Following your purchase of this online course, you will receive an email with a link to a webpage to download a PDF document that contains the enrollment key for the course and instructions on how to access the course on the FPMT Online Learning Center.

Overview

Buddhist Meditation 101 is an introductory course to Buddhist meditation. It is suitable for people encountering both meditation and Buddhism for the first time, as well as for people who have done some meditation in other traditions but would like to know more about how meditation is practiced in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. It provides an overview of meditation and basic meditation techniques, including breathing meditation, mindfulness meditation, visualization meditation, and analytical meditation, in the context of the Tibetan Mahayana tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa (Gelug). It includes an explanation of what kinds of skills are developed in meditation and how to apply them in daily life. The course is taught by Ven. Connie Miller, a senior American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism known for her accessible teaching style.

Course Structure

This program is presented as a series of five sessions. Each session consists of teachings along with short guided meditations by Ven. Connie Miller, available in both MP3 and written formats, each approximately one and a half hours in length. These teachings are supplemented by longer versions of the guided meditations, each approximately thirty minutes in length, for a total of ten guided meditations. Each session of teachings concludes with some points for reflection that are intended to encourage a personal reflection and analysis of the topics taught.

Course Topics

The five sessions of the course cover the following topics:

Session 1: Meditation in Buddhism

Teachings on:

• What meditation is
• The purpose of meditation
• The application of concentration and mindfulness in meditation
• The seven-point meditation position

Two guided meditations:

• Counting the Breaths
• Bare Attention

Points for Reflection

Session 2: Mind in Buddhism

Teachings on:

• The definition and nature of the mind according to Buddhism
• The mind is like the sky and like the ocean
• The mind is the source of all our suffering and all our happiness
• Meditation enables us to choose between the thoughts and emotions that bring us happiness and well-being and those that bring us problems and suffering

Three guided meditations:

• Mind Like the Sky
• Mind Like the Ocean
• Nine-Round Breathing

Points for Reflection

Session 3: Types of Meditation and Obstacles to Meditation

Teachings on:

• The two main types of meditation: stabilizing and analytical
• The different objects of meditation
• The five obstacles to meditation: (1) laziness, (2) forgetfulness, (3) laxity and excitement, (4) non-application of an antidote, and (5) over-application of an antidote
• The antidotes to laxity and excitement in particular
• The five negative states of (1) attachment, (2) anger, (3) pride, (4) jealousy, and (5)ignorance that interfere with meditation
• How to transform negative experiences into positive ones by changing our way of thinking and behaving

One guided meditation:

• Transforming Negative Experiences

Points for Reflection

Session 4: The Meditation Session, Meditation Place, and Visualization Meditation

Teachings on:

• Setting up a meditation session in four parts: calming the mind, setting the motivation, the actual meditation, dedication
• Setting up a conducive place to meditate at home
• Using the benefits of meditation in everyday living
• The characteristics and benefits of visualization meditation