About the Course
Enrollment opens: May 23, 2024
Course begins: September 21, 2024
Format: Online
Prerequisites: None, open to all levels.
The Buddha's teachings are traditionally classified into three collections: Vinaya, Sutra, and Abhidharma. Abhidharma is a collection of the Buddha’s highest teachings focused on wisdom training. It examines the nature of reality, the mind, and mental phenomena, guiding us toward a deeper understanding of the nature of reality. Its profound insights into the workings of consciousness and the essence of existence, provide a comprehensive framework for understanding Buddhist psychology and philosophy across all three vehicles or yanas.
This extraordinary six-month course is an invitation to explore these teachings with one of the most renowned and respected Tibetan Buddhism masters: His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin .
In this course, His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin will focus on the Treasury of Abhidharma or Abhidharmakośa, authored by Vasubandhu, a prominent Indian Buddhist scholar and master from the 4th or 5th century. Abhidharmakośa, considered one of the thirteen great texts utilized as the core curriculum in most traditional Tibetan Buddhist centers for teaching or shedras, serves as a seminal work in the Mahayana tradition. It provides a structured overview of Abhidharma teachings and is extensively studied by all Tibetan traditions.
The vast teachings of Abhidharma and Buddhist psychology provide a path to a clear and deep view of the nature of reality, bringing us closer to understanding our minds and freeing ourselves from suffering. The study of, including texts like the Abhidharmakośa, equips practitioners with invaluable insights and tools to deepen their spiritual journey, foster wisdom, and lead a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
These lessons will bring you closer to
- Understanding your emotions and thoughts more deeply.
- Cultivating a stable meditation practice.
- Distilling the profound teachings of Tibetan Buddhism.
- Learning about the doctrinal differences between the ancient Buddhist schools.
- Exploring consciousness and mental processes.
- Analyzing the nature of reality.
- Connecting with the law of karma, impermanence, and emptiness.
Curriculum
His Holiness Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, the 42nd Sakya Trizin
His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin, Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, is one of the primary holders of the Sakya Tradition. From his earliest childhood, His Holiness received extensive philosophical and meditative training from his noble father, H.H. Gongma Trichen, as well as under the personal guidance of numerous renowned Tibetan masters.
Today, His Holiness is dedicated to tirelessly transmitting the treasure of teachings and meditations of the Sakya lineage to a whole new generation of practitioners, both lay and monastic, with humility, warmth, and naturalness that have earned him the affection and admiration of students and teachers alike.