Classes are offered at various time throughout the year on the following subjects.
The Four Noble Truths was the subject of the first turning of the wheel of dharma ~ the Buddha’s first teaching at Deer Park in Sarnath, India. This teaching, a keystone for all traditions of Buddhism, describes the nature of our experience in samsara as dukkha.
Introduction to Practice. This class introduces the general structure of practice and the meaning of the foundational invocations of practice in our lineage. Discussion includes such topics as bodhicitta; refuge; The Four Immeasurables; and introduction to yidam meditative visualization practices.
The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind. These are foundational contemplations that turn the mind towards dharma. Also sometimes known as The Four Pure Insights Into the Way Things Are, they are: the preciousness of this human life; impermanence; karma; and the defects of an unawakened, or samsaric, existence. Because these contemplations are also the preliminary practices for ngondro, many of the source materials for study are ngondro teachings and texts, such as Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche’s Turning Confusion Into Clarity.
The Six Paramitas. The paramitas are the six dimensions of elevated conduct of a bodhisattva. They are: generosity; moral and ethical discipline; patience; perseverance or joyful effort; meditative concentration; and wisdom. One of the principal sources for study of the paramitas is Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara, or Way of the Bodhisattva. A more extensive reading list can be found here.
If you have any questions about any of the classes, please email us at TRTCC@threeriverstibetancc.org.