As we enter the autumn season here in the United States, we’re looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year brings and hope that new resources on the Wisdom Experience this October spark inspiration and encourage adventure all month long. We’re also excited to have launched our In-Depth membership this month and hope you’ll consider joining us in this adventure!
Discover your next big insight with a
Wisdom Experience In-Depth membership.
The In-Depth membership is our newest membership offering, a way for dedicated practitioners to spend a year in comprehensive study with beloved teachers and renowned masters. In-Depth members can enroll in four of the courses in the Wisdom Experience Course Catalog a year, for less than the price of two. Whether you’re interested in meditation, mindfulness, Buddhist philosophy, or other aspects of the Dharma, there are courses you won’t want to miss. Plus by doing multiple courses through your In-Depth membership, you’ll save significantly compared to purchasing them individually.
In-Depth members also save 20% on all physical and ebooks they purchase through Wisdom, and as always, our non-profit mission means we’re committed to reinvesting every membership contribution into sharing the Dharma, supporting teachers, and expanding our library of exceptional Buddhist content. As a member, you are already a vital part of this process and we’re deeply grateful for your continued support and dedication to your practice. Thank you for being an integral part of our community.
If you’re ready to spend a year studying in a manner that is specifically designed to help you dive deeply into profound wisdom, you can upgrade your membership today. Simply log in to your account, visit the Membership section, and upgrade to an In-Depth Membership. You’ll instantly unlock a world of wisdom, savings, and exclusive content. Or if you want to learn more, click here.
As you read the rest of the newsletter, remember to keep an eye out for the membership level icon in the corner of each image. These mark what level of membership the content is available to.
During the month of October, The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English and the film Beyul: The Sacred Hidden Valleys are available to Free members.
Contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness—mindfulness of the body, of feelings, of the mind, and of phenomena themselves—is recommended for all practitioners. Newcomers will find The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English lays a strong groundwork for mindfulness practice and gives them all they need to get started right away, and old hands will find rich subtleties and insights to help consolidate and clarify what they may have begun to see for themselves. People at every stage of the spiritual path will benefit from reading this book.
Beyul: The Sacred Hidden Valleys was filmed in the Khumbu Valley located at the foot of Mt. Everest. Locals believe that Khumbu is one of the many beyuls—the sacred valleys of the Himalayas, hidden by the eighth-century Buddhist saint Padmasmbhava as refuges for people suffering from the impacts of war, conflicts, famine, or religious persecution.
The film introduces traditional Sherpa views of the beyul as a sacred space, co-habited by many other natural and supernatural beings, where negative thoughts and actions such as quarreling, polluting, and taking life are discouraged because the place is considered spiritually powerful. It is these positive attitudes and self-restraint on part of the people that made Khumbu not only a peaceful place for people to live and visit but also a safe refuge for wild animals and plants.
Don’t forget, you can invite your friends to sign up for a Free membership to join you.
All-Access and In-Depth members can gain access to the key to liberation as they deepen their understanding of what it means to realize emptiness in Tsongkhapa’s Madhyamaka, Thupten Jinpa will take you on a ten-lesson journey through some of the most fascinating and important ideas in Buddhism. You’ll discover the mādhyamaka teachings of one of the most renowned minds in Tibet: influential monk and yogi Je Tsongkhapa Losang Dragpa (c. 1357–1419). Explore why emptiness matters through Tsongkhapa’s personal quest for the view of mādhyamaka philosophy. Students will receive a detailed overview of the landscape, and learn how to bring emptiness into meditative practice. As interpreter for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a renowned author, translator, and scholar, Thupten Jinpa brings to the course his years of practice and study as well as his deep connection with Tsongkhapa.
Be sure to register for our upcoming Wisdom Dharma Chats
this October!
Join us and our special guest, John Brehm, on Wednesday, October 11 at 7:00 PM EDT for a special episode of Wisdom Dharma Chats filmed live in New York City with a live studio audience. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat, John will offer a few short readings and he and host Daniel Aitken will discuss how poetry can be part of your practice, along with John’s newest poetry volume, Dharma Talk. There will be a short meet and greet after the Wisdom Dharma Chat with John for those in attendance in person.
This is a live event which will include both an in-person and Zoom audience. Seats are limited for both so please be sure to register below. To register and watch this Wisdom Dharma Chat live over Zoom, click here. Tickets for the in-person audience are available for a small fee of $5.00, the proceeds of which go entirely to John. To attend this Wisdom Dharma Chat in person, reserve your ticket here. Seats are limited, Please only reserve a ticket if you plan on attending in person. The event will take place at 132 Perry St., New York, NY, 10014.
Join us again the following week with special guest, Sangye Khandro, on Wednesday, October 18 at 7:00 PM EDT for a special episode of Wisdom Dharma Chats. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat Daniel and Sangye Khandro will discuss Venerable Dhomang Gyatrul Rinpoche’s passing into paranirvana earlier this year, her root teacher, Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, with whom she studied and practiced for many years, and her work as a translator. To register to watch this Wisdom Dharma Chat live over Zoom, register here.
Then, we kick off November with special guest, Anne C. Klein, on Wednesday, November 1 at 7:00 PM EDT. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat Daniel and Anne will discuss her upcoming Wisdom Academy course Longchenpa’s Sevenfold Mind Training, her book Being Human and a Buddha Too, and much more! To register to watch this Wisdom Dharma Chat live over Zoom, register here.
Discover all of the books in our Reading Room under the “Explore” menu on our website. Books in our Reading Room are available exclusively to Plus, All-Access, and In-Depth members.
New and Featured in the Reading Room
The Signless And The Deathless
by Bhikkhu Anālayo
“The Signless and the Deathless is a new approach to a deeper understanding of the central goal of Early Buddhist practice: the breakthrough to Nirvana. Bhikkhu Anālayo investigates in detail signless (animitta) concentration—that is, a state of mind free from distraction achieved by way of letting go all characteristic marks of things—and the deathless (amata/amṛta)—that is, Nirvana as the complete transcendence of mental affliction by mortality, experienced while still alive. Ven. Anālayo’s in-depth treatment of these crucial issues is most impressive and convincing because he is thoroughly familiar with early Buddhism both as a scholar and as a practitioner.… To read this extraordinary book is a must not only for specialists but for anybody interested in a deeper understanding of the central issues of Buddhist teaching.” —Lambert Schmithausen
Reality and Wisdom
by Lama Migmar Tseten
“In Reality and Wisdom, Khenpo Migmar Tseten explains important sutras clearly for students who wish to understand them more deeply. Careful study and practice of these important teachings will bring great blessings in one’s daily life and Dharma practice.”
—His Holiness the Sakya Trichen
Also in Your Reading Room
Exclusively for Plus and All-Access members
- Beyond Distraction by Shaila Catherine
- A History Of Buddhism In India And Tibet translated by Dan Martin
- The Buddhist Analysis Of Matter by Y. Karunadasa
- The Rice Seedling Sutra by Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe
- and many more!
New Releases & Back in Stock
The following books were released in September, are available to purchase early on our website, or are now back in stock:
- Appearing and Empty by His Holiness The Dalai Lama with Thubten Chodron
- Following in the Buddha’s Footsteps by His Holiness The Dalai Lama with Thubten Chodron (Now in paperback!)
- Impermanence in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana, Julia Harris
- Cards for Bearing the Unbearable by Joanne Cacciatore
- Dharma Talk by John Brehm
- Reality and Wisdom by Bhikkhu Anālayo
- The Signless and the Deathless by Bhikkhu Anālayo
- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s Stages of the Path, Volume 2 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, compiled and edited by Loden Sherab Dagyab Kyabgön Rinpoche, translated by Sophie Mcgrath
- Making Sense of Mind Only by William S. Waldron
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest Thupten Jinpa and host Daniel Aitken in a discussion about the series Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics. The two pay special attention to the newest and last volume in the series, Volume 4: Philosophical Topics. Jinpa reads select passages and provides commentary and explanations from the book as well as answers questions from the audience.
They also discuss:
- illusion vs like an illusion;
- conventional truth and conventional existence;
- how to keep your practice fresh;
- difficulties with translating and terminology from Tibetan to English;
- and more!
All-Access and In-Depth members can now take part in the recordings of Vajra Essence, Part 3, an eight-week retreat with Lama Alan Wallace. During this retreat Lama Alan granted an oral transmission and commentary to Düdjom Lingpa’s revealed treatise, The Vajra Essence, picking up where the second Vajra Essence retreat left off, beginning with the section on “Determining the Characteristics and Qualities of the Ground.” Part 1 and Part 2 covered the first three phases and part of the fourth phase of this masterpiece, in which the Lake-Born Vajra gives complete teachings on achieving śamatha and vipaśyanā and on identifying pristine awareness. As we return to Phase 4, the Lake-Born Vajra had already pointed out that after you have ascertained the view of emptiness, you must reveal the nature of the ground, Samantabhadra. This is followed by a detailed explanation of core elements of the stages of generation and completion practice as viewed from the perspective of the Great Perfection.
Please note that due to the nature of the teachings, the content of this retreat is available only to students who have met a certain number of requirements. If you have completed Part 1 and Part 2 of this retreat series, you have met the requirements. If you have not, please be sure to carefully read and ensure you have met the requirements before starting the retreat.
If you are not an All-Access or In-Depth member and would still like to enroll in this retreat you can learn more about the requirements and how to enroll here.
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Lama Tsomo. Lama Tsomo is a spiritual teacher, author, and co-founder of Namchak Foundation, which preserves and shares Tibetan Buddhist practice in accessible, contemporary ways. She dedicates the majority of her time and resources to sharing the teachings and practices of the Namchak tradition, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism. Utilizing her psychology background, Lama Tsomo works to make it easier for Westerners to bridge contemplative practice and modern life. She is particularly passionate about reaching young people and supporting those working for positive social change.