About this Course
In this powerful Wisdom Academy online course, Thupten Jinpa provides an in-depth presentation on the teaching and practice of Tibetan mind training (lojong). He thoughtfully considers lojong’s links with contemplative practices such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, loving-kindness meditation, and compassion training. He also explores the psychology and theory of transformation behind mind training to develop clear differentiations between “self-centeredness” and “self-compassion,” “self-criticism” and “critical self-awareness,” and “stoicism” and “cognitive reframing.” You’ll gain access to a wealth of resources to help you engage more deeply with the writings of the great lojong masters and discover how to effectively apply these teachings to everyday life.
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Lessons
Lesson 1: Key Teachings of Lojong and Their Sources
Available on: 27-Sep-2024
Course leader Thupten Jinpa fleshes out the concept of mind training and its significance within the broader Buddhist tradition. He explains how this suite of essential practices and mental antidotes are encapsulated by seven key points of mind training. You’ll gain essential background on the lojong tradition and a roadmap for how to train the mind in this context.
Course leader Thupten Jinpa fleshes out the concept of mind training and its significance within the broader Buddhist tradition. He explains how this suite of essential practices and mental antidotes are encapsulated by seven key points of mind training. You’ll gain essential background on the lojong tradition and a roadmap for how to train the mind in this context.
Lesson 2: The Wheel of Sharp Weapons
Available on: 04-Oct-2024
Jinpa details the lojong teachings’ extraordinary origin story by recounting Lama Atisha’s encounters with masters Serlingpa, Dharmarakṣita, and Maitrīyogi. Jinpa provides reflections on Dharmarakṣita’s Wheel of Sharp Weapons, a powerful self-exhortation centered around transmuting afflictions, accepting “karmic justice,” and destroying self-grasping and self-cherishing through an unique invocation of the deity Yamāntaka. You’ll join Jinpa as he reviews highlights from a cherished text containing all three key themes of mind training.
Jinpa details the lojong teachings’ extraordinary origin story by recounting Lama Atisha’s encounters with masters Serlingpa, Dharmarakṣita, and Maitrīyogi. Jinpa provides reflections on Dharmarakṣita’s Wheel of Sharp Weapons, a powerful self-exhortation centered around transmuting afflictions, accepting “karmic justice,” and destroying self-grasping and self-cherishing through an unique invocation of the deity Yamāntaka. You’ll join Jinpa as he reviews highlights from a cherished text containing all three key themes of mind training.
Lesson 3: Atisha’s Mind Training in Seven Points
Available on: 11-Oct-2024
Jinpa discusses in depth the seven key points of mind training as enumerated by Atisha and later popularized by Geshe Chekawa and others. Through the lens of Atisha’s Root Lines on Mind Training, Jinpa emphasizes the importance of these seven points as a summary of which practices to apply in given situations. You’ll learn about how the 16 commitments and 22 precepts of mind training constitute crucial ingredients for a life committed to cultivating the two awakening minds.
Jinpa discusses in depth the seven key points of mind training as enumerated by Atisha and later popularized by Geshe Chekawa and others. Through the lens of Atisha’s Root Lines on Mind Training, Jinpa emphasizes the importance of these seven points as a summary of which practices to apply in given situations. You’ll learn about how the 16 commitments and 22 precepts of mind training constitute crucial ingredients for a life committed to cultivating the two awakening minds.
Lesson 4: Training in Ultimate Awakening Mind
Available on: 18-Oct-2024
Jinpa touches on the importance of the language of “the two awakening minds” in the lojong teaching and its relation to the general Mahayana framework of wisdom and method. Describing the process of cultivating the ultimate awakening mind, he introduces the five analogies of a dream, a magical illusion, clouds, water bubbles, and space. You’ll discover the important distinction between the space-like perception of the sitting period and the illusion-like perception of post-sitting period.
Jinpa touches on the importance of the language of “the two awakening minds” in the lojong teaching and its relation to the general Mahayana framework of wisdom and method. Describing the process of cultivating the ultimate awakening mind, he introduces the five analogies of a dream, a magical illusion, clouds, water bubbles, and space. You’ll discover the important distinction between the space-like perception of the sitting period and the illusion-like perception of post-sitting period.
Lesson 5: Training in Conventional Awakening Mind
Available on: 25-Oct-2024
Jinpa provides a heartfelt summary of the methods for cultivating the conventional awakening mind according to the great Indian masters and the mind training tradition. You’ll be inspired by a deeper understanding of how the shoot of bodhicitta arises from the seed of compassion, planted in the even soil of equanimity moistened by loving-kindness.
Jinpa provides a heartfelt summary of the methods for cultivating the conventional awakening mind according to the great Indian masters and the mind training tradition. You’ll be inspired by a deeper understanding of how the shoot of bodhicitta arises from the seed of compassion, planted in the even soil of equanimity moistened by loving-kindness.
Lesson 6: Transforming Adversities into the Path of Enlightenment
Available on: 01-Nov-2024
Jinpa introduces the unique mind training instructions on transforming life’s challenges, including sickness and misfortune, into conducive conditions for spiritual advancement. He explains the meaning of powerful one-liners such as “banish all blames to a single source.” You’ll learn about how to rely on the so-called “fourfold practice” and “five ways of taking into the path” to reconceptualize personal obstacles and develop powerful antidotes to the afflictions that accompany them.
Jinpa introduces the unique mind training instructions on transforming life’s challenges, including sickness and misfortune, into conducive conditions for spiritual advancement. He explains the meaning of powerful one-liners such as “banish all blames to a single source.” You’ll learn about how to rely on the so-called “fourfold practice” and “five ways of taking into the path” to reconceptualize personal obstacles and develop powerful antidotes to the afflictions that accompany them.
Lesson 7: "Leveling Out All Conceptions” and Other Instructions
Available on: 08-Nov-2024
Jinpa probes deeper into the crux of the instructions on transforming adversities into the path by reading several key passages from texts attributed to masters Serlingpa, Chengapa, Thokme Sangpo, and others. You’ll enhance your appreciation of important lojong themes such as cognitively reframing difficulties, contemplating “stoic-like” aphorisms, viewing sufferings as displays of ultimate reality’s expanse, and maintaining a joyful, resilient, and decisive mind.
Jinpa probes deeper into the crux of the instructions on transforming adversities into the path by reading several key passages from texts attributed to masters Serlingpa, Chengapa, Thokme Sangpo, and others. You’ll enhance your appreciation of important lojong themes such as cognitively reframing difficulties, contemplating “stoic-like” aphorisms, viewing sufferings as displays of ultimate reality’s expanse, and maintaining a joyful, resilient, and decisive mind.
Lesson 8: A Lifetime’s Practice in Summary and Measures of Progress
Available on: 15-Nov-2024
In accordance with the mind training tradition, Jinpa lays out a groundwork for how to practice in the context of the days, months, and years to come as well as how to evaluate the present level of that practice. You’ll discover how to apply the five powers and rely on the “witness” of self-awareness in everyday life to achieve tremendous progress on your lojong journey.
In accordance with the mind training tradition, Jinpa lays out a groundwork for how to practice in the context of the days, months, and years to come as well as how to evaluate the present level of that practice. You’ll discover how to apply the five powers and rely on the “witness” of self-awareness in everyday life to achieve tremendous progress on your lojong journey.
Lesson 9: Psychology and Theory of Transformation Behind Mind Training
Available on: 22-Nov-2024
Jinpa delves into the psychological underpinnings of the mind training methodology, identifying an iterative process where perception drives interpretation and then emotion, behavior, and finally habit formation. You’ll learn about the mechanics involved with the lojong theory of motivation, the use of reinforcing “slogans,” the psychology of joy, and the application of imagination and intention.
Jinpa delves into the psychological underpinnings of the mind training methodology, identifying an iterative process where perception drives interpretation and then emotion, behavior, and finally habit formation. You’ll learn about the mechanics involved with the lojong theory of motivation, the use of reinforcing “slogans,” the psychology of joy, and the application of imagination and intention.
Lesson 10: Daily Practice and Applying Mind Training in Everyday Life
Available on: 29-Nov-2024
Jinpa summarizes the entire mind training journey of the previous nine lessons, drawing thoughtful conclusions about the attendant attitudes, prescribed affect, emotional regulation, adversity response, and maintenance of serenity involved with fully qualified lojong practice. You’ll obtain a holistic understanding of the mind training tradition and easy-to-understand instructions on how to integrate learnings from the course into your everyday practice.
Jinpa summarizes the entire mind training journey of the previous nine lessons, drawing thoughtful conclusions about the attendant attitudes, prescribed affect, emotional regulation, adversity response, and maintenance of serenity involved with fully qualified lojong practice. You’ll obtain a holistic understanding of the mind training tradition and easy-to-understand instructions on how to integrate learnings from the course into your everyday practice.
About the Teacher
Thupten Jinpa was educated in the classical Tibetan monastic academia and received the highest academic degree of Geshe Lharam (equivalent to a doctorate in divinity). Jinpa also holds a BA in philosophy and a PhD in religious studies, both from the University of Cambridge, England. Since 1985, he has been the principal translator to the Dalai Lama, accompanying him to the United States, Canada, and Europe. He has translated and edited many books by the Dalai Lama, including The World of Tibetan Buddhism, Essence of the Heart Sutra, and the New York Times bestseller Ethics for the New Millennium.
Jinpa has published scholarly articles on various aspects of Tibetan culture, Buddhism, and philosophy, and books such as Songs of Spiritual Experience: Tibetan Poems of Awakening and Insight (co-authored) and Self, Reality and Reason in Tibetan Thought. He serves on the advisory board of numerous educational and cultural organizations in North America, Europe, and India. He is currently the president and the editor-in-chief of the Institute of Tibetan Classics, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to translating key Tibetan classics into contemporary languages. And he also currently chairs the Mind and Life Institute and the Compassion Institute.