October 9 – 17, 2024
9-Day Intermediate-Level Course Led by Venerable Tenzin Thegchog
Rebirth plays a central role in Buddhist theory, practice and approach to life. It is also found in other thought systems, but with different understandings of what it is and how it works. However, for many, the notion of rebirth remains an alien idea and is very often misunderstood.
Yet, to gain a deep sense of what it means to practice the Buddhist path, an understanding based on reasoning of how our continuum as a person might have begun before conception and extend after death is vital.
So, could rebirth be true? And if so, what could that actually mean in terms of my life and how I lead it?
The course provides the opportunity for a better understanding through exploring attempts to prove rebirth with the help of logical analysis, especially that of the 7th century Indian pandit Dharmakīrti, as well as guided meditative reflections on our sense of self through time, the causes of our inborn dispositions, the teachings on dependent arising by way of twelve links, and the nature and power of consciousness.
Recommended reading
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chodron: “Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature”
Teacher
Born in Germany, Venerable Tenzin Thegchog studied literature, psychology and philosophy in Berlin. After working in geriatric care and as a caregiver for homeless people, he became a high school teacher of German literature and philosophy.
He became acquainted with Buddhism in 1993 and practiced Vietnamese and Japanese Zen for ten years. In addition he translated books by Thich Nhat Hanh and H.H. the Dalai Lama for various publishers.
In 2015, he began studying the FPMT Masters Program in Buddhist Studies of Sutra and Tantra at Instituto Lama Tsongkhapa in Italy, and was ordained as a novice monk in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in the same year. He later received full ordination by H.H. the Dalai Lama.
Since 2019 Ven. Thegchog lives at Nalanda Monastery, France where he continued his studies of the Masters Program, worked as teaching assistant during a 2-year Lamrim course and helped coordinating several courses taking place at Nalanda.
Course Details
For more information about Intermediate Courses, including a typical schedule and how to register, please see our Intermediate Course Page.