The Essence of Buddhism – Module 2: The Essential Teachings of the Buddha – Part a

The term “Buddhism” is a neologism from the Western academic world. As early as the 19th century, Western scholars, travelers and explorers recognized that centuries before the Christian era, there was a great teacher in Asia called “The Buddha”, the Awakened One, who had left behind as many teaching discourses as hardly any other teacher of humanity on this planet. Consequently, they called his teachings “Buddhism”.

Moreover, in the succession of the historical Buddha, a rich and diverse intellectual history of “Buddhism” unfolded through many other inspiring practitioners and teachers, and spread to many countries in South, South-East and Central Asia, where they entered into a connection with the respective cultures of the regions.

So today, after more than 2,500 years, we can look back on a rich culture of Buddhism, especially as its teachings and methods, particularly on meditation, can now been found on all continents of the world since quite a few decades.

In this 5-module online course – the 4th module of which could possibly take place at the Kamalashila Institute – Acharya Lama Kelzang Wangdi, a Buddhist Lama from Bhutan, educated at the Monastic University of Rumtek in Sikkim, India, will try to show the essence of the teachings of Buddhism.

In doing so, his perspective and knowledge goes to the essence of all the “vehicles” of Buddhism. He starts with the historical Buddha Gautama Shakyamuni and the teachings of Early or Original Buddhism, but then he also into the essence of the Mahayana teachings of the Great Vehicle.

Nowadays there are many people who are mainly interested in the meditation methods of Buddhism. However, these are mostly incomplete and not clearly understood without the context of the Buddhist teachings. In this program, therefore, Lama Kelzang will reveal the “Essence of Buddhism” so that all can benefit from the richness, profundity and beauty of the Buddhist teachings.

Module 2

The Essential Teachings of the Buddha – Part a

It is said that all the teachings taught in the traditional schools of Buddhism can be traced back to the enlightened insights of the Buddha, his teaching discourses, the terms he used, the divisions he made and much more. He unfolded a multifaceted and multi-layered model for virtually all areas of living and dying in the world of human experience, borne by the motivation to show a path that frees from suffering and its causes and clearly presents the conditions for a path of spiritual awakening.

In the 2nd and 3rd module, Lama Kelzang will go into a whole series of essential points that the Buddha taught and emphasized. He will highlight the Essence of Buddhism, especially from its wisdom aspect:

Prajna – Wisdom – Part a

The discovery of the inner world of the mind

An introduction to the three types of training on the Buddhist path:

• Shila / Wholesome Ethics
• Samadhi / Deep Meditation
• Prajna / Wisdom

Here Prajna / Wisdom is shown as the foundation, Samadhi / Deep Meditation as the necessary methodical practice, and pure and wholesome Ethical Conduct / Shila as a further necessity.

The Buddha taught this in the so-called “Three Baskets” (Tripitaka), because the leaves on which people wrote at that time are said to have been collected in 3 baskets:

• the basket of doctrinal discourses (Sutra)
• the basket of ethical recommendations (Vinaya)
• the basket of systematization (Abhidharma)

The following questions are also discussed:

• What exactly is meant by Prajna / Wisdom here?
• How do body and mind function and how are they connected?
• What happens to body and mind at the time of awakening?
• What happens to them at the time of dying?

In addition, divisions of the mental inner world are shown, which the Buddha made:

• the 5 Skandha / accumulations (bodily, sensations, perceptions, mental formative powers, and sense and mind consciousnesses).
• the 12 Ayatana / sense bases
• the 18 Dhatu / elements

Probably an additional question will be asked:
How are Lung / Prana, which are the inner and subtle winds, and the mind related?

Friday, October 18
07:00 pm to 08:30 pm Introduction

Saturday, October 19
08:00 am to 08:30 am meditation
10:00 am to 11:30 am teaching
03:00 pm to 04:30 pm teaching

Sunday, October 20
08:00 am to 08:30 am meditation
10:00 am to 11:30 am teaching

English with German translation.

Additional Texts used for daily practrice: PDF Download

This course consists of five modules. You can book the courses separately or in combination.
You can already book:
May, 24 – 26: module 1
November, 29 – December, 1: module 3

First time at Live Courses? Then read the general information about live courses of Kamalashila with Zoom.