are designed to familiarize the student with the life of the Buddha, Buddhist concepts, theory and practice, as well as the major schools of Buddhism and their practices. The goal of the Courses is to help the student integrate Buddhism into their life by showing how Buddhist practices can help reduce unskillful states of mind such as anger and hatred and cultivate skillful states of mind such as equanimity and compassion. The curriculum for both Courses is identical and is attached. It is, however, subject to change depending upon an ongoing review of the material by the Course faculty.

The Courses consist of a series of reading assignments and practice in Buddhist meditation and mindfulness training. Written questions are asked on the material covered in each assignment that will test not only the studentˇ¦s understanding of the material, but also their thoughts on how the material may be applicable to their life.

The student may choose one of two options in taking the Course ˇV either the Correspondence Course or the Self-Study Course.

Correspondence Course:
Written questions are asked on the material covered in each assignment. Answers to these questions are to be returned in writing for review by the Course faculty. The student receives feedback, on a regular basis, as to their understanding and application of the material covered. Grading is done on a Pass/Fail method.

The student is encouraged to ask questions about any part of the reading and practice assignments that they do not understand before answering the assignment questions.

Upon satisfactory completion of the course a ˇ§Certificate of Buddhist Studiesˇ¨ is issued to the student and, if requested by the student, appropriate prison authorities are advised, in writing, of the successful completion of the Course and the awarding of the certificate to the student.

Self-Study Course:
Written questions are asked on the material covered in each assignment. The questions serve to help focus the student on the material covered. No written answers are returned to the Course Faculty for grading, although the student is encouraged to ask the Faculty questions on any material that is not clear to them. No ˇ§Certificate of Buddhist Studiesˇ¨ is issued upon completion of the Self-Study Course and no letter to prison authorities regarding completion of the Course is sent.

For Both Courses:
All material sent to the student is provided at no charge to them. There is no set time limit for completing the Course. The goal is the understanding and application of Buddhism to the student's life, not speed in completion of the course - the student is free to progress at their own pace. The Course faculty will continue to be available to the student after completion of the Course to assist them in continuing their studies and practice of Buddhism.

Upon receipt and acceptance by the Course faculty of the studentˇ¦s application, for those choosing the Correspondence Course, the first reading assignment will be sent to them along with written questions covering the assignment. For those choosing the Self-Study Course, all questions relating to the first Course section (which consists of a series of reading assignments) will be sent in the initial shipment.

If you have any questions concerning the Course, please contact:

Buddhist Correspondence Course
c/o Rev. Richard Baksa
2020 Route 301
Carmel, NY 10512