Teachings
The Ksitigarbha Tibetan Buddhist Center offers teachings most Thursday evenings, from 6 to 7:30 pm. We are blessed with two skilled teachers. Geshe Thubten Sherab has been spending about six months each year in Northern New Mexico, teaching in Taos and Santa Fe. He is currently providing commentary on Lama Tsongkhapa’s ‘Songs for Spiritual Experience’. Most of his teachings from 2020 are available for viewing on our YouTube channel. Don Handrick often provides teachings the rest of the year, but is currently in demand around the country – we hope to have him back in 2023.
Please consult our Calendar for the month, which will include special teachings and scheduled breaks.
Discovering Buddhism
Discovering Buddhism is a two-year, fourteen-module series that gives the student a solid foundation in the teachings and practice of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. It offers an experiential taste of the Buddha’s teachings, retreat and practice experience, and the skills needed to make life most meaningful.
Discovering Buddhism is designed for both newcomers as well as experienced students who seek an opportunity to integrate study and meditation. This first course focuses on what the mind is, how it functions, its qualities and nature, and its role in our experience of reality, suffering and happiness. It especially forms the bases for the second course in the series, How to Meditate, since meditation is all about working with the mind. (See Calendar page for dates)
Living the Path: Motivation for Life
What is unique about Living in the Path, FPMT’s newest education program, is that its primary teacher is Lama Zopa Rinpoche and its content is Rinpoche’s heart instructions for practice and understanding. By engaging in the methods presented in Living in the Path, every action of body, speech and mind will be transformed into the path of enlightenment. The first module of Living in the Path, “Motivation for Life” helps us to take advantage of the opportunity of our lives by understanding how to set the most beneficial motivation every day. It covers learning to appreciate our precious human life, the truth of impermanence, how actions and their results are unbetraying and the power of bodhichitta to be happy today and prepared to die at any moment.
The Basic Class
The Basic Program is a five-year, twelve subject designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche as an integrated program of Buddhist studies suitable for a contemporary setting. It is a comprehensive, practice-oriented transmission of the Buddhadharma for committed students who wish to progress beyond introductory level study and practice.
This course provides a practice-oriented transmission of the Buddhadharma to committed students ready to progress beyond introductory-level study and practice. Its comprehensive curriculum greatly enhances students’ Dharma understanding, establishing a sound basis for ongoing study, practice, retreat and service.
The practice of generosity is a habit of mind that is emphasized in Buddhism due to the potential it has to joyfully unlock our hearts and truly connect with others. In this five-session course, we’ll explore the nature of the mind of generosity and examine the impediments to its full blossoming, as well as learn several effective practices in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to enhance our spirit of giving.
When we study Buddhism, we are studying ourselves, the nature of our own minds. Instead of focusing on some supreme being, Buddhism emphasizes more practical matters such as how to lead our lives, how to integrate our minds, and how to keep our everyday lives peaceful and healthy.
In other words, Buddhism always accentuates experiential knowledge-wisdom rather than some dogmatic view.
– Lama Thubten Yeshe
Donate
Your generosity will help our efforts to bring the Buddha’s teachings to people in the Taos area.
Checks can be made out to KTBC and mailed to PO Box 1434, Taos, New Mexico 87571