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Online Courses
Each online course comprises four main aspects:
How it works: Once a student registers for a particular course, s/he buys the required book(s) and we provide the link to the course web page and assign a meditation instructor. The student can then access, at her/his convenience, the study guides, audio recordings and other materials (as PDF and MP3 files) on the web page and follow up with the meditation instructor by email, phone or online video as much as s/he finds helpful. These courses, led by senior Kootenay Shambhala Centre practitioners, are open to anyone, on a suggested-donation basis (see our Generosity Policy). Students may take the courses at any time and in any order, but we recommend that they start with "Taming the Mind." To register for any course, or for more information, contact Jim Northcote at info@nelsonbuddha.com.
A Five-Class Introduction to the Foundation Teachings of Buddhism With Russell Rodgers Suggested donation: $50 (book not included) Course originally ran Thursdays, September 28 - October 26, 2006 This course introduces students to the view and practice of the hinayana (foundation teachings). The readings, from the book Taming the Mind and Walking the Bodhisattva Path, which is based on a seminar taught by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, describe the path of renouncing confused existence and the joy of developing discipline on the path to liberation. Sakyong Mipham emphasizes the importance of understanding what we're doing, and presents the path in a vast, multiple lifetimes perspective.
A Six-Class Introduction to the Mahayana With Tim Albert and Robin Higgins Suggested donation: $60 (books not included) Course originally ran Thursdays, November 9 - December 14, 2006 In the readings from the book Taming the Mind and Walking the Bodhisattva Path, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche presents the mahayana path of dedicating one's life and practice to rousing awakened heart and engaging the practices of a bodhisattva warrior for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is recommended that participants also have access to the (widely available) book Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, by Chögyam Trungpa.
A Six-Class Introduction to Tantra With Russell Rodgers and Sally Albert Suggested donation: $60 (book not included) Course originally ran Thursdays, January 4 - February 8, 2007 This course introduces the principles of tantra, or fruition practice. The readings are drawn mainly from the book Journey Without Goal, compiled from a series of lectures Chögyam Trungpa gave at the Naropa Institute in 1974. These teachings provide a direct and experiential picture of the teacher-student relationship, devotion and empowerment, mandala principle, visualization and formless meditation, and the fruition qualities of the five wisdom energies.
A Six-Class Exploration of Atisha's Mind Training Slogans With Dr. Duncan Grady Suggested donation: $60 (books not included) Course originally ran Thursdays, February 22 - March 29, 2007 Lojong (literally, "mind training") cultivates realization in emptiness and compassion, the essential qualities of the bodhisattva warrior. This practice-oriented course explores the mahayana slogans of Atisha, a 10th-century Indian Buddhist master, whose teachings left a deep imprint on all Tibetan lineages. The contemplative practice of exchanging self for other—tonglen—is emphasized in conjunction with the day-to-day application of the slogans. The course readings are from the books The Great Path of Awakening, by Jamgon Kongtrul, and Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness, by Chögyam Trungpa.
A Six-Class Course With Russell Rodgers Suggested donation: $60 (book not included) Course originally ran Thursdays, April 19 - May 24, 2007 Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness is a very challenging course based on the book of the same name by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. The book follows the development of understanding of egolessness/emptiness through different Buddhist schools, finally arriving at the Shentong school, which is the closely associated with Shambhala Buddhism. These schools roughly correspond to the developmental stages of a practitioner's understanding.
The Bodhisattva Warrior: Six Paramitas A Six-Class Presentation of the Six Transcendent Actions of the Bodhisattva Path With Sally Albert Suggested donation: $60 (books not included) Course originally ran Thursdays, September 20 - October 25, 2007 This course presents the six paramitas (transcendent actions), the means by which bodhisattva warriors actualize their aspiration to attain complete enlightenment for the benefit of all. The course readings are from the 1980 and 1982 Hinayana-Mahayana Seminary Transcripts.
Karma & the Nidanas A Six-Class Examination of the Workings of Karma With Cameron Wenaus Suggested donation: $60 (books not included) Course originally ran Thursdays, November 8 - December 13, 2007 Karma—cause-and-effect action—can be broken down into twelve links, or nidanas. In this course we look at how these links work together, how the vicious circle of confusion and suffering arises and therefore how it can cease, allowing innate wisdom to manifest. The course readings are mainly from Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, by Chögyam Trungpa, and Karma and the Twelve Nidanas: A Sourcebook for the Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies.
Transmitting Natural Mind A Six-Class Exploration of the Meaning of Lineage and Devotion With Tim Albert and Jim Northcote Suggested donation: $60 (materials not included) Course originally ran Thursdays, February 28 - April 3, 2008 This course (a.k.a. Lineage and Devotion) presents the principles of transmission and the student-teacher relationship as a key aspect of the study and practice of Shambhala Buddhism, explores the meaning and development of devotion, and introduces the central lineage figures of the Shambhala Buddhist tradition. The course readings are from Lineage and Devotion: A Sourcebook for the Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies and a variety of other sources.
A Six-Class Study of a Seminal Text With Russell Rodgers Suggested donation: $60 (materials not included) Course originally ran Thursdays, April 24 - May 29, 2008 The Sadhana of Mahamudra is a short liturgy practiced by the Shambhala community on the new and full moon days of the lunar calendar. It was written by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche while he was on retreat in Bhutan in 1968. This retreat marked a profound turning point in his presentation of the buddhadharma in the West. The text expresses the importance of an uncorrupted lineage and the subtle teachings on awareness involved in the mahamudra and maha ati practices. This course explores the meaning of the Sadhana, and also of vajrayana, the highest teachings of Buddhism. The course readings are largely from the Sadhana of Mahamudra Sourcebook, which is based on seminars given by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness A Five-Class, Practice Oriented Course With Cameron Wenaus Suggested donation: $60 Course scheduled to run Thursdays, September 11 - October 9, 2008 The four foundations of mindfulness—mindfulness of body, feeling, mind and mental events—represent one of the most widely practiced teachings on Buddhist meditation. This course, recommended for practitioners at all levels, shows the degree of precision that one can bring to meditation practice and the degree of insight that can simultaneously arise. More
A Five-Class, Practice Oriented Course With Russell Rodgers Suggested donation: $60 (materials not included) Course scheduled to run Thursdays, October 30 - November 27, 2008 We can never truly rest in the precision of shamatha (mindfulness) if we are at odds with who we are. In order to have lasting stability in meditation, we have to be able to use the precise and quiet mind of shamatha to look directly at the nature of our experience. Having discovered that, there is no need for our minds to be restless anymore. We have discovered our nature, and we can rest in that nature, which is vast, whatever arises. This is the union of shamatha and vipashyana (insight). This course, recommended for practitioners at all levels, can help us deepen and stabilize our shamatha practice and experience glimpses of vipashyana and its union with shamatha. The main reading reference is The Path Is the Goal: A Basic Handbook of Buddhist Meditation, by Chögyam Trungpa. More |
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Online Courses 
Members Area
Since September 2006, the Kootenay Shambhala Centre has been running a distance learning program, offering 
Taming the Mind
Journey Without Goal
Lojong: Training the Mind
Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness
Sadhana of Mahamudra
Learn more about meditation and buddhism at shambhala.org |
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