This is a new version of the Mind and Its World IV course, presents the path and result of foundational Buddhism as found in both the Vaibhasika and Sautrantika philosophical traditions, based on The Gateway that Reveals the Philosophical Traditions to Fresh Minds root text. The path consists of calm abiding and superior insight. Key topics such as the 4 Realities, the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness, the 12 links of dependent origination, and the 37 branches of enlightenment will be discussed. Each topic will have an experiential component of analytical meditation.
Faculty/Instructor(s): Israel Lifshitz
This foundation debate course offers a methodical training in elementary debate skills on the basis of the Clear Thinking course. Students train in formulating reasonings with correct and seeming reasons and utilize them in debate by learning how to challenge the first mode (the relationship between the subject and the reason). The debate content consists of the classification of objects in terms of entity from Collected Topics.
Faculty/Instructor(s): Francis Sullivan
"This course will deepen your understanding of knowable objects as expounded by the Abhidhama tradition, based on the Collected Topics root text. Students will learn methods for thinking clearly by formulating definitions, examples, equivalents and classifications, and by exploring the four types of logical relationships between two phenomena. This course also prepares students for debate, which is a highly effective method for clarifying one's understanding of the topics that are covered in Nitartha's study curriculum."
Faculty/Instructor(s): Israel Lifshitz
"This course is an exposition of the Vaibhāṣika philosophical tradition, based on the The Gateway that Reveals the Philosophical Traditions to Fresh Minds root text. Students explore foundational classifications of knowable objects: the five bases, five aggregates, twelve sources and eighteen constituents. This is followed by the presentation of the Vaibhāṣika theory of causation from Collected Topics and the twelve links of dependent origination."
Faculty/Instructor(s): Francis Sullivan