BUD 630
Buddha Nature: Luminous Heart of the Tathagata
Faculty: Israel Lifshitz
This course is an exposition of the Tathāgatagarbha philosophical tradition, based on the The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra: Fourth Vajra Point root text. Students cultivate certainty in the view of Buddha nature—the essence of awakening present in all beings. The Fourth Vajra Point of
the Uttaratantra establishes Buddha nature through three reasonings, its ten aspects, nine analogies and five reasons why it is necessary to teach it.
PREREQUISITE:
- BUD 501, BUD 510, BUD 520, BUD 530
REQUIRED TEXTS:
- Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra by Arya Maitreya, Translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, Snow Lion Publications.
- Commentary on the Fourth Vajra Point in the Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra by Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen and Mitra Karl Brunnhölzl, Nitartha Institute Publications
DATES & TIMES:
Tuesdays January 20 - April 28, 2026, 6:00 - 7:30 pm US Pacific Time
COST:
$250
Nitartha’s Payment Plan and Financial Assistance (PPFA) program is funded by fellow students to support those who would not be able to attend the Institute’s courses without this assistance. To request aid, please fill out the PPFA application before you register for the course.
LEARN WITH OUR RENOWNED FACULTY
Israel Lifshitz
Israel Lifshitz holds degrees in Physics and Mathematics from the National University of Mexico. He has been involved with Tibetan Buddhism since 1992 and has studied under Kagyu, Gelug and Nyingma teachers. His teaching activities include courses and retreats in more than 35 cities throughout North, Central and South America and has served as translator into Spanish to more than 25 Tibetan and Western teachers.