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1 11, 2023

How To Practice In This Time Of Strife – Part 1

2023-11-10T07:05:52-08:00Categories: Blog, Dependent Origination, Featured, Jirka Hladis, Meditation, Shamatha|Tags: , , , , , , |

How To Practice In This Time Of Strife Part I: In this time of strife and war there is desire in the practitioner to send positive thoughts of compassion, some prayers. But there might also be a strong tendency to show anger, and blame one of the sides. And, what would be a guidance here, utilizing what we have studied here at Nitartha in the real world situation like this we could benefit from? How do we make this practice? The dharma of our teacher, Gautama the Buddha, the Tathāgata, the fully enlightened Buddha Śākyamuni, is the dharma of dependent origination, pratītyasamudpāda. The original formulation of the

1 11, 2023

How To Practice In This Time Of Strife – Part II

2023-11-10T17:48:16-08:00Categories: Blog, Dependent Origination, Jirka Hladis, Meditation, Shamatha|

How To Practice In This Time Of Strife - Part II Read Part I... Part II : The view of the dependent origination of the mutual dependence of the perceiver and the perceived, which is brought into life through the practice of mindfulness of breathing in such an immediate and compelling way, is furthermore expressed in the conduct of non-harming (ahimsā). The conduct of non-harming is the main topic of this presentation here - How To Practice In This Time Of Strife. Another name for the conduct of non-harming is the practice of compassion. The mind of the conduct of non-harming is the mind imbued with compassion. Thus,

7 09, 2023

BUD 692 Treasury of Valid Cognition and Reasoning – Chapter 1 (SPOC)

2023-11-08T10:34:42-08:00Categories: Blog, reg-spoc, registration|

BUD 692 Treasury of Valid Cognition and Reasoning - Chapter 1 (SPOC) Faculty: {!{types field='faculty' style='text'}!}{!{/types}!} This is the first of a series of teachings by Acharya Lama Kelzang Wangdi on Sakya Paṇḍita’s entire Treasury of Valid Cognition and Reasoning. Acharya Lama Kelzang will begin to teach chapter 1, “Investigation of the Object.” This chapter sets forth the major terminology of the tradition of valid cognition: valid cognition and mistaken cognition, their related objects that are things, non-things, and clearly appearing non-existents, and the modes of engagement of objects as appearing objects, referent objects, and objects of engagement. The theories of perception of the Vaibhāṣikas

16 08, 2023

Non-Thinking through Clear Thinking

2023-08-16T14:02:14-07:00Categories: Blog, Cittamatra, Karl Brunnholzl, Mahamudra, Mind Only, Shedra, Summer Institute, Yogacara|

Non-Thinking through Clear Thinking It sometimes feels like study proliferates our thoughts, when what we really want is for the mind to be still. But our thoughts are a tool. We can use them to undermine our belief in solidity. In fact, Nitartha’s Clear Thinking course offers a method to arrive at non-thought, which is one aspect of the experience of meditation. Dignaga and Dharmakirti analyzed language, words and clauses, and observed that among those the most elemental unit of expression is a word which is imbued with meaning. They noted that thoughts are language and concluded that language is the same as logical operations, and that the 

26 07, 2023

BUD 703 Madhyamakāvatāra IV: Entrance to the Middle Way

2023-11-08T10:36:18-08:00Categories: Acharya Kelsang Wangdi, Advanced Curriculum, Blog, reg-EN, reg-semester, registration|

Register Here PREREQUISITES None BUD 703 Madhyamakāvatāra IV: Entrance to the Middle Way Live Online Course Faculty: {!{types field='faculty' style='text'}!}{!{/types}!} Original Faculty: Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche This course is based on the recordings and transcripts of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche's oral teachings on Chandrakīrti’s root text Madhyamakāvatāra in 1999 and 2000, using the commentary by the Eight Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje (1507-1554).We will first complete chapter 6 on prajñā, specifically the sections on the refutation of a self of persons and the presentation of the sixteen emptiness. Then we will complete the rest of the text that is on bhūmis 7-10, namely, the perfections of

26 07, 2023

BUD 654 Sautrantika Debate

2023-09-04T10:35:20-07:00Categories: Intermediate Curriculum, reg-EN, reg-semester, registration, Sautrantika|

Register Here PREREQUISITES Spring 2023 semester of BUD 654 BUD 654 Sautrantika Debate (continued) Faculty: {!{types field='faculty' style='text'}!}{!{/types}!} This intermediate debate course is a continuation in training in formally debating the tenets of the Sautrantika philosophical tradition. Debate topics in this class center around the proof of subtle impermanence —the reason of non-dependency that proves that entities do not rely on another cause for their momentary cessation other than their own dependently arisen appearance. This semester, students will focus on refutations of a truly existent personal self. PREREQUISITE: Spring 2023 semester of BUD 654 REQUIRED TEXTS: None DATES

24 07, 2023

BUD 600 Analytical Meditation II

2023-11-08T10:36:51-08:00Categories: Blog, Intermediate Curriculum, Jirka Hladis, reg-EN, reg-semester, registration|

Register Here PREREQUISITES BUD 601 BUD 610 Helpful to have finished entire curriculum BUD 600 Analytical Meditation II Faculty: {!{types field='faculty' style='text'}!}{!{/types}!} Analytical meditation: a form of debate without a partner. The function of analytical meditation is to bring the view being studied into one’s own experience. It lifts the words out of the book and places them into our heart. The words go from being out there to being part of our innermost being, integrated. That is the essential function of analytical meditation. Through this effort to analyze we become curious about how our mind works. Though this process, the

8 05, 2023

The Elegance of Union

2023-05-17T15:32:25-07:00Categories: Blog, Intermediate Curriculum, Lorik, Mind & Its World, Summer Institute, Tibetan, Valid Cognition|

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

17 04, 2023

The five sciences

2023-04-18T16:16:25-07:00Categories: Blog, Intermediate Curriculum, Lorik, Mind & Its World, Summer Institute, Tibetan, Valid Cognition|

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

11 04, 2023

Nitartha Faculty, Mitra Dr. Karl Brunnhölzl, on Wisdom Podcast

2023-04-12T10:35:35-07:00Categories: Blog, Karl Brunnholzl, Mahamudra|

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 practitioners who

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