The Foundation Program (FP) is a unique structured study program that enables us to gain deeper understanding and experience of Buddhist teachings and to develop a regular meditation practice. It is ideal for those who have a general understanding of Buddhism and wish to learn more. FP meets twice a week during term times with breaks in between and a longer break in the summer. Students are requested to enroll for a section of the text and commit to attend all the classes.
Through regular teachings and meditation, systematic study and group discussion the Foundation Program offers deep support for your spiritual life. In essence it is the same training followed by spiritual practitioners in an unbroken lineage dating back to Buddha Shakyamuni. Its special quality is that we can gain authentic experience without abandoning our modern lifestyle. By studying on this program we will gain great confidence in meditation - from basic techniques for overcoming our everyday problems, to practices leading to unsurpassed happiness and permanent inner peace.
The Texts:
The Foundation Program (FP) offers the opportunity to engage in a systematic study of six of Geshe Kelsang's books in great depth. The books are commentaries to Je Tsongkhapa's writings and contain the very essence of Buddha's teachings.
At the Center we are currently studying Joyful Path of Good Fortune:
Joyful Path of Good Fortune is a commentary to Atisha's Lamrim text "The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment". By studying Joyful Path we gain the ability to put all Buddha's teachings of both Sutra and Tantra into practice. We can easily make progress and complete the stages of the path to the supreme happiness of enlightenment. From a practical point of view Lamrim is the main body of Buddha's teachings, and the other teachings are like the limbs.
The other books studied on Foundation Program are:
Universal Compassion - Teaches us how to integrate Buddha's teachings into our daily lives and solve all our human problems. This is a commentary to "Training the Mind in Seven Points" by Bodhisattva Chekhawa.
Eight Steps to Happiness - Shows us how to transform all life's difficulties into valuable spiritual insights by using extraordinary methods for developing universal love and compassion. The text reveals how to transform our self-centered state into the perfect wisdom and compassion of a Buddha.
Heart of Wisdom - We gain a realization of the ultimate nature of reality. By gaining this realization we can eliminate the ignorance of self-grasping, which is the root of all our suffering. Commentary to the Heart Sutra.
Meaningful to Behold - We transform our daily activities into the Bodhisattva's way of life, thereby making every moment of our human life meaningful. Commentary to Venerable Shantideva's 8th century poem, "Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life".
Understanding the Mind - How to understand the relationship between our mind and its external objects. If we understand that objects depend upon the subjective mind, we can change the way objects appear to us by changing our own mind. Gradually we shall gain the ability to control our mind and in this way solve all our problems. Based on the works of Buddhist scholars Dharmakirti and Dignana.
