INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM
TUSHITA MEDITATION CENTRE, INDIA
OVERVIEW
This course introduces the core Buddhist principals using the framework of the Four Noble Truths - the foundation of all Buddhist traditions.

The course then looks at how the Mahayana expands upon this basis and how the Vajrayana expands upon the Mahayana. Within the Mahayana the course provides a more detailed discussion of the two wings of practice of wisdom and compassion in terms of how to cultivate the wisdom of emptiness (shunyata) and how to develop the compassionate aspiration of bodhicitta. Finally the course looks at how the stages of the path to enlightenment (LAMRIM) is laid out within the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.
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This  course provides a mixture of theory and practice with the last two days just focusing on meditation.
FACILITATORS
Picture
 
Glen Svensson
​(classes)
Felipe Zabala
(meditations)
MATERIALS
Course Booklet
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File Type: pdf
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Three Vehicles chart
File Size: 66 kb
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Suffering & its Causes chart
File Size: 67 kb
File Type: pdf
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1.1 Introduction
Day 2 - 4
Day 5 - 7
Day 8 - 9
2.5 Med - nature of mind
2.6 Med - eight worldly concerns
3.1 Med - shamatha (abdomen)
3.2 The three poisons
3.3 Suffering and its causes
3.4 Karma
3.5 Med - dealing with attachment
3.6 Med - loving-kindness
4.1 Med - shamatha (nostrils)
4.2 Short-term strategy
4.3 Death and rebirth
4.4 Wheel of life
4.5 Med - dealing with anger
4.6 Med - purification
5.1 Med - shamatha (mind)
5.2 The three vehicles
5.3 The four immeasurables
5.4 Bodhicitta
5.5 Med - death awareness
5.6 Med - equanimity
6.1 Med - shamatha (awareness)
6.2 No self
6.3 Emptiness
6.4 Emptiness practice
6.5 Med - dependent-arising
6.6 Med - empathetic joy
7.1 Med - shamatha (awareness)
7.2 Relying on a teacher
7.3 Stages of the path (LAMRIM)
7.4 Shamatha practice
7.5 Med - refuge
7.6 Med - precious human life
8.1 Med - stillness in motion
8.2 Med - shamatha (awareness)
8.3 Med - emptiness of meditator
8.4 Med - tong-len
8.5 Med - Four Noble Truths
8.6 Med - kindness of others
8.7 Med - Chenresig
9.1 Med - stillness in motion
9.2 Med - vipashyana (awareness)
9.3 Med - tong-len
9.4 Med - genuine happiness
9.5 Med - patience
9.6 Med - loving-kindness
9.7 Med - rejoicing
10.1 Meditation advice
10.2 General advice
“One may be tempted to assume that whenever we ask questions of nature, of the world there outside, there is reality existing independently of what can be said about it. We will now claim that such a position is void of any meaning. It is obvious that any property or feature of reality ‘out there’ can only be based on information we receive. There cannot be any statement whatsoever about the world or about reality that is not based on such information. 
​​It therefore follows that the concept of a reality without at least the ability in principle to make statements about it to obtain information about its features is devoid of any possibility of confirmation or proof. This implies that the distinction between information, that is knowledge, and reality is devoid of any meaning."                                                                                                                                                                                              Anton Zeilinger (Quantum Physicist)