Foundation Program June 26
June 26 @ 6:45 pm - 9:00 pm
Foundation Program
in person and live-streamed
This term of the Foundation Program is studying Part One of How to Understand the Mind.
This book offers us deep insight into our mind, and shows how an understanding of its nature and functions can be used practically in everyday experience to improve our lives.
This class requires enrolment but you can join at any time. It is possible to attend this class by live-stream if you are not able to attend in person. Please contact education@akbc.ca if you would like to sit in on a class at attend a pre-registration interview.
Foundation Program Schedule - HTUTM - Part One
How to Understand the Mind
May 1 – Open House Class
May 8, 15
May 29 Discussion
June 5, 12, 26
July 3 Discussion
July 10, 17, 24
August 21 Discussion
Sept 11, 18, 25
Oct 2 Discussion
Oct 16, 23, 30
Nov 6 Discussion
Nov 13 study class | exam
Nov 20 – New Section Starts
Foundation Program FAQ
Foundation Program FAQ
A) Foundation Program is from 6:45 – 9 pm on Monday evenings, except for holiday Mondays. There is some time off on Mondays in December and for two Mondays in August.
A) Terms cover a section of a book – approximately 100 pages. Each term is roughly 6 months – usually from April to October or November, and from October to April.
Foundation Program
This study program comprises the following five subjects, based on Buddha’s Sutra teachings and the corresponding commentaries by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche:
1. The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, based on the commentary Joyful Path of Good Fortune
2. Training the Mind, based on the commentaries Universal Compassion and The New Eight Steps to Happiness
3. The Heart Sutra, based on the commentary The New Heart of Wisdom
4. Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, based on the commentary Meaningful to Behold
5. Types of Mind, based on the commentary How to Understand the Mind
Benefits of the program
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, the Stages of the Path, or Lamrim, is the main body of Buddha’s teachings, and the other teachings are like its limbs.
Universal Compassion and The New Eight Steps to Happiness – we gain the ability to integrate Buddha’s teachings into our daily life and solve all our human problems.
The New 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 that is the root of all our suffering.
Meaningful to Behold – we transform our daily activities into the Bodhisattva’s way of life, thereby making every moment of our human life meaningful.
How to Understand 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 to us by changing our own mind. Gradually we shall gain the ability to control our mind and in this way solve all our problems.
No. The Foundation Program in not a drop-in class but requires enrolment to study this section of the book. You will need to become a Foundation Program (Level 2) Member to attend the Foundation Program. This will also give you unlimited access to all classes offered at AKBC.
A) Yes. To attend the Foundation Program you will need to become a Foundation Program (Level 2) member. You can request membership on our membership page. As a Foundation Program member, you can attend Foundation Program and all meditation classes, and courses for one monthly membership fee.
A) Before enrolling you are welcome to sit in on a class to try out the program. Everyone is welcome to sit in on one class in each section to see what the Foundation Program is about. If you choose to enrol, we there is a short pre-registration interview.
We ask students to attend at least one General Program series before enrolling.
If you would like to try out a class, please contact the Foundation Program Coordinator at fp@akbc.ca to set up a date.
A) From September 2022, the Foundation Program is offered in-person. However, there is an opportunity for those in our area who live at a distance to join us online. To enquire, please contact education@akbc.ca.
A) Yes. Before enrolling in Foundation Program, we encourage you to try out a class. We have an Open House class at the beginning of each section that everyone is invited to attend. However, you can sit in on a class at any time.
A) Yes. You can join the Foundation Program at any time during the section. We have an Open House class at the beginning of each section that everyone is invited to attend. However, if you would like to join mid-section, you are also welcome to. Please contact fp@akbc.ca for details.
We do ask that students attend at least one General Program series before enrolling in the class.
A) When you enrol in the Foundation Program, you commit to attending every class, engaging Centre organized prayers at least once a month, and writing an exam based on this section of book.
A) You will have to open up a Level 2 membership to attend the Foundation Program. The fee is $75 a month. This membership will cover all Foundation Program classes, all drop-in classes, courses and retreat held at the Centre. You can sign up at the Centre with the Foundation Program Coordinator, or if you are a distance student, the Foundation Program Coordinator will send you the membership information.
For other payment information please contact membership@akbc.ca.
Foundation Program FAQ
A) Foundation Program is from 6:45 – 9 pm on Monday evenings, except for holiday Mondays. There is some time off on Mondays in December and for two Mondays in August.
A) Terms cover a section of a book – approximately 100 pages. Each term is roughly 6 months – usually from April to October or November, and from October to April.
Foundation Program
This study program comprises the following five subjects, based on Buddha’s Sutra teachings and the corresponding commentaries by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche:
1. The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, based on the commentary Joyful Path of Good Fortune
2. Training the Mind, based on the commentaries Universal Compassion and The New Eight Steps to Happiness
3. The Heart Sutra, based on the commentary The New Heart of Wisdom
4. Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, based on the commentary Meaningful to Behold
5. Types of Mind, based on the commentary How to Understand the Mind
Benefits of the program
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, the Stages of the Path, or Lamrim, is the main body of Buddha’s teachings, and the other teachings are like its limbs.
Universal Compassion and The New Eight Steps to Happiness – we gain the ability to integrate Buddha’s teachings into our daily life and solve all our human problems.
The New 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 that is the root of all our suffering.
Meaningful to Behold – we transform our daily activities into the Bodhisattva’s way of life, thereby making every moment of our human life meaningful.
How to Understand 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 to us by changing our own mind. Gradually we shall gain the ability to control our mind and in this way solve all our problems.
No. The Foundation Program in not a drop-in class but requires enrolment to study this section of the book. You will need to become a Foundation Program (Level 2) Member to attend the Foundation Program. This will also give you unlimited access to all classes offered at AKBC.
A) Yes. To attend the Foundation Program you will need to become a Foundation Program (Level 2) member. You can request membership on our membership page. As a Foundation Program member, you can attend Foundation Program and all meditation classes, and courses for one monthly membership fee.
A) Before enrolling you are welcome to sit in on a class to try out the program. Everyone is welcome to sit in on one class in each section to see what the Foundation Program is about. If you choose to enrol, we there is a short pre-registration interview.
We ask students to attend at least one General Program series before enrolling.
If you would like to try out a class, please contact the Foundation Program Coordinator at fp@akbc.ca to set up a date.
A) From September 2022, the Foundation Program is offered in-person. However, there is an opportunity for those in our area who live at a distance to join us online. To enquire, please contact education@akbc.ca.
A) Yes. Before enrolling in Foundation Program, we encourage you to try out a class. We have an Open House class at the beginning of each section that everyone is invited to attend. However, you can sit in on a class at any time.
A) Yes. You can join the Foundation Program at any time during the section. We have an Open House class at the beginning of each section that everyone is invited to attend. However, if you would like to join mid-section, you are also welcome to. Please contact fp@akbc.ca for details.
We do ask that students attend at least one General Program series before enrolling in the class.
A) When you enrol in the Foundation Program, you commit to attending every class, engaging Centre organized prayers at least once a month, and writing an exam based on this section of book.
A) You will have to open up a Level 2 membership to attend the Foundation Program. The fee is $75 a month. This membership will cover all Foundation Program classes, all drop-in classes, courses and retreat held at the Centre. You can sign up at the Centre with the Foundation Program Coordinator, or if you are a distance student, the Foundation Program Coordinator will send you the membership information.
For other payment information please contact membership@akbc.ca.
How to Understand the Mind
This book offers us deep insight into our mind, and shows how an understanding of its nature and functions can be used practically in everyday experience to improve our lives.
The first part is a practical guide to developing an maintaining a light, positive mind – showing how to recognize and abandon states of mind that harm us, and to replace them with peaceful and beneficial ones.
The second part describes different types of mind in detail, revealing the depth and profundity of the buddhist understanding of the mind. It concludes with a detailed explanation of meditation, showing how by controlling and transforming our mind we can attain a lasting state of joy, independent of expternal conditions.
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche says in How to Understand the Mind:
We often say, “my mind, my mind”, but if someon were to ask us, “what is your mind”, we would have no correct anser. This is because we do not understand the nature and function of the mind correctly.”
Questions about the Membership?
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