Path of Liberation Program

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Description: The Path of Liberation Program is a training in Buddhist study and practice that is structured by the teachings of embodiment (kaya), awakened speech (vacca), awakened mind ( citta), awakened qualities ( guna), and awakened action ( karma). Students will be introduced to the basic cognitive and experiential teachings of the Buddha. Texts will be drawn primarily from the Mahayana tradition. Objective: Upon completion, students will have a basic understanding of fundamental Buddhist teachings such as the Four Noble Truths, the Eight-fold Noble Path, Karma and Klesha, Interdependent Co-operation, and the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. They will be familiar with Buddhist history and important works of literature. They will further understand the living spirit of Buddhist teaching and practice. Length: Minimum 2 years; maximum 4 years. Cost: $4,000 (may be paid in quarterly or monthly installments) Program components: 11 classes, 15 workshops, 1 retreat week

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11 required classes:

Note: unless permission to the contrary is given by the Instructors, these classes must be taken in sequential order.   

DHS201 An Awakened Vision of Being (WINTER: January 8-March 13, 2008, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) This course is a journey into the Buddha's vision of what embodiment means. Students   will study the teachings of the Buddhist Abhidharma, be introduced to the life-story of the Buddha and the symbolism of the form of the Buddha as presented in traditional art and sculpture, and recognize the stages on the Buddhist path. DHS202 Transmitting Insight; Penetrating Illusion (SPRING: March 25-May 29, 2008, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) At every moment we receive messages transmitted from our body, from our mind, and from the world around us. These messages form the basis of all that we know and do. The Dharma teaches us to 'watch the watcher,' to bring our attention to how the senses operate and how knowledge of ourselves and the world develops. This course focuses on how information from the body, mind, and world is transmitted and received. The Abhidharma and Lojong (Mind Training) teachings form the textual basis of the course. Prerequisite: DHS201 or equivalent.

DHS203 Who Owns Mind? (SUMMER: June 10-August 14, 2008, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) We sensitively explore consciousness, looking for the source of thoughts, feelings, impulses, and actions. We search for an independent 'self' who controls and owns the mind and experience. Following an ancient analysis from the time of the Buddha, we glimpse how mind, free of the confines of 'self', might function. Our primary practices are mindfulness in all things and the four immeasureable states (love, compassion, joy, and equanimity). Prerequisite: DHS202 or equivalent. DHS204 Four Foundations of Mindfulness (SEPTEMBER: September 2-23, 2008, Tuesdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) The Buddha taught that mindfulness - the steady and sustained contemplation of the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena - leads to wisdom. Training in these "Four Foundations of Mindfulness" leads to an unshakably present state of mind and is the foundation for further study and practice. Prerequisite: DHS203 or equivalent. DHS205 Compassion in Action (FALL: September 30-December 4, 2008, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) What does it mean to live a life dedicated to compassion and wisdom? We look to the ways of life that the Buddha established and read biographies of great masters, men and women from India and Tibet. We also continue to cultivate our own inner capabilities for compassionate wisdom and deepen our knowledge of cause and effect. Taking steps in the direction of the path, our entire orientation begins to shift from being centered on our own benefit to being centered on the benefit of others. In this quarter we deepen understanding of interdependent coproduction (Pratitya samutpada), study the lives of great masters of the Indian and Tibetan tradition, and reflect on how the Buddhist vision could manifest in the Western world. Prerequisite: DHS204 or equivalent.

DHS206 The Resolve for Ultimate Goodness (WINTER: January 6-March 12, 2009, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) All living beings have the nature of a Buddha, yet this nature is obscured by veils of obscurations. We live in ignorance of this great treasure, like a poor, blind man, unaware that a jewel of infinite value lies buried under his hearth. Traditional teachings and practices can help us develop confidence in our ability to discover the Buddha nature within. We will study teachings on Bodhicitta (the 'seed of enlightenment') and continue to work on mind training practices that overcome the destructive forces of anger, attachment, and ignorance in our lives. Prerequisite: DHS205 or equivalent. DHS207 Gateway to Knowledge (SPRING: March 24-May 28, 2009, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) We deepen our search for awakened mind through an in-depth study of topics from the Gateway to Knowledge (Tib. mKhas-'jug and its commentary) by the great Tibetan teacher Lama Mipham. With penetrating analysis, we look again at inner and outer phenomena and the sense fields. We explore teachings on 'what is possible and what is impossible' along with teachings on time and the arising of the system of suffering. Prerequisite: DHS206 or equivalent. DHS208 Deluded Mind/Awakened Mind (SUMMER: June 9-August 13, 2009, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) All the teachings of the Dharma are informed by knowledge of the inner workings of consciousness. As the mind is further cultivated, what seemed confused or difficult becomes magically workable. 'Deluded mind' is no longer an obstacle: all that arises can be brought onto the path of liberation. Prerequisite: DHS207 or equivalent.

DHS209 Majestic Aspirations (SEPTEMBER: September 8--29, 2009, Tuesdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) We study the Pranidhana Raja , a text beloved in the Mahayana tradition that expresses the Bodhisattva's vows and commitments in poetic form. Prerequisite: DHS208 or equivalent. DHS210 The World as Sacred Space (FALL: October 6--December 10, 2009, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15-7:45 PM) Powerful Buddhist symbols point toward a comprehensive vision in which the universe itself arises as a mandala--a sacred space in which the journey to awakening is assured. We explore this vision, studying how every aspect experience can be transformed. We also look at the sacred symbols that have been created by the Nyingma organizations and how the mandala structures its operations. Prerequisite: DHS209 or equivalent. DHS301 Path of Liberation Tutorial (TBA, 2 hours per quarter) Students will receive formal guidance in how to work with the ideas and practices presented each quarter in the Path of Liberation Program.

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15 required workshops:

The following workshops are required (workshops are held Friday evenings (7-9 PM) through Saturday (10 AM-4:45 PM):

DHS401Visions of Enlightenment (WINTER: January 11-12, 2008) The form of the Buddha reflects the reality that all who live can cultivate the same wisdom and compassion. In this workshop, students study the ways that a Buddha is embodied: the Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya, and the Nirmanakaya; look at the process of achieving this perfect embodiment through studying the Jatakas (birth stories of the Buddha); and contemplate the form of the Buddha as it is represented in Tibetan art and sculpture. The workshop also includes a meditation evoking the presence of the Buddha written by the 19 th century Nyingma Master, Lama Mipham. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS201 or consent of the Instructors. DHS402 Faith in Dharma (WINTER: February 15-16, 2008) The awakening of faith in the Dharma means that we have surrendered our heart to truth. This workshop outlines the steps to such faith. Students will learn to distinguish belief from faith and skepticism from inquiry. Class discussion and practice will focus on how to build inner confidence in our own abilities as we seek guidance from those who are wiser. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS201 or consent of the Instructors. DHS403 Turning the Mind to the Dharma (SPRING: April 4-5, 2008) Students will study the "four thoughts" that turn the mind to the Dharma: Contemplating Freedom and Good Fortune, Impermanence, Suffering, and Karma. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS202 or consent of the Instructors.

DHS404 Training for Freedom (SPRING: May 9-10, 2008) Classic Buddhist education uses three trainings - shila (ethics), samadhi (meditation), and prajna (wisdom) - to develop wholesome knowledge and power. This workshop will introduce you to these traditional tools for clearing away the network of confusion and karmic patterns. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS202 or consent of the Instructors. DHS405 Question of Identity: Ten Kinds of Self (SUMMER: June 27-28, 2008) Who creates, controls, enjoys, defiles, or purifies experience? Am 'I' substantial, or have 'I' as Tarthang Tulku writes, "entered into an illusory partnership with an entity that has no existence of its own"? Experiential exercises will shed light on these questions, while lecture will examine the ten kinds of self as described by the Bodhisattva Maitreya and the Nyingma master Lama Mipham. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS203 or consent of the Instructors. DHS406 Four Immeasurable States of Being (SUMMER: August 8-9, 2008) Love, compassion, sympathetic joy, and impartial equanimity can be practiced in a manner that extends beyond all limits. These four ways of pure abiding mutually interact and purify each other. Practicing them, students can discover an inner wellspring of wholesome peace that goes beyond the limits of the ordinary world, for the benefit of all. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS203 or consent of the Instructors.

NPR402 Finding Compassionate Love (FALL: November 28-30, 2008)                   We can learn to love ourselves and others more deeply through actively cultivating compassionate love. This kind of love heals the painful divisions between living beings, allowing us to forgive others and to cleanse ourselves of ill will. The workshop introduces gentle visualization, mantra and meditation practices given by the enlightened Buddha. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS205 or consent of the Instructors. DHS407 Making Mind the Matter (WINTER: January 23-24, 2009)             In order to make the Dharma relevant to our lives, we explore the activity of our mind. Working specifically with the 'three trainings' of shila, samadhi, and prajna, we gain insight into how samsara is being fabricated and by whom, and what patterns of ego, personality, and identity are being put in place. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS206 or consent of the Instructors. MED413 Filled with Devotion (WINTER: March 6-7, 2009) The final chapter of the sacred text known as the Uttaratantra, titled 'Benefit', describes how one 'filled with devotion' and with certainty in the Dharma creates immense merit in the world. This advanced meditation workshop invites faith based on insight. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS206 or consent of the Instructors.

DHS408 The Wheel of Life (SPRING: April 3-4, 2009) The symbolic imagery of the Tibetan wheel of life demonstrates fundamental Buddhist teachings about the chain of causality and how conscious life evolves. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS207 or consent of the Instructors. MED415 Cutting Off Negative Thoughts (SPRING: May 8-9, 2009) Meditative action is the process of bringing even adverse conditions onto the path to enlightenment. The torment of negative thoughts dissolves as insight into the nature of mind and the action of karma arises. The heart's natural capacity for love and compassion awakens. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS207 or consent of the Instructors. DHS413 The Perfections of Patience and Strength (SUMMER: June, 2009, TBA) Based on the Bodhicaryavatara and its Tibetan commentaries, students will study the perfections of patience (ksanti) and strength (virya). Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS208 or consent of the Instructors.

DHS414 The Perfections of Meditation and Wisdom (SUMMER: July, 2009, TBA) Through study of chapters eight and nine of the Bodhicaryavatara and its Tibetan commentaries, students will learn the types of meditation and appropriate topics of meditation. Selected verses from the chapter on Wisdom will help illuminate the depth and complexity of its study. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS208 or consent of the Instructors. DHS415 The Power of Buddhist Symbols (FALL: October 2-3, 2009) Even the colors and landscape elements in a Tibetan painting have symbolic meaning. This workshop introduces Buddhist symbols that are found worldwide, such as the Stupa, and other symbols found only in the Tibetan tradition. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS210 or consent of the Instructors.

DHS416 Path of Prayer to the Land of Bliss (FALL: October 30-31, 2009) We study texts and teachings about the Buddhafield of Sukhavati and about the Buddha Amithaba. Students will learn what a Buddhafield is. They will also hear examples of rituals that are used to connect human consciousness with Buddhafields. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS210 or consent of the Instructors.

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