Living the Practice
Curriculum Overview
This immersion program introduces key Buddhist concepts, philosophy, ethics, basic meditation techniques, practices and rituals, and guidelines for living within a Buddhist community. The program’s objective is to give students a framework from which they can begin a deeper inquiry into the Dharma.
Hours Distribution
|
Buddhist Frameworks Buddhist Psychology (Yogacara) Mechanisms of Practice Practice Community Service |
Hours Per week
7.5 2 2 32 15 |
Course Descriptions
1. Buddhist Frameworks
This course introduces the foundations of Buddhist thought and practice. The emphasis will be on exploring the Buddhist path of awakening which consists of three steps: (1) living a virtuous life, (2) keeping a meditation practice, and (3) realizing wisdom.
Students will be immersed in a community of practitioners (composed of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen) and learn the underlying precepts and guidelines that form the basis for the community. This community plays a pivotal role in providing an environment that supports everyone’s learning and practice.
Topics include: the human condition, Buddha’s life experience, Four Noble Truths, karma, virtue, mindfulness, training the mind, path to liberation, expanding the heart, Six Paramitas, ceremonies and ritual, meditation, life and death, and the Bodhisattva Path.
The emphasis will be on the lived experience of the Dharma.
Possible Texts: In the Buddha's Words, Nagarjuna's Six Paramitas, 100 Dharmas Shastra, Earth Store Sutra selections, Autobiography of Chan Master Hsu Yun, Biography of Ajahn Mun, Essays by Vinaya Master Hong Yi and Great Master Yin Guang.
2. Buddhist Psychology (Yogācāra) / Mechanism of Practice.
A pragmatic approach to understanding the mind and its experiences to inform the spiritual practice for awakening, i.e. yoga. This class will also include a component that goes into the mechanisms of the daily practices in the monastery, showing how theory and application work together in harmony.
3. Practices
Students will participate in daily ceremonies, group meditation, and weeklong retreats. The daily ceremonies and group meditation practice provide a platform whereby students can develop a constant mindfulness throughout the day. The weeklong retreats offer students a chance to focus on one Dharma practice in order to delve deeper into the innerworkings of the mind. The daily mindfulness allows for a more sustained process of transformation, while the intensive retreats help facilitate deeper insights into the Dharma and one’s own process. Instruction around practice will be given throughout the program.
Possible Texts: Six Gates to the Sublime, The Essentials of Buddhist Meditation; Chan Talks by Venerable Hsu Yun and Venerable Hsuan Hua, Meditation Instruction by Venerable Ajahn Chah.
4. Community Service
Community service provides an opportunity to apply Buddhist teachings in everyday life by serving others. Through work, students can develop practical skills, teamwork, and contribute to the community. Possible areas of work include: painting, maintenance work, organic farming, cleaning, kitchen, food prep, recycling, etc.
This course introduces the foundations of Buddhist thought and practice. The emphasis will be on exploring the Buddhist path of awakening which consists of three steps: (1) living a virtuous life, (2) keeping a meditation practice, and (3) realizing wisdom.
Students will be immersed in a community of practitioners (composed of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen) and learn the underlying precepts and guidelines that form the basis for the community. This community plays a pivotal role in providing an environment that supports everyone’s learning and practice.
Topics include: the human condition, Buddha’s life experience, Four Noble Truths, karma, virtue, mindfulness, training the mind, path to liberation, expanding the heart, Six Paramitas, ceremonies and ritual, meditation, life and death, and the Bodhisattva Path.
The emphasis will be on the lived experience of the Dharma.
Possible Texts: In the Buddha's Words, Nagarjuna's Six Paramitas, 100 Dharmas Shastra, Earth Store Sutra selections, Autobiography of Chan Master Hsu Yun, Biography of Ajahn Mun, Essays by Vinaya Master Hong Yi and Great Master Yin Guang.
2. Buddhist Psychology (Yogācāra) / Mechanism of Practice.
A pragmatic approach to understanding the mind and its experiences to inform the spiritual practice for awakening, i.e. yoga. This class will also include a component that goes into the mechanisms of the daily practices in the monastery, showing how theory and application work together in harmony.
3. Practices
Students will participate in daily ceremonies, group meditation, and weeklong retreats. The daily ceremonies and group meditation practice provide a platform whereby students can develop a constant mindfulness throughout the day. The weeklong retreats offer students a chance to focus on one Dharma practice in order to delve deeper into the innerworkings of the mind. The daily mindfulness allows for a more sustained process of transformation, while the intensive retreats help facilitate deeper insights into the Dharma and one’s own process. Instruction around practice will be given throughout the program.
Possible Texts: Six Gates to the Sublime, The Essentials of Buddhist Meditation; Chan Talks by Venerable Hsu Yun and Venerable Hsuan Hua, Meditation Instruction by Venerable Ajahn Chah.
4. Community Service
Community service provides an opportunity to apply Buddhist teachings in everyday life by serving others. Through work, students can develop practical skills, teamwork, and contribute to the community. Possible areas of work include: painting, maintenance work, organic farming, cleaning, kitchen, food prep, recycling, etc.
