Foundation Programme
At Ashoka Centre we are currently studying the book
- Understanding the Mind.
Each class runs from 9am - 2pm
The dates for the Autumn term 2008 classes are:
- Saturday 6th September, Specail Introductory Class. Starting second half ofthe book Understanding the Mind. New students welcome on this date.
- Subsequent classes will be held on:
- 20th, 27th September,
- 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th October,
- 15th, 22nd November,
- 6th, 13th December 2008.
Read about the benefits of the FP and TTP programmes Wishfulfilling Jewels for Dharma practitioners
The Foundation Programme provides an opportunity to deepen our
understanding and experience of Buddhism through a systematic study of
six texts:
Joyful Path of Good Fortune - a commentary to
Atisha's Lamrim instructions, the stages of the path to enlightenment
Universal Compassion - a commentary to Bodhisattva Chekhawa's /Training the Mind in Seven Points
Heart of Wisdom - a commentary to the Heart Sutra
Meaningful to Behold - a commentary to Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life
Understanding the Mind - a detailed explanation of the mind based
on the works of the Buddhist scholars Dharmakirti and Dignaga
Eight Steps to Happiness - a commentary to Bodhisattva Langri 
Tangpa's Eight Verses of Training the Mind
The benefits of studying and practicing these texts are as follows:
Joyful Path of Good Fortune - we gain the ability to put all Buddha's
teachings of both Sutra and Tantra into practice. We can easily make
progress on and complete the stages of the path to the supreme
happiness of enlightenment. From a practical point of view, Lamrim is
the main
body of Buddha's
teachings, and the other teachings are
like its limbs.
Universal Compassion and Eight Verses of Training the Mind - we gain
the ability to integrate Buddha's teachings into our daily lives and
solve all our human problems.
Heart of Wisdom - we gain a realization of the ultimate nature of
reality. By gaining this realization we can eliminate the ignorance of
self-grasping, which is the root of all our suffering.
Meaningful to Behold - we transform our daily activities intothe
Bodhisattva's way of life, thereby making every moment of our
human life
meaningful.
Understanding the Mind - we understand the relationship between
our
mind and its external objects. If we understand that objects 
depend upon the subjective mind, we can change the way objects
appear tous by changing our own mind. Gradually we shall gain
the ability to control
our mind and in this way solve our problems.
The Foundation Programme
requires an enrollment procedure.
Please contact Kelsang Dema - Education Programme Co-ordinator, if
you would like to join the Foundation Programme.