Foundation Program Study Topics

The Foundation Program (FP) offers the opportunity to deepen our understanding and experience of Buddhism through studying six of Geshe Kelsang's books in depth. The books are commentaries to Je Tsongkhapa's writings and contain the very essence of Buddha's teachings.

(1) Joyful Path of Good Fortune - A commentary to Atisha's Lamrim instructions, The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. By studying Joyful Path, we gain the ability to put all Buddha's teachings of both Sutra and Tantra into practice. We can easily make progress and complete the stages of the path to the supreme happiness of enlightenment. From a practical point of view, Lamrim is the main body of Buddha's teachings, and the other teachings are like the limbs.

(2) Universal Compassion - A commentary to Bodhisattva Chekhawa's Training the Mind in Seven Points. By studying Universal Compassion, we gain the ability to integrate Buddha's teachings into our daily lives and solve all our human problems.

(3) Heart of Wisdom - A commentary to the Heart Sutra. Through studying Heart of Wisdom, we gain a realization of the ultimate nature of reality. By gaining this realization, we can eliminate the ignorance of self-grasping which is the root of all our suffering.

(4) Meaningful to Behold - A commentary to Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. When we study Meaningful to Behold, we learn how to transform our daily activities into the Bodhisattva's way of life, thereby making every moment of our human life meaningful.

(5) Understanding the Mind - A detailed explanation of the mind, based on the works of the Buddhist scholars Dharmakirti and Dignaga. By studying Understanding the Mind, we understand the relationship between our mind and its external objects. If we understand that objects depend upon the subjective mind, we can change the way objects appear to us by changing our own mind. Gradually, we shall gain the ability to control our mind and in this way, solve all our problems.

(6) Eight Steps to Happiness - A commentary to eight beautiful verses that comprise one of Buddhism's best-loved and most enduring teachings, Eight Verses of Training the Mind. Composed by the great Tibetan Bodhisattva, Langri Tangpa, this short poem shows how we can transform all life's difficulties into valuable spiritual insights.

Join us as we begin Understanding the Mind in June.