Picture


​Exploring Buddhist Philosophy and Practice

Module One: Exploring the Mind
 
with Don Handrick

Online Only

Wednesdays, 6:00pm – 7:30pm (PT)
May 19 – June 30, 2021
​7 classes
  
The Buddha said that the source of all happiness and suffering is the mind. In light of this fundamental teaching, it is essential that we develop an extensive understanding of the mind, and then utilize that knowledge to create the causes for our own and other’s well-being.
​
In this module, we will look at what the mind is and how it works, as presented in both Buddhism and science. We will explore the different ways to distinguish and classify various kinds of consciousness; and investigate how to reduce destructive states of mind, and generate the constructive ones which can lead us on the path to enlightenment.

Exploring Buddhist Philosophy and Practice is a new program currently being developed by FPMT to serve as a bridge between Discovering Buddhism and The Basic Program. It is designed to help students of Buddhism delve more deeply into a broad array of topics that form a solid foundation for furthering one’s study and practice.  The program will initially be run as a pilot program in FPMT centers to further test and refine the curriculum.
​  
Previous study of at least some modules of Discovering Buddhism, either in a center or online is highly recommended before enrolling in this program.
Please respond to this short questionnaire.
https://forms.gle/hnqPYVMZuPRZzbEH8​

    You must register for class to receive the link

Don Handrick is a touring teacher for the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), sharing the Dharma with centers and study groups in North America and other parts of the world, both in-person and online. Don's study of Buddhism began in 1993 after reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. Over the next two years he practiced with Sogyal Rinpoche's organization, until he began attending classes in 1996 with Venerable Robina Courtin at Tse Chen Ling in San Francisco.

Don left the Bay Area in 1998 to attend the FPMT's Masters Program of Buddhist Studies in Sutra and Tantra, a seven-year residential study program conducted at Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Tuscany, Italy, taught by the scholar and kind Spiritual Friend, Geshe Jampa Gyatso. He successfully completed all five subjects of this program in 2004, receiving an FPMT final certificate with high honors.


​Discovering Buddhism 

​with Ven. Tenzin Legtsok & Ven. Tenzin Namjong

Online Only
Topic: Discovering Buddhism Module 1.  

Time: May 25, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time
        Every week on Tuesday , 6 occurrences
        May 25, 2021 07:00 PM
        Jun 1, 2021 07:00 PM
        Jun 8, 2021 07:00 PM
        Jun 15, 2021 07:00 PM
        Jun 22, 2021 07:00 PM
        Jun 29, 2021 07:00 PM

    You must register for the class to receive the link: 

Picture
The program will be taught by two monks who are nearing completion of their Geshe studies at Sera Jey Monastery in India. The aim of the Discovering Buddhism program is to give participants a solid footing in the practice of Mahayana Buddhism.  By engaging in this program, participants will gain an experiential taste of the Buddha's teachings, some retreat experience, and the skills they need to make their lives most meaningful.
​
The 14 Discovering Buddhism Modules:
  1. Mind and Its Potential Examine the mind and how it creates happiness and suffering. Learn to transform destructive thoughts and attitudes to create a positive and joyous mind!
  2. How to Meditate Learn the definition and purpose of meditation, how to sit, how to set up a meditation session, different meditation techniques, and how to deal with obstacles to meditation.
  3. Presenting the Path Get an overview of the entire Tibetan Buddhist path to awakening. Study the life story of the Buddha and discover a unique system for putting Buddhist philosophy into practice – the lam-rim, or “graduated path to enlightenment.”
  4. The Spiritual Teacher Investigate the role of the teacher on the spiritual path: the need for a teacher, the qualities of teacher and student, and how to relate to a teacher for greatest benefit.
  5. Death and Rebirth Explore the process of death and rebirth and its impact on how we live our lives. Learn to fulfill your purpose in life, resolve conflicts, and develop the skills to help yourself and others at death.
  6. All About Karma Learn the essential facts about the law of cause and effect. Explore ways to deal with life most effectively and take control of your future!
  7. Refuge in the Three Jewels Find out what it means to take refuge in the Three Jewels and the essential practices of refuge. Learn about the advantage of taking lay vows and their role in enhancing our spiritual growth.
  8. Establishing a Daily Practice Assemble the tools you need to develop a successful daily practice and find out the elements necessary to generate realizations. Get some tips for making every action meaningful.
  9. Samsara and Nirvana Investigate what “samsara” is and how we are stuck in it. Find out what “nirvana” is and how to achieve it. Learn how to be free from suffering and empower yourself with practical tools to deal with and eliminate disturbing emotions forever.
  10. How to Develop Bodhichitta Discover practices that develop our innate qualities of compassion. Learn to apply these techniques to generate the mind of bodhichitta, known as the very heart of Buddha’s teachings.
  11. Transforming Problems Learn the disadvantages of self-cherishing and the advantages of cherishing others. Learn to employ the special techniques of mind training (lojong) to transform problems into happiness.
  12. Wisdom of Emptiness The realization of emptiness is crucial for the attainment of liberation and enlightenment. Learn to develop calm abiding and different methods of meditation on emptiness.
  13. Introduction to Tantra Learn what tantra is, how it works, and why it is a powerful form of practice. Get a broad overview of the four classes of tantra and learn to practice simple Kriya tantric methods. Learn to integrate tantra with lam-rim meditation for optimal results.
  14. Special Integration Experiences The FPMT Education Department explains:

    By undertaking intensive practices of purification and a two-week lam-rim retreat, you prepare your mind in the best way to realize the path to enlightenment. Purification practices include: 100,000 prostrations, 3-month Vajrasattva retreat, and Nyung Nä. This is a great way to seal the blessings of this program!

​
Picture
Born and raised in Hawaii, Venerable Tenzin Namjong studied and trained in Zen and Theravada traditions before embracing the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, due mainly to the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Princeton University and has been part of the 19 year Geshe study program at Sera Je Monastery in South India since 2007.
Venerable Legtsok and Venerable Namjong are registered teachers of the FPMT and they regularly teach at FPMT centers in India.
 Picture
Venerable Tenzin Legtsok is in the eighteenth year of the Geshe Studies Program at Sera Jey Monastic University in South India where he studies classic Indian Buddhist treatise and their Tibetan commentaries in the tradition of ancient Nalanda University. He has been ordained as a Buddhist monk since 2001.
Born in Virginia, USA in 1973, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College in 1995.  The question, “What makes for the most happy and meaningful life,” which compelled him to major in philosophy during college gradually led to his study of meditation and philosophy with teachers among the exiled Tibetan communities in India and Nepal from 1999 until the present.
For the past ten years he has tried to make basic Buddhist teachings accessible to various audiences in India and the US through lectures, essays, and meditation instruction.

​    

Buddhism in a Nutshell 

& Meditation 101

​IN PERSON ONLY
Every Other Sunday 
​11:00 AM - 12:30 PM 

Picture
Buddhism in a Nutshell and Meditation 101 are introductory courses that provides an overview of Tibetan Buddhist concepts and meditation. It is also suitable for people who have heard or read some Buddhist teachings but would like a more structured approach to understanding the path to enlightenment as taught by the Buddha.
​ It begins with an introduction to the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and then discusses the Buddha’s first teaching on The Four Noble Truths: the truths of suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering. This teaching is common to all Buddhist traditions and forms the cornerstone for all the other teachings given by the Buddha.

It also provides an overview of Tibetan Buddhism based on the three principal aspects of the path to enlightenment—renunciation, bodhichitta, and the right view of emptiness—as taught in the stages of the path teachings and based on the short text 'Foundation of All Good Qualities' by, Lama Tsong Khapa.  The course also provides the foundations of meditation practice and five guided meditations suitable for beginners.

Led by Trey Ligon
Center Director

Check calendar ​​​​

Book Discussion Group  
​
In Person and Online
​Every Monday  ​
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Picture
Beginning May 10, 2021:

We have chosen our next three books!

They are "Transforming Problems into Happiness" by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus" and "The Life of Milarepa: The Classic Biography of the Eleventh-Century Yogin and Poet – One of the Most Renowned Spiritual Figures in Tibetan Buddhist History." Join for one evening, all or even a part - there is always a good discussion! Follow along on Meetup to see what chapters we are reading for the week.

Our first choice is by our spiritual leader Lama Zopa Rinpoche titled "Transforming Problems into Happiness". According to Rinpoche "Happiness and suffering are dependent upon your mind, upon your interpretation. They do not come from outside, from others. All of your happiness and all of your suffering are created by you, by your own mind." Commenting on an early-twentieth-century Tibetan text of instructions and practical advice for everyday spiritual living, Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches us how to be happy during hard times by adopting skillful attitudes--ways of interpreting reality that can permit us to live a joyful and relaxed life regardless of circumstance. In Transforming Problems Into Happiness, Lama Zopa Rinpoche brings his own special flavor and contemporary relevance to a timeless teaching on Buddhist psychology. This volume will be valuable to all, no matter the spiritual background of the reader or the kind of problems that have led them to ask that ageless question: How can I achieve happiness?

Our second book will be "The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus". In this landmark book of interfaith dialogue, the Dalai Lama provides an extraordinary Buddhist perspective on the teachings of Jesus, commenting on well-known passages from the four Christian Gospels including the Sermon on the Mount, the parable of the mustard seed, the Resurrection, and others. Drawing parallels between Jesus and the Buddha--and the rich traditions from which they hail--His Holiness delivers a profound affirmation of the sacred in all religions. Readers will be inspired by the Dalai Lama's discussion of the endless merits of each tradition and uplifted by the common humanity between them.

Our third choice "The Life of Milarepa" is one of the most beloved stories of the Tibetan people and a great literary example of the contemplative life. Jetsun Milarepa, the 11th-century Buddhist yogin and poet, started life as a black magician, gaining revenge for loss of heritage by casting terrible hailstorms and committing multiple murders. Distraught with remorse, he sought to expiate his crimes and, with the fiercely compassionate help of his lama, Marpa, devoted himself to unremitting practice - meditation in caves, existing only on nettles and turning green as a result. And he gained liberation in one lifetime. Milarepa’s remarkable story is told in this equally remarkable 15th-century biography, which is dramatic, humorous, moving and wise. Andrew Quintman’s new translation, vibrant and immediate, brings this great classic to life. Joyful, enriching and unexpectedly entertaining, it is a spiritual biography without compare.

This book discussion group is a gathering of individuals who view, read, study, and discuss various dharma-relevant and reinforcing materials. The group can at times be very focused on texts and other times only loosely tethered to a common resource, but enriching experience, increased knowledge, and deeper understanding are always the goals. Anyone can benefit at any point by attending, regardless of background or experience, so don’t hesitate to drop in—whether you know what the group is focusing on or have seen the current materials. Visitors are encouraged and invited to come over some evening to see what it is all about.

Led by Anne Ligon, SPC
​& Mary Wellhoner
Suggested Donation $5
No one turned away for lack of funds.

Check calendar ​​​​​

Drop In Meditation 

Beginning June 1st
In Person and Online
Every Tuesday & Thursday 
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

Picture
​Meditation is an effective, yet simple, way of dealing with many stresses in life. There is a growing body of scientific evidence of meditation being highly effective at reducing physical and mental stress.

Every week we focus on one topic on the Lam Rim using excellent meditations from Kathleen McDonalds' "How to Meditate" that are suitable for anyone interested in exploring and incorporating the benefits of meditation into their daily lives, regardless of whether you are a Buddhist practitioner or not. 



Led by Cyndy Mowbray
Check calendar ​​​​

Medicine Buddha Study Group  

Online Only
Every other Saturday 
11:00 am-12:00 pm   

Picture
This study group will explore the benefits of meditating on the Medicine Buddha.
The first half of the hour will be spent reading and discussing Lama Zopa Rinpoche's masterful book, Ultimate Healing: The Power of Compassion. In the second half of the hour, we will engage in the Medicine Buddha Meditation.  


Led by Cyndy Mowbray
Check calendar ​​​​​

​Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga 
Guided Meditation with Elissa Slanger

Online Only
Every Sunday - Online 
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm 

​Kum Nye Tibetan Relaxation is a gentle healing system that relieves stress, transforms negative patterns, kelps us to be more balanced and healthy, and increases our enjoyment and appreciation of life. …It integrates and balances two approaches, the physical and the psychological…As it, leads to the integration of body and mind in all our activities, this relaxation has a lasting quality greater than the feeling of well-being experienced in physical exercise, or even in disciplines such as yoga. When we learn to open our senses and touch our feelings directly, our bodies and minds make full contact with one another, and all experience becomes rich, healthy, and more beautiful. As we become deeply acquainted with ourselves and our self-understanding grows, we are also able to share more fully with others. (Not an FPMT Event)
Picture
​Elissa Slanger began her study of Buddhism in a Japanese Zen monastery in 1960. For the following years she practiced with first the London Buddhist Society and then the Zen Center, until 1961, when she attended a workshop given by Tartung Tulku. She has been a part of his community since then. She began teaching at the Nyingma Institute Buddhist Center, in Berkeley in 2014. A near death experience she had in 2013, confirmed for her the truths of the Buddhist teachings. Elissa is also a clinical psychologist - having practiced until she was well into her 80’s. She is a past president of the Nevada Psychological Association.

Calendar of Events

    Keep up to date on upcoming teachings and events and join our email.

​
​


​Dharmakaya Center

6165 Ridgeview Court, Suite G
Reno, Nevada 89519
Picture

                           Affiliated with the 
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition
More Information