Philosophy Class begins - 04 April 2006

The INSTITUTE FOR BUDDHIST DIALECTICAL STUDIES
continues to offer
English Language Buddhist Philosophy Classes
in 2006 – after His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Losar teachings

Topic – TENETS
Text: CUTTING THROUGH APPEARANCES
by Geshe Lhundup Sopa and Jeffrey Hopkins
Cutting Through Appearances presents an annotated translation of a Tibetan Tenets text, Precious Garland of Tenets by Gon-chok Jig-may Wang-bo.

First Class: Tuesday, 04 April 2006
Course ends in July 2006
Teacher: Ven. Kelsang Wangmo
WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday – 4:00 – 5:30 pm
(may be supplemented by Discussion group sessions)
Fee: 200 Rupees per month
* * * * *

As His Holiness reiterated at a talk in Delhi on 05 February 2006, in order to practice Buddhism one cannot rely on faith and prayers. Rather, Buddhists must utilize their mental intelligence (to the max) in order to discern the nature of conventional and ultimate reality so they can conform their behavior to that reality. His Holiness singled out the study of Philosophical Tenet systems as an excellent method for utilizing and developing intelligence on the Buddhist path.

During December 2005 teachings in McLeod Ganj, His Holiness gave a transmission and teaching on Gon-chok Jig-may Wang-bo's Precious Garland of Tenets. The MP3 CD of that teaching may be available from Namgyal Monastery.

Lorig Class Concludes -- no photos here

This Blog Post with PHOTOS - here.

Ven. Wangmo is a really great teacher.
Thoroughly versed with the material and its fine debate points, her mode of presentation is extremely patient and kind. She always appears to be most concerned with making the material comprehensible rather than 'scoring points' (a temptation in a scholastic tradition that emphasizes debate).

Fortunately, Ven. Wangmo will be teaching again in 2006 after His Holiness' Losar teachings! [Will post details about next course and Ven. Wangmo bio on this Blog later].

Ven. Wangmo concluded teaching the Tibetan Buddhist presentation of Mind & Awareness [bLo-rig] on July 29, 2005.
The course began April 9, after His Holiness the Dalai Lama completed post-Losar 2005 teachings. The text we used is Mind in Tibetan Buddhism [Snow Lion Pub.]. This book includes Elizabeth Napper's translation of a concise root text -- Presentation of Awareness and Knowledge Composite of All the Important Points, Opener of the Eye of New Intelligence by Ge-shay Jam-bel Sam-pel -- and Lati Rinpoche's oral commentary on that text, along with her excellent Introduction.

Near the end of the course, classes were interrupted by two sets of two-week teachings on Lam Rim [Jun 24-July 7 and July 12-21] by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So by the time Ven. Nordron finally took some photos, most of the class members had departed (either the classroom or Dharamsala, for annual mass evacuation during heavy monsoon season).

The class usually comprised around 30 students -- more or less -- from around the World! Nations represented included France/Costa-Rica, Germany, India, Israel [lots], Italy, Nepal, New Zealand, Taiwan, Tibet, U.K., U.S.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama -- Founder of IBD

His Holiness the Dalai Lama established the Institute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies - IBD [mTshan Nyi sLob grva - (Tsen-nyi lab-tra)] in McLeod Ganj, India. The Institute is attached to His Holiness' Namgyal Monastery-main Temple complex.

This Post and a few

IBD "Campus" Photos

This BLOG is GRAPHIC-FREE Mirror of IBD-BUDDHIST blog!

Now two blogs publicize English language Tibetan Philosophy courses at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectical Studies.

This BLOG is designed for India. Here most people access the World Wide Web at Internet centers where each computer has turtle-speed access.

Only posts with sufficient stand alone Text on IBD-Buddhist blog will be mirrored here. Links will be provided for new Photo-only Posts.

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