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ACI In-Depth Course 1 Teacher Training – Teachings of the Future Buddha: The Uttara Tantra of Maitreya (2003, Arizona)

In this first course of the ACI In-Depth Course Series, we will study the fifth of the five books of Maitreya, the coming Buddha. Centuries ago, the Coming Buddha, Lord Maitreya, taught his disciple Arya Asanga the secret of how to reach Enlightenment. He described to him in detail, the inner nature, which guarantees that each of us can, and will, become enlightened. Each of us carries within us a seed, a potential, a capacity to become a fully enlightened being: A Buddha.

Daily Practice Series Course 07: Marriage of Karma and Emptiness (1997, Raleigh)

This presentation provides a good overview of how karma and emptiness (ultimate reality) interact to form you, your world, and all of its experiences. Ultimate reality is described along with the principles of karma, and how those two come together to form all things and experiences. The union of karma and emptiness is the basis of all reality, and this practice explores what you can do to affect and change your reality. It is a wonderful practice to transform the world around you by understanding the laws of karma, and the idea of ultimate reality, in your everyday life.

Death and Love Meditation (1999, Raleigh)

These are two public talks that Geshe Michael Roach taught in Raleigh, North Carolina back in April, 1999. Death is feared, avoided, and denied in ways that often causes us to live as if we will never die. At the end of life, people often die with intense regret from not having done the important things they wanted to do in their life. Acknowledging the fact that we will die, and that we have a limited, unknown amount of time left is essential to making our life choices. By meditating on death in the proper way, we can make every moment of life precious and meaningful. A good death meditation results in a happy, clear mind, free of anxiety and fear. One learns to live each day of life as if it were the last, thereby avoiding meaningless activity and spending each moment in the most fulfilling way possible.

ACI Course 05: How Karma Works (1998, Brisbane)

Topics include: an Abhidharma overview; the definition and nature of karma; good, bad and neutral karma; karma of body, speech, and mind; the definition of virtue and non-virtue; black and white deeds; projecting and finishing karma; karmic consequences; how karma is carried; how emptiness allows karma to function; karmic paths; the five immediate misdeeds; how to make a karmic result powerful; and the purification of karma.

Daily Practice Series Course 05: Meditation on Death and the End of Death (1999, Raleigh)

By meditating on death in the proper way, we can make every moment of life precious and meaningful. A good death meditation results in a happy, clear mind, free of anxiety and fear. One learns to live each day of life as if it were the last, thereby avoiding meaningless activity and spending each moment in the most fulfilling way possible.

Daily Practice Series Course 01: Mandala of the Steps to Enlightenment (1999, Redding)

Each step along the spiritual path should be taken in its proper sequence to bring one to the end of the path. This meditation reviews the steps of the path and the order in which to move through those steps. We visualize the mandala of the Lam Rim, contemplating each and every step of the path, as we travel through the rooms of the mandala in the same order that one should progress through their spiritual practice. By visualizing the spiritual path as a mandala, and seeing ourselves journeying through the rooms of the mandala, we deeply internalize the stages of the path.

Daily Practice Series Course 02: Real Meaning of Refuge (1995, California)

We regularly go for refuge during our normal lives. We take refuge in food, money, sex, government, the police, a job, friends, family, etc. We routinely take refuge in ordinary things or people, thinking that they will be able to protect us or shield us from unhappiness and suffering. Those types of refuge can only help us temporarily, and we are eventually disappointed by their inability to bring us a lasting, permanent happiness. Spiritual refuge is very different. It is to rely upon things which are infallible and provide true happiness, without fail. This practice teaches what it really means to take ultimate refuge, and why one must pursue infallible, extraordinary objects of refuge to reach a complete, lasting happiness.

Daily Practice Series Course 03: Contemplation on the Practice of Giving and Taking (1997, Connecticut, Geshe Michael Roach)

This is an excellent meditation practice to develop a caring attitude in our hearts toward everyone in our lives, especially those that we have difficulty with. And it’s a wonderful meditation to do when one has an illness, to cultivate empathy, or to generate happiness. Tong Len practice cultivates love and compassion for ourselves, those we are indifferent toward, and those who harm us. It’s a great way to learn to be kind to yourself and others.

Daily Practice Series Course 04: The Seven-Point Practice for Developing a Good Heart (1999, Goa)

Developing a good heart (Lojong) is the cornerstone of spiritual practice. These teachings and meditations provide concise, efficient methods to develop heartfelt love and compassion for all those around us. Lojong is an inspiring practice that trains you to make the most of life by caring about others, and to integrate that attitude into your daily life.

Daily Practice Series Course 04: The Seven-Point Practice for Developing a Good Heart (1999, Gallway)

This Seven-Point Lojong is based upon the Advices for Training Oneself in the Greater Way by Geshe Chekawa (1101-1175), and contains many powerful advices on how to practice thinking and acting like a bodhisattva. These teachings and practices were kept secret for centuries because masters of the past did not want their seemingly mystical verses to be misunderstood. This topic was covered twice, each time with a different emphasis, and both versions have been provided.

Daily Practice Series Course 06: The Four Powers to Remove Negative Karma (1999, California)

Karmically, every instance of negativity we generate towards others will definitely come back to us as a similar unpleasant, painful experience in our lives. The good news is that it’s possible to purify and remove the past negative karma we collected, before it can ripen upon us as our own personal suffering and pain. This practice teaches how to clean up and purify our past negativity to prevent that old bad karma from ripening upon us as difficulties, problems, pain, or suffering in our life.

Daily Practice Series Course 08: The Heart Sutra, A Meditation on Emptiness (1998, Redding)

The Heart Sutra is one of the most popular prayers in Buddhism. It contains seemingly mystical, impenetrable verses that describe how reality does exist, and the way in which it does not exist. This meditation penetrates into the real meaning of the sutra, which describes how our very nature, including our bodies, minds and identities are not what they appear to be. We meditate on the very nature of ultimate reality (emptiness) to discover where things come from and how they really exist. This is an excellent introductory overview meditation on emptiness.

Daily Practice Series Course 08: The Heart Sutra, A Meditation on Emptiness (2000, Soquel)

The Heart Sutra is one of the most popular prayers in Buddhism. It contains seemingly mystical, impenetrable verses that describe how reality does exist, and the way in which it does not exist. This meditation penetrates into the real meaning of the sutra, which describes how our very nature, including our bodies, minds and identities are not what they appear to be. We meditate on the very nature of ultimate reality (emptiness) to discover where things come from and how they really exist. This is an excellent introductory overview meditation on emptiness. This topic was covered twice, each time with a different emphasis, and both versions have been provided.

Daily Practice Series Course 09: The Emptiness of the Mind (Mahamudra) (1999, Soquel)

This meditation practice focuses on understanding ultimate reality (emptiness) on a more advanced level. Mahamudra is meditation on the ultimate nature of one’s own mind. We meditate on our mind, examining it on six different levels, each one leading to a more sophisticated understanding of our mind and its nature. Meditating on the ultimate nature of one’s own mind is an important part of a larger practice that leads to the direct perception of ultimate reality. The direct experience of ultimate reality is a key meditative realization that assures very quick enlightenment.

Daily Practice Series Course 10: Je Tsongkapa’s Mantra (Ganden Hlagyama) (1998, Redding)

This meditation is an excellent method to improve your spiritual capacity and to dramatically enhance your ability to practice. Learn to receive great spiritual blessings with this meditation practice that focuses on the Thousand Angels of the Heaven of Bliss, A Prayer of Lama Devotion. The visualizations associated with meditating upon the prayer are emphasized, with special attention given to the mantra recitation. This is an excellent preparation for advanced tantric meditation. It lays the foundation for tantric retreat by properly guiding you through mantra meditation and teaching you how to do mantra recitation and retreat.

How to do a Daily Practice 01: Guided Meditation through the Preliminaries and Giving and Taking (1997, New York)

This collection of classes is for the purpose of having a regular daily practice. It’s different than many of the other courses here on The Knowledge Base which are meant to teach the philosophy, or intellectual background, of Buddhism. These classes were on monday nights and were taught in a completely different style, focusing on all the most practical and essential elements that should be done each day to really get the most out of all the other intellectual study.

How to do a Daily Practice 02: Guided Meditation through the Preliminaries and a Meditation for Protection (1997, New York)

This collection of classes is for the purpose of having a regular daily practice. It’s different than many of the other courses here on The Knowledge Base which are meant to teach the philosophy, or intellectual background, of Buddhism. These classes were on monday nights and were taught in a completely different style, focusing on all the most practical and essential elements that should be done each day to really get the most out of all the other intellectual study.

How to do a Daily Practice 03: Guided fixed meditation on the Image of a Teacher or Enlightened Being (1998, New York)

This collection of classes is for the purpose of having a regular daily practice. It’s different than many of the other courses here on The Knowledge Base which are meant to teach the philosophy, or intellectual background, of Buddhism. These classes were on monday nights and were taught in a completely different style, focusing on all the most practical and essential elements that should be done each day to really get the most out of all the other intellectual study.

How to do a Daily Practice 04: A Daily Practice for Quick Happiness (1998, New York)

This collection of classes is for the purpose of having a regular daily practice. It’s different than many of the other courses here on The Knowledge Base which are meant to teach the philosophy, or intellectual background, of Buddhism. These classes were on monday nights and were taught in a completely different style, focusing on all the most practical and essential elements that should be done each day to really get the most out of all the other intellectual study.

How to do a Daily Practice 05: A Perfect Body & Mind (1998, New York)

This collection of classes is for the purpose of having a regular daily practice. It’s different than many of the other courses here on The Knowledge Base which are meant to teach the philosophy, or intellectual background, of Buddhism. These classes were on monday nights and were taught in a completely different style, focusing on all the most practical and essential elements that should be done each day to really get the most out of all the other intellectual study.