You want to harmonize your Buddhist practice with the authentic teachings?
In the Buddhist Religion Diploma Course, a great lineage holder of Tibetan Buddhism opens up to you the essence of the Dharma: cause and effect, dependent arising, the Four Noble Truths, samsara and nirvana, the three scriptural baskets, and the three higher trainings of ethics, meditation, and wisdom, as well as an introduction to the flawless view of emptiness, and much more.
This insight can be the entrance door to greater serenity and inner strength!
Early booking discount until 30 June!
The diploma course is as comprehensive as it is compact and covers all aspects of Buddhist religion to the profound depictions of emptiness in Buddhism. This diploma course is suitable for you if
- you want to learn how the reality of living beings and objects actually exists from the point of view of Buddhism,
- you are a practicing Buddhist – no matter what tradition – and you want to put your practice on a solid foundation.
Anyone is welcome to join! There are no prerequisites. Your teacher will be the Ven. Geshe TenDhar, who has taught the course, alongside other experienced and qualified teachers, since 2010. Please be aware that the course language is partly Tibetan with German translation and partly German.
How does online study work?
You will receive personal access to our online area after you register and can then study the audios, videos and comprehensive study materials in your own time. If needed, there are additional live online meetings for questions & answers.
Technical Requirements
To participate in the course, all you need is a computer, an internet connection, and a word processing program (Word, RTF…) for homework. If you don’t want to do homework, no problem, then you only need a computer or tablet and an internet connection.
The online area with videos and audios will be available for another 6 months after the end of the last module.
Early booking discount until 30 June!
Course Details
“Studying, reflecting, meditating” — these three activities form the backbone of authentic Buddhism, and this is how we’ll approach this integrative course on Buddhist Religion. You should leave this course with not only the theoretical knowledge of “what Buddhism is,” but also the practical knowledge of “how Buddhism works” — along with an ability to use those lessons in your daily life.
Upon completion of all modules and positive evaluation of at least 80% of the homework, you will receive a certificate of participation and are admitted to the final examination.
Students who pass the exam will receive a certificate issued jointly by Tibet Center Austria and CIHTS (Central Institute of Tibetan Studies, Varanasi, India).
What to expect – the Course Details
Module 1: Basic Buddhist Principles
Module 1 of this series on Buddhist Philosophy and Religion is devoted to presenting the basic religious principles, logical foundations, and spiritual goals of Buddhism. The ultimate aim of religious and contemplative Buddhist practice — liberation from a world of suffering through complete “awakening” — is discussed, along with the foundational “how”s and “why”s of the Buddhist worldview.
Module 2: History of Buddhist Thought
How did Buddhism develop in India? When and how was it transmitted to Tibet? In this module, we explore the basics of Buddhism through the lens of history, along with the essential aspects that define Buddhist thought. We also cover the basics of consciousness and perception: How does reality “work” from the Buddhist perspective?
Module 3: Buddhist Traditions & Belief
We’ll discuss topics of reincarnation, metaphysics, and ethics of Buddhist belief, as well as how these ideas pertain to the spiritual path of the practicing Buddhist. In particular, we’ll cover the essential points of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as briefly explore the other various schools (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana).
Module 4: Grounds & Paths to Enlightenment
Here, we will discuss the goal of Buddhist spiritual practice — enlightenment. We will delve into in-depth detail of the ways and means to liberation and transformation according to the various “paths” and “vehicles” of Buddhism. We discuss the ‘antidotes’ with respect to Buddhist theories on psychological transformation, along with the role of renunciation on the Buddhist path, and the gradual progress that makes enlightenment possible for the individual practitioner.
Module 5: Emptiness
Held as one of the pinnacle insights of Buddhist thought, this module is devoted to the profound Buddhist theory of “emptiness” (Skt. śūnyatā, Tib. stong ba nyid) — that all existing phenomena are devoid of objective, inherent, independent existence. Under the guidance of Venerable Lama Geshe TenDhar, we will develop a basic understanding of emptiness in order to subsequently practice emptiness meditation.
Final Exam · December 2022
Early booking discount until 30 June!
A Note on Secular Education
TCA follows H.H. the Dalai Lama’s lead in defining “secular” education as ethics and education based on the range of humanist philosophy and spiritual traditions found worldwide. Courses at TCA are taught independent of Buddhist faith and religion, and are open to anyone and everyone, no matter their background or religious affiliation. The intention of the course is to give students new perspectives on our common human experience by presenting authentic Buddhist knowledge.
History
The study program of Buddhist Religion is inspired by the vision of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, whose wish is to further modernize & secularize the cultural knowledge & heritage of the Indo-Tibetan Nalanda tradition. The curriculum, developed in collaboration with CUTS in Varanasi by Ven. Geshe TenDhar, is based on this tradition, which is held by many Buddhists to be a living, un-broken lineage stretching back to the historical Buddha himself.
There are still open questions? We will be happy to answer them! Phone +43 (0) 664 85 37 523 or office@tibetcenter.at.