2210 McKinley Avenue, Unit 4 (1 minute walk from Downtown Berkeley BART 1 block west of Martin Luther King, between Allston and Bancroft across from Bank of America Public Parking Lot - Click here for directions), Berkeley, California, 94703 USA
(1) 510-292-6696 - Please CALL US, no e-mail available (Namo AT Shurangama.com).
 

"Om Namo Aryavalokiteshvaraya Bodhisattvaya Mahasattvaya Maha Karunikaya Om Sarva Abhaya!"

Indian Sanskrit Language Introductory Courses

Much of the vast and profound medical, scientific, philosophical, and religious literature (Medicine, Buddhism, Hinduism, Vedas, Yoga, Jyotish astrology, Vastu Shastra “feng shui”) of the ancient Indian, Nepalese, and Tibetan cultures and the Chinese Buddhist culture was originally recorded and transmitted through the ancient rishis (enlightened seers and sages) including Shakyamuni Buddha’s disciple Ananda in the primordial Sanskrit language via the divine vehicles of the Gods Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, Ganesha, and Dhanvantari who learned Ayurveda from Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Vajrapani Bodhisattva.  These great Maha Bodhisattvas received the teachings immeasurable eons ago from the Buddha Kashyapa and the Medicine Master Buddha (Bhaisajya Guru).  Indian Sanskrit at the Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute is taught with the aim of preparing the student to gain personal access to the classical literature of Ayurveda and Buddhist-Vedic-Yogic studies. 

Most students find themselves being drawn into the study of Sanskrit as their growing concentration and clarity of mind allows them to enter into the body and spirit of the original texts. Proficiency in Sanskrit is essential when the student chooses to pursue advanced diploma certificate programs at the Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute such as the Level II Clinical Ayurvedic Herbalist (C.A.H.) Diploma, the Level III Clinical Ayurvedic Herbalist Specialist (C.A.H.S.) Diploma and the Level IV Master Ayurvedic Herbalist (M.A.H.) Diploma.

Our ongoing Sanskrit courses give the students an auditory introduction to the authentic pronunciation of the Buddhist-Yogic-Vedic Sutras (sacred healing texts), from correct pronunciation of the Sanskrit alphabet (Devanagari script) through recitation of each of the 40 aspects of the Vedic Literature. Based on the auditory introduction students begin learning the written alphabet and root meanings associated with Ayurvedic Anatomy and Physiology and with the various Mantras of Buddhist-Yogic-Vedic healing practice.  Each of our courses in Ayurvedic Medicine, Yoga and Buddhism will add new concepts and the related Sanskrit vocabulary to the students' body of knowledge.

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute describes Sanskrit, the language of Buddhist-Yogic-Vedic Sutras, as a spiritual language, which promotes absolute order in the ever-evolving universe.  The Sanskrit language is the spoken language nearest to the language that the Buddha used and reveals the wisdom of the Buddhist-Yogic-Vedic teachings.  Reading or chanting Sanskrit creates an influence of orderliness to the functioning of the brain.  It enlivens the awareness, and cultures thought, speech, and behavior to spontaneously flow in the direction of Bodhi (liberation).

Certificate diploma-seeking students of the Institute are required to successfully complete the Sanskrit courses and are tested at the end of the program to assess their learning.  Hence, it is essential that students spend some time each day outside of class studying, chanting and reviewing the Sanskrit vocabulary material so as to develop the study habits so crucial to learning this beautifully subtle and orderly language. Presentation of the language is systematic and cumulative. Moving ahead requires mastering the fundamentals step-by-step at a pace that is challenging and stimulating to the mind.

Course # 13 of 17

Ayurvedic Sanskrit Level I: Devanagari Alphabet, Transliteration, Mantras (SKT108) – 0.5 trimester unit / 7.5 course hours

Prerequisites: High School Diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D.)

A survey course of the key concepts of Sanskrit: The Devanagari Alphabet; Transliteration into the Roman alphabet for pronunciation; Diacritical marks for most accurate pronunciation; Chanting the Alphabet as Mantra; The student will acquire an understanding of the Sanskrit language, a working vocabulary, and practical guidelines for the usage of primordial sounds (bija mantras) in healing; The Sanskrit Alphabet Mantras and their Relationship to Marma Acupressure Points; The Avatamsaka Sutra Sanskrit Syllabary Mantra; The Medicine Master Buddha Mantra (Bhaisajya Guru Mantra); The Great Compassion Mantra (The Avalokiteshvara Maha Karuna Kaya Dharani); The Shurangama Mantra – Ultimately Stable; The Heart Sutra Mantra (Prajna Paramita Mantra); The Six Syllable Sanskrit Mantra of Avalokiteshvara Great Compassion Bodhisattva (Om Mani Padme Hum Hri); the Hanuman Chalisa; Nama Japa (Chanting the names of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Gods – Shakyamuni / Vairochana Buddha, Amitabha Buddha / Amitayus Buddha, Bhaisajya Guru Buddha / Akshobhya Buddha, Ratnasambhava Buddha, Amoghasiddhi Buddha, Vipashin Buddha, Shikhin Buddha, Vishvabhu Buddha, Krakucchanda Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, Kashyapa Buddha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Simhanada-Lokeshvara Bodhisattva, Ekadasha-Mahakarunika-Lokeshvara Bodhisattva, Sahasrabhuja-Lokeshvara Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Samantabadhra Bodhisattva, Mahastamaprapta Bodhisattva, Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva, Bhaisajya Raja Bodhisattva, Maha Bhaisajya Bodhisattva, Vajrapani Bodhisattva, Nagarjuna Bodhisattva, Ratnapani Bodhisattva, Visvapani Bodhisattva, Sweta Tara, Harit Tara, Brahma, Vishnu, Narayan, Khrisna, Radha, Govinda, Gopala, Vittala, Laxmi, Shiva, Nataraj, Shakti, Parpati, Kali, Durga, Dhanvantari, Ganesha, Ganapatiye, Saraswati, Ram, Hanuman, Indra, Babanam Kevalam). 

Organized around the world-renowned Ayurvedic Physician Dr. Vasant Lad’s Textbook of Ayurveda Volume I, around the Sanskrit Flashcards of Nicolai Bachman and around the materials of several distinguished Indo-Tibetan Ayurvedic and Chinese physicians and healers such as the Venerable Buddhist Master Hsuan Hua, Dr. Ron Epstein, Dharma Master Heng Sure, Dr. Vasant Lad, Dr. Partap Chauhan, Dr. P.H. Kulkarni, Dr. K.N. Udupa, Dr. R.H. Singh, Dr. Robert Svoboda, Dr. Baghwan Dash, Dr. Sunil Joshi, Dr. Lapsang Rapgay, Dr. Yeshe Donden, Dr. Bill Celentano, Dr. David Frawley, Michael Dick, Bri Maya Tiwari, Robert Sachs, Dr. Bob Flaws, Dr. Giovanni Maciocia, Dr. Barry Clark, Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha, Jai Hanuman Fournier, Losang Jinpa and others and around the Ayurvedic Classic Texts (Sutras) and Buddhist, Yogic and Hindu Sutras combined with additional book readings, lectures, handouts and audio-visuals. 

Requires short written term paper and exam or a self-made chanting audio tape or MP3 / WMA file of your pronunciation of the alphabet and the Sanskrit mantras to be submitted to the instructor or oral exam via telephone or in-person.

Course # 14 of 17

Ayurvedic Sanskrit Level II: Gunas-Dhatus-Agni-Ojas-Tejas-Prana-Srotas (SKT210) – 0.50 trimester unit / 7.5 course hours

Prerequisites: SKT108, AYR241

A survey course of the key concept of Ayurvedic Sanskrit: Review of the Devanagari Alphabet and its transliteration for Pronunciation using Diacritical Marks; The Vimsheti Gunas, the Sapta Dhatus, Agni, Ojas-Tejas-Prana, the Srotamsi. 

Organized around the appendix of world-renowned Ayurvedic Physician Dr. Vasant Lad’s Textbook of Ayurveda Volume I, and around the materials of several distinguished Indo-Tibetan Ayurvedic and Chinese physicians and healers such as Dr. Partap Chauhan, Dr. P.H. Kulkarni, Dr. K.N. Udupa, Dr. R.H. Singh, Dr. Robert Svoboda, Dr. Baghwan Dash, Dr. Sunil Joshi, Dr. Lapsang Rapgay, Dr. Yeshe Donden, Dr. Bill Celentano, Dr. David Frawley, Michael Dick, Bri Maya Tiwari, Robert Sachs, Dr. Bob Flaws, Dr. Giovanni Maciocia, Dr. Barry Clark, Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha, Jai Hanuman Fournier, Losang Jinpa and others and around the Ayurvedic Classic Texts (Sutras) combined with additional book readings, lectures, handouts and audio-visuals. 

Requires short written term paper and exam or a self-made chanting audio tape or MP3 / WMA file of your pronunciation of the Sanskrit vocabulary to be submitted to the instructor or oral exam via telephone or in-person.

Course # 15 of 17

Ayurvedic Sanskrit Level III: Ayurvedic-Buddhist-Yogic-Hindu Words and Definitions (SKT220) – 1 trimester unit / 15 course hours

Prerequisites: SKT108, AYR241

A survey course of the key Ayurvedic Sanskrit vocabulary terms: Review of the Devanagari Alphabet and its transliteration for Pronunciation using Diacritical Marks; pronunciation and definition of over 475 Ayurveda Sanskrit vocabulary words, plus more than 100 Buddhist-Yogic-Hindu Sanskrit vocabulary words using the transliteration into the Roman alphabet . 

Organized around the Glossary of world-renowned Ayurvedic Physician Dr. Vasant Lad’s Textbook of Ayurveda Volume I, around Dr. S.K. Ramachandra Rao’s Encyclopaedia of Indian Medicine (Volumes I, II and III) and around the materials of several distinguished Indo-Tibetan Ayurvedic and Chinese physicians and healers such as the Venerable Buddhist Master Hsuan Hua, Dr. Ron Epstein, Dr. Partap Chauhan, Dr. P.H. Kulkarni, Dr. K.N. Udupa, Dr. R.H. Singh, Dr. Robert Svoboda, Dr. Baghwan Dash, Dr. Sunil Joshi, Dr. Lapsang Rapgay, Dr. Yeshe Donden, Dr. Bill Celentano, Dr. David Frawley, Michael Dick, Bri Maya Tiwari, Robert Sachs, Dr. Bob Flaws, Dr. Giovanni Maciocia, Dr. Barry Clark, Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha, Jai Hanuman Fournier, Losang Jinpa and others and around the Ayurvedic Classic Texts (Sutras) combined with additional book readings, lectures, handouts and audio-visuals. 

Requires short written term paper and exam or a self-made chanting audio tape or MP3 / WMA file of your pronunciation of the Sanskrit vocabulary to be submitted to the instructor or oral exam via telephone or in-person.