When
Thursday evenings 7 - 9 PM
November 6, 13, 20, December 4, 11 and 18.
Cost
- Base fee: $90
- Sponsor fee: $120*
- Student/Senior (65+): $60
- Work-study: (prior permission required) $45
* Those who pay the sponsor fee help support those who cannot afford to pay the full workshop fee.
Vajrayana Buddhism
A Six-week Seminar with Tergar Instructor Cortland Dahl
The Vajra Vehicle of Tibetan Buddhism is considered a “short-cut” to enlightenment. This profound approach to awakening is rooted in the understanding that buddhahood is not a goal to be achieved, but an immanent reality that we can recognize in the present moment. Various tools are used to bring about this recognition: meditations that employ the imagination and symbolic imagery, exercises designed to harness the power of the body’s subtle energies, and pith instructions that guide the meditator to a direct experience of the luminous purity of the mind’s true nature.
In this seminar, we will explore the most important principles and practices of Vajrayana Buddhism, including its profound teachings on the immanence of the enlightened state and the powerful practices that enable us to access our own awakened nature. Each class will include teachings by Tergar Instructor Cortland Dahl, as well as guided meditations and discussion. There are no prerequisites for this seminar.
About Cortland Dahl
Cortland began meditating in 1993 while a student at the University of Minnesota, in the years that followed, he practiced and studied a number of Buddhist traditions and traveled extensively throughout Asia, where he spent time on retreat in Japan, Burma, India, and Nepal. Following this period of travel, Cortland returned to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in Buddhist Studies at Naropa University. He then lived in India and Nepal for seven years, which gave him the opportunity to immerse himself in the Tibetan language and spend more time in retreat.
Since 2003, Cortland has interpreted for various Tibetan lamas and taught courses on Buddhism and Tibetan language throughout the world. He founded the Rime Foundation in 2004 and, under the direction of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, started the Tergar institute in 2006. As an author and translator, Cortland has published numerous works, including Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminaries; Great Perfection, Volumes I & II; and Deity, Mantra and Wisdom: Development Stage Meditation in Tibetan Buddhist Tantra.
Cortland currently serves as Chairman of Tergar International and lives in Madison, Wisconsin, where he is pursuing a PhD under the guidance of Dr. Richard Davidson. Read more...
About Tergar’s Buddhist Studies Program
The Buddha’s teachings present a practical approach to identifying and removing the causes of suffering and dissatisfaction. Tergar’s Buddhist Studies Program provides a thorough grounding in the meditative, ethical, and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Read More...
About the Tergar Meditation Community
The mission of the Tergar Meditation Community is to make the ancient practice of meditation accessible to the modern world. For centuries, the practice of meditation has been used by countless individuals to transform suffering into joy and confusion into wisdom. Tergar meditation and study programs are designed to facilitate this transformation. Under the guidance of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a remarkable Tibetan teacher celebrated for his ability to make the practice of meditation accessible to people of all backgrounds, the Tergar community of meditation centers and practice groups provides a comprehensive course of meditation training and study, with programs for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. Read more...