The Knowledge Base

A Gift of Liberation 06: Passion Retreat (2012, Prescott)

In the last course in this series Lam Rim Series Course 3: Finding What We Were Always Meant to Be continuing our ten-year journey through Pabongka Rinpoche’s Gift of Liberation, an important spiritual classic from Tibet. We learned how to look deep inside ourselves to find that vein of pure gold—the one thing that we were always meant to do, and to be. And then we are no longer tired or bored with our life: we feel a sudden joy in finding our one true purpose.

A Gift of Liberation 05: Finding What We Were Always Meant to Be (2011, Arizona)

During this retreat we will learn how to identify the tendencies within ourselves to be attracted to deeper things and how to maintain the love and quest for our highest aspirations.

A Gift of Liberation 04: The Energy Retreat (2011, Prescott)

This is a special retreat focused on getting more energy in your life, work and relationships, through meditation & yoga, new ideas about food and special ancient ceremonies from the Tibetan tradition for increasing energy and overcoming fatique, along with the continuation of Pabongka Rinpoche’s famous teaching on the steps to enlightenment or lam-rim.

A Gift of Liberation 03: Why Are We Alive? The Quest to Create a Perfect World (2011, Phoenix)

Why did we come into this world, and what are we meant to do here? We have a deep hunger to know why we are here, why we were born, and what we need to do with our life. Deep down we all want to save the world, and in the process we want to reach our own happiness as well. We will be following, word by word, one of the greatest books ever written: A Gift of Liberation, Thrust into Our Hands.

A Gift of Liberation 02: Breaking Through to Highest Reality (2011, Prescott)

The ancient books of Tibet say that if a person can see ultimate truth only once, for just 20 minutes in their entire life, then they will soon be able to reach enlightenment, and help stop the pain of countless living beings in this world. They say that ultimate truth lies all around us, like an invisible wall of diamond that can only be seen by a mind which is perfectly still and quiet. The moon’s reflection can only be seen on the crystal surface of the lake of our mind if that surface is absolutely still.

A Gift of Liberation 01: The Deepest Meditation (2010, Phoenix)

Ultimate truth lies all around us, like an invisible wall of diamond that can only be seen by a mind which is perfectly still and quiet. The moon’s reflection can only be seen on the crystal surface of the lake of our mind if that surface is absolutely still. Really bringing our mind to silence is like learning to play a piano: it requires careful training under a qualified teacher—and lots of practice! In this 10-part training

ACI In-Depth Course 1: 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.

ACI In-Depth Course 2: Master Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, The Chapter on Killing Anger (2004, New York)

This second course of the ACI In-Depth Course Series presents the entire chapter on “the art of not getting angry,” or the chapter on patience (Chapter Six) from The Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Bodhisattvacaryvatra), by Master Shantideva (c. 700 AD). This course is meant to give much more detail on this subject than the related original ACI course, Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, Part Two (ACI Course XI), which covered somewhat less than half of this important chapter.

ACI In-Depth Course 3: Master Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, Exchanging Self and Others (2004, New York)

This third course of the ACI In-Depth Course Series presents the entire section on the practice of exchanging ourselves and others, which is a large part of the chapter on meditation (Chapter Eight) from The Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life.

ACI In-Depth Course 4: The Art of Interpretation, Part 1 (1998, Bylakuppe, Geshe Thupten Rinchen)

In this fourth course of the ACI In-Depth Course Series, we will dive deeply into the study of emptiness and learn the art of interpreting what the Buddha really meant. This is one of the most beautiful subjects, and incidentally the most difficult, of the entire Geshe study program. This teaching was given by Geshe Thubten Rinchen, who Geshe Michael considers to be the greatest living scripture teacher in India. He agreed in 1998 to give a few lectures on it to Geshe Michael and 15 of his ACI students which turned out to be these 26 classes.

ACI In-Depth Course 5: The Wheel of Life (1998, New York)

Sometimes your life is just on a roll. The way you always wanted it. Your job is going well, your relationship is great, you have good energy and you feel happy. But how to keep it going? Can we get our life on an upward spiral and just keep it there? Forever? There is a way. It goes all the way back to the Buddha, more than 2,000 years ago. The Buddha didn’t just get enlightened—he also found a way that all of us can use, to get our career and our relationship in an upward spiral and keep it there.

ACI Course 01: The Principal Teachings of Buddhism (1993, New York)

This course is an excellent overview of the entire Buddhist path; all subsequent courses elaborate upon the ideas presented in this course. This course is based upon The Three Principal Paths (Lamtso Namsum) by Je Tsongkapa (1357-1419), with the commentary of Pabongka Rinpoche (1878-1941).

ACI Course 02: Buddhist Refuge (1993, New York)

Topics include: what is the perfection of wisdom, what is refuge, the objects of refuge, the reasons for taking Buddhist refuge, the qualities of a Buddha, the different types of bodhichitta, what is nirvana, the divisions of nirvana, five different proofs that emptiness is the ultimate nature of reality, and the five paths which lead to full enlightenment.

ACI Course 03: Applied Meditation (1994, New York)

This Course is a must for anyone who wishes to practice meditation effectively. It is based upon The Stages of Meditation (Bhavana Krama) by Master Kamalashila (750 AD), and presentations by Je Tsongkapa and Pabongka Rinpoche.

ACI Course 03: Applied Meditation (1998, California)

ACI Course 04: Proof of Future Lives (1994, New York)

Topics include: the definition of valid perception, the three levels of perception, who has valid perceptions and how, evaluating things beyond our direct perception, how great compassion is developed, the nature of omniscience, the material cause of the mind, proofs of the mind's source, proofs for the existence of past and future lives, and how desire leads to rebirth - an explanation of crucial links in the chain of dependent origination.

ACI Course 05: How Karma Works (1994, New York)

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.

ACI Course 05: How Karma Works (1999, Katmandu)

ACI Course 06: The Diamond-Cutter Sutra (1995, New York)

Topics include: how the direct perception of emptiness is accomplished, what happens after the direct perception of emptiness, how understanding emptiness leads to the destruction of mental afflictions, how the direct perception of emptiness leads to full enlightenment and paradise, emptiness and the two extremes, how empty things function, emptiness and purification, the relationship between emptiness and karma, emptiness and the bodies of a Buddha, what is non-duality, how a bodhisattva should live, the future of Buddha's teachings, and the perfection of wisdom.

ACI Course 06: The Diamond Cutter Sutra (1996, California)

This Course is based upon the Diamond Cutter Sutra (Vajrachedika) by Shakyamuni Buddha, along with the only known native Tibetan commentary, by Chone Lama Drakpa Shedrup (1675-1748). Topics include: how the direct perception of emptiness is accomplished, what happens after the direct perception of emptiness, how understanding emptiness leads to the destruction of mental afflictions, how the direct perception of emptiness leads to full enlightenment and paradise, emptiness and the two extremes, how empty things function, emptiness and purification, the relationship between emptiness and karma, emptiness and the bodies of a Buddha, what is non-duality, how a bodhisattva should live, the future of Buddha’s teachings, and the perfection of wisdom.