Summary: An 8-week overview of the Buddhist path, including an introduction to Mindfulness, Vipassana and Nonduality, by way of a review of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s public teachings from late 2019 to mid 2021.
Week 1: Purpose – Buddhism, happiness and life purpose in the 21st century
August 8, 2021
Topic = What is Buddhism about? How does Buddhism relate to happiness and life purpose? Is Buddhism relevant for the 21st century?
Transcript (63% complete) / Video / Outline
Tags = #introduction, #modernity, #rationalism, #secularism, #outer-inner-innermost
References / Teachings Reviewed:
2020-01-15 – View, Meditation & Action (Sydney)
Week 2: Self-Mastery – Being your own master rather than being a control freak
August 15, 2021
Topic = What is the Buddhist approach to the path? How is this different from what we usually do in our lives? What does self-mastery mean?
Transcript (0% complete) / Video / Outline
Tags = #4-Noble-Truths, #3-fold-training, #life-as-path, #3-marks-of-existence
References / Teachings Reviewed:
2021-06-20 – You Are Your Own Master (Vancouver)
Week 3: Buddha – Experiencing the uncontrived state, Buddhanature and “gone beyond”
August 22, 2021
Topic = What is the goal of the Buddhist path? What is Buddhanature? What is the meaning of Buddha/Tathagata and “gone beyond”? What is the Buddhist understanding of authenticity?
Transcript (83% complete) / Video / Outline
Tags = #Buddha, #Tathagata, #authenticity, #Buddhanature, #self, #mind, #nature-of-mind, #nonduality, #view
References / Teachings Reviewed:
2020-10-10 – Return to Normal (Taipei)
2019-12-27 – The Way of the Tathagata (Pune)
Week 4: Vipassana – The Buddhist view: seeing the truth about ourselves, our life and reality
August 29, 2021
Topic = What is Vipassana? How is Vipassana different from meditation? What does it mean to see the truth? What is the Buddhist view about the nature of self and the nature of reality?
Transcript (65% complete) / Video / Outline
Tags = #vipassana, #truth, #meditation, #reality, #self, #mind, #view, #3-marks-of-existence
References / Teachings Reviewed:
2020-12-11 – Vipassana For Beginners (Taipei)
2020-01-25 – View, Meditation and Action (Sydney)
2019-11-27 – Vipassana (Lhaktong) (Thimphu)
Week 5: Meditation – Shamatha, vipassana and the four foundations of mindfulness
September 5, 2021
Topic = What is meditation? How can we practice according to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (The Satipatthana-Sutta)? [includes guided practice]
Transcript (46% complete) / Video / Outline
Tags = #meditation, #mindfulness, #vipassana, #4-foundations-of-mindfulness, #practice
References / Teachings Reviewed:
2020-12-11 – Vipassana For Beginners (Taipei)
Week 6: Nonduality – The Middle Way, the two truths, and nonduality on the Buddhist path
September 12, 2021
Topic = What is nonduality? What are the two truths in Buddhism? What is the Middle Way?
Transcript (complete) / Video / Outline
Tags = #nonduality, #cognizance, #Tathagata, #Buddhanature, #Heart-Sutra, #Diamond-Sutra, #Madhyamaka, #middle-way, #two-truths
References / Teachings Reviewed:
2021-08-03 – Poison is Medicine (Halifax)
2020-06-21 – Kuntuzangpo (Bir)
2020-06-05 – Heart Sutra (Bir)
2020-01-25 – View, Meditation and Action (Sydney)
Week 7: Practice – Bodhichitta: ensuring our practice follows the Middle Way
September 19, 2021
Topic = What is the Buddhist approach to practice? What is bodhichitta? How do we practice following the Middle Way?
Transcript (0% complete) / Video / Outline
Tags = #practice, #nonduality, #bodhichitta, #compassion, #middle-way, #view-meditation-action, #method, #faith, #devotion
References / Teachings Reviewed:
2021-07-05 – Bodhichitta (San Francisco)
2020-10-10 – Return to Normal (Taipei)
Week 8: Work/Life – Work, relationships and everyday life as the path
September 26, 2021
Topic = How can we bring wisdom, compassion and mindfulness into our everyday life? How can we use work, relationships and life as a path?
Transcript (0% complete) / Video / Outline
Tags = #integration, #work, #relationships, #practice, #action
References / Teachings Reviewed:
2021-07-05 – Bodhichitta (San Francisco)