Bodhi Path Studies Program (USA)



Next Session: September 5 - September 18, 2012 at the Bodhi Path Center in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Check back here for registration information in the near future.


Introduction

The North American Bodhi Path Buddhist centers are pleased to announce a new Buddhist Studies program being offered in the U.S. With this program, the centers wish to provide a profound opportunity for those interested in learning more deeply the meaning of the Buddha dharma, in order to benefit themselves and also to help others. This particular program, taught by Khenpo Tsering, is similar to courses held at the institute known as KIBI, located in New Delhi, India, and was designed with the intention of helping students broaden their wisdom of dharma and gain perspective on how profound and vast the Buddha dharma actually is.

This program, consisting of annual two-week sessions over four years (for a total of eight weeks over four years) around the same time each year, will provide teachings on four major philosophy treatises. Each annual session will draw from one major book of each treatise. Additionally, each year the program will offer teachings on important supplementary philosophy texts.


The four treatises currently planned for the Bodhi Path Studies Program (subject to change)

Chandrakirti was one the most famous Indian scholars. He was not only a scholar, but also a highly realized yogi who could actually milk the cows in paintings, and who stopped a war from breaking out through the illusory manifestation of his own army of lions. He wrote many great books, among the most well-known being Madhyamaka-avatara (entering the middle way). He not only spread the lineage of Prasangika Madhyamika school founded by Buddhapalita, but also established its root.

Chandrakirti explains the profound and the vast meaning of Dharmadhatu, or emptiness. In the sixth chapter of his book, he explains emptiness by interpreting what is emptiness of self and what is emptiness of existence. In the book he first establishes the emptiness of existence and later the emptiness of self.

Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyalsten is one the most well-known and great Tibetan scholars and yogis. His main teacher was the great Tibetan scholar named Tsur Zhonu Senge. From this master, he received many profound teachings, among which was Pramana (theory of perception and logic), which he perfected within one session of receiving the teaching from his master. Another master from whom he received additional teachings on the same subject was the very well-known Indian scholar Shakya Shri Bhadra from Kashmir. Sakya Pandita also received fully ordained monk's vows from this master.

This particular book is very famous among the Tibetan scholars for its unique presentation of logic. In it, Sakya Pandita interprets in a very clear and fine manner the meaning of valid and invalid cognitions, and valid and invalid objects of perceptions. He gives a clear and profound commentary on the meaning of logic.

The Heart Sutra contains the most profound teachings on emptiness. It is the summarized version of Prajnaparamita teachings of Buddha, which he gave as the second turning of wheel of dharma. Prajnaparamita gives an extraordinary commentary on the meaning of the profound view of realization and gradual process of the vast path. It is a teaching on prajnaparamita given by Avalokiteshvara. It is believed that Buddha Shakyamuni blessed Avalokiteshvara to give this teaching, which was in turn based on the questions being raised by Shariputra.

Bodhisattva Maitreya gave five different kinds of teachings to his root disciple Asanga in the realm of Tushita. Later, when Asanga spread them in the human world, these five teachings became known as the five treatises of Maitreya in our world. Of these five, Uttaratantrashastra is considered the most profound teaching from a realization point of view. Uttaratantrashastra gives the most significant and profound details on meaning of Tathagatha garbha: the Buddha nature mind.


Two Additional Subjects for the Bodhi Path Studies Program

Sonam Rinchen or Dhagpo Rinpoche (famously known as Gampopa in the west) presents a collection of important teachings on the path to Buddhahood in his book Jewel Ornament of Liberation.

In this book Ju Mipham Rinpoche summarizes the Abhidharma teachings. The book contains teachings both from Abhidharmakosha by Vasubandhu and Abhidharmasamuccaya by Asanga. This book is indeed very profound and greatly helps dharma practitioners to remove ignorance about the nature of existences.


These last two additional subjects will be taught during the entire four-year course. Every year a particular number of chapters on these subjects will be taught. There will be no repeating of the same chapters during the four-year period. However, as every chapter in these books is a separate topic, no chapter is a prerequisite for another.


In 2011, first annual session covered the sixth chapter from the philosophy treatise Madhyamakavatara, by Chandrakirti, and the following chapters from texts for the additional subjects: Jewel Ornament of Liberation chapters 1-6 and Gateway to Knowledge chapters 1-3.