Windows into Buddhism

• 200ELineage Traditions

  Compare how the three main Buddhist traditions (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana) pass down teachings, evaluating the strengths of each approach. Examine your own cultural and family traditions, and analyze which ones benefit people and which might cause harm. Evaluate how these ideas were transmitted to you, and how you transmit them to others, and develop criteria for responsibly choosing which ideas and traditions are worth continuing or changing.
• 210EWestern Philosophy and Buddhism

  Analyze the Buddha’s teachings in relation to other philosophical and scientific perspectives, evaluating points of convergence and divergence.
• 113EEightfold Path: Overview

  Analyze how the eight components of the path work together to reduce suffering, then apply these principles to daily life situations. Evaluate the effectiveness of Buddhist ethical guidance through personal reflection, and demonstrate how the eightfold path can inform decision-making in real-world scenarios.
• 115ETen Virtues

  Categorize the ten virtuous and non virtuous actions according to body, speech, and mind; analyze the causal relationship between specific actions and their karmic consequences; and evaluate contemporary ethical dilemmas by applying the ten virtues framework to complex real-world situations involving technology, environmental issues, and social justice.
• 316EThree Marks: Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta

  Analyze the three marks of existence by investigating specific examples of impermanence, suffering, and selflessness in personal experience, then evaluate how recognizing these characteristics transforms understanding of attachment and craving.
• 108EThe Paramita of Sila/Discipline

  Evaluate the relationship between external ethical guidelines and internal moral compass development; synthesize understanding of sila by creating community agreements that reflect Buddhist principles of non-harm (ahimsa); and analyze how disciplined practice creates conditions for wisdom and compassion to emerge naturally.
• 104EMerit

  Analyze the relationship between virtuous actions and their karmic effects; evaluate how motivation influences the merit generated by specific behaviors; and synthesize understanding of merit by designing anonymous acts of service that demonstrate the Buddhist principle of selfless giving.
• 101EAnatta and Service

  Analyze systemic issues within the community by evaluating their root causes and interconnected effects, then design and implement collaborative social action initiatives that prioritize collective wellbeing over individual recognition, while critically examining their own motivations to align actions with the principle of anatta (selflessness).
• 121EEmpathy 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.