The Gelug
Tradition of Mahamudra
(8-day Residential
Course)
with
Glen
Svensson
April 29 - May 6
Mahamudra, the great seal,
refers to systems of meditation on the nature of the mind. Mahamudra
techniques have been transmitted through the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug
traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. In this course we will be investigating
the Gelug tradition of Mahamudra using the First Panchen Lama's text "A
Root Text for the Precious Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra". In this
text Panchen Losang Chogyi Gyeltsen gives instructions on Mahamudra in
accordance with Arya Nagarjuna's view of emptiness and describes
methods for introducing the nature of mind in accordance with the
instructions of the lineage masters.
In following this text the
principal topic will be how to meditate on both the conventional nature
of the mind (shamatha meditation) and the ultimate nature of the mind
(vipashyana meditation). Also highlighted will be the essential
preliminary practices which act as a foundation for Mahamudra practice
together with the differences between Sutra Mahamudra and Tantra
Mahamudra.
Recommended Reading for the Mahamudra
course
"The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition
of
Mahamudra" - His Holiness the Dalai Lama
"The Mahamudra Eliminating
the Darkness of Ignorance" - 9th Karmapa Wangchug Dorje
"Mahamudra: The Moonlight -
Quintessence of Mind and Meditation" – Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
"Crystal Clear –
Practical Advice for Mahamudra Meditators" – Thrangu
Rinpoche
"Mind at Ease:
Self-liberation Through Mahamudra Meditation" – Traleg
Kyabgon
"The Attention Revolution"
– B. Alan Wallace
"Pointing Out the Great Way:
The Stages of Meditation in the Mahamudra Tradition" - Daniel P. Brown
The
Heart Sutra
Buddhism's
Most Direct, Most Succinct Teaching About the True Nature of
our Own Being
and
of All Reality
(6-day
Residential Course)
with
Glen
Svensson
June 19 - 24
These subtle and easily misunderstood teachings lie at
the heart of all Buddhist wisdom, and thorough understanding of them is
essential for attaining an unmistaken view of reality - a view that
brings
about true liberation from the source of all suffering.
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Karma
and Emptiness
(9-day
Residential Course)
with
Ven
Robina Courtin
June 2 - 10
We spend our lives being seduced by the
outside world, believing completely that happiness and suffering come
from “out there.” But “Everything we experience is
our own karmic
appearance,” says Lama Zopa Rinpoche. “Everything is made
up by our own
minds.”
Understanding this leads us to understand emptiness, and
by understanding emptiness – that everything occurs in dependence
upon
causes and conditions and nothing exists from its own side – we
can
slowly loosen the grip of ego-grasping and begin to develop our
marvellous potential for clarity, contentment, love and the other
qualities that Lord Buddha says are innate within us.
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To Go Beyond
The Essence of Wisdom
(11-day
Residential Course)
with
Andy Wistreich
September 14 -
24
This course will
teach you the basic knowledge and techniques needed for realising
emptiness,
using a full commentary on the
Heart
Sutra
as a basis for an introduction to Buddhist philosophy, concentration
and the
Mahayana motivation. Topics include the five aggregates, the
eighteen
constituents, the twelve links, the four noble truths, and the nature
of the
goal, enlightenment. The course includes meditations, teachings
and
discussion.
Recommended Reading for the "To Go Beyond"
course
"The Middle Way"
by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
"Ocean of Reasoning" by Je Tsong
Khapa
"Tsong Khapa’s Final Exposition
of Wisdom" by Jeffrey Hopkins
"The Essence of the Wisdom gone
Beyond" - An
extended translation of The Heart Sutra, which can be found here http://tushita.info/andy_recommend
Real
Altruism
How to develop
Ultimate and Conventional Bodhicitta
(9-day
Residential Course)
with
Andy Wistreich
October 10 - 18
This course will enable you to develop the
altruistic mind of
enlightenment which is the cause of enlightenment for the sake of all
sentient
beings. It will be based on a full commentary on the
Bodhicittavivarana (A
Commentary on the Awakening Mind) by
Nagarjuna, which is a seminal Mahayana text on the two bodhicittas, and
includes a debate between the Middle Way and Mind Only schools of
Buddhist philosophy.
Recommended Reading for the "Real
Altruism"
course
"Bodhicittavivarana (
A
Commentary on the Awakening Mind)"
by
Nagarjuna
Translation by Thubten Jinpa, available for free download here:
http://www.tibetanclassics.org/pdfs/AwakeningMindComment.pdf
"The Middle Way"
by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
"Ocean of Reasoning" by Je Tsong
Khapa
"Tsong Khapa’s Final Exposition
of Wisdom" by Jeffrey Hopkins
"Lam Rim Chen Mo Volume Two"
"Mind Training like the Rays of the
Sun" pub LTWA
"Bodhicaryavatara" by Shantideva
Enlightened Nature
Achieving
Enlightenment through purification
(11-day
Residential Course)
with
Andy Wistreich
October 20 - 30
This course will
introduce you to the teachings on Buddha Nature, the basic potential
for full
enlightenment eternally present in each and every sentient being.
It will
be based on a full commentary on
Uttaratantra
(The Sublime Continuum) by Maitreya, which is the classic
text based
on sutras of the third turning of the wheel, and highly valued in all
traditions
of Tibetan Buddhism.
Recommended Reading for the "Enlightened
Nature"
course
"Changeless Nature, The Mahayana Uttara Tantra Shastra" by Arya
Maitreya and Acarya Asanga
(translated by Ken & Katia Holmes)
Listen to teachings on the topic by Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoche at
http://www.lamrim.com/kirtitsenshab/uttaratantra.html
To
create an atmosphere conducive for reflection and meditation,
participants are required to keep
silence (no talking at all!) for the duration of the course
(from the evening of the first day until the morning of the last course
day), except during discussion groups or question and answer periods.
Most
likely there will be an Introduction to Buddhism course running
parallel to your course. It is especially difficult for beginners to
keep the silence, so please be aware of your special responsibility as
a role model as a more advanced practitioner.
