Foundation Study Program

The Foundation Study Program ("FSP") was created based on Venerable Dagpo Rinpoché's advice, using his Fundamentals of Buddhism study text and concise presentations of seminal Buddhist treatises such as Arya Asanga's Compendium of Knowledge.

The teachings of the Buddha–the path to enlightenment–have been the source of philosophical study and meditative practice for over two millennia and have been passed down from mouth to ear in an unbroken lineage to the present. Venerable Dagpo Rinpoché is a living Buddhist teacher who trained in the traditional monasteries of Tibet and holds the lineage of the Buddha's teachings. Rinpoché prepared this study program for students who wish to gain a solid understanding of the authentic teachings of the Buddha with the intention to put them into practice in a modern-day context.

Series #1 of the FSP includes the most fundamental topic of the Buddha's teaching: the nature of mind, its components, and its functions. With this knowledge we begin to understand at a personal level our own full potential and how it is possible to realize that potential over time by cultivating our minds. This knowledge serves as a vital foundation for deeper studies and practice of the Dharma.

Jeremy Lafitte – a student of Venerable Dagpo Rinpoché, translator and author under Rinpoché’s guidance of Dharmapedia, an encyclopedia of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.

 

Delivered live online via Zoom, in English.

 

Format
90 minute presentations, followed by optional 30 minutes of Q&A

 

6 sessions from 15 January to 01 April 2024

1st and 3rd Mondays of the month

 

Session #	Date	Topic (subject to modification)
1.1	15/01/2024	Realizing our mind’s full potential
1.2	05/02/2024	Mental phenomena and other existents
1.3	19/02/2024	Our main minds and mental factors (I)
1.4	04/03/2024	Our main minds and mental factors (II)
1.5	18/03/2024	Our main minds and mental factors (III)
1.6	01/04/2024	Our main minds and mental factors (IV)

Times
            

Time zone	Presentation	Optional Q&A
KL/Bali	20:30-22:00	22:00-22:30
Jakarta	19:30-21:00	21:00-21:30
Delhi	18:00-19:30	19:30-20:00
Paris	13:30-15:00	15:00-15:30
New York	07:30-08:30	08:30-09:00

 

All sessions will be recorded and made available to any registered participant to view at any time to refresh their understanding.

 

The program is open to anyone interested in learning about the teachings of the Buddha from an authentic lineage of instruction and practice. Both those new to the Dharma and experienced practitioners are welcome. Presentations are tailored to the learning needs of participants who attend regularly and make an effort to retain the material. Yet all are welcome to attend, including those who simply want to listen to the presentations.

 

Registration is mandatory to join the program. (Registration link is given below)

 

The FSP is offered free of charge.

In principle, the Buddha’s teachings should be freely available to all. Sometimes administrative expenses are incurred to deliver a program and participants are asked to contribute to cover expenses. For the FSP, participants are not asked to contribute to any administrative costs.

 

Two tracks are offered: one with exams and one without. Exams are optional, not mandatory. Periodic exams are offered for those who find them helpful as a study aid for motivation to learn the material, check their level of understanding, obtain feedback, identify areas in need of further clarification, and gain confidence in their mastery of the material. Participants have a choice on the registration form to register for tracks with or without exams.

 

It is possible to join after the program has begun. Those who wish to do so should watch the videos of past sessions before joining the live sessions; those who choose the exam track will be required to complete the previous exams as well.

 

Please send any questions to DagpoRinpoche.studies@gmail.com