CBS: CORE BUDDHIST STUDIES

CBS 510: Basic Meditation

The term meditation encompasses many techniques that facilitate the cultivation of, amongst other things, calmness, relaxation, one-pointed concentration, loving kindness, compassion, a sense of wellbeing, and insight into the nature of reality.

CBS 520: Introduction to Buddhism

This course is a general introduction to Buddhism and a basic objective of the course is therefore to give learners an accurate and positive first impression of the teachings and life of the Buddha.

CBS 530: Life of the Buddha

This course is a general introduction to Buddhism and a basic objective of the course is therefore to give learners an accurate and positive first impression of the teachings and life of the Buddha.

CBS 540: Introduction to the Mahayana

The Mahayana or the Great Vehicle is one of the major divisions of Buddhism and is based on sophisticated metaphysical speculations regarding the nature of Reality, or enlightenment and of the Buddha. Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes upon the duty of enlightenment to work compassionately to relieve the sufferings of others and argues that all the sentient beings will ultimately achieve Buddhahood.

CBS 550: Four Noble Truths & The Practice of Compassion

The Four Noble Truths presented in a matter-of-fact way. The Buddha started with the four noble truths because these truths are accessible to ordinary human beings such as ourselves and get right to the point. The primary objective of this course is to inspire people to engender Bodhicitta – the compassionate mind of awakening. From an academic point of view, the goal is to introduce the basic Mahayana approach, including an understanding of relative and absolute Bodhicitta, the bodhisattva vow, and the practice of loving-kindness and compassion.

CBS 560: Four Marks, Five Skandhas, & Six Realms

The goal of this course is to encourage seminarians to investigate the nontheistic psychology of Dharma in depth, both theoretically and in personal terms. That is, seminarians should deeply question the conventional notion of a solid self. As well, seminarians should gain a comprehensive picture of the path and practice.

CBS570: Four Immeasurables and Six Paramitas

In this course, the four immeasurables and the six Paramitas are presented as activities and contemplations which we can practice in our everyday lives. The emphasis is on taking these visions of fruition as path and on getting in to the down-to-earth categories which make the Paramitas workable.

CBS580: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

This course will be unlike others you will have likely already taken here at the seminary. Rather than being purely academic in nature, this is an experiential meditative course. During this course, the student will experience regular meditation sessions on each of the Four Foundations, as taught by the Buddha in the Satipatthana Sutta.

CBS590: Agnostic Buddhism

Bodhidharma sat facing the wall. The Second Patriarch, standing in the snow, cut off his arm and said, “Your disciple’s mind is not yet at peace. I beg you, master, give it rest.” Bodhidharma said, “Bring me your mind and I will put it to rest for you.” The Second Patriarch replied, “I have searched for the mind but have never been able to find it.” Bodhidharma said, “I’ve finished putting it to rest for you.”

This deep not-knowing, in this case the Second Patriarch’s inability to find his anguished mind, takes the notion of agnosticism to a contemplative depth. Such deep agnostic metaphors are likewise found in such terms as wu hsin (no mind), and wu nien (no thought), as well as in the more popular “Don’t Know Mind” of the Korean Zen Master, Seung Sahn.

CBS600: The Precepts

The objectives of the Precept course include helping seminarians to learn about the historical and present-day ordained communities and to engender respect and appreciation for them. Seminarians should also come to further understand how vows and commitments assist in the path, as well as further understanding and appreciating Buddhist society altogether. Of special importance is seeing how the whole structure of vows arises from karmic considerations and that the intention is to support practice, rather than create a rigid, repressive, or authoritarian structure.

ABS: ADVANCED BUDDHIST STUDIES

ABS610: Chinul & Korean Buddhism

Introduction to the teaching of Chinul through a study of his major works in English translation. Born in 1158, Chinul almost single-handedly reformed and re-vitalized Zen in Korea by the time of his death in 1210. Chinul’s influence of Buddhism in Korea parallels that of the greatest masters of all time. All of the surviving Korean schools of Zen trace their lineage through this uniquely gifted Zen master.

ABS620: Saicho & Japanese Buddhism

An understanding of Saicho and his reform of Nara Buddhism lays a necessary foundation for understanding of all modern Japanese Buddhism, and its derivatives. All current East Asian forms of clerical, non-Vinaya based ordination stem from Saicho and his interpretations of the Bodhisattva vows.

ABS630: The Compass of Zen

This quintessential summary of Buddhist thought was passed down from teacher to student. But what does it mean, and where did these insights come from? Zen Master Sǔngsan was taught by the foremost scholars of his time in Korea and this ancient understanding which is traced back to 7th Century China is clear and concise. These are modern “cliff notes” for Buddhist Theology. Join his disciples in unraveling the history or their origin.

ABS710: Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy

Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy is a survey of broad themes and subtle philosophical points found in more than fifteen hundred years of Buddhist philosophical writings. In a clear and systematic manner, we set out the traditional framework of Buddhism’s three schools and four philosophical systems and provide an overview of the key points of each philosophical system. This approach is also syncretic in that it emphasizes the strengths of each philosophical system and incorporates them into a broad picture of philosophical endeavor.

ABS720: Understanding Buddha Nature

All sentient beings, without exception, have Buddha nature, the inherent purity and perfection of the mind, untouched by changing mental states. The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra, one of the “Five Treatises” said to have been dictated to Asanga by the Bodhisattva Maitreya, presents the Buddha’s definitive teachings on how we should understand this ground of enlightenment and clarifies the nature and qualities of Buddhahood.

ABS740: Overview of Hua-Yen Buddhism

Most modern Japanese and Chinese scholars regard Hua-yen as the highest form of Buddhism. This course is a description and analysis of the Chinese form of Buddhism called Hua-yen, Flower Ornament, based largely on one of the more systematic treatises of its third patriarch.

ABS750: General Overview of East Asian Tantra

Although Indian and Tibetan versions of tantric Buddhism are increasingly recognized, the East Asian variations on this practice remain largely overlooked. This course is organized into four sections—China and Korea, Japan, Deities and Practices, and Influences on Japanese Religion.

ABS760: The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch

The Platform Sutra occupies a central place in Zen (Ch’an) Buddhist instruction for students and spiritual seekers worldwide. It is often linked with The Heart Sutra and The Diamond Sutra to form a trio of texts that have been revered and studied for centuries. However, unlike the other sutras, which transcribe the teachings of the Buddha himself, The Platform Sutra presents the life and work of Hui-neng, the controversial sixth patriarch of Zen, and his understanding of the fundamentals of a spiritual and practical life. Hui-neng’s instruction still matters—the seventh-century school of Direct Awakening that he founded flourishes today, continuing to influence the Rinzai and Soto schools of contemporary Zen.

ABS770: The Diamond Sutra

Composed of 32 short chapters, the Diamond Sutra is nonetheless one of the monumental scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism. The great Sixth Patriarch of Zen, Hui-neng, is said to have achieved enlightenment after hearing a single line of this sutra.

ABS800: Advanced Madhyamaka

This course presents the tradition of Madhyamaka Buddhism as more than a purely intellectual exercise, showing how it directly addresses daily life experience. Sections discuss understanding of two realities, Madhyamaka meditation, the distinctions between Autonomists and Consequentialists, and more.

PSY: PSYCHOLOGY & COUNSELING

PSY600: Zen Therapy

This course offers students a fresh perspective on Buddhist Psychology and demonstrates how Zen Buddhist techniques are integrated into counseling. The course demystifies Buddhist psychology, explains the conceptual foundations of Buddhist thought, and with the help of vivid case studies, clearly demonstrates how a Buddhist approach can provide a practical path to personal growth.

PSY610: Introduction to Counseling

Surveys contemporary theories and techniques of counseling. The counseling process, comparison of theoretical approaches professional and ethical issues are explored.

PSY620: Theories and Techniques of Group Counseling

This course surveys contemporary theories and techniques of group counseling. The group counseling process, comparison of various theoretical approaches, and an introduction to professional and ethical issues are explored. This course builds on the learning in the course Introduction to Counseling.

PSY630: The Practice of  Buddhist Psychology

Contemplative psychotherapy is based on the view of “brilliant sanity” or Buddha nature, the idea that health is intrinsic and unconditional. This course presents teachings from Buddhist psychology on the mind in both sanity and confusion. In particular, we examine the mistaken notion of a solid, separate self as the foundation of suffering and misunderstanding. The importance of impermanence and transition is highlighted. We begin an exploration of how habitual patterns of mind may lead to addictive patterns of behavior. Self-understanding is emphasized as the basis for ethical and helpful counseling relationships.

PSY640: Nonviolent Communication

Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s process of Nonviolent Communication has gained worldwide recognition as a tool for turning even the most volatile situations into a natural interchange of compassion, generosity, and mutual enrichment. This course is modeled after his 9-day intensive retreats, and presents a curriculum for putting Dr. Rosenberg’s transformative ideas into everyday practice.

PSY700: Crisis Intervention

This course examines theories and techniques of short-term intervention and referral procedures. Topics include suicide, battering, rape, death and disasters in the community.

PSY800: The Physics of Consciousness

Is there a theory that explains the essence of consciousness? Or is consciousness itself just an illusion? The “last great mystery of science,” consciousness was excluded from serious research for most of the last century, but is now a rapidly expanding area of study for students of psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience.

PRX: BUDDHIST PRAXIS

PRX610: Ritual, Practice, & Ceremony in Buddhism

This course will examine ritual and practice in the Buddhist tradition. Topics will include the relationship between practice, doctrine, and ritual, ritual architecture, and historical and modern examples of ritual practice.

PRX740: Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness

This course presents the main schools of Buddhist philosophy with their progressively more subtle and refined views of reality. However, it is not just a teaching on the view, but a presentation providing the student the means to realize it through meditation practice.

PAS: PASTORAL CARE

PAS610: Spiritual Leadership

This course will introduce students to spiritual leadership, and consider values, responsibilities, functions, and resources for spiritual leaders.

PAS710: Buddhist Homiletics: Writing and Giving Dharma Talks

This course introduces students to the art of writing and giving dharma talks. Various styles and kinds of Dharma talks will be studied and considered. Students will find particular styles and methods to help them in their own homiletic work.