Fbt Intro Booklet

8/12/2019 Fbt Intro Booklet

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THE FOUNDATION

ofBUDDHIST THOUGHT

Introduction to the Online Correspondence Course

Geshe Tashi Tsering


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THE FOUNDATIONOF

BUDDHIST THOUGHT

An Introduction

My own view which does not rely solely on religious faith, nor even onan original idea, but rather on ordinary common sense is thatestablishing binding ethical principles is possible when we take as ourstarting point the observation that we all desire happiness and not tosuffer. We have no means of discriminating between right and wrong ifwe do not take into account others feelings, others suffering. And if it is

correct that this aspiration is a settled disposition shared by all, it followsthat each individual has a right to pursue happiness and avoid suffering.

ANCIENT WISDOM, MODERN WORLDby His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The three main reasons this course was startedare:

to deepen our understandingof Buddha Dharmawithin astructured approach that shows how we can integrate theteachings in our everyday life.

to bring Buddha Dharma to the West in a complete way.Buddha Dharma is coming to the West in many forms there is already so much here and it is so important tokeep it pure, so it is important to study the completeDharma.

to ensure Buddha Dharma lasts a long time. If Dharmahas the potential to reduce suffering, problems,difficulties, then it is our responsibility to make sure thiswill last a long time.


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My hope is that the course will increase the knowledge ofBuddha Dharma and give the opportunity to learn the subjectsover an extended period. I have selected 6 different subjects forthese 2 years which are the ones I feel are quite important toknow and I hope you will be able to get quite a profoundknowledge of them and hopefully not just knowledge but also

some experience. So the main motivation is to cultivate ourDharma knowledge, Dharma understanding and Dharmaexperience. I believe this is your main motivation for doing thecourse too.

No pressure on youRight at the beginning there is no pressure on you to take thiscourse. This is very important to know because although thecourse is designed in a slightly Western style with essays and

examinations etc, and there is a responsibility to be involved insome way, with your group there is no element ofcompetitiveness, nor any sense of my loss and your gain. Youwill be asked to do things for the course but if you cant you wontmiss out on a job or fail to get that promotion. Do as much as youcan with great joy, but dont push yourself. Dont put pressure onyourself saying: I must, I must, especially if you are not happy todo it. The main motivation is solely to increase our Dharmaknowledge, our Dharma experience.

The structure of the course

The subjects

Over the next 2 years we will be looking at 6 subjects that I feelcover the most important aspects of Buddhism, especially

Tibetan Buddhism. They are:

The Four Noble Truths Relative Truth, Ultimate Truth Buddhist Psychology The Awakening Mind (Bodhicitta) Emptiness Tantra


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Your study group

You will be in a study group of about 10 people with a tutor whois a graduate of a previous Foundation of Buddhist Thought

course. Your tutor and the students in your group may change atthe end of the first year.

Methods of studying

When we talk about studying, I dont just mean developing anintellectual understanding. Doing meditation, such as simplesilent meditation, can become very rich and beneficial. Ourpractice is our study. Applying what we learn in our daily lives isour study.

My experience of being in the West first of all in NalandaMonastery in France for 2 and a half years, being with theWestern monks and trying to teach Tibetan Buddhism, and thenafter that coming to Jamyang in 1994 all this shows me veryclearly that Westerners, generally speaking, have a veryintellectual way of approaching Buddhas teachings. And yetbecause of lack of time, that intellectual understanding can reallyput you off actually experiencing the Dharma you are studying.

My hope is that the course will give you both the supportand structure to have time each week and get a balance betweenyour Dharma study and the other bits that make up your life.

What I provide is only the structure for you to work from. Thereal course is what you do from day to day. How you structure

your study time, how you fit your meditation, discussion, readingand writing into daily life, is very much up to you.

Constantly checking your motivation is a good way to keepcommitted. Seeing how important understanding these topics isand how integrating them into your life will definitely help you toput the maximum effort into the course. Naturally, as with alldistance learning, your motivation needs to be quite strong but


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we really hope you will feel very much part of the course in thediscussion groups and written work you do. As with everything,what you get from the course depends on what you put into it.Remember we are always there for back up when you need us.

Reading and listening

There are many books written on the subjects we will bestudying, but I have included in the recommended reading listbelow, the books that I feel are the most relevant for our course.If you can, it is very good to buy each of these, as I will bereferring to them a lot during the course.

You will receive a course book for each module, which Ihave written from the teachings I gave during the first two two-year courses at Jamyang London. You can also have the MP3s

of the teachings I gave during the 3rd campus course, or you candownload them from the Learning Resources section of themodule being studied (if your computer has broadband, asuitable media player and sound card - see page 3 of the MoodleStudent/Tutor Handbook 2007/2008).

The course book and these resources will be your mainstudy guides. You will have a set subject every two weeks (e.g.the first Noble Truth) and I recommend you first read the relevantsection in the course book, think about it a while, then listen tothat section on the Mp3. Then use that as your exploration of thatsubject. Meditate on it each day, using the meditation guides wewill provide, and, when you have some knowledge of it,participate in the e-discussions.

Its not a good idea to read all of the books at once like anovel, as you wouldnt be able to absorb all of the ideas. By

approaching each section systematically, slowly and thoroughly,you will hopefully both increase your knowledge and develop adeeper understanding of how it fits into your everyday life, whichis one of the main aims of the course.


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MeditatingOf the different aspects of this course reading, listening,writing, discussion groups and meditation I feel the mostimportant one is meditation. For each monthly unit, there will be aguided meditation.

Many of you have a daily practice so you can put someemphasis on whatever point in the programme you are studying.For example, with the Four Noble Truths, there will definitely be apoint where you can fit in a meditation on suffering.

For people who don't have that sort of daily commitment, itwould be very good to do at least 20 minutes meditation everyday, maybe 5 minutes settling your body, then 15 minutes on theactual meditation.

WritingAs you know, this course asks for your active participation. Thereare a variety of questions to be answered, some are interactiveand should be discussed with the whole group and some are foryou to think over individually or write about. Besides meditations,this is probably the most powerful tool to deepen our Dharmaunderstanding.

Different assignments: how to complete &where to send

Discussion groups for threaded discussionsThese are questions that the tutor sends out via the onlineforum every 2 weeks relevant to the topic being studied thatfortnight in order to develop your understanding and shareyour ideas. Please add your thoughts, experiences, questionsand views as and when you feel like it once a week would beideal.


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The idea is that there is no right or wrong answer to thesediscussion questions, nor are they testing your intellectualknowledge. They relate to your everyday life and everyone cancontribute from their own experiences. The questions andreplies are posted to the Discussion Group for the entire groupto see.

Essaylettes and essaysEssaylettes are short essays, a paragraph or two, whereas thelong essay at the end of the third month is around 1,500 words.The tutor posts the essaylette questions at the end of each monthand you have a month to reply. These are for you to check thedepth of your understanding. Ideally you should not write theessay all in one go but think about the questions over a period oftime and write a bit each week. Send them directly to your tutor

not the whole group and you will receive feedback to let youknow if you are on the right track.

Self-review questionsAfter each 2-week block the tutor will also mail you a set ofsimple self-review questions. Answers are not to be sent to thetutor or the group but are purely to be used by yourself as a toolto check how much you have understood and retained from whatyou have read. You can then compare the answers your tutorsends out a week later.

Exams or final reviewsExams are part of the course too! Each module consists of threeactive months of reading, engaging in discussions etc. and onemonth of quiet time for revision, writing your long essay anddoing your exam. These are for you to check your retention ofmajor facts and ideas and are linked to the self-review questions.The exam will not be scored but will be commented on, like youressays, by your tutor. Ideally you should do the exam in onesitting, without your book, in about 60 to 90 minutes. You post theexam directly back to your tutor.


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What to send where

DiscussionThreads

Discussion Forum

Essaylettes Directly to your tutorSelf-review

questions

Used only for reference, you

dont send answersLong essay Directly to your tutorExams or FinalReviews

Directly to your tutor

Chat room

Each module has a chat room to allow live discussion with other

students. All posts are recorded in a log and are not private. Yourtutor may opt to co-ordinate the chat as part of a formal learningexercise.

There is no compulsion to participate in these but if youhave time, you may find it beneficial to join in one or two.

Participation and certificates

Although, the course is primarily to benefit you, if you do want toget a certificate at the end, you must participate in the discussiongroups, write the long essay and complete the exam for eachmodule. Each of these three components contributes 33%towards passing the course.

I feel it is good to work towards the certificate at the end. Itgives you a nudge when you are feeling it is all too much! While itis possible to do less than required (and not get the certificate) I

really dont recommend it. Without pressuring yourself, try to seehow beneficial it is to fully participate and work your life around it.


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The three components that count towards the

certificate are:

Discussion threads 33% (showing your developingunderstanding and communication skills)

Long essay 33% (showing the depth of yourunderstanding of the module)

Exam 33% (showing how much information you

have retained from that module)

I really hope you will have no trouble meeting thiscommitment. It is designed to ensure you get the most from thecourse. If, however, you are finding it hard to meet, due tochanged circumstances or whatever, please dont just feel youcant go on and drop out discuss it with your tutor so you canfind the best way forward.

I certainly dont advise you not to do the essays and examsbut there might be some circumstances where that is the onlyway you can continue. And remember, setbacks are oftentemporary - they can change back again.


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Mutual responsibility

To achieve our goal of getting a really good understanding ofBuddha Dharma, we need a strong sense of mutualresponsibility. It is not a matter of me simply giving you theinformation. From my own side I don't have that kind of rich

understanding, therefore, there needs to be mutual responsibility.You also need to work very hard with the reading, homework andmeditation. You need to take responsibility and make a firmcommitment to do the whole course. Try to motivate yourself with

joyful effort so that you achieve the best level in whatever you do.

People who have some kind of personal difficulty withjoining in the discussion groups, or with understanding the points,difficulty in doing some of the homework or who have personal

problems, there is no need to hesitate. Just let the courseadministrator and your tutor know and they will be very happy tohelp.

It is very unlikely, but it could happen, that there is somepersonal clash between members of a group. If this shouldhappen, it is good to discuss it openly rather than letting itdevelop. If you are annoyed by somebody, it can ruin yourenjoyment of the course and the way the group works. If yourdialogue with that person does not resolve the issue, then pleasediscuss it with your tutor, who will try to sort it out.

GuidelinesThe Foundation of Buddhist Thought course, like most UKcolleges, has set procedures for disputes. As you will see fromthe student charter, it is your responsibility to foster and maintain

harmony within the group. If, after all other means have beentried, the dispute is still unresolved, the administration staff atJamyang have the authority to withdraw someone from thecourse, refunding fees and blocking their user name so they canno longer use the website.


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Please read the student charter, this outlines the commitmentthat the Foundation of Buddhist Thought makes to you andthat you should make to the course.

Student charter

From the side of the Foundation of Buddhist

Thought We agree to provide material course books, audio material

and other material for the course on time and in goodcondition to your specified address.

We agree to provide you with an on-line tutor/tutors for theduration of the course.

We agree to set up a study group and tea room with theother students starting at the same time as you, in order tofoster active and stimulating discussions (via e-mail or other

media) about the course work you are undertaking. With the exception of your name, general locality and e-mail

address, we agree to keep your personal details confidentialfrom anyone other than the tutors and administration staff ofthe Foundation of Buddhist Thought. Your name, generallocality and email address will be issued to your tutor andeach member of your study group.

We agree to treat seriously problems and complaints aboutthe contents and administration of the course, your course

tutor or the behaviour of any of your fellow students. We agree to issue a certificate at the completion of the

course, provided you have regularly participated indiscussions and satisfactorily completed all the long essaysand exams.


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From the side of the student I agree to participate fully in the two-year study programme

of the Foundation of Buddhist Thought. This includes:

reading the required material, listening to the audiomaterials provided and meditating on it, as

recommended by Geshe Tashi and the course tutors giving in written work to the tutors on time joining in discussion groups

I understand that to receive a certificate I must havecompleted all exams and long essays and activelyparticipated in the discussion groups.

I agree to work in a harmonious way with my fellowstudents, the course tutors and the Foundation ofBuddhist Thoughtcourse to bring about maximum benefitfor myself and others.

Different kinds of meditation Single pointed and

analyticalAlthough there will be specific meditation guidelines for eachmodule, the actual structure will be the same. I suggest you buildon your meditation from the first module until the last. But there isno pressure. If you feel unwell, if you have lots of things to do,

leave it. Dont push yourself. But try to get time to do thismeditation.

There are also many levels of students doing this course,from beginners to people who have been involved with TibetanBuddhism for many years, so you will need to modify themeditations given to suit your level and whatever daily practiceyou are already doing.


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In Tibetan, the word for meditation is gom, which means tobecome familiar, so when we talk about meditation it is simplythat, making the mind familiar with its particular subject. Thesedays there are many activities labelled meditation but inBuddhism it is principally familiarising ourselves with an object,

an attitude, a mind or a phenomenon.

Particularly in Tibetan Buddhism, there are two differentways to do this, the single-pointed and the analytical approach.This is quite important to know because during our meditation wesometimes need to employ one, sometimes the other andsometimes both.

For instance, with a meditation on love or bodhicitta, it is

really our present mind trying to become love or compassion.Through reducing the obstacles and difficulties we actually turnour mind into a mind of love or compassion. That is single-pointed meditation. On the other hand, with the meditation onimpermanence or emptiness we are not really trying to becomeimpermanence or emptiness. Here our mind is trying tounderstand impermanence or emptiness by analysis. In otherwords, our mind is the subject and impermanence or emptinessis the object. With analytical meditation the subject tries to realisethe object, but when meditating on love or compassion, the mindisthe object. I think that is very important to know that differenceat a very early stage.

Setting up the meditation practice - establishing

good habits

Time

Because meditation is a gradual familiarisation, setting up goodhabits is very important. We should do our meditation on a dailybasis and, after choosing the best time to do it, stick to it as muchas possible. This will make a great difference to the 2-yearcourse.


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The best time is the morning. At this time the externalenvironment is very fresh and there are certain elements thathelp make our mind easily focused and pliable. In the morningour mind is also quite fresh and clear, because the day has notstarted yet. Yesterdays things have passed away and we havehad a good sleep. Having a good sleep is also important for our

mind to be fresh. Diet also needs to be considered.

Place and postureThe place where we do our meditation is also important. It doesnot have to be very religious, but if it is clean and tidy, that canreally help to cut down distractions. It also needs good light. It isnot necessary to sit on the floor with a meditation cushion, butwhether you sit on a chair or a cushion it should be firm enoughto help give a good posture. Ideally, the back should be a bit

higher than the front. It should be comfortable, but with some kindof support so, whether your session lasts 5 minutes or 30minutes, you should be able to do it without pain. You dont haveto sit cross-legged; being comfortable is the most important. Ihave written something on setting up an altar on the website.

Having a relaxed body is very important so maybe do some shortexercises beforehand to relax yourself. This is not mentionedtraditionally but do whatever helps to relax your muscles andshoulders. And when you sit, make sure you body is wellsupported. Keep your hands in a comfortable posture, either onyour knees or in your lap, but very gently. You neck should bereally relaxed. I wont go into detail here as there are many lam-rim texts that start off explaining the traditional seven-pointposture.


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After that, if you still have some energy and time, make yourmind familiar with the subject. For instance, with the 1st NobleTruth, in your meditation session try to make yourself aware ofthe nature of your own life and exactly what conditions areoccurring to cause any dissatisfaction. Really check the subjectout. The Buddha found the nature of our life has 4 features

birth, sickness, ageing and death but dont just accept this.Explore this and try to see whether this really is the nature of allour lives.

2) & 3) Intermediate and advanced levelsIf you are already quite familiar with meditation, then try to takeyour understanding to a deeper level, from assumption to somekind of conviction make the understanding firmer and morespontaneous.

For the more advanced student, you can take the analyticalmeditations beyond looking at this lifetime, seeing how thesubject relates to future lifetimes as well. If you have done a lotof analytical meditation in the past, you can try to make yourunderstanding very firm, vivid and strong. With a strongfamiliarisation with the subject, our mind can spontaneouslycome to understand it without any effort. That is a great goal toaim for.

For everybody, beginner or not, I am requesting 20 minutesmeditation a day. If you can do more than that, it is very good. Ifyou have a daily practice, you need to think about how tointegrate whatever topic we are doing into your daily practice.

No matter what level you feel you are at, it is good to have aroutine that you are comfortable with. Over the entire 2 years,

there are 4 meditations that are the most important for all levels.They are:

calm-abiding

renunciation

bodhicitta

emptiness


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There are many different ways to integrate these keyfeatures into your mind stream, according to your own particularlevel. This does not mean I expect you to have realisedemptiness by the time we have finished the emptiness module!

There are various files on the website about setting up ashrine and preparing for daily meditation.

Please go to www.buddhistthought.org/studycentreandthen Daily Meditation and Prayers in the Other Resourcessection.

DVDs linked to FBT modules*Four Noble Truths

Four Noble Truths[2 DVDs] 2 Discs by Dalai Lama @ GBP 42.95 (available fromWisdom).

Buddhist PsychologyInvestigating the Mind 2005Science and Clinical Applications of Meditation, high quality record.5 DVDs $89.95 USD www.investigatingthemind.org/dvd.cd.html

EmptinessEmptiness Explained[7 DVD Set] Lama Thubten Zopa approx GBP 50 (available fromWisdom)

TantraIntroduction to Tantra[DVD] Lama Thubten Yeshe approx GBP 13 (available from Wisdom)

* Please check online for updated prices and offers


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Supplementary reading

The Four Noble Truths

1) The Four Noble Truthsby His Holiness the Dalai Lama(Out of print, 2nd hand copies may be obtained at Amazon.com)Publisher: Thornsons (1997) ISBN: 0-7225-3550-3

A concise teaching on the Four Noble Truths taken from HisHoliness London talks in 1996. Also contains teachings on theTwo Truths.

2) The Four Noble Truths by Ven. Lobsang GyatsoPublisher: Snow Lion (1994) ISBN 1-55939-027-1Written in the Tibetan style with lots of lists, but good studymaterial.

3) What the Buddha Taught by Wapola RahulaPublisher: Oneworld, Oxford. (1959) ISBN 1-85168-142-6Only some sections (pages 15 to 50) are relevant for the FourNoble Truths. This is a good mixture of philosophical explanationwith everyday practice.

4) The Meaning of Life, Buddhist Perspectives on Cause andEffectby His Holiness the Dalai LamaPublisher: Wisdom (2000) ISBN 0-88171-173-4Excellent teachings on both the Twelve Links of DependentOrigination and the Two Truthsfrom His Holiness.

Also recommendedis The Four Noble Truthsby AjahnSumedho, available on-line in the Learning Resources section ofthat module, inwww.buddhistthought.org/studycentre


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Relative truth, ultimate truth

1) Appearance and Realityby Guy NewlandPublisher: Snow Lion (1999) ISBN 0-86171-024-XApproachable look at Relativeand Ultimate Truth.

2) The Two Truthsby Guy NewlandPublisher: Snow Lion (1992) ISBN 0-937938-79-3Dense, very scholastic (a PhD thesis). Only for those intent indepth analysis.

Buddhist psychology and epistemology

1) Mind in Tibetan Buddhism by Lati RinbochayPublisher: Snow Lion (1980) ISBN 0-937938-02-5

Very Tibetan (lots of lists) with very clear guidelines tounderstanding the different states of mind according to TibetanBuddhism.

2) The Mind and Its Functions by Geshe RabtenPublisher: Tharpa Choeling (1980)Good clear explanations of both the Psychological andEpistemological models.

3) Mind-Science by His Holiness the Dalai LamaPublisher: Wisdom (1991) ISBN 0-86171-066-5Every year His Holiness meets with top scientists to explore thesimilarities and differences between Buddhist and modernWestern sciences concepts of mind. This book came from thefirst meeting.

The awakening mind (bodhicitta)

1) Bodhicittaby Ven. Lobsang GyatsoPublisher: Snow Lion Publications (1997) ISBN 1-55939-070-0This is a clear commentary on the 7 Points of Cause and Effect.

2) A Guide To The Bodhisattvas Way Of Life(Bodhisattvacharyavatara) byShantidevaPublisher: LTWA (1987) ISBN 8185102597


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One of the most important books in Tibetan Buddhism; this is arich source book and a great inspiration.

3) Training The Mind In The Great Wayby Gyalwa GendunDruppaPublisher: Snow Lion (1993) ISBN 0-937938-96-3

This is written by the first Dalai Lama and goes into the subject ofMind Training or Lo-Jong.

Emptiness according to the Prasangika

Madhyamaka school

1) Practising Wisdomby His Holiness the Dalai LamaPublisher: Wisdom Publications (2004) ISBN-13: 978-0861711826. A commentary on Shantidevas Guide to aBodhisattvas Way of Life thechapter concerning Emptiness

2) What The Buddha Taught by Walpola RahulaPublisher: Oneworld (1959) ISBN 1-85168-142-6The relevant Chapter is Chapter 6.

3) Heart Sutraby Geshe Sonam RinchenPublisher: Snow Lion Publications (2003) ISBN-13: 978-1559392013 This book is the most concise of the Perfection ofWisdom Sutras, it contains the essence of the Buddha'steachings on Emptiness, the way in which things exist.

4) Realising Emptinessby Gen LamrimpaPublisher: Snow Lion, 2002, ISBN 1559391804

5) The Essence of the Heart Sutra by His Holinessthe Dalai Lama

Publisher: Wisdom Publications, 2002, ISBN 0-8617-318-4

6) Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path (vol 3)by LamaTsongkhapa Publisher: Wisdom Publications, 2005 Invaluableguide to wisdom and bodhicittafrom the source: LamaTsongkhapa.

7) Introduction to Emptinessby Guy Newland


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Tantra1) Tantric Paths and Grounds In The Guhyasamajaby GyalwaLodroePublisher: LTWA, 1995, 81-85102-94-5Quite technical but very good explanation of Highest YogaTantra, using Guhyasamaja.

2) An Overview Of Buddhist Tantraby Panchen SonamDragpaPublisher: LTWA, 1996, ISBN 81-85102-99-6

3) An Introduction to Tantra by Lama Thubten YeshePublisher: Wisdom Publications, 1987, ISBN 0-86171-021-5A wonderful introduction to the whole subject of Tantra and how itworks written in very simple, non-technical language. Highly

recommended to read before the module begins.

4) Highest Yoga Tantra by Daniel CozortPublisher: Snow Lion Publications, 1986, ISBN 0-937938-32-7Generation and completion stages and KalachakraandGuhyasamajacompared.

Other suggested reading

Self, Reality and Reason in Tibetan Buddhismby ThuptenJinpaPublisher: Routledge Curzon, 2002, 0-7007-1279-8A clear explanation of Lama Tsongkhapas views on emptiness.


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We dedicate all the positive energy accumulated through studyingthis course, and meditating on its content, for the health and long

life of all our spiritual teachers.

www.buddhistthought.org

To visit the Study Centre go to:www.fbtstudycentre.co.uk


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The Foundation for the Preservation of theMahayana Tradition

(www.fpmt.org)

Documents

Fbt Intro Booklet