Taught by FPMT-Registered Teachers who are Senior Students of ABC
Thursdays: 7.30pm – 9.30pm, Saturdays: 10am to 12pm
On site at ABC

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1. Introduction
2. Registration
3. Description of Modules
4. Class and Practice Day Schedule
5. About the Teachers

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The FPMT Discovering Buddhism Programme is designed for students who are keen to learn about the entire Buddhist path to achieve peace and happiness and put the teachings into practice.

Discovering Buddhism, which is based on the Stages of the Path (Lam Rim) teachings, is a 14-module programme that will enable students to gain a solid foundation in the teachings and practice of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. This follows two runs of Introduction to Discovering Buddhism at ABC in 2022 and 2023, which gave an overview of the 14 modules in 14 sessions. In Discovering Buddhism, each module is taught over 4 to 6 classes, covering in greater depth the main topics of concern, such as Mind and Its Potential, The Spiritual Teacher, Karma, Refuge, Bodhicitta and Wisdom of Emptiness. There will also be a Practice Day after each module.

The Programme will be offered in a flexible, modular format, where the modules can be taken individually without any prerequisite. Those who complete the following components of each module will receive a completion card for that module:
- At least 60% attendance for the classes
- Mandatory readings
- Four 1-hour meditation sessions either during the Practice Day or on one’s own
- Assignment/homework given during module
Those who complete all 14 modules will receive a certificate of completion for the entire programme.

Discovering Buddhism is taught by FPMT-registered teachers who are senior students of ABC: Venerable Tenzin Tsultrim, Ms. Koh Guat Cheng, Mr. Benny Law and Ms. Cecilia Tsong. They also taught Introduction to Discovering Buddhism.

 

Registration is not required to attend the classes and Practice Days.

However, registration is required if you wish to receive the course materials for each module. These course materials are particularly important to help you complete the mandatory components if you intend to obtain a completion card.

Modules 4 and 5 are now open for registration. Please register for the module by the first class of each module here.

Please contact spc2@fpmtabc.org for any enquiries.

 

1. Mind and Its Potential (Completed)
   Examine the mind and how it creates happiness and suffering. Learn to transform destructive thoughts and attitudes to develop a positive and joyous mind.


2. Establishing a Daily Practice (Completed)
   Assemble the tools you need to develop a successful daily practice and find out the elements necessary to generate realizations. Get some tips for making every action you do meaningful.


3. Presenting the Path (Completed)
   Get an overview of the entire Tibetan Buddhist path to awakening. Study the life story of the Buddha and discover a unique system for putting Buddhist philosophy into practice – the lamrim, or graduated path to enlightenment.


4. The Spiritual Teacher
   Investigate the role of the teacher on the spiritual path: the need for a teacher, the qualities of teacher and student, and how to relate to a teacher.


5. Death and Rebirth
   Explore the process of death and rebirth and its impact on how we live our lives. Learn to fulfill your purpose in life, resolve conflicts, and develop the skills to help yourself and others at death.


6. How to Meditate
   Explore the definition and purpose of meditation, how to sit, how to set up a meditation session, different meditation techniques, and how to deal with obstacles to meditation.


7. All About Karma
   Learn the essential facts about the law of actions and their results. Explore ways to deal with life more effectively and take control of your future.


8. Refuge in the Three Jewels
   Find out what it means to take refuge in the Three Jewels – the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha – and the essential practices of refuge. Learn about the advantage of taking lay vows and their role in enhancing our spiritual growth.


9. Samsara and Nirvana
   Investigate what “samsara” is and how we are stuck in it. Find out what “nirvana” is and how to achieve it. Learn how to be free from suffering and gain practical tools to deal with and eliminate disturbing emotions forever.


10. How to Develop Bodhicitta
    Discover practices that develop our innate qualities of compassion. Learn to apply these techniques to generate bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment, known as the very heart of Buddha’s teachings.


11. Transforming Problems
    Learn the disadvantages of selfishness and the advantages of cherishing others. Learn to employ the special techniques of mind training (lojong) to transform problems into happiness.


12. Wisdom of Emptiness
    Learn how to develop calm abiding (shamatha), the ability to remain focused in meditation for as long periods as you want without distraction. Try different ways of meditating on emptiness, the lack of true existence of the self and all phenomena, the realization of which is crucial for the attainment of liberation and enlightenment.


13. Introduction to Tantra
    Learn what tantra is, how it works, and why it is a powerful form of practice. Get a broad overview of the four classes of tantra and learn to practice simple kriya tantric methods. Learn how to integrate tantra with lamrim meditation to obtain the best results.


14. Special Integration Experiences
    Undertaking intensive practices of purification, a ten-day lamrim course/retreat, and three Nyung Nä retreats creates the inner conditions needed to gain the realizations of the path to enlightenment. The purification practices entail 100,000 prostrations to the Thirty-Five Buddhas and 100,000 long Vajrasattva mantras (two of the nine traditional preliminary practices). The ten-day lamrim course/retreat can be done on one’s own or at some FPMT centres, including Kopan Monastery in Nepal. A Nyung Nä is a two-day fasting practice related to the Buddha of compassion. It can be done at many FPMT centres, especially during the month of Saka Dawa, which falls in May-June. This module can be started at any time in the programme but is best started early on, such as after the module All About Karma, as it takes some time to complete.

 

 

Date	Day	Time	Module	Teacher
2 Mar 2024	Saturday	10am–12pm	The Spiritual Teacher	Mr Benny Law
7 Mar 2024	Thursday	7.30pm–9.30pm	The Spiritual Teacher
9 Mar 2024	Saturday	10am–12pm	The Spiritual Teacher
14 Mar 2024	Thursday	7.30pm–9.30pm	The Spiritual Teacher
16 Mar 2024	Saturday	10am–5pm	The Spiritual Teacher (Practice Day)
21 Mar 2024	Thursday	7.30pm–9.30pm	Death and Rebirth	Ms Koh Guat Cheng
23 Mar 2024	Saturday	10am–12pm	Death and Rebirth
30 Mar 2024	Saturday	10am–12pm	Death and Rebirth
6 Apr 2024	Saturday	10am–12pm	Death and Rebirth
27 Apr 2024	Saturday	10am–5pm	Death and Rebirth (Practice Day)

 

	Venerable Tenzin Tsultrim Ven. Tsultrim met Tibetan Buddhism over 20 years ago, receiving inspiration from many luminary spiritual teachers, which led her to pursue her studies and undertake many retreats. She was ordained in 2009 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As a long-time member of ABC, she has served as Executive Committee member, puja leader, newsletter editor, and video creator. She produced the six-part video series on the building of ABC's Thousand-armed Chenresig statue. As Basic Program graduate and FPMT registered teacher, Ven. Tsultrim is a Basic Program teaching assistant at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, and has also presented short talks. She serves the IMI (FPMT's sangha community) as its Southeast Asia regional representative.
	Ms Koh Guat Cheng Guat Cheng has met many amazing teachers since joining ABC in the 1990s. She completed the 1st Basic Program, and attended the 2nd Basic Program, for which she was a coordinator and leader for group discussions. She also completed the FPMT Master Program (online). She is currently serving in the ABC Spiritual Program Coordination Committee. As a registered FPMT teacher, she hopes to share a little Dharma, with the wish that it plants some seeds of interest in others to learn more about the Buddha's teachings.
	Mr Benny Law Benny Law is a student of ABC since 1992 and has been leading the annual Nyung Nè Retreats from the late 90s. He has completed the 1st Basic Program (BP), a multi-year in-depth Buddhist philosophy program, in 2010. From 2011 to 2018, Benny attended the 2nd BP and conducted weekly revision classes for the 2nd batch students who require additional tutoring. He also helped prepare the 2nd batch students for their FPMT final exam in 2019. Benny is a registered FPMT teacher.
	Ms Cecilia Tsong Cecilia has been an ABC member since 1993 and has served on the Spiritual Program Committee, as emcee at Vesak Day, as a puja leader and sutra reader and edited books for free publications. She has also assisted in a number of ABC’s teaching tours to India. She has guided many newcomers through several cycles of the “Establishing a Daily Practice” course. She has completed two cycles of the FPMT Basic Program (BP), a multi-year in-depth Buddhist philosophy program, and has been responsible for editing the BP transcripts.