Thursdays, November 4-18, December 2-16, 2021 and January 6, 2022,
7:00 – 9:00 PM Eastern Time
This is the fifth of the six-course series on the Mahayana path. It presents the Buddha’s teachings on buddha nature (tathagatagarbha), his third and final cycle of teachings. They were presented last and not prior to the teachings on emptiness so that we will not misunderstand buddha nature for our “true self” but, rather, come to understand it to be nothing less than the basic awakened state of our mind: luminous, unchanging and possessing many qualities—our “buddha heart.”
This course will discuss the main sutras which present this material, in particular, the primary Indian source, the Uttaratantrashastra, one of the five treatises of Maitreya.
The format of this online course consists of six class discussions of materials drawn primarily from the teachings of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and a final “dharma exchange” in which students and facilitators discuss study questions that have been distributed throughout the course. Each class begins with 30 minutes of shamatha practice. All classes except the dharma exchange will be recorded.
It is recommended that students have had some background in Buddhist studies. In particular, students should have a familiarity with such key Buddhist teachings as karma, skandhas, dependent origination, emptiness, and the Four Noble Truths; and that they have some experience with basic (shamatha) meditation practice.
Nalandabodhi students who have previously taken the Mahayana course series are welcome to join this course free of charge, and are invited to drop in to any of our classes.
Schedule Thursdays, November 4-18, December 2-16, 2021, and January 6, 2022, 7:00 – 9:00 PM Eastern Time
Tuition $45 for Nalandabodhi members, $65 for non-members. Reduced tuition options are also available when you register.
Study Materials cost $15 and can be purchased at the Nalanda Store here.
Location Online via Zoom
Registration To register, please click here. Once registered, you will receive the Class Syllabus and Zoom link for attending the class.
Information For more schedule or program details, please contact Allan Novick or Rob Prichard.
