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Course Contents
The Foundation of Buddhist Thought is structured into six four-month modules:
These are some of the subjects covered in each module.
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
Looking at each of the Noble Truths - suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering - and how they form an overview of the entire Buddhist path.
Topics include:
Suffering: being our own refuge, avoiding the two extremes, taking universal responsibility
Origin: the three types of suffering (of suffering, of change and pervasive), the five aggregates, letting go of clinging
Cessation: the two types of ignorance, cause and effect, the heaviness of a karmic action, dealing with afflictive emotions, the twelve links of dependent origination, cessation
Cessation: liberation and enlightenment, the dharmakaya and the rupakaya
Path: the three trainings (ethics, concentration and wisdom), the Noble Eightfold Path, the five paths (accumulation to no-more-learning)
Download an example chapter from this module.
THE TWO TRUTHS
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"The fact that the questions almost always relate to our own life has made me digest the material better and has made me think about how I conduct my life."
- Graduate Student
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Looking at conventional and ultimate truth and how an understanding of each is vital to progress on the path. Using the progressively subtler views of the four main Buddhist philosophical schools, we look at how our perception of reality is obscured or clarified depending on what we hold to be true.
Topics include:
moving beyond conventional ways of thinking
Buddhist tenets, the four seals
the way the Vaibhasika school sees each truth
the four types of generality according to the Sautrantika school
conceptual consciousnesses and direct perception
the Cittamatra (Mind Only) school and how it views the existence of objects
the definitions of the Two Truths according to the Middle Way schools
the relationship between them
BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY AND EPISTEMOLOGY
Looking at the mind as it is taught in Tibetan Buddhism, particularly lo-rig, the mind and mental factors.
Topics include:
what is mind?
Abhidharma and Pramana
the difference between a main mind and its mental factors
divisions of the mental factors and how they affect our life
three zones of increasing subtlety of unwholesome mental factors
epistemology - the process of the mind, how our mind engages an object
the seven-fold division (wrong consciousnesses to direct perceivers)
THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT (BODHICITTA)
Looking at the importance of compassion in our lives and the traditional techniques for developing bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment.
Topics include:
Love, compassion and bodhicitta
the difference approaches to the wisdom and method sides of our practice
the seven points of cause and effect method
exchanging oneself for others
the ten deeds of the Bodhisattva
EMPTINESS ACCORDING TO PRASANGIKA MADHYAMAKA SCHOOL
Looking at the most profound view of emptiness - the view that brings release from Samsara - as expounded by the Prasangika school.
Topics include:
ultimate truth and bodhicitta
the Heart Sutra
the concept of selfhood (object of negation)
the four objections and the seven point analysis
memory and self-consciousness according to Prasangika
the three levels of dependent arising
AN OVERVIEW OF TANTRIC GROUNDS AND PATHS
Looking in depth at what Tantra is and what it means to do a Vajrayana practice, based on the extensive Guhyasamaja text. This module is possibly unique in the profundity and accessibility of this very esoteric subject.
Topics include:
unique features of Vajrayana
four complete purities
deity yoga
the four classes of Tantra
initiations, the lower Tantras
concentration on the four branches of recitation
the generation and completion stages within Highest Yoga Tantra
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An example of the course books
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Study Experience
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