Way of the Buddha
Free introductory classes in the Buddhist world view
It All Starts with Meditation
Meditation is a game-changing practice for many people. Sitting quietly and watching our mind can open up doors to understanding ourselves and help us break old unhealthy habits and create healthy new ones.
But there’s more to meditation than this. Beyond basic meditation practice is a whole world view – a Buddhist world view – about purpose and compassion and wisdom. It reflects the view that all beings want happiness and freedom from suffering, and that we can increase causes of happiness and decrease causes of suffering by being kinder to ourselves and to one another.
A Different Way of Thinking
If you’ve grown up in modern culture, the idea of learning how to be less selfish and more loving might seem counter-intuitive. But modern research is telling us that having a purpose-driven life is a key to personal and societal happiness.
So at Columbus Karma Thegsum Chöling, we’ve created an easy way to become familiar with the Buddhist world view and how it can be practiced in everyday life. We call it “The Way of the Buddha” class.
We created this class to open doors for newcomers and build familiarity and comfort with the teachings and ideas of Buddhism. And it is offered free every Sunday at KTC.
What the Class Is About
Buddhism’s 2600-year tradition is difficult to put into just a few words, but it could be summarized by the Four Statements of the Buddha:
- Do No Harm Whatsoever
- Practice Virtue as Much as Possible
- Tame Your Mind
- This is the Teaching of the Buddha
Columbus KTC’s “The Way of the Buddha” is an introductory course teaching the meaning of the Buddha’s words and how these words can be applied in everyday life.
What Does It Teach?
Our eight-week course covers the basics (Life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, Starting a Daily Buddhist Practice) as well as the particular history and practices of Tibetan Buddhism from the Karma Kagyu lineage.
During our eight one-hour classes, you’ll learn about the daily practices of the Buddhist path, as well as particulars about the practices of compassion meditation and mantra mentation.
Classes are designed to be taken in *any* order – so feel welcome to join at any time.
How to Participate
The eight-week cycle is repeated every two months. Classes 1-4 are taught in ODD numbered months, and Classes 5-8 are taught in EVEN numbered months.
And if you attend all eight classes, you receive a Certificate of Completion and a small gift from KTC’s Resident Teacher Lama Kathy Wesley.
Course Titles and Descriptions
Foundations of Buddhism (Level 1)
Description: KTC Columbus’ Foundations of Buddhism Course has two parts:
- Introduction to Meditation (One session; every Sunday at 10 AM in-person and on Zoom)
- Introduction to Buddhism (Classes 1-9; Classes 1-8 required for certificate)
Class List:
- Three Jewels – Buddhism is called a “non-theistic” path. But there are three sources of refuge Buddhists take as touchstones: Buddha as the teacher, his teaching (dharma) as the path, and the community (sangha) as guides and companions.
- Life of the Buddha – Who was the historical Buddha? This class answers questions about Siddhartha Gotama and his spiritual journey.
- Three Vehicles – In his 45 years of teachings, the Buddha described three basic approaches to life: self-liberation from suffering, liberation for all, and a quick path that recognizes the Buddha within.
- Understanding Lineage – The Buddha’s teachings have come to us today through dozens of lineages, all of which derive from great women and men who attained buddhahood and taught methods for others to follow. This class explains KTC’s 1000-year-old lineage and the path it teaches.
- Buddha Nature – All beings have the potential to become enlightened, because all beings have a mind that can recognize its true nature. This class describes our hidden strengths and how to discover them.
- Starting a Daily Practice – Making a new habit of any kind – including meditation – takes skill and practice. We’ll talk about strategies for adding a daily meditation practice to our lives.
- Taking Refuge – How does a person become a Buddhist? This class talks about the practice of “taking refuge,” which orients us toward the attainment of awakening and opens our Buddhist path.
- Mantra Meditation – In Class 6, we learned that we have Buddha Nature – the capacity to awaken to the nature of our minds. One of the most accessible Tibetan practices to nurture this nature is the practice of mantra and visualization.
- Compassion Meditation (optional) – This class, taught on the four “Fifth Sundays” in a given year, describes the compassion meditation practice called Tong-len or “sending and receiving” as taught in the Tibetan traditions of Buddhism.