This philosophical course is designed for advanced-level students and practitioners interested in Tibetan Buddhism. It covers a wide range of essential concepts, principles and practices to advance on the path to enlightenment.

Essence of True Eloquence - The Mind Only School Perspective on Reality (Cittamatrin Philosophical View)

The Essence of True Eloquence was written by the Tibetan master Lama Tsong-kha-pa in the 14th century. The text elaborates the subtle differences in distinquishing the Interpretable-Meaning and Definitive-Meaning of Buddha's Teachings on Emptiness. The Mind Only School, also known Cittamatrin, is one of the four higher schools of Buddhist thought. This course will explain The Mind Only School’s perspective on different levels of reality and mindsets, by contrasting them with those of the Middle Way and Sutra Schools. 

Nagajurna's The Oranament of Reason - The Middle Way School Perspective on Reality (Madhyamika Philosophical View)

The Middle Way School is one of the higher schools of Buddhist thought. The Middle Way consists of two schools: Svatantrika Madhyamika and Prasangika Madhyamika. According to Tibetan Buddhism, Prasangikas are the highest authority on the nature of reality. Arya Nagarjuna and Acharya Chandrakirti are the greatest authority figures elucidating the Prasangika Madhyamika school of thought. The Oranament of Reason - The Great Commentary to Nagarjuna's Root of the Middle Way is the text. The duration of the Root of the Middle Way Class is up to five years to complete the 27 Chapters.

AryaDeva's The Four Hundred Stanzas of the Middle Way (Madhyamika Philosophical View)

Madhyamika is a philosophy of the middle way between two impossible extremes, that of reified or objective existence  and that of total non-existence. Madhyamika philosophy demonstrates through the use of reasoning that though things do not exist independently and concretely as they seem to do, they neverless exist: their mode of existence is a dependent one.   Aryadeva, was a disciple of Nagarjuna and author of several important Mahayana Madhyamaka Buddhist texts. The duration of this class is two to three years.

Exchanging Self for Others to Cultivate Bodhicitta

In order to achieve complete enlightenment one must cultivate Bodhicitta or the altruistic mind of enlightenment. While there different methods to cultivate it, exchanging self for others is considered as one of the most powerful methods. This course will explain the meditational technique to cultivate Bodhicitta. It is also possible to combine this practice with the six causes and one result technique to experience Bodhicitta

Six Causes and One Result - Bodhicitta Practice

One of the two main techniques to cultivate Bodhicitta is called six causes and one result method. The six causes are: 1) Recognition of all beings as having been one’s kind mother (best friend); 2) Remembering their kindness; 3)  Wishing to repay their kindness; 4) Special love; 5) Great compassion; 6) Special willpower or determination. These causes produce one result that is Bodhicitta

Wisdom Chapter from Shantideva’s The Guide to Bodhisattvas’ Way of Life

Buddhism recognizes two forms of grasping at self as the roots of being trapped in samsara. These are grasping at the self-of- a-person and grasping at the self-of- phenomena. In order to uproot this grasping it is absolutely necessary to cultivate wisdom realizing selflessness or emptiness. Great Bodhisattva Shantideva’s Wisdom Chapter elucidates the fallacies of grasping and benefits of cultivating the wisdom realizing emptiness. This course will focus on Shantideva’s explication of Wisdom.

The Paths and Spiritual Grounds of the Perfection Vehicle

Buddhism consists of two vehicles: The Perfection Vehicle and the Tantric Vehicle
The Perfection Vehicle presents five paths and ten spiritual grounds of Bodhisattvas. This course will discuss the five paths from the path of accumulation to the path of no-more learning, as well as the ten spiritual grounds, such as the joyous ground.

Commentary Clarifying the Meaning of the Ornament for Clear Realization

Maitreya’s Ornament for Clear Realization (Sanskrit:Abhisamayalamkaranama; Tibetan: Ngon Gyan ) is one of his major treatises studied extensively in the monastic universities of Tibet. While there are many great commentaries on this text, Acharya Haribhadra’s commentary stated above is one of the major commentaries that elucidate the meanings of clear realizations along the path to enlightenment. This course will use this commentary to gain insights into the hidden qualities of the path to enlightened state.

Mind Training Like the Rays of Sun

This great treatise belongs to the special genre in Tibetan Buddhism called Lojong (Mind Training). Lojong treatises synthesize the essential points and practices from Buddha’s Teaching pertaining to cultivating Bodhicitta. This course will use the above text to understand self-cherishing and self-grasping as the source of all misery and learn to cultivate cherishing others as the source of all goodness. This text obviously belongs to the Mahayana Buddhism and Bodhisattvas’ way of life.