Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra offers a concise overview of the structure of the tantric path, widely acclaimed in Tibet as the swiftest and most sublime means to realize buddhahood. Presenting the paths of all four classes of tantra, while not being a guide to highest yoga tantra practice itself, this subject provides a clear overview of its complex path structure.

Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, a highly esteemed meditator and lineage holder, and teacher of both HH the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, offered the oral commentary on Ngawang Palden’s  Illumination of the Tantric Tradition, the FPMT Basic Program standard text for this subject, at Vajrapani Institute in 2003. The perfectly edited transcript of the teachings, published as Principles of Buddhist Tantra, includes the translation of the standard BP text. This is the required course book for this BP Online subject.

Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche felt that it would be beneficial to make these teachings available to students with respect and faith in the Dharma. Thus, Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra is offered without the customary restriction of a prior highest yoga tantra empowerment and its commitments. The subject should not be studied though without extensive prior engagement with the Dharma; as a prerequisite, completion of the other FPMT Basic Program subjects, or at least of Stages of the Path, Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds and Mahayana Mind Training is strongly advised.

This product is a downloadable PDF file which contains the enrollment key required to access this FPMT Basic Program online course on the online learning site at http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org.

The online site for this course contains the following resources:

• An introduction to FPMT Basic Program online, with a video introducing the BP subjects by Geshe Jampa Gyatso
• An introduction to Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra including how to approach and study this subject
• The video recordings of the 20 teaching sessions by Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, which can either be listened to online, or downloaded for off-line listening
• The supplementary 8 video recordings of the teachings on the Kalachakra Tantra section of the text
• Course materials including charts, overviews, review questions with answer keys, and supplementary study materials
• Guided meditations and materials to facilitate a short retreat
  
• Access to student and elder discussion forums, and
• Information about the FPMT Basic Program online completion certificate option, and the online test to complete this subject

For more information about this program and its preparatory study and practice please go to the Introduction to FPMT Basic Program online at the Online Learning Center. 

Important information about your order of Online materials: Following your purchase of an online course, you will be sent a link to a webpage where you can download a PDF document which will contain the enrollment key for the course and instructions on how to access the course on the FPMT Online Learning Center.