Windows into Buddhism

• 455Right View

  Analyze the importance of right view within the noble eightfold path, evaluating how this foundation shapes all other elements of the path.
• 401Dhyana: Meditation Techniques

  Compare and contrast multiple Buddhist meditation techniques (shamatha, vipassana, loving-kindness, walking meditation), analyze how each method addresses specific mental states and obstacles, and design appropriate meditation practices for different situations and temperaments.
• 125Buddhist Debate

  Analyze diverse perspectives through structured debate, and demonstrate the application of gestures and concepts from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of debate.
• 324Five Skandhas

  Analyze the five aggregates (skandhas) as the components that create the illusion of a permanent self; evaluate how understanding the constantly changing nature of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness supports the teaching of anatta (no-self); and synthesize this understanding by implementing daily practices that demonstrate selfless action based on logical analysis of the impermanent nature of identity.
• 121Empathy and Compassion

  Differentiate between cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and compassion by analyzing how each contributes to understanding others’ perspectives and experiences; evaluate how dependent origination explains the uniqueness of individual viewpoints using examples like “The Blind Men and the Elephant”; and implement mindful listening and perspective-taking practices that cultivate empathy and transform it into compassionate action for alleviating others’ suffering.
• 323Pramana

  Evaluate how we know what’s real by analyzing the two key ways of knowing: direct experience and inference (logical reasoning); assess how differentiating between clear and confused thinking supports better decision-making and helps avoid the ignorance that keeps us stuck in suffering; integrate this understanding by applying these principles to real-life situations, demonstrating how valid ways of knowing (cognition) helps us distinguish between how things seem (appearance) and how they really are (reality), both in everyday life and in meditation.
• 441Buddhist and Ordinary Refuge

  Analyze the fundamental differences between Buddhist refuge (three jewels) and ordinary refuge practices by evaluating their effectiveness in providing protection from fear and suffering. Create criteria for assessing the wholesomeness of various refuge sources using the eightfold path as a framework, then apply these criteria to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources of refuge in contemporary life experiences.
• 463The Paramita of Dhyana/Meditation

  Differentiate between ordinary concentration and the paramita of dhyana as described in Buddhist texts; analyze the role of meditative absorption (samadhi) in developing wisdom and compassion; and demonstrate competency by designing and leading basic meditation sessions that cultivate both individual focus and group harmony.
• 319Dukkha

  Differentiate between the three types of dukkha by analyzing specific examples from personal experience; evaluate how recognizing unsatisfactoriness in all experience cultivates compassion for oneself and others; and demonstrate understanding of how awareness of suffering motivates the pursuit of liberation through dharma practice.
• 320Twelve Nidanas

  Identify and sequence the twelve links of dependent origination; analyze how specific links (particularly craving and clinging) perpetuate suffering in personal experience; and design practical strategies for interrupting the cycle at key intervention points.