The Elegance of Union
The Elegance of Union:
Joining Study and Mahamudra
At Nitartha’s Summer Institute study and Mahamudra meditation are joined. Why?
Jirka Hladiš says, “It’s very simple — that’s the elegance of it. The whole point of studying the view is to clarify the object of meditation. When you get the object of meditation right, then you just rest one-pointedly on the object, without the need for more instruction.”
Study is quite extensive at Nitartha because it is crucial for determining the object of meditation. We often determine our object of meditation in an incorrect or unclear way. This creates a problem. While we still benefit from shamatha because it settles
The five sciences
The Five Sciences:
Accomplishing the Aim of the Bodhisattva
This year at the 2023 Summer Institute, thefive sciences will be taught on site at the University of Colorado, Boulder
In order to benefit all sentient beings, one needs to be able to communicate according to the interests and abilities of a great diversity of minds. The best training for achieving that goal is the training in the five sciences because, together, they encompass all that can be known.
Lama Mipham said, “All mundane and supramundane topics of knowledge can be contained . . . within a simple enumeration of just five fields of knowledge.”1
As aspiring bodhisattvas, we attempt to
Nitartha Faculty, Mitra Dr. Karl Brunnhölzl, on Wisdom Podcast
Nitartha Faculty, Mitra Dr. Karl Brunnhölzl, on Wisdom Podcast
In this podcast episode, listen to Buddhist scholar, translator and Nitartha Institute teacher Mitra Dr. Karl Brunnhölzl discuss the profound practice of Mahamudra in Tibetan Buddhism. He highlights the importance of recognizing the true nature of mind as well as the dohā tradition of mahasiddhas, the role of singing and dancing and the voice of women in Mahamudra songs of realization. Mitra Brunnhölzl also explains the four yogas of Mahamudra, the importance of a qualified teacher and the integration of study, contemplation and meditation for a complete spiritual path. The discussion provides valuable insights for advanced Buddhist
Yogacara: the remedy for the poor diet of “Mind Only”
Yogacara: the remedy for the poor diet of “Mind Only”
by Mitra Dr. Karl Brunnhölzl. Mitra Brunnhölzl will be teaching on Yogacara at July’s Summer Institute.
To remedy the poor diet of “Mind-Only” always being refuted by Madhyamaka as the highest Buddhist view and do justice to the great Indian Mahayana Yogacara tradition, recent teachings on Vasubandhu’s Thirty Verses by H.H. the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, extensively discuss the need to review the way Tibetan doxographies present the so-called “Mind-Only School” in light of the classical Yogacara School in India and China.
Yogacara is (mis)represented as “Mind-Only” for three main reasons:
- superficial and out-of-context judgments based on
Enhance Your Mahamudra Practice through Space Awareness
Enhance Your Mahamudra Practice through Space Awareness
Space Awareness will be offered on site at this year’s Summer Institute (for details, check out the Summer Institute Enhancement Activities page).
I wonder, how would we be able to experience the “spaciously relaxed” quality of Mahamudra meditation without having a sense of space?
How big is your sense of space? As you go about your day, do you feel the space behind your back? Are you aware of the space above and below you as you walk, talk or wash the dishes? Or do you go through most
Sautrantika Philosophical System: The Path of Vipashyana
Once we have developed calm-abiding to some degree, the mind becomes settled enough that we can take anything that arises in our present moment experience as the object of meditation. For example, in this course we will explore the key vipashyana practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which encompasses everything that we experience. We will have an opportunity to practice some of these four foundations through guided analytical meditations.
Another vipashyana practice is meditation on the Four Noble Truths: what we are to know (the truth of suffering), what we relinquish (the origin of suffering), what we attain (the truth of cessation) and what we rely upon (the
The Sautrantika Philosophical System: The Path of Shamatha
What is a path? It is something that, once we have entered it, will bring us to more supreme states.
The previous blog discussed one aspect of the view of the Sautrantika philosophical system — that our sense perceptions do not perceive outer appearances, but rather they perceive mental images. The path, or meditation, offers an opportunity to experience the phenomena described by the view. In fact, what appears during meditation is precisely that which is presented by the view. Having studied the view, we can then bring clarity to our meditative experience. This is the very purpose of studying the view at Nitartha Institute – to help us
Is there a real world out there?
The Sautrantika response to “Is there a real world out there?”
In Mind and Its World IV, the last course in Nitartha’s foundation curriculum, we arrive at the Sautrantika view. The Sautrantikas share a lot with the Vaibashikas, who are the topic of Mind and Its World III, but go even further. Their perspective on existence is more subtle and they are considered even more insightful. Understanding their views helps us to understand our own confusion even more, and also better prepares us for what comes in Nitartha’s intermediate courses.
So, is there a real world out there? Well, if you are a Sautrantika you would say, “Yes!” And your
Madhyamaka: a crucial stage on our journey to emptiness
Madhyamaka and several more courses will be offered at this year’s Summer Institute in July. The topics are incredible. Don’t miss out! Register for the 2022 Nitartha Summer Institute here: https://bit.ly/si22mind
Madhyamaka: a crucial stage on our journey to emptiness
On our journey to emptiness, the Nitartha curriculum takes us through several stages. In the Mind and Its World series, we become familiar with how the data coming in through our senses changes from moment to moment. There is nobody who owns it, there is no personal identity. In the Mind Only class we further discover and learn to appreciate how this manifold
La mente y su mundo I
La mente y su mundo I y II son los dos primeros cursos del plan de estudios de Nitartha, y se ofrecen junto a varios más en el Instituto de Verano de este año, en julio. Los temas son increíbles. ¡No te lo pierdas! Inscríbete aquí en el Instituto de Verano Nitartha 2022 aquí.
La mente y su mundo I: Cognición válida
Este curso explora la cuestión: ¿Cómo se obtiene un conocimiento preciso y válido sobre el mundo? Este es el tema de Pramana, o epistemología budista. Normalmente asumimos que lo que sabemos sobre el mundo es válido. ¿Pero lo es?
¿Qué es lo que nos dice el sutra de Samdhinirmocana?
Rinpoché enseñará este año el sutra Samdhinirmocana. La siguiente entrada del blog es un breve resumen de los 10 capítulos del sutra. Los temas son increíbles. ¡No te lo pierdas! Inscríbete aquí en el Instituto de Verano Nitartha 2022.
¿Qué es lo que nos dice el Sutra de Samdhinirmocana?
El propio nombre del sutra nos dice mucho sobre lo que nos depara el estudio de este sutra. En el Instituto de Verano 2021, Dzgochen Ponlop Rinpoché tuvo la amabilidad de compartir con nosotros la inspiración que transmite el propio título. Este sutra se llama Arya Samdhinirmocana Mahayana
Buddhist Studies starting in January 2022
Nitartha Institute courses begin in January. There is a lot happening, and all online. Join us!
MIND AND ITS WORLD IV: SAUTRANTIKA PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITION
Faculty: Dr. Sandra Roscoe and Susan Stewart
Learn about the Sautrantika presentation of the ground, path and results, including: objects, two realities, specifically and generally characterized phenomena, manifest and hidden phenomena, the three times, calm abiding and special insight, 37 practices of enlightenment, and much more!
When: Sundays, beginning January 23rd, 2022
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Thank you for your generosity!
Financial Assistance for Nitartha Institute Students
Generosity and demand for Nitartha’s courses at all-time highs.
Thank you to all who have donated to our Giving Tuesday campaign to replenish our financial assistance fund, which provides partial and full tuition discounts to students who otherwise would not be able to attend Nitartha. Altogether, we have received over $22,000!
We know many dharma students are struggling to pay the cost of dharma courses and programs. Now, many of those students will be able to study at Nitartha, thanks to all those who donated!
Did you know?
You will
Financial Assistance for Nitartha Institute Students
Financial Assistance for Nitartha Institute Students
Generosity and demand for Nitartha’s courses at all-time highs.
While the last two years have been difficult for many of us around the world, the demand for Nitartha’s courses was higher than ever. And even though the tuition for the 2020 and 2021 Summer Institutes was unusually low, the need for financial assistance also hit a record, and we gave 4 times more assistance these past two years than any previous year.
Indeed, with your generous donations, students all over the world were able to attend our courses
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This excerpt is from our sourcebook we use for the Mind & Its World IV course. This course is an extensive exposition of the Sautrantika philosophical tradition, based on the expanded version of The Gateway that Reveals the Philosophical Traditions to Fresh Minds root text.
If you are curious about this course, learn more here: Nitartha Online Campus.
MANIFEST & HIDDEN PHENOMENA
ACHARYA SHERAB GYALTSEN
The division of objects of comprehension is twofold: manifest phenomena and hidden phenomena.
MANIFEST PHENOMENA
A manifest phenomenon is something that can be actually realized through
Explanation Of The Seventh Consciousness
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
The following is an excerpt from 2008 Commentary on Mind Only Tenet System by Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen. This is included in the section, Ways Of Asserting Perceiving Minds III, of the sourcebook we use in our Cittamatra course, which we are offering during this year’s Summer Institute.
Learn more and register for the Nitartha Summer Institute 2021 here: http://bit.ly/nsi21fb
Some topics we learn about in details in the course are:
- Distinctions of the greater and lesser
What is Analytical Meditation ?
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Sign up and receive the detailed instruction on Analytical Meditation: Taming the Mind by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
What is analytical meditation?
The first step in a session of analytical meditation thus is the proper attitude and motivation. The second step is to sit in the correct posture. For analytical meditation, the physical posture is straightforward. Simply sit with crossed legs, keeping your back as straight as possible while at the same time staying relaxed. The upper part of the body should feel
How To Look For The Self In The Skandhas
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This is a continuation of the presentation of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche from Nitartha Institute, July-August 2007, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA.
Arranged by Jirka Hladiš
How to Look for the Self in the Skandhas
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
It would be good for us to practice this meditation today by concentrating first on the question: “Where does the thought that apprehends the self arise from in the beginning?” If we find that our thoughts self originate within the five skandhas, then we should search through each of the five skandhas individually.
For
PRESENTATION OF THE BASIS I (Part 2 of 2)
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This is an excerpt from the sourcebook we use in our Mind & Its World II class. Mind & Its World II explores the criteria of valid cognition based on the teachings of the Pramāna tradition, or Buddhist epistemology. We will analyze our consciousness and determine to what degree it is in agreement with its observed object or not; what the difference is between non-mistaken, non-deceiving, conceptual and non-conceptual types of awareness. Practically speaking, this also provides the practitioner with the tools for delineating conceptual and nonconceptual
PRESENTATION OF THE BASIS I (Part 1 of 2)
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This excerpt is from our sourcebook we use for the Mind & Its World IV course. This course is an extensive exposition of the Sautrantika philosophical tradition, based on the expanded version of The Gateway that Reveals the Philosophical Traditions to Fresh Minds root text.
PRESENTATION OF THE BASIS I (Part 1 of 2)
Scott Wallenbach
PRESENTATION OF THE BASIS I
-SCOTT WELLENBACH
Just as with the Vaibhaṣhika system, we will discuss the Sautrantika philosophical system in terms of basis, path, and result. The path and result
The Way Consciousness Apprehends Objects
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This is an excerpt from the sourcebook we use in our Mind & Its World II class. Mind & Its World II explores the criteria of valid cognition based on the teachings of the Pramāna tradition, or Buddhist epistemology. We will analyze our consciousness and determine to what degree it is in agreement with its observed object or not; what the difference is between non-mistaken, non-deceiving, conceptual and non-conceptual types of awareness. Practically speaking, this also provides the practitioner with the tools for delineating conceptual and nonconceptual types of mind in
Reissuing Nitartha Series Books
Shambhala publications is reissuing two of Nitartha series books by Karl Brunnholzl.
In Praise of Dharmadhatu
Nāgārjuna’s works sit at the heart of Mahāyāna Buddhist thought and practice, but he was renowned in Asia not only for his Madhyamaka work, but also his poetic collection of praises, most famously In Praise of Dharmadhatu. This book explores the scope, contents, and significance of Nāgārjuna’s scriptural legacy in India and Tibet, focusing primarily on this seminal work. The translation of Nāgārjuna’s hymn to buddha nature—here called dharmadhatu—shows how buddha nature is temporarily obscured in the experience of ordinary sentient beings, gradually uncovered through the path of bodhisattvas, and finally revealed in full
How Bodhisattvas Take Birth in Samsara
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This is an excerpt from the sourcebook we use in our Buddha Nature course. This course is part of Level 4, along with Cittamatra. The teachings on Buddha Nature present an overview of the Tathāgatagarbha, or Buddha Nature tradition, the view of the luminous essence of awakening, the heart of goodness shared by all beings. Our exploration will rely on the key section of Uttaratantra of Maitreya (ca. 4th century) which establishes Buddha nature through three reasonings, its ten facets, nine analogies and five reasons why it is necessary to teach
Skandha & Mental Events
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This is an excerpt from the sourcebook we use in our Mind & Its World IV class. Mind & Its World IV presents the path and result of foundational Buddhism. Students explore classifications of knowable object into specifically and generally characterized phenomena as well as the Sautrantika’s distinct presentation of the five aggregates. The path consists of calm abiding (samatha) and superior insight (vipashyana).
SKANDHA & MENTAL EVENTS
ĀCHĀRYA KELSANG WANGDI
BENEFIT OF STUDYING
Two benefits come from studying the five skandhas as a basis for the practice
Mind That Apprehends Particulars
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This is an excerpt from the sourcebook we use in our Mind & Its World II class. Mind & Its World II explores the criteria of valid cognition based on the teachings of the Pramāna tradition, or Buddhist epistemology. We will analyze our consciousness and determine to what degree it is in agreement with its observed object or not; what the difference is between non-mistaken, non-deceiving, conceptual and non-conceptual types of awareness. Practically speaking, this also provides the practitioner with the tools for delineating conceptual and nonconceptual types of mind in
No Ground For The Two Realities (Part 2 of 2)
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
The following is an excerpt from The Center Of the Sunlit Sky by Karl Brunnholzl. This course is an exposition of the Middle Way philosophical tradition, based on Part One of The Center of the Sunlit Sky, expressed as the ground, path and fruition of Madhyamaka. Students explore classification of knowable objects into the two realities and cultivate certainty in the view of emptiness of all phenomena, formulating the five great Madhyamaka reasonings. The course includes presentation of personal identitylessness, the sevenfold analysis of the chariot.
No Ground For
No Ground For The Two Realities (Part 1 of 2)
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
The following is an excerpt from The Center Of the Sunlit Sky by Karl Brunnholzl. This course is an exposition of the Middle Way philosophical tradition, based on Part One of The Center of the Sunlit Sky, expressed as the ground, path and fruition of Madhyamaka. Students explore classification of knowable objects into the two realities and cultivate certainty in the view of emptiness of all phenomena, formulating the five great Madhyamaka reasonings. The course includes presentation of personal identitylessness, the sevenfold analysis of the chariot.
No Ground For
Explanation Of Generalities
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This course completes the introductory exposition of topics drawn from the Pramāna and Abhidhama traditions, based on the Classifications of Mind and Collected Topics root text. It provides students with the tools for delineating conceptual and non-conceptual mind in meditation, known as the essential modes of engagement of mind. This is followed by the exposition of Buddhist psychology —classification of consciousness into primary minds and mental events.
EXPLANATION OF GENERALITIES
Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen
Some of the definitions in the Lorik differ from the definitions given in the Collected
Minds That Apprehend Appearance
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
The following is an excerpt from Minds that Apprehend Appearance by Acharya Sherab Gyaltsen. This is included in the sourcebook we use in our Mind & its World II course. This course completes the Classification of Mind (Lorik) root text, from the tradition of Pramāna or Buddhist epistemology that students begin in Mind and Its World I.
MINDS THAT APPREHEND APPEARANCE
Acharya Sherab Gyaltsen
The second main section of the Lorik text is the specific analysis of the essential modes of engagement of the mind. It has five subsections.
Hearing, Contemplation & Meditation Part II of II
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
The following is part II of an excerpt from Commentary on Hinayana Tenets by Acharya Sherab Gyaltsen (You can read part I here). This is included in the introduction section of the sourcebook we use in our Mind & its World I course. Some things we learn about in details in the course rare:
- Divisions of mind
- Definitions of valid cognition
- Definition of direct valid cognition
- Sense direct valid cognition
- Two truths in Vaibhashika and Sautrantika view
- Process of perception in Vaibhashika and Sautrantika view
- Mental direct
Hearing, Contemplation & Meditation Part I of II
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
The following is part II of an excerpt from Commentary on Hinayana Tenets by Acharya Sherab Gyaltsen (You can read part I here). This is included in the introduction section of the sourcebook we use in our Mind & its World I course. Some things we learn about in details in the course rare:
- Divisions of mind
- Definitions of valid cognition
- Definition of direct valid cognition
- Sense direct valid cognition
- Two truths in Vaibhashika and Sautrantika view
- Process of perception in Vaibhashika and Sautrantika view
- Mental direct
The Wheel Of Analytical Meditation by DPR
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This excerpt is taken from our ebook that we are giving away this year, Analytical Meditation: Taming the Mind. Please sign up here to receive this detailed, 20-page ebook on analytical meditation by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
The Wheel Of Analytical Meditation
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
In a different text by Lama Mipham, he says that meditation devoid of analysis is like falling asleep and is therefore not beneficial. That is why analysis is taught to be important in our approach to the Buddhist teachings. When
Meditation On Repulsiveness
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This excerpt is taken from our ebook that we are giving away this year, Analytical Meditation: Taming the Mind. Please sign up here to receive this detailed, 20-page ebook on analytical meditation by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Meditation On Repulsiveness
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
We are human beings, one of the six classes of sentient beings who live in the desire realm of the three realms of samsara. Since we live in the desire realm, desire is foremost among the mental afflictions for us. All the
Mind & Mental Events
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This excerpt is from the sourcebook that we use for the Mind & Its World II course. This course completes the Classification of Mind (Lorik) root text, from the tradition of Pramāna or Buddhist epistemology that students began in Mind and Its World I. This course has two main sections. The first provides the practitioner with the tools for delineating conceptual and non- conceptual types of mind in meditation. This teaching is codified as the modes of engagement of mind. The second section investigates mind in terms of
Meditation On Selflessness
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This excerpt is from our sourcebook we use for Mind & Its World IV class. This course is an extensive exposition of the Sautrantika philosophical tradition, based on the expanded version of The Gateway that Reveals the Philosophical Traditions to Fresh Minds root text.
MEDITATION ON SELFLESSNESS
By ACHARYA KELSANG WANGDI
Personal selflessness can be explained in three contexts:
- the twelve links of dependent origination.
- the four noble truths or the four realities.
- the sixteen aspects of the four realities.
Here, we begin with body and mind.
THE BODY IS NOT THE SELF
The basic
Appearing Object & Referent Object
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
This excerpt is copyrighted material, please do not use or copy without written permission from Nitartha Publications.
This excerpt is from Lorik Oral Commentary by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche:
Objects of Conceptual Mind & Direct Perception. This is one of the topics we study in our popular “Mind & Its World II: Modes of Engagement & Mental Events” class. This course completes the Classification of Mind (Lorik) root text, from the tradition of Pramana or Buddhist epistemology that students began in Mind and Its World I. This course has two main sections.
APPEARING OBJECT & REFERENT OBJECT
By Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
The conceptual mind has two
A Gift of a Tibetan-language Dharma Ebook from Nitartha International
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
In order to help bring all positive conditions together in support of His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, as the calendar moves toward the year of the Ox (the birth year of His Holiness), Nitartha International is offering for free download a Tibetan-language ebook containing precious, revered texts as well as a compilation of long-life prayers for His Holiness Karmapa. The ebook contains the Tibetan text of “Chanting the Names of Mañjuśrī (འཇམ་དཔལ་མཚན་བརྗོད་)” and “The Aspiration
The 2020 SUMMER INSTITUTE ONLINE
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Join us online this year for Nitartha’s Summer Institute!
Thank you to our Global Outreach donors!
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Thank you to all those who contributed to our 2019 Global Outreach campaign!
We are very happy to report that we raised more than $19,000 of our ambitious goal of $20,000. Thanks to your support, we will be able to reach more people by:
- Raising more awareness around the globe about our Summer Institute and online campus.
- Helping keep students connected through social media and the Nitartha newsletter.
- Making it easier for people to learn about Nitartha by redesigning our website to make the information more easily accessible and readable.
Donations are still being accepted. Read more!
How Tibetan translators can benefit from attending Nitartha Institute classes
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Are you a professional or an aspiring Tibetan translator? Here are 5 reasons how studying at Nitartha Institute – with its foundation, intermediate and advanced curriculum classes – can help you:
- You learn to understand basic Buddhist terminology and ideas/concepts, that are common in Hinayana and Mahayana schools. The foundation curriculum lays the ground with cognitive theory, ontology and logic. The Nitartha foundational curriculum teaches precise definitions, meaning, and usage of critical distinctions, such as when would you use “mind” or “consciousness” or “awareness” in your translations. By fully understanding the Pramana traditions, your translations will gain consistency and clarity. Make translation choices that
2020 Offerings
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Don’t Miss This Year’s Offerings!
Pre-Summer Online Course Registration is Now Open! Click here for information about the pre-summer Mahamudra shamatha, Mahamudra Vipashyana-I, and Luminous Essence (Guhyagarbha) courses, including eligibility requirements and applications. (For those who are going to attend the 2020 Summer Institute and who meet the eligibility criteria.)
New Discussion groups: Register now for our first in a series of online discussions with Nitartha faculty: Madhyamaka with Israel Lifshitz, on January 18, 10-11am Pacific time. Free of charge. (This discussion is particularly recommended for those who have taken the Madhyamaka course at Nitartha.)
New Advanced Online Course: Registration
A Lullaby to Awaken the Heart
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche teaching at the Summer Institute 2018!
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
We are delighted that Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche will teach two classes at the Summer Institute 2018!
The classes will be held during Module 1 (July 6-14) and Module 2 (July 16-24) and will be offered on alternating days.
Distinguishing the Views and Philosophies: A Lamp of Essential Points
This course is a systematic overview of Mipham´s teachings on the Middle Way by the influential scholar of the twentieth century Bötrül (1898-1959) of the Nyingma tradition. Bötrül’s root text, Distinguishing the Views and Philosophies, and his auto-commentary, Ornament of Mañjughoa´s Viewpoint, provide a meaning commentary on Mipham’s Beacon of Certainty.
Bötrül sets forth an understanding of
Save the dates for Gomdra & Shedra at the Summer Institute 2018!
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Please find below the exact dates for the Shedra sessions and the Gomdra modules at the Summer Institute 2018:
Shedra
Shedra Session 1 (14 days)
July 6 (Friday) – July 19 (Thursday)
Travel Day: July 20 (Friday)
Shedra Session 2 (14 days)
July 21 (Saturday) – August 3 (Friday)
Travel Day: August 4 (Saturday)
Gomdra
Gomdra Module 1 (9 days)
July 6 (Friday) – July 14 (Saturday)
Travel day: July 15 (Sunday)
Gomdra Module 2 (9 days)
July 16 (Monday)- July 24 (Tuesday)
Travel day: July 25 (Wednesday)
Gomdra Module 3 (9 days)
July 26 (Thursday) – Aug 3 (Friday)
Travel Day: August 4 (Saturday)
Renowned Thangka Painter RD Salga will be back at the Summer Institute!
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
In the Science of Creativity and the Arts track of the Summer Institute 2018, master thangka painter RD Salga will offer hands-on studio classes which focus on drawing and painting Buddhas using the guides and techniques of the Karma Gadri tradition, the painting tradition of the Karmapas noted for its elegance of form, colour, and composition.
RD Salga has more than thirty four years’ experience in composing and painting Tibetan thangkas of every major Tibetan Buddhist subject and tradition.
This is an unparalleled opportunity to get one-on-one instruction from one of the few masters of this tradition left in the world today.
For more info
Join us for Tibetan Language Classes at the Summer Institute 2018
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
We are happy to announce that we will again offer Tibetan language classes at the Summer Institute 2018!
The Introduction to Tibetan class is oriented toward beginners who have little knowledge of Tibetan butwould like to gain some familiarity with the language and how it is translated into English. You will learn the alphabet and pronunciation and learn some songs of Milarepa and how to chant them, while at the same time investigate their meaning in both Tibetan and in English. You will gain a richer understanding of the songs composed by one of Tibet’s great masters.
The Tibetan Reading Class is for students who know
Smiling Radiance of the Laughing Mañjugośa — 12–21 January 2018 in Warsaw, Poland
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Karma Dechen Choling is honoured to host this historical, very first presentation of the 6th Shamarpa’s Presentation of a Summary of the Common Teachings, Smiling Radiance of the Laughing Mañjugośa in the West. Acharya Lama Kelsang Wangdi will present the teachings with translation into English by Ani Chöying and Polish by Tomasz Szczygielski.
12–21 January 2018
Karma Dechen Choling
Center of Buddhism Mahayana
Jana Nowaka Jeziorańskiego Street 49/U12
Poland, 03-982 Warsaw
Schedule
Opening lecture: 12 January 2018, 19:00–20:30 (CET)
13–21 January 2018
9:00–18:00 daily : 3 sessions + discussion group
Registration
- €100 payable via bank transfer or in cash at the beginning of program
- Online participation possible through webinar platform
- Please
Mudra Space Awareness with Mitra Lee Worley at the Summer Institute 2018!
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
We are happy to announce that Mitra Lee Worley will again offer Mudra Space Awareness at the Summer Institute 2018!
Mudra Space Awareness is a series of physical and vocal exercises derived from the Mahamudra and Maha Ati traditions of Tibetan Buddhism as presented in the West by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Mitra Lee Worley studied Mudra Space Awareness directly under the guidance of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
In 2017, for the first time, Mitra Lee had offered Mudra Space Awaress at the Summer Institute and students enjoyed this unique practice and her guidance.
In 2018, Mudra Space Awareness will be offered in modules 1 and 2. These classes
Save the date! Summer Institute 2018
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
The Summer Institute 2018 will be held from July 6 – August 2, 2018 in Bellingham, Washington! Join us for another summer of incredible teachings.
The two primary tracks at the Summer Institute are complementary and feed back into each other. The Shedra track emphasizes learning the crucial distinctions about mind and processes of consciousness – like a decoder key to the pith instructions for training on the path. The Gomdra track emphasizes meditative practice as the method to discover, experience, and integrate new possibilities for being, sanity, and wisdom. As learning and insight develop in the Shedra, this enhances meditative experience. As meditative experience
Thank you for an incredible summer!
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
The Nitartha Summer Institute in Bellingham, Washington July 7–August 5, 2017 was an incredible experience. Thank you for your participation and support. We hope to see you again next year!
9-Day Intensive in Poland
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
30 Sept–8 Oct 2016
Warsaw, Poland
A nine day intensive Nitartha program was held Friday 30 Sept – Saturday 8 Oct, 2016 in downtown Warsaw’s beautiful, brand new, Dharma center. Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen has said that the center, known as Karma Dechen Choling, “delights all the Buddhas of the three times.”
More than twenty students from Poland and Greece participated in the program. For seven students, this was their final course of the Intermediate Curriculum and they obtained the certificate of completion signed by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Mind & Its World I and Clear Thinking
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Fall 2016
Boulder, CO
This fall in Boulder, Colorado we have many students both local and online studying the foundational curriculum in the BUD 501 Mind & Its World I and BUD 502 Clear Thinking courses. Our own long-time faculty member Jirka Hladiš is presenting Mind & Its World I; he has been a part of Nitartha Intitute since 2002 and a faculty member since 2007. In addition we have two new teachers-in-training presenting the Clear Thinking course: Susan Aposhyan and Francis Sullivan. Susan Aposhyan lives here in Boulder and is a psychotherapist, writer, and teacher. She formally was a student of Trungpa Rinpoche, and now practices under Dzogchen Ponlop
Science of Creative Arts (SoCA) in Mexico
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
October 2016
Morelia, Mexico
Mitra Karl Brunnhölzl taught on the Heart Sutra for a weekend and also gave an excellent two hour overview of The Five Treatises of Maitreya*.
於二零一六年十月份，導師卡爾•賓賀素 (Mitra Karl Brunnhölzl)為墨西哥莫里利亞的同學教授了一個以<心經>為題的週末課程，並舉行了一個關於<彌勒五論>的講座。*
To complement the Heart Sutra teachings, Stephanie Johnston, taught three classes based on the Science of Creative Arts curriculum entitled “Symbolizing the Awakened Heart: Buddhist Visual Literacy and the Heart Sutra.” The classes introduced the three main principles of Buddhist Visual Literacy (BVL)—visual literacy, valid cognition, and iconography—and applied them to the dilemma of symbolizing prajaparamita
EMOTIONAL RESCUE with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Friday, July 22, 2016 — A Public Event with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Emotions bring color and meaning to our lives, but they can also put us on an exhausting rollercoaster ride that takes us to blissful peak states, the depths of delusion and despair, and everything in between. Only by learning to relate to our emotions skillfully can we benefit from their richness and gain wisdom, instead of letting them control us. When we bring awareness to our emotions, something truly amazing happens – they lose their power to make us miserable.
When you begin to open your heart to the suffering of the world, it can sometimes
The Science of Healing and Mindfulness
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
A Nine-Day Program: August 4-12, 2016
Teaching mindfulness meditation and mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) in health care and society is a mind-body discipline joining experiential understanding, practice competencies, and conceptual knowledge the pedagogy integrating contemplative wisdom with evidence-based psychological and scientific inquiry.
For those who facilitate or wish to facilitate mindfulness meditations and MBIs within healthcare, mental health, education, business, leadership and organizational settings, The Science of Healing and Mindfulness:
- Offers experiential learning, coaching and collective inquiry in the practice and facilitation of mindfulness meditations, compassion practices, and mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) in daily life.
- Provides clarity as to the origins, meanings, and practice of mindfulness
Abhidharmakosha with Acharya Kelzang Wangdi
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
At Nalanda West, Seattle: May 9-28, 2016
Join us for Acharya Kelzang Wangdi’s third year of teachings on Eighth Karmapa’s commentary for Vasubandhu’s Treasury of Higher Knowledge (Abhidharmakośha) at Nalanda West, in Seattle, Monday, May 9th through Saturday, May 28th.
He will be teaching Chapter 6, which is on the path as presented by the Vaibhāṣhikas and Sautrāntikas. The chapter begins with the four noble truths and the two truths, and then goes into the details of the stages of the path, which are analogous to the five paths of the Mahāyāna tradition.
For context, these teachings are part of Nitartha Institute’s Advanced Curriculum and are related to the
Summer 2016 Buddhist Studies Program
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
Join us for the Summer 2016 Buddhist Studies Program! July 15-Aug 13, 2016 in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Explore how everyday thought and speech serve as tools for discovering definitive meaning, the unconditioned wisdom and spontaneous compassion of the buddhadharma. Combining an in-depth course of study with training in meditation and analysis, Nitartha Institute introduces 21st century students to the complete Tibetan Buddhist science of mind. Summer Program registration deadline: May 29, 2016. Click here to register now.
The Summer 2016 Science of Mind: Buddhist Studies Program is part of our Nitartha Summer Institute—an intensive residential program which occurs annually, over the span of four weeks. Typically, the summer schedule
Mind and Its World III at Nalanda West, Seattle
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
BUD 520 Mind and Its World III: Causality, Karma Cause & Effect, and Four Applications of Mindfulness
Instructor: Stuart Horn, PhD
Teacher in Training: Sandra Roscoe, PhD
Attendance: Online & In-class
Residential Location:
Nalandabodhi Seattle
Nalanda West, Vajra Spot
Meeting Times: 11 Wednesdays: March 23 – June 1, 2016 (7 – 8:30 pm PST)
Course Description:
This course begins with a brief review of mind and its functions, or mental events, followed by a detailed phenomenological account of causes and results from the Abhidharma and the presentation of the twelve links of dependent origination which is Buddha’s response to the perennial questions of where we came from, where we are now, and
SAVE THE DATES! Nitartha Summer Institute 2016
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
We’re pleased to announce that the dates and new venue for the 2016 Nitartha Summer Institute have been confirmed. Mark your calendars! Friday, July 15 through Saturday, August 13, 2016 at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
This year’s complete summer program will run for four weeks from Friday, July 15th through Saturday, August 13th, 2016. We anticipate being able to offer courses from three of our academic departments:
- Department of Buddhist Studies (BUD)
- Department of Languages (LAN)
- Department of Healing (HEA)
In addition, we will again offer a Mahamudra Practice Intensive (Gomdra) program for qualified students, similar to what we have
Reopened! Self-Paced Online Courses
Manifest & Hidden Phenomena
After a period of hiatus, Nitartha Institute is happy to announce that we have reopened our Self-Paced Online Courses! (SPOCs)
Our entire Foundation and Intermediate curricula are available as SPOCs. These are full, complete, archived versions of courses that were previously taught by experienced and dedicated faculty members.
You can take these classes online, at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home through streaming video or downloadable audio.
You can take these classes online, at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home through streaming video or downloadable audio. By taking advantage of these self-paced online courses, you