August 10-19
10-day Retreat: Finding the Buddha Within, with Ven. Dhammadipa
In this ten-day course, Ven. Dhammadipa will offer online meditation instructions in combination with teachings on the Treatise on Awakening Mahayana Faith (Mahāyānaśraddhotpādaśāstra), one of the most important texts of East Asian Buddhism, attributed to the Indian master Ashvaghosha. This treatise teaches the key points of Mahayana thought—including buddha nature, suchness, and three bodies (kāyas) of perfect awakening—combined with instructions for the practices of calm abiding and insight meditation. It is precisely the pairing of these two branches of meditation that lead to the realization of our buddha nature. In this way, students are guided in theory and practice to develop faith in their potential for awakening by uncovering the awareness at the ground of being.
This meditation retreat is open to everyone, beginners and experienced practitioners alike. The daily program alternates between streamed teaching sessions by Ven Dhammadipa and periods of group meditation led by Tenzin Alexander, a senior student of Ven Dhammadipa.
The teacher
Ven. Dhammadipa’s years of training in retreat combined with his extensive scholarly background make him an ideal teacher, able to guide students in transformative meditation practice grounded in a deep understanding of the path. Bhante has extensively taught the Dharma in both theory and practice, and led students in meditation retreats in Europe, North and South America, India, China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.
(More detailed biography is at https://www.dhammadipa.cz/en/biogaphy/.)
August 24 to September 7
Two-week course: Cultivating Method and Realizing Wisdom, with Khenpo Dr. Ngawang Jorden
Week 1 (Aug 24-30): Mindfulness in Daily Life and on the Cushion
Just as a bird has two wings to fly, the path to awakening comprises two essential components: method and wisdom. In the first week of this course, devoted to the method, Khenpo Jorden will offer teachings on mindfulness and introspection. Without these two qualities, it is impossible to make significant progress on the path. It is therefore important to learn how to cultivate them skillfully, not only in meditation, but in daily life as well, to establish continuity in one’s practice. Explanation based on two chapters of Shantideva’s The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryāvatāra) will be supplemented by essential meditation instructions.
Week 2 (Sep 1-7): The Heart of Wisdom – Dependent Arising and Emptiness
In the second week, Khenpo Jorden will explore two core areas for the development of wisdom: dependent arising and emptiness. The Buddha’s teaching on dependent arising is the foundation for liberating insight. It explains, generally, how things appear in the world and, most significantly, how we are caught in the net of suffering and dissatisfaction and how we might liberate ourselves from it.
The correct understanding of dependent arising builds the foundation for the profound teaching on emptiness. To explore this subject, Khenpo Jorden will base his explanation on Rongtön Sheja Kunrig’s commentary on the Heart Sutra, one of the most widely recited Mahayana scriptures. In just a few paragraphs, it conveys the essence of the highest Buddhist wisdom, which is insight into ultimate reality.
This course is open to everyone. The teachings will be given directly by Khenpo la and you will have the opportunity to clarify your questions in class every day. The studies will be complemented by meditation instructions and group practice to guide students on the path.
The teacher
His Holiness the Sakya Trizin and Khenchen Appey Rinpoche invited Khenpo Jorden to take up the position of Principal of IBA in Kathmandu and so he left his teaching post at the University of Chicago and joined IBA in 2009.
Khenpo Jorden is an experienced teacher and translator of the Buddha Dharma who can impart his deep understanding eloquently to students of all levels.
(For a more detailed biography, go to http://internationalbuddhistacademy.org/about-us/khenpo-ngawang-jorden/ )
For more information about these courses, contact IBA at 2register4iba@gmail.com