Buddhism in a Nutshell | Living in the Path

5 course sessions delivered on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 - 7:30 pm over 5-8 weeks

Session 1: 20th July 2016

Session 2: 27th July 2016

Session 3: 3rd August 2016

Session 4: 10th August 2016

Session 5: 17th August 2016

Session 6: 24th August 2016

Session 7: 31st August 2016

Session 8: 7th September 2016

Buddhism in a Nutshell is an introductory course that provides a general overview of basic Buddhist philosophy and principles for complete beginners and is intended to provide a basis for more extensive study about Buddhism. It does not assume that those who participate in this course know anything at all about Buddhism or about meditation, but simply that there is an interest in learning something about Buddhism in its various forms and that a presentation in a Tibetan Mahayana context is appealing. However, the materials covered in this course should not be considered the property of beginners alone; the teachings offered here are profound and will be of benefit to even advanced students on the path to enlightenment.

This course is presented as a series of five sessions however we are likely to extend our time to eight sessions. Each session contains teachings and guided audio meditations by Venerable Amy Miller. These teachings serve as an excellent companion to the required reading text which presents teachings and reflections on each subject covered by the lam-rim text, 'The Foundation of All Good Qualities', by the great Tibetan saint, Lama Tsongkhapa.

The teachings come from two extraordinary Tibetan Buddhist masters, Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, along with Venerable Amy Miller. Each session also includes handouts of key topics or of meditation scripts and suggested questions for contemplation and discussion are also provided.

The following topics will be covered during the sessions:

• What is Buddhism?
• Who was the Buddha?
• What is Dharma?
• What is Buddhist Refuge?
• The Fundamentals of Karma
• What are the Four Noble Truths?
• What is Meditation?
• Understanding the Mind
• Understanding the Teachings
• The Importance of a Qualified Teacher
• What is the Purpose of Life?
• Death and Impermanence
• What is Renunciation?
• What is Emptiness?
• Introducing Tantra
• Advice for Bringing These Teachings into Your Daily Life
• How to Dedicate Your Virtue

 

Course materials include handouts of pertinent information and instructions for the various meditations taught.  

• Handout #1 - The Seven-Point Meditation Posture
• Handout #4 - The Four Noble Truths
• Handout #5 - The Foundation of All Good Qualities

The following Guided Meditations are practiced in this course:

• Handout #2 - Meditation: Counting the Breaths
• Handout #3 - Meditation: Clarity of Consciousness
• Handout #6 – Meditation: Relaxing and Scanning the Body
• Handout #7 - Meditation: Mind as Knower
• Handout #8 - Meditation: Meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha

The Required Reading for this course is the book called 'Buddhism in a Nutshell - Essentials for Practice and Study' by Lama Thubten Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Venerable Amy Miller. Please download this pdf version for your own reading.

Suggested Reading for Buddhism in a Nutshell.

A suggested reading for this course is An Outline of the Path to Enlightenment by Nick Ribush which is provided in PDF format for you to download

Buddhism in a Nutshell - Suggestions for further study

The following books and DVDs are suggested as additional resources for students who wish to deepen their understanding of the material in this course.

Books

• Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up, by B. Alan Wallace, Wisdom Publications.
• Open Heart, Clear Mind, by Thubten Chodron, Snow Lion Publications.
• The Four Noble Truths, by Geshe Tashi Tsering, Wisdom Publications.
• The Dalai Lama’s Book of Awakening, by the Dalai Lama, Element Publications.
• The Way to Freedom, by the Dalai Lama, Harper Publications.
• How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life, by the Dalai Lama, Atria.
• Kindness, Clarity and Insight, by the Dalai Lama, Snow Lion Publications.
• Lam-Rim Outlines, by Ven. Karin Valham, Wisdom Publications.
• Wisdom Energy, by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Wisdom Publications.
• Essence of Tibetan Buddhism, by Lama Yeshe, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
• Free Mahayana Buddhist publications and readings from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

DVDs

• The Four Noble Truths, 1997 teachings by the Dalai Lama, Mystic Fire Video.
• Buddhism, by Robert A. F. Thurman, Mystic Fire Video.
• The Three Principal Aspects of the Path, Teachings from Lama Yeshe, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Resources

Please find

• a PDF transcript of the teachings:
• plus Handouts #1-8 (linked below),
• plus required and suggested readings in PDF format (linked below)