Discover the workings of the mind and the mechanisms of suffering and happiness. Unlock your potential for mental balance, compassion and wisdom.

   An FPMT Introductory Course

Welcome to this journey to unlock our potential and cultivate lasting happiness. Buddhism it is considered by some a “science of mind,” because it presents a comprehensive and deep description of the mind, it studies its various aspects and functions, and it provides methods to observe it directly and to discover and activate our inner potential. And it does so with one intention: to overcome suffering and its causes and to cultivate true, lasting happiness.

As interest in meditation in the modern world grows, the FPMT Wisdom Culture offers the course “Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential,” which introduces the Buddhist knowledge of the mind to provide practical techniques and insight on meditation, the mechanisms of suffering and happiness, finding purpose and mental balance, and how to discover and activate our inner potential for warmheartedness and wisdom, including a comparative modern scientific perspective and with the aim to contribute to the welfare in this world.

The Course

The course follows a gradual approach, with a strong experiential component that invites everyone to reflect and check by themselves the different topics presented along the modules. With a strong emphasis on transforming daily life in meaningful ways, it provides both Buddhist and scientific perspectives. It consists of seven modules:

  1. Cultivating lasting happiness: What Buddhism and science have to say about it, is an exploration of purpose in life and what leads to dissatisfaction and suffering, and what to happiness, for oneself and others. It also explores the value of warmheartedness and wisdom, and it lays out the general foundation for the following modules.
  2. Transforming the mind to cultivate lasting happiness, focuses on meditation, mental balance, and emotions.
  3. Getting to know your mind, focuses on the mind.
  4. Fundamental trainings to cultivate lasting happiness, presents the foundations of the Buddhist paths.
  5. Wise paths to the heart, focuses on warmheartedness.
  6. The nature of perception, focuses on wisdom.
  7. Embodying warmheartedness and wisdom, explores how to bring the values of warmheartedness and wisdom into the world.

More Information

Requirements and Approach

There are no particular requirements to join this course.

The course is intended to address the needs of modern students, with a fact-based approach to the study of the mind and meditation:

  • It develops with a gradual approach that emphasizes practical integration in daily life.
  • It focuses on both Buddhist and scientific perspectives of the mind and meditation, in dialogue in the fields of meditation, the mind, compassion, or well-being, amongst others.
  • It is intended to provide meditation techniques to help people have more meaningful, beneficial, and happier lives.
  • It is designed for people who may or may not have experience with secular or other forms of meditation.

Structure of the Course

Sessions

Each module consists of three or four 1.5-hour online sessions and can be engaged as a stand-alone course. They include explanations, exercises, reflection, debate, meditation, and time for Q&A. Recordings of the sessions will be made available to students.

Homework

During the week, students will be encouraged to keep a meditative practice, to read through some of the materials, and to complete some exercises. Even though this is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged as this will help make this course practical and relevant.

Materials

The course includes a Course Manual for each module with readings, exercises and meditations, as well as recorded meditations. Slides used during the sessions will be made available to students.

Schedule

The sessions The different modules will be held on Friday on the following dates:

  • Module 1 – 5, 12, 19, 26 April 2024
  • Module 2 – 3, 10, 17 May 2024
  • Module 3 – 7, 14, 21, 28 June 2024
  • Module 4 – 20, 27 September, 4 October 2024
  • Module 5 – 11, 18, 25 October, 8 November 2024
  • Module 6 – 15, 22 November, 6,13 December 2024
  • Module 7 – 10, 17, 24, 31 January 2025

Depending on the place where you reside, the timings of the sessions are:

  • Europe (Centre de meditació Tushita): 7 – 8:30 PM (CET)
  • USA, East Coast (Shantideva Center and Kadampa Center): 1 – 2:30 PM (EST)*

(* Daylight Savings Time changes might change the EST times on certain weeks, as EU countries and USA do not always do such change on the same week.)

This program is offered jointly by:

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